A savage's journey through Europe. How to travel “savage” around Europe - we know how! Budapest

A vacation without a ticket, or, as it is called, a savage vacation, is a great opportunity to organize the vacation of your dreams yourself, while saving on the services of a tour operator, travel agency and other expenses. What are the best countries to visit as a wild person?

This type of vacation became very popular about 20 years ago, when not everyone could get or purchase tickets to the south and, as a result, went to the sea with tents or rented housing from private owners. Today's vacation as a savage does not imply spending the night in tents, cooking your own food and other “delights” of traveling during the Soviet period. No, of course, all these opportunities still remain for those who wish, but recently “savages” prefer to relax in a more civilized way; many go abroad. In order to organize a vacation in another country yourself, you need to get a visa yourself (if the country requires it), buy plane tickets, book a hotel (or choose a hotel on the spot) and think about your transfer.

The benefits of being a savage

The main advantage of vacationing as a savage is saving money, which is sometimes quite significant. Judge for yourself: in many countries where you can go on your own, there are a huge number of cheap hotels, the cost of living in which will be several times cheaper than in those offered by travel agencies, and the quality, if chosen correctly, will be no worse. The fact is that it is not profitable for tour operators to sell cheap hotels to tourists: they receive little profit from them, but the work is the same as with more expensive hotels.

There is another important advantage in vacationing as savages - freedom of movement. You are not tied to a hotel, a city, or even a country, and you can change the hotel and vacation area at any time without losing your money (unless, of course, you paid everything in advance and you have no way to get your money back).

Disadvantages of being a savage

Of the minuses independent travel- the fact that you will have to fill out all the documents yourself and no one is responsible for your vacation except you. However, if you are traveling to a civilized country, there should not be any special problems.

What countries are good to travel to as a savage?

Croatia

A huge number of tourists vacation in Croatia as savages - it is not difficult to organize a vacation, accommodation in this country is not expensive, and there are no special problems with food.

The country is known for its natural beauty and wonderful climate that suits almost everyone. There is no sweltering heat in Croatia, and comfort is also achieved due to fresh and light air and pleasant sea water temperatures. Beautiful nature, a lot of greenery, excellent prices for hotel accommodation and food - this is what distinguishes Croatia from other European countries.

In order to visit Croatia, you will need a visa, it is issued in consular section Embassy of Croatia in Moscow. You need to take care of this in advance. Pay attention! If you have a valid Schengen visa, you can visit both Croatia and other countries. But if you have a national Schengen visa issued to visit Croatia, it will not give you the right to travel to other EU countries.

Bulgaria

This is another wonderful country for independent rest. A visa is also required here, which is issued at the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria. You can also get there by train, but the journey is quite long - the journey from Moscow will take more than 2 days, so it is better to choose a plane. Bulgaria has a huge number of private hotels and a lot of offers for renting apartments. There will be no problems with food - there it is the same as here.

Thailand

If you want exotic, Asian nature, gentle ocean, unusual food and cheap but high-quality massage, go to Thailand! You do not need to apply for a visa in advance; it is issued upon entering the country. But you will have to hunt for inexpensive air tickets! As for hotels, there are a huge number of cheap options in Thailand, and you can decide which one you want to stay in immediately upon arrival. Despite the fact that Thailand is a poor asian country, if you follow the rules of hygiene, you are unlikely to bring back from vacation something that you don’t want to bring at all.

Goa

In Goa you can enjoy not only the sea and the sun, but also rejuvenate and heal your body. Spa treatments here are based on the principles of Ayurveda. If you want a more party lifestyle, head upstate. In its southern part there is a more measured life, but in the center it is all mixed. An Indian visa is required to visit Goa. Experienced travelers advise not to get attached to one place and see the whole state. Depending on this, decide how you will book a hotel or hotels along your route.

Italy

If you want not a beach holiday, but a more educational one, and you have a Schengen visa (or are planning to apply for one), then visiting European countries will not be difficult. If you want to plunge into beauty and touch history, go to Italy. All you need is a valid visa, plane tickets and a booked hotel.

If you also want to save money on accommodation, you can stay abroad in campsites. There are many campsites in Europe; finding them is not difficult. When choosing this holiday option, you will have to take care of your accommodation yourself, that is, take with you from home all the necessary things for a comfortable stay there. Take care of your tent first. If you are going on vacation with children, there is a reason to take a two-room tent with you. Also take sleeping bags, preferably those that turn into a blanket - in warm or hot weather you can unzip them and sleep like under a regular home blanket. You will also need mats (it is better to take self-inflating ones) or foam. And to understand what else you might have forgotten, go to the website of the online store, where there is everything for tourism - after walking around the boutique virtually, you will find what you need.

