Getting around Europe can end up being a huge part of your budget for a trip there, not to mention the endless options there are to get from one place to another that can be confusing if you’re not familiar with them. Over my many trips to Europe, I’ve found some of my favorite ways to get around the continent easily, quickly and most important, without a huge investment. Part of the luxury of Europe is that everything is so close, so transport between locations shouldn’t be a huge headache. These options should help you narrow down your search when you’re trying to figure out how to get from A to B.
Unlike the US, Europe has a wealth of budget airline options. And when I say budget, I mean it. We’ve gotten deals like $35 from London Gatwick to Marrakech, Morocco and many others over the years. Our favorite budget airline is Easy Jet. With a wealth of destinations, Easy Jet is not only a fantastic option to get places in Europe and the Middle East, it’s also clean, cheap and we’ve had amazing luck with service and flights being on time and such. I’ve heard some horror stories about its competitor Ryan Air, though I’ve never flown it. Easy Jet has been a fantastic option for us as we jet around Europe and is often half as much to fly with them as it is on major airlines.
One thing to note with budget airlines in Europe though is that they often fly into different airports than the large carriers (one reason they can charge such low fares), so be sure to check out where you’ll be flying into before booking as often times the airports these carriers use are farther outside of cities and smaller than the large hubs. Also confirm costs for items like checked bags and such as they can often be high.
While it can be a scary thought to drive in foreign countries, Europe is actually a fantastic place to rent a car and drive wherever you’re headed. Whether it’s through the UK or over mainland Europe, traveling by car can be a really fun way to travel. You can stop where you want, take in the landscape and enjoy the journey a bit more. We drove all through the UK last Fall and it made our trip that much better as we got to really enjoy the countrysides of Ireland and Scotland.
A great way to save money on rental cars in Europe (as sometimes that cost can add up quickly) is to use credit card or airline points for car rentals. If you don’t have enough for a flight or hotel, often times cars take a lot less points. I use my BA avios points for car rentals all the time and it’s a great way to save a bunch of money.
Perhaps my favorite way to get around Europe, trains are so easily accessible and efficient in Europe. We have traveled all over Europe on trains from the simple London to Paris trip, the scenic journey from Milan to Nice, France, the quick shot from Dublin to Belfast, and many other smaller trips in between. Trains are so nice because most of the time they are quite a bit cheaper than flying, you don’t have to show up as early as you do at the airport and most European train stations are an experience in themselves, usually housed in gorgeous old buildings with lovely coffee shops and restaurants.
Trains are also really efficient in Europe (unlike ours on the West Coast of the US) and super fast for many of the trips offered because of the bullet train options. You can also be flexible most of the time when traveling by train (although do your research prior to traveling because certain trips do require advance bookings), especially on smaller trips and you can purchase tickets when you arrive, so you can be more flexible on timing. European trains (in general) are also a really comfortable way to travel and can be a great option to see more of the country as you go.
Tara-Jane Bloomfield-Gerdes says
Ryanair isn’t all that bad – in fact far more of my Easyjet flights have been delayed than my Ryanair flights, and I’ve flown many more times with Ryanair! Definitely don’t rule them out!
Tara / http://headlinebeauty.blogspot.co.uk/
Casey Martin says
Interesting! I don’t rule them out ever, I go with whatever is easier and cheaper, I’ve just always heard horror stories from other travelers and we happen to really like Easy Jet. But yea, it’s a great option too.
Cheyenne says
Love the tips, although I wouldn’t necessarily recommend to someone from out of Europe to travel by car as driving around Europe can get somewhat unpleasant at times.
xx
http://www.bohemianjourneys.blogspot.com
Casey Martin says
Yea, to each their own. We feel pretty comfortable driving around Europe, but we do go a lot and familiar with the areas. I could see if you weren’t as familiar with the countries that it could be hard, but it is a pretty cool experience to say you’ve driven in a foreign country 🙂
Kelley Matney says
Great tips! I loved traveling by train when I was in Europe. I wish the United States at a super efficient train system too, it would make travel so much easier.
Casey Martin says
I totally agree, I love traveling by train. I so wish the US had a better train system, at least on the West Coast, it’s just horrible and so slow!!!
Ella Morgan says
Great post! I much prefer Easyjet to Ryan Air but Ryan do have the monopoly over certain routes. Its cheap and gets you from A to B just expect to be treated like cattle. But hey, if it gets you there?
Ella | http://www.towanderandtoroam.blogspot.com
Casey Martin says
Yea, that’s what I’ve heard. I’ve not flown Ryan Air, not that I never would, I just don’t have experience with it. I am looking into a trip coming up that looks like we’ll have to fly Ryan Air, as you say, they do seem to have monopolies on certain routes. So we’ll see 🙂
Quyen Nguyen says
Great tips! When I was living in Madrid, I found that inexpensive airlines were cheaper (and faster!) then trains. Airlines such as Vueling are great. Although flying is the fastest, driving is the most fun.
http://liveitinerantly.com/
Casey Martin says
Yea, sometimes that is definitely the case. Totally depends on where you’re going/coming from, but we’ve had that too where it’s cheaper to fly on the budget airlines. Although I love the experiences of the trains too, so sometimes it’s hard to choose 🙂
Alex Butts says
I’ve never had problems with Ryanair and find that the deals are much cheaper than on EasyJet. The only people taht struggle with Ryanair are the ones that fail to read the instructions sent in the 3 (at least) preflight emails. So, if you see a deal, don’t fear!
I think you left out the two cheapest options though: buses and hitchhiking. Many of the buses in Europe even offer free WiFi now! And I knwo a ton of people that have had a blast hitchhiking and made it across 5 countries for free just by chatting with people at gas stations! Lastly, I recommend BlaBlaCar or Mitfahrgelegenheit for rideshares… <- all definitely the three cheapest ways to get around unless going a short distance, then maybe regional train tickets are competitive.
Casey Martin says
Yea, I definitely hear that often about Ryan Air, I just don’t have experience with it. And like you said, there are so many other ways to get around Europe, I just don’t have experience with some of the others that you mentioned!
Courtney says
These are great tips! I usually use Ryan Air because it’s generally cheaper than Easy Jet, but you really do get what you pay for. Uncomfortable seats, flight attendants constantly trying to sell you things, poor customer service… it’s all a headache. But if it can get me to where I need to be for under $40, I have no right to complain!!
Casey Martin says
Yea, I’ve heard that it can be a lot cheaper! So you’re right, it’s what we want so we shouldn’t complain about it! 🙂
Camila says
Ryanair feels very sketchy, but they take advantage of what people want – cheap travels. When I lived in Europe, my first trip was to go to France and I got a £8 flight between Edinburgh and Paris. It was worth it! However, like you mentioned, I do really like Easy Jet(and feel much safer/happier in their planes)!
Trains in Europe are sooo much more efficient in Europe! It was also my big comment as a North American living abroad. It’s just so easy and affordable! I must say though that I have done most of my travels in France by train and it is ridiculously expensive!
Very interesting post!
Casey Martin says
Yea, I love EasyJet but like mentioned above, some routes are pretty much Ryan Air only so can be really worth it. And yes, I love trains. I think certain countries are more expensive than others but I love the options!