Vagabonds can still see Europe on the cheap

  • By Rick Steves
  • Friday, May 24, 2013 3:41pm
  • Life

When I was 18, I wrote a postcard to my grandmother from Austria, describing how I slept for free on the porch of a hostel in Innsbruck. While I wouldn’t do that now, it’s fun to reminisce about my backpacking days.

Back then, bars were inundated with smoke, currency changes were required after each border crossing, and it took about nine hours to travel from London to Paris.

Yet despite the changes, the adventure and thrills of good, old-fashioned vagabonding survive.

One of the most amazing changes over the past decade is the speed and ease with which you can get around. In my 20s, I traveled around Europe on a two-month Eurail pass that cost about $200. I slept on trains as much as I could to save time and money.

But fast and cheap transportation options — especially the proliferation of discount airlines such as Ryanair and EasyJet — have changed the way budget travelers can see Europe.

My first stop when seeking cheap flights is Skyscanner.com. This no-frills website provides a fast way to determine which European budget airlines serve the route you’re eyeing.

Although flights may look cheap at first glance, it’s important to factor in the extra costs, such as the price for getting to and from the airport. Also they look for other ways to pad their profits, such as charging for food and drink, priority boarding, seat reservations, checking bags and checking in at the airport (instead of online).

With a little planning, a few sacrifices, and light packing, travelers can avoid most of these costs.

One mode of transportation I advise backpackers to steer clear of is a car. The daily fee may be low, but the extras, such as tolls, gas and parking, make it far more expensive than it seems. Also, Europe is dotted with automatic speed guns and cameras that will issue a ticket and track you down even across the pond.

When it comes to economical accommodations, hostels are still some of the cheapest beds in town. But while being a member of the Hostelling International network used to be the mark of a respectable hostel, that’s no longer the case.

Most independent hostels have just as high standards, and they are often more interesting and fun. The best way to find hostels these days is through Hostelworld.com.

Another way to sleep inexpensively is to rent a bed in someone’s home. Airbnb.com is a great way to find such accommodations. You can read reviews, and it’s also relatively safe, as cash never trades hands (payment is handled via the website).

During my early trips, travelers would gather at AmExCo offices. Today, even cybercafes are becoming dated, as most young travelers carry smartphones, tablets or laptops, and connect to Wi-Fi in either cafes or hostels.

Cellphones are cheap and easy to buy, even for a short trip.

But the best deal is to make phone calls via the Internet. If both parties have iPhones and access to Wi-Fi, you can enjoy a FaceTime connection. Otherwise, Skype is a good and inexpensive standby.

Free walking tours are other money savers. Guides work solely on tips (and they make sure to remind you of that). At first I wasn’t hot on these “free” tours, as guides are known to take some liberties with historical events and characters. But they’re still an enjoyable and affordable way to get to know a place.

Rick Steves (www.ricksteves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email rick@ricksteves.com, or write to him c/o P.O. Box 2009, Edmonds, WA 98020.

© 2013 Rick Steves/Tribune Media Services, Inc.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.