As they say, rest is good, but good rest is even better. Take care of your vacation in advance, think through every detail and enjoy a wonderful trip!

Medical travel insurance. Specify the country and travel dates, then select the appropriate option and issue a policy.

Some tips on how to not depend on anyone and go on a trip yourself.

Moreover, it seems to me that this information will be useful for planning trips not only to Europe, but also to other parts of the world. The euro exchange rate is growing so vigorously that I personally am already beginning to slowly apply the experience gained to Asian destinations.

But this article will still focus on Europe. Well, a little bit about America.

Where to start

First of all, you need to decide on the city of arrival and departure.

You can, of course, start a European tour in one city and fly home from another, but in this case you will not be able to avoid additional costs and problems.

Firstly, it will be more difficult to find air tickets and will almost certainly cost more. Secondly, returning a rented car in the same city in which you rented it always costs less.

So let's be more economical and consider the option of traveling in a circle.

Entry points

Among the cheapest air gates to Europe I can name Vienna, Berlin, Prague, and Madrid. For example, last year a one-way flight from Moscow to the capital of Austria cost us only 3,700 rubles per nose.

True, now such prices are difficult to find - the skyrocketing euro exchange rate has led to an increase in the cost of air travel. For example, a one-way ticket to Vienna (for a flight in August 2015) already costs 5,500 rubles. Moreover, before the euro began to rise in price, it was cheaper by about one thousand to one and a half thousand.

Fishing hours

There are a huge number of various services for searching and ordering air tickets on the Internet, so you can use any of them. I prefer one of the oldest search engines: www.skyscanner.ru. True, I admit, I have never ordered tickets with its help. The resource is used specifically to search for cheap tickets, and the purchase itself was made on the airline’s website.

Naturally, already in the process of searching for tickets, you need to have a card with a sufficient amount on hand. It also happened that cheap tickets went on sale and were sold out in just a few hours.

By the way, the proverb: “He who gets up early, God gives to him” - in this case it’s very appropriate: best time to catch cheap air tickets starts around 5–6 am.

How to plan a route

It’s not for nothing that I put this point third, and not first or second. Europe is not as big as it may seem, and the distances between interesting and famous cities quite short. So first it is better to decide on the “entry point”. And after that you can already plan your route.

Google maps (www.google.ru/maps/), as well as a huge number of travel sites and travel blogs, will be indispensable assistants here.

To find them, just type in a search engine a template phrase: “What to see in a day (or two, three) in such and such a city” - and the grateful machine will helpfully offer you a couple of million pages on the desired topic.

It is preferable to use Google maps to create a route rather than a similar Yandex service. They are much more convenient and clearer than Russian maps.

Choosing hotels

Once you have decided on the cities you are going to visit, it is time to book hotels in them. This should be done strictly using the website www.booking.com. This oldest resource has gained such authority that embassies of European countries recognize reservations from this service when applying for a visa. Although just a few years ago, confirming that you had a place to stay while traveling required calling the hotel and asking for a booking confirmation to be sent by fax.

As a rule, you do not need to pay for rooms right away. Most hotels charge money upon check-in and sometimes even upon check-out.

Also, most hotels allow you to cancel your reservation free of charge, up to one or two days before the expected check-in date. And it's very convenient.

You can book one hotel at first, and regularly review other offers in the months remaining before your trip. Almost certainly, over time, more profitable or convenient hotels will be found for you, and it will not be difficult to make a new reservation and cancel the previous one.

For example, before our trip to Europe, we booked rooms for 70 euros per night in a small three-star hotel on the outskirts of Munich. However, a couple of weeks later, the Munich Ramada suddenly announced a promotion and reduced prices several times. Naturally, we urgently canceled our previous reservation and took a room in this luxurious hotel for the same money.

The most interesting thing is that less than a month later, prices in the Munich Ramada again rose to their usual 250-400 euros per night.

So, if you have found and booked a hotel that suits you, this is not a reason to give up your search.

This is important

There is one very important nuance in dealing with www.booking.com: some hotels charge fines for canceling reservations, and there are also those whose rules in this matter are extremely non-standard. Therefore, before entering your bank card details and confirming your reservation, be sure to read the cancellation conditions. Otherwise, a surprise like what happened to me when I was looking for a hotel in Miami could happen.

