TIPS TO TRAVEL EUROPE ON A BUDGET

Europe isn't exactly the most affordable holiday option, especially considering how much money you lose when converting AUD to EURO. So I was budgeting at every point I could and in doing this I managed to spend $0.00 on accommodation for the entire 4 months I was there.. what the !

My partner at the time is Italian so we were lucky enough to have a base in his home-town.. and we would return there to relax after our adventures and before we departed on the next. BUT the thing that really saved us was as soon as we arrived in Italy we bought a tent, blow-up mattress, a hammock each and a few other camping essentials.

This way we could backpack and camp our way through various countries and set up camp in the most incredible, secluded places. Or right around the corner from popular tourist locations.

My best advice for you:

CAMP OUT

Just do it, don't pay 100 EURO every night for accommodation. Enjoy the elements. It's so much fun when you can find a quiet little corner of a country to pitch your tent and wake up in a beautiful environment. If you can camp somewhere in your own country, you can definitely do it in other countries (be safe, be aware, choose your spot wisely).

EAT CHEAPLY

When you need to.. restaurants are so lovely but they also charge for table service and it all adds up. Imagine paying 2 EURO for table service for breakfast, lunch, dinner everyday (plus the meals). I would make myself salads and it would cost me roughly 4 - 6 EURO every time I did. I'm vegetarian so this was easy for me.. just get a can of chick peas, olives, lettuce, capsicum, carrot, cucumber, an olive oil dressing etc. Whatever you can think of ! 

CHOOSE DESTINATIONS

Obviously if you're on a budget holiday a trip to Norway, Iceland or Switzerland will dint the wallet a bit as they are the more expensive countries. I remember being told that a vodka/redbull was over 20 AUD on the slopes in Norway. Absurd ! Somewhere like Eastern Europe would be a better choice (it's insanely beautiful over there and more untouched than those usual countries like Italy/France/etc).

AVOID CITIES

I honestly find myself spending so much money as soon as I wander into a city. A bus ticket here, a bakery there, ohh a market, a coffee, another bus ticket, some lunch, accommodation, etc etc. If you can find a cute little B'n'B out of town it would always make for a more authentic experience than being among city chaos.

HITCH HIKE

Some places are not so easy to hitch-hike as others but it's all part of the fun. We had some really lovely people pick us up along the way and it was such a good time. They saved us when our legs were exhausted.

WALK

There's no harm in putting one foot in front of the other and getting a nice little workout while you do it. Save on all of those train or bus fares and walk it where you can.

MAKE FRIENDS

You never know when someone is willing to take you in and offer their home to you. Especially after camping, a nice warm shower and a comfortable place to sleep is always a blessing ! This happened to us a couple of times and it was so heart-warming.

So enjoy ! Be creative if you're on a budget.. it worked for me and I hope some of my advice works for you too.

Much love guys !

Lexie