Flying around Europe on a Budget
What if I told you that travelling across Europe can be cheaper than a restaurant meal? You’re probably thinking that I am goofing on you and I don’t blame you. A few years back, travelling around Europe by plane used to be a very expensive hobby. Today catching a plane from London to Rome for a weekend is easier than ever before. But before jumping into that, let’s rewind a bit
What if I told you that travelling across Europe can be cheaper than a restaurant meal? You’re probably thinking that I am goofing on you and I don’t blame you. A few years back, travelling around Europe by plane used to be a very expensive hobby. Today catching a plane from London to Rome for a weekend is easier than ever before. But before jumping into that, let’s rewind a bit.
What are budget Airlines?
Budget airlines are very popular in Europe for a reason. They offer significantly lower prices compared to standard carriers to the same destination. Nowadays, with the increase in low cost airlines it is one of the cheapest ways to get around. Not onlyare new airlinescoming into existence but also more and more destinations in Europe are becoming available. In most cases flights are much cheaper than traveling by bus or train. For example a bus from Athens to Thessaloniki in Greece takes 6-7 hours and costs 63€ (roundtrip). The same roundtrip would cost as low as 40€ flying with Ryanair. Not bad, huh?
Apart from the “big three” - Ryanair, Eurowings and EasyJet - most of the budget airlines operate in small regions. FlyNiki for example flies mainly in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Italy specialising in key cities such as Berlin, Vienna and Munich. In summer their flights are more frequent and many more European holiday destinations are available.
Some of the biggest Budget Airlines next to each other.
What makes them so cheap though?
1) You will need to pay for extra luggage
Rather than having a higher price ticket which would include a 23kg bag that not everyone needs, they allow a small 8kg carry-on bag (which is more than enough for a small trip) and then you can pay extra if you need a big one. Keep in mind that it is MUCH cheaper to buy ahead online.
Make sure to stick to the size and weight mentioned on the terms and conditions you agree upon. DO NOT GUESS. Measure and weigh your luggage ahead. Most of budget airlines adhere to this and most likely you will pay a big fine in the airport that would cost you as much as the ticket you paid.
2) You won’t have any free drinks or food during your flight.
Nothing is free. The ‘’free’’ food and complimentary drinks you get in a flight are paid in your higher priced ticket. To avoid this, get some food with you (it is allowed to get through security control) andget a foldable water bottle which you can fill up after security control. If you don't wanna get into the trouble of preparing food last minute, you can always order in the airplane. You save more than 100€ flying with a budget airline. Spending 10€ on a meal isn't that bad.
A ham & Cheese sandwich, hot chocolate and chips cost less than 10€ in an EasyJet Aircraft
3) Print your ticket
Most of the Budget carriers give you the option to print your own ticket in an A4 printout. If you decide to print it at the airport desk this will cost you about 20-25€. Some airlines give the option of paperless ticket simply by scanning your phone screen. So, check before you fly.
4) The airport will be outside the major city
Many times the airlines land in destinations further away from the destination. This might not be always the case but it is very common in Europe.
Last year I flew from Bratislava Paris and from there to Morocco. I decided to spend 5 days in Paris to see the city as well. RyanAir offers flights on the fraction of the cost comparing to other airlines but it lands in the city of Beauvais which is about 90km away from the centre. You can reach the centre via Bus (8€ cost) or visit blablacar.com to find a shared car ride. This happens because those airports have much lower taxes in comparison to airports closer to the city. For me it was a great opportunity to spend a day in Beauvais and also explore this small town.
This is the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Beauvais. An impressive 13th century Gothic architectural masterpiece
5) Read Terms and Conditions
Almost always the tickets are non refundable nor able to be changed. Always make sure to read the terms and conditions.
6) The aircraft is very basic inside.
The interior of the airplane and NOT the airplane itself have some eye catching differences. Seats are less comfortable with hard cushions and no reclining option and no TV. itis also noticeable that there will be tons of ads inside the airplane just like the metro or the bus. But again, this is an 1 to 4 hours flight max. It is not the end of the world so bring a good book and rock your earphones on.
Before booking with a Budget airline always make sure to keep in mind all these extra costs and decide if it’s worth it.
A photo of my seat on my recent trip to London.