Shortly before my trip to the USA, I saw that an apartment that was very suitable for us had become available, I hurried to book it, but did not read the cancellation conditions carefully enough. According to them, this can be done for free only a month before the expected move-in date. As soon as this deadline approaches, $450 is blocked on the guest’s card account, and if he cancels the reservation, the money is debited from the account in favor of the hotel, and if he checks in, it goes towards payment for the stay.

At first, I was very surprised when, just 5 minutes after confirming the reservation, 450 bucks disappeared from my bank card. However, after re-reading the rules more thoughtfully, it dawned on me that I had booked the room 20 days before the check-in date, which means that the rule for blocking funds on the card came into force immediately.

In this case, inattention did not cost anyone anything, but in other conditions it can leave you with unpleasant choices. If suddenly something more “tasty” appears on www.booking.com, and the threat of a fine hangs over you, you will have to decide: either sacrifice money or stay with what you have.

Car rental

This service is developed simply well in Europe. You can rent a car relatively cheaply and for any period of time, and there are a lot of rental companies. We regularly use the services of Eurocup.

It won’t be difficult for any car enthusiast to order the right car for the right date through the rental company’s website. I can only recommend: pay attention to the size of the trunk and measure it against the number of suitcases that you plan to take with you.

Don't be afraid of the language barrier upon arrival. It is easily overcome with the help of preliminary preparation. Print out your reservation in advance in the language of the country you are flying to, and simply slip this piece of paper under the nose of the rental company. And then he will do everything himself. All you have to do is check whether the offered machine meets the requirements that you ordered. Remember: the rental company is obliged to provide you with a car with the parameters that you specified, or better and for the same price. But by no means worse.

But the most important thing to know is that you receive the car with a full tank, which means you must return it with a full tank. If you don’t fill up the car before returning it, the rental company will be very happy to charge you double or even triple the cost of gasoline (depending on what is written in the contract).

By the way, before leaving, it won’t hurt to take a navigator with you and download a translator and phrasebook to your smartphone. They and international sign language are enough to solve almost any tourist problem.

We apply for a visa

When tickets have been paid for, hotels and cars have been booked, you can proceed to obtaining visas. Naturally, there is a risk that they will not give it to you. Then you will almost certainly lose money on tickets you have already paid for. But you will have to buy them - no one will give you a visa without a return ticket. So you still have to risk a certain amount.

But, as they say, he who does not take risks does not drink champagne in Champagne and does not eat Wiener schnitzels in Vienna.
There are two ways to resolve the visa issue: pay a travel agency or do everything yourself. In the first case, it will cost 80 euros per passport plus consular fee, medical insurance, fee for a visa photo.

The second method is cheaper and more fun (I love traveling, even if only to Moscow, and since you are reading this article, apparently, too). Let's look at it in a little more detail.

Set of documents

It is the same in almost all embassies of the Schengen countries. You can find a list of them on the websites of consulates, so we will not dwell on it in detail. I will only note that it is mandatory to provide proof of residence in the country for the entire duration of the visit.

As already mentioned, to do this, just print out your reservation on the website: www.booking.com. Moreover, the printout must be in the language of the country whose visa you are receiving, or in English. Although it is formally allowed to provide booking confirmation in Russian, it is still better not to take risks. At the German embassy, ​​we once received our reservation documents in Russian and were given it only after we submitted them again with printouts in German. The same applies to confirmation of car reservation.

Finishing touch

Imagine that everything worked out for you: tickets have been purchased, hotels and cars have been booked, the visa is in your passport, you, happy, land at a European airport and go to passport control.

And there a strict man (or woman) with an impenetrable face in a language you don’t understand begins to demand something. And you can’t answer him: “Du yu spik english,” except: “Nicht ferstein.” The result: you are confused, he (or she) is angry, and the prospect of flying home on the same plane on which you just arrived looms on the horizon.

What to do to avoid such an unpleasant situation? A mere trifle.

Before departure, print out your return tickets, car and hotel reservations in the language of the country you are flying to, and be sure to take them with you on the plane.

Not always, but sometimes it does happen that border guards require these papers before they put a stamp and let you into the country.

So if they took your passport and then suddenly began to demand something else, just give the border guard the prepared printouts, wait until he satisfies his excessive curiosity - and you are in Europe!

