How To Travel Europe When You're A Broke Study Abroad Student

Cause being a baller on a budget has no borders.

Do your research.

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Compare different means of travel, different hotels, and different cities. It'll be emotionally and mentally draining to spend hours googling, but it'll majorly pay off (pun completely intended). Don't be afraid to make a couple excel spreadsheets.

Welcome RyanAir as your new best friend.

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RyanAir has flights all over Europe for less than a night out will cost you. Yeah, you might sometimes fear for your life on these flights but you really can't beat traveling from London to Athens for £20.

But also, make sure you know the baggage requirements of whatever company you travel with.

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You don't wanna drop an extra €50 because your backpack is half an inch too wide. Also, don't think you're the exception to baggage rules. They will notice, and they will make you pay. Don't risk it.

It may be a pain but plan every step of your travel.

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Know exactly where your airport or train station is going to drop you (particularly important for RyanAir flights that may put you on the outskirts of a city) and plan exactly how you're going to get from there to your hostel. When you're sitting at a train station five miles outside of Berlin with no knowledge of German, you'll be happy you already know how public transportation works. And it'll spare you from panic-calling a cab constantly.

Don't be afraid of hostels.

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Yes, some can be gross or creepy but there are also really really great ones that won't cost you nearly as much as a hotel. Besides, you won't spend all that much time there anyway.

Try to book directly on a hostel's website if you can.

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Sites like hostelbookers.com can be a great search tool for finding hostels, but don't book through them or any other third party. Not only can they charge you an absurd booking fee, but sometimes they won't pass your booking along to the hostel, meaning you could get there at midnight with nowhere to sleep.

Get to know your fellow travelers.

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Yes, it's a great way to make friends, but also hostels are full of people that are basically professional backpackers. They'll have all kinds of useful tips for traveling or be able to tell you where the best, cheap pub is. This also goes for waiters, cab drivers, etc. My friends and I once spent some time chatting with our waiter about our travels and he ended up just giving us our meal free. Being friendly pays off.

Avoid companies that plan or host trips for you.

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Yeah it's easier and stress-free to just sign up, give someone $2,000 and show up where they tell you but i guarantee you are spending way more money than you need to. Companies like Bus2Alps are a great place to find travel ideas, but sometimes they're not the best choice for travelers on a budget. I had friends who spent almost $3,000 traveling around Greece while I did it for less than $300 - for real, just suck it up and be your own travel agent.

Budget how much you can/are willing to spend in each city.

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Figure out how much you can spend on tourist attractions, food, and fun spending. It'll keep you from going crazy at the street fair but also prevent you from skipping something awesome because you feel like you can't spend the money. For example it might be worth it to munch a couple €1 baguettes in France so you can ball out on a pizza the size of your face in Italy.

Skip public transportation.

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Basically all public transportation looks the same and the best way to really see and experience a city is just by getting out there and walking. Invest in some decent kicks and walk absolutely everywhere you can. You'll save a ton and you're way more likely to accidentally stumble upon something awesome (in a city like Paris not taking the time to stroll is basically a federal crime).

Getting drunk is basically the same no matter where you are.

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In other words, there's no need to go out clubbing or drinking in every city. If you're in Ibiza, yeah go nuts, but there's no need to hit up a club full of Americans when you're visiting Florence. Between cover fees, drinks, and the inevitable taxi you'll call, it's cheaper and smarter to choose if/when to go full Miley.

Get creative during mealtime.

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If you try to eat out for every meal you'll burn through money. Most hostels offer a free or super cheap (less than €2) breakfast - don't be afraid to stuff some bread rolls in your backpack for a snack or lunch (I'm serious. You're gonna be walking a ton so you need to carb load like Michael Phelps on the morning of the Olympics). Also, live like a local. You'll save so much money, and get a more intimate look at a city, by hitting up the grocery store every once in a while.

Tell everyone you're a student.

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Literally, scream it from the rooftops (not literally). Most tourist attractions offer free or discounted rates for students with EU student IDs. Make a list of where you wanna go in each city beforehand (also helpful for making sure you don't skip anything) and take some time to look up who offers discounted rates for students. Also don't forget the bring your student ID for your university abroad!

Try to travel at odd times.

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If you can schedule your classes so that your weekend starts on Wednesday or Thursday DO IT. You'll always find cheaper travel and accommodation during the week and during less popular travel months (September, November, February, March, and April).

Go to any and all events offered by your university or host program.

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You're paying for all of them even if you don't go, so you might as well make the most of it. These events help you to see more of your home city or even get the chance to travel a little without immediate expenses or the stress of planning yourself.

Don't forget about your home city.

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Don't get so caught up in seeing all of Europe that you forget to travel around the city you live in. You're already there and the more you explore, the more fun, free things you'll find. You might only get to be in other cities for a few days, but you get to be in yours for a few months - take advantage of that.