Are Budget Airlines safe?
Many times the word ‘’budget’’ implies cheaper quality. People are worried travelling with a flying metal coffin that can potentially fall apart at any moment. This is not the case in Europe and North America. The USA and EU have some of the strictest aviation safety laws in the world. Nothing that doesn’t fulfil these requirements is allowed to fly through European or American soil. Those companies go through the same checks are all airlines do.
In Europe, neither EasyJet nor RyanAir have had any fatal accidents nor have lost any aircraft the past 40 years. In the 10 worst aviation accidents in Europe (https://aviation-safety.net/statistics/worst/worst.php?continent=EU) no budget airlines were involved
One of the reasons Budget Airlines are much cheaper is the cost efficiency. Just like in Costco when you buy in bulk you have a premium price, in the same way RyanAir and EasyJet buy more than 100 aircrafts at the time so that the price is cheaper as well as they save on training costs since all the pilots just need to be trained on a specific type of aircraft.
Which are some of the best Budget Airlines in Europe?
- Air Baltic: Based in Latvia, it flies over 50 destinations including St. Petersburg and Prague.
- Air Berlin: German airlines to operates to the most popular European holiday destinations including the Greek islands and Spain.
- Blue Air: Romanian Airlines that connects East and West European destinations.
- EasyJet: British airlines operating both domestically and internationally with more than 600 destinations in 32 countries.
- Eurowings: Budget German Airlines that operates mainly in the European continent with some flights in Thailand as well.
- FlyNiki Even though it is a budget airline you always get refreshments and newspapers on flight.
FlyBe: Air Devon-based Airline operates to over 65 European airports.
- GermanWings Airlines: Cologne Based German airline operating mainly in Europe.
- Iberia Express: Best way to fly to Spain on a budget. It operates to 22 European destinations including Berlin, Mykonos and London
- Monarch: One of the oldest budget airlines. It is based at Luton Airport and operates to more than 65 destinations.
- Norwegian: They fly to over 126 destinations and recently they introduced long haul flights to NYC and LA
- Pegasus Airlines: The Budget version of Turkish airways. It operates to more than 100 destinations in Central Asia, Europe and N. Africa.
- RyanAir: Probably the biggest Budget airline in Europe. It flies in pretty much every country in Europe in more than 190 (!!!) destinations.
- Transavia: Dutch based airline operating mainly in Europe.
Wizz Air: This Hungarian low-cost carrier operates to more than 45 countries
- WOW Air: Iceland's very own Budget Airline. Operates flights to 16 destinations including London and Milan
Are Budget Airlines actually Cheaper?
AYE! Even after adding all the extra expenses, it is almost always cheaper to fly with a budget carrier. I recently booked my tickets for 5 cities. London, Copenhagen, Athens, Istanbul and Rome. I paid 320€ for 7 flights whereas if I booked through non budget airlines the cost was over 700€ so even if you don’t get free coffee and sandwich on the airplane you can spare 5-6€ since you saved over 50€-100€ for a single flight.
There is a reason they are called budget. If you can live without any unnecessary luxuries for a couple of hours, the savings are definitely worth it.
What is your experience with Budget Airlines? Do you prefer spending the extra money for activities in your destination or for a much more comfortable flight?
London on a Budget
London is notorious for being a very expensive city and it really is. If you are travelling on the budget, the first moment you get into the city you might get overwhelmed by all the overpriced street and restaurant food. It might look this way at the first glimpse but this isn’t the rule.
As in every city, London has tons of free attractions and they are just waiting to be discovered. I agree, some attractions can be a bit pricey. You can’t visit a city though and skip everything though.
London is notorious for being a very expensive city and it really is. If you are travelling on the budget, the first moment you get into the city you might get overwhelmed by all the overpriced street and restaurant food. It might look this way at the first glimpse but this isn’t the rule.
As in every city, London has tons of free attractions and they are just waiting to be discovered. I agree, some attractions can be a bit pricey. You can’t visit a city though and skip everything though.