How to travel as a “savage” in Europe

Paris, Rome, Venice... Who wouldn't want to go there and see everything with their own eyes? Probably no one would refuse. Europe, or Old World – most interesting place, with many beautiful historical monuments and with a rich cultural history, so there really is something to see there.

All this, of course, is interesting, but more interesting prices for tours to any European country offered by tour operators. Of course, they will select a good hotel, provide plane tickets, meals, delivery, and organize excursions... You won’t have to worry about anything except paying a rather large bill. Of course, all this is good, only you will go on excursions in a group, along a strictly “knurled” route, and “not take a step to the side.” In general, you won’t get much freedom of movement.

But what if you want to go everywhere you want without being bound by any boundaries? What if you want to visit not just one country, but several, and at the same time live there as long as you need, and not the strictly allotted 7-10 days? There is only one way out - to go on your own, without the participation of tour operators and travel agents.

The benefits of traveling “savage”

Independent travel by “savages” is becoming increasingly popular. And there are many reasons for this. Here are just a few of them:

• This is more profitable - in terms of money it can be even 1.5-2 times cheaper than ready-made tour. At the same time, you can decide for yourself where to save and where not.
• You are not bound by any excursion routes and can visit any city in any country of your choice.
• You can live with an indigenous family and meet other travelers while immersing yourself deeply in the culture of the country.
• You will be able to see places that are not on any tour.
• You are not limited by time. You can stay in any place as long as necessary to study it in detail.

Not being attached to anything or anyone - what could be better? This and money savings are the best advantages of traveling “savage”.

How to prepare for your trip

First, you need to outline a rough travel plan, at least by dates and countries. Think about where you would like to visit and how much time it will take. Of course, accuracy down to the day is not important, but you need to decide on the countries, especially the first one you will enter and in which you plan to spend the most time.

You will need a passport. If it exists, good; if not, you need to get it. For children over 14 years of age, a foreign passport is also required.

European countries require a visa for entry, at least from Russian citizens. Therefore, the first thing you need to do is get a Schengen visa. It will allow you to travel around European countries that are part of the so-called Schengen area. Before doing this, you need to familiarize yourself with the rules for obtaining it; it is useful to read the Schengen Code. As a rule, you need to obtain a visa from the embassy of the first country you will enter. What documents need to be collected in each case also need to be studied. All visa documents must be in perfect order, and it is better to take extra documents than to go and find that something is missing. You need to allow at least a week to collect information and obtain a visa. Before going to the embassy, ​​you need to call there and find out what time is best to approach you with your question.

Of course, if you plan to visit only one country, for example, France, then it is enough to contact the French embassy and get a visa there. This is a little easier than if you move to different countries. Although obtaining a visa is generally the most unpleasant moment in the entire preparation for travel, you will have to go through it. In addition, if a tour operator were to do this, you would have to pay, but this way it will cost you practically free of charge.

After the visa has been successfully obtained, you need to sit down at the computer and work out your future route in detail. Here you need to clarify the cities, the approximate length of stay there, clarify the places of overnight stays, and prices for air tickets. By the way, you can already order air tickets.

If you are going to stay in hotels, you can book rooms in advance via the Internet - there are special services for this. But this is quite expensive and deprives of maneuverability. Most “savage” travelers prefer to stay in cheap hostels or local residents, who can shelter a traveler for free, for the sake of communication. All information about this can be easily found on the Internet.

In addition, you need to decide on the method of transportation - by train, bus or plane. It is worth checking the prices for all this in different countries. There is an opportunity to purchase travel tickets by train or bus. In addition, you can travel in your own car or rent one. All these “minor issues” need to be resolved in advance; it is better to print out a list of the most important points for each city. You can make maps - Google Maps is great for this.

You also need to pay attention to such points as communication in the places you want to visit and resolve the financial issue. How to call, how much does a call cost in roaming and how are things going with your mobile operator, how to get cash if you suddenly need it urgently? Try to purchase an international tourist SIM card with a single tariff for all countries - it is more profitable than regular tariffs. Important phone numbers should be written down, including your embassy numbers in different countries. Plastic card must be serviced anywhere - there is nothing worse than being stuck somewhere without money...

When entering a foreign country, you will have to comply with its laws and customs - do not be lazy to read about this. If you violate something or offend someone out of ignorance, you will not be given a discount. What can be imported into the country and what cannot be exported? What amounts of cash and number of cigarettes can you have with you at customs? All this needs to be read to avoid troubles and misunderstandings.

When going to Europe as a “savage”, take care of how you will communicate there. It is unlikely that knowledge of Russian will be of much help there. You need to learn at least the most common phrases in local languages. Knowledge of English will greatly facilitate communication in many countries and at customs. If you don’t know the languages ​​yourself, an electronic translator will help, and best of all, take a travel companion with the necessary knowledge. Communicating with gestures and pictures is still a pleasure...

What to take with you

In fact, you don't need to take a lot. There is no need to pack a bunch of suitcases - you will have to carry them, not someone else, do not forget about it. It is enough to pack an ordinary backpack with the most necessary things - among other things, you will save by not having to pay for luggage. It is especially important not to forget any of the necessary documents.

It is enough to take hygiene products, some clothes, and a camera with you. Many European cafes have the Internet and free Wi-Fi, so it is advisable to take a netbook or tablet - with its help you can book rooms, order tickets, get directions and keep all the necessary reference information there.

If you do not plan to stay only in hotels, a sleeping bag will come in handy - there are very light and compact ones. Minor little things can be bought anywhere.

Choose clothes that are light and comfortable. No heels - You will probably be walking a lot, and nothing should slow you down or irritate you.

Planning a trip to Europe is not difficult, but planning everything so that the trip is inexpensive and comfortable is a skill. As experience shows, in order to travel cheaply around Europe, it is not necessary to reduce your level of consumption and deny yourself everything. Not at all! It's enough just to follow some basic rules. Here are some tips and life hacks on how to save money while traveling.

General rules for saving money when traveling that everyone should know about

1. Are you still planning your vacation for August? Finally, start traveling during the off-season: there are fewer tourists, prices are several times lower, and service is better. Most expensive time in Europe: July, August, September, Christmas and New Year. The most comfortable and inexpensive months: October, April. The cheapest way to travel around Europe on your own in November and February.

In the photo: Santa Semana holiday in Valladolid, Spain

2. Avoid festivals and holidays that do not interest you. Find out in advance the dates of holidays that will be held along your route, because prices for transport and hotels on such days increase 2-3 times. And if these holidays are not interesting to you, then why pay more?

3. Travel on your own! Forget about tours, vouchers and various intermediaries - you can only travel cheaply around Europe yourself. It's easier than traveling through the countries of the former CIS. Start with at least .

4. Take a reliable bank card when traveling, we have already written. It is better to take cards from different banks: if one is blocked, then there will be a spare one.

Advice: We went - we know
To save up to 10% on travel, have cards linked to different currencies(euros, dollars) and use them according to the countries: when going to Europe, pay with a euro card, when going to the States, pay with a dollar card. So you feel it.

How to save on transport in Europe

How to look for cheap flights, detailed instructions read . But how to save further?

In the photo: passengers at the train station in Marseille

5. For moving within Europe, the rule most often works: the cheapest way is by plane, then by bus, and the most expensive by train. Of course, provided that you buy tickets in advance. For example, the cheapest way is to travel by plane and not invent anything else.

Advice for tourists. When buying a low-cost airline ticket, check the location of the airport. Otherwise, you may end up paying 10 euros for a plane ticket, and three times as much to get from the airport to the city. Taking this into account, it may be more profitable to buy a bus ticket, because bus stations are almost always located in the city.

6. When staying in large cities like Barcelona or Milan, immediately upon arrival, buy a multi-trip pass. Before going to expensive cities useful to read useful tips how to save money. We recommend: the best, useful, and excellent.

7. Register on the websites of transport companies (SNCF, RyanAir, Alsa) - this way you can receive information about sales by mail.

8. In some transport companies (for example ALSA, OBB) for some reason it is cheaper to buy two tickets separately than one purchase for two at once - check both options!

9. Most tourists, planning to rent a car in Europe, succumb to advertising and book a car along with an air ticket, or book a car on car rental websites - this is most often unprofitable. Before you do this, don’t be lazy to check prices at all car rental companies - a couple of minutes, and you can save 10-30%.

10. You don’t have to rent a car, just rent one – this way you can see a lot of interesting things along the way, even from the bus window. This way you can spot places for future travel. For example, you will see Lake Como, the Alps, and magnificent Switzerland. But here’s an interesting independent one – ready-made instructions!