Flight:
With prices as low as $40 roundtrip, it is very convenient to move around Europe and N. Africa
London has 4 airports. 2 of them (Standsted & Luton) are quite far from the center. This is where all Budget airlines fly to (such as RyanAir and EasyJet). Except if you have enough miles or you find a great deal, I would suggest you to consider those airports. I paid 70€ with RyanAir for a roundtrip to Standsted Airport. Of course this includes just a small luggage and not a suitcase but you don’t need anything more than a small backpack for a short trip. Even with a luggage (e.g. a 70L backpack), if you book early, the extra luggage cost would set you back about 50€.
Transportation:
Transportation cost from the airport is something you cannot avoid. Nowadays, there are several bus companies with offices located in the airport and due to the competition, prices tend to be quite low.
A rountrip ticket to London from Stansted Airport will set you back only £18 for a roundtrip bus ride ( so just £9 one way for 1 hour ride).
Metro, Subway, Tube (or however you wanna call) it is with no doubt the fastest and cheapest way to travel within the London metropolis. Better check in prior in which zone is your accommodation and the attractions you are planning to visit are located so that you buy an Oyster Card just for those zones! You can find more information about the fares here
Accommodation:
In many cases, Central London hotels are overprices and undersized. Most of the times, it is much cheaper to find a place outside Zone 1 (such as Campden Road). Rooms are usually better quality for the same price and the surrounding shops are cheaper (check out the Food & Drinks section). hostelworld.com is a great website to look for hostels. If you are into the international vibe, parties and look for cheap accommodation, this is what you’re looking for.
couchsurfing.com another great website. People from all over the world are registered here. A website where you can offer a room or a couch of your house for free or you can look hosts online. Not only you save money, but you socialize with dwellers of the city who can share tons of inside tips about the area and the city but you also get to see how London’s everyday life looks like!
Food & Drinks:
There is great variety of food in Campden market. Everything is affordable and you know what? Everyone hands out free samples... Woohoo!
Here, the same rule applies as in Accommodation. London is well known for its variety in restaurants. Due to the high rent though, Food tends to be overpriced and scare off most of the budget travellers. This is why I chose a hotel out of Zone 1. In the London Suburbs (but still very close to the center) such as zone 2, there is always a tremendous variety of food options. Lebanese, Indian, Kebabs, Chinese, you name it!
Oh and did I mention how much cheaper Beer is there? You have a great number of pubs in every neighbourhood where beer is much cheaper (£3-4 comparing to £5-6 in the Center) and you get to connect with the locals. Londoners are really fun and friendly! It is a great opportunity to experience ‘‘real’’ London and get a taste of a lifestyle, most of the tourist do not experience!
Attractions:
Free Attractions:
Night walks are always a great way to explore the city for free!
London is not about Madam Tussaud’s and the London Eye. There are tons of free attractions you can visit just by metro (using your Oyster Card). in fact, there are so many free attractions that it might take you about 3 days to visit most of them.
Some of them are:
- National Gallery,
- The British Museum
- Borough Market
- Natural History Museum
- Science Museum
- St. Paul’s Church
- Campden Market and many many more…
Of course, free, doesn’t necessarily mean museums and galleries. There are so many great things you can do in London that will be truly memorable to you. You can visit Greenwich, take a stroll in Thames or simply enjoy Hyde park.
Primrose Hill offers a fascinating view of London's skyline
Night walks are a great free way to explore the city
Kingston is only 30 mins away from the city by bus and it is a great way to stay on a budget while exploring the point where the history of England began.
London Pass:
Some attractions are touristic for a reason and it is a must to visit them. The notorious London Tower would be on the top of my list. Check out London Pass (http://www.londonpass.com/london-attractions/london-attractions-guide.html) and all the attractions you can visit. A 2 days pass will cost you about £75 which might sound like a lot but it can save you 50% or more if you add up the prices of all the attractions you visited. Just try to do the free attractions before you buy the pass or after it expires.
Free Walking Tour:
Free Walking Tours are a great way to see the city. This is your-own-price tour. They are usually about 3 hours long, full with interesting facts, enthusiastic guides and reveals the true history of the buildings and area. The only thing to consider is to tip the guide at the end of the tour. Check it out here
Roo Tip: For cheap food in Zone 1 visit ChinaTown. Specially its street food is half price of what you find a few meters out of ChinaTown
What are your experiences with London? How do you manage staying on a low budget?