11. Buy yourself a low-cost suitcase with the right dimensions so as not to pay for luggage.

In the photo: the “correct” suitcase is the one that fits into hand luggage on most airlines

Advice for tourists. Buy a suitcase with dimensions suitable for transportation in hand luggage– “cabin bag” – such a suitcase does not need to be checked in as luggage, for which budget airlines charge extra money. There are suitcases “approved” by low-cost airlines RyanAir and EasyJet. In my experience, luggage measuring 55cm x 35cm x 20cm and weighing up to 7kg is accepted by most low-cost airlines.
Now some low-cost airlines also charge for a “cabin bag,” but the price is still significantly lower than for a regular suitcase.

12. When planning a route in a rented car, check how complex road junctions are arranged, especially in large cities. Sometimes this way you can save a lot of travel time and even find free parking.

13. Group with other travelers. Group tickets or renting a car for two families can help you save a lot of money on the road.

How to save on food

In the photo: menu in a resort cafe, Tenerife

Lifehack. To eat tasty and inexpensive in Europe, choose a restaurant away from the tourist trails, at least turn into an alley and walk 50-100 meters. Don't be afraid of Michelin stars, but try to avoid the Tripadvisor sticker. Pay attention to the menu: inexpensive tasty food will most likely be where the menu is in the local language, on one sheet. The best food is served in establishments where there is no menu, and the owner himself will tell you what they are serving today.

15. In cafes and restaurants, first of all find out the cost of sets. Buying a set of several dishes is usually cheaper than buying the same thing separately “a la carte”. By the way, always take the “Menu del dia” (Menu of the day).

16. To have a hearty and tasty snack, you don’t have to order a whole lunch or dinner at a restaurant in the center of the tourist scene. The cheapest thing is to have a snack in bars: we move away from the main street, find a cozy bar and order from the counter (without asking for a menu) in the local language. The only difficulty: you need to know a dozen phrases in the local language and the peculiarities of the local cuisine.

For example, in Spain, a cup of coffee and tortilla de patatas (this is a Spanish omelette, but more like a piece of potato pie with an egg) in a restaurant will cost 7-10 euros, and in a bar the same thing will cost 2-3 euros (magic word – pincho de tortilla – “pincho de tartilla”), and here’s another.

17. In large European supermarkets, half an hour before closing you can buy perishable food at half the price. And by the way, it will always be useful to find out local prices before your trip. For example, here you go.

How to save money on accommodation in Europe

The most expensive part of traveling is accommodation. Of course, you have already read everywhere that it is more profitable to rent a bed in hostels than a hotel room :) This, of course, is a super-mega-secret, but here I will tell you about less obvious things.

18. When choosing hotels for the entire travel itinerary in Europe, first of all, book weekends. These days, hotels are significantly more expensive and are sold out first.

19. Everyone knows that hotels need to be booked in advance. BUT, if you didn’t have time in a month, then later low prices may appear 1-3 days before the desired date. Sometimes even cheaper than six months. However, such miracles do not happen on holidays :(

20. Having booked a remote hotel, write there and find out how you can get to them by public transport. In some cases, you may be provided with a free transfer from the airport, or told how to get there by local transport.

21. When booking, check the price in the case of “2 nights + 1 night” and the option “for 3 nights at once”, etc. The final price may surprise you :)

22. To travel around Europe cheaply, when booking an apartment, look at the options for a week at once - sometimes it turns out cheaper, because a weekly discount works. As a result, it happens that 6 days cost the same as 7.

To find apartments in Europe at a low price and don’t end up with scammers, read – it’s the same in other European countries.

In the photo: hotels near the sea are always the most expensive

23. When booking tickets and hotels in large cities, immediately check the location of the arrival station and your hotel.
Travelers often take a ticket to the city's central station, forgetting about intermediate stops. Sometimes it is more profitable to get off the train one stop earlier - it may be closer to your hotel and cheaper than going to the central station and from there to the hotel.

24. When buying a transport ticket or booking a hotel, check prices for dates adjacent to yours. Sometimes it can be beneficial to shift your entire schedule by just one day.

25. Establish direct connections with the owners of boarding houses and small hotels. In the future, you will be able to rent directly at discount prices.

26. If you have a birthday coming up, don’t hesitate to notify the hotel about it. There is a chance to get a nice bonus.

What you can't save on in Europe

Often people try to save fifty euros, spending a lot of time and nerves on it, and as a result losing thousands of euros. Personally, I don’t like to spend money for nothing, but there is a limit to everything. There are normal ways of saving, and there are perverted ones - when people seem to be specifically looking for problems for themselves.

It is important not to confuse stinginess with saving, and also remember why you are traveling in the first place. Spending the night on buses or at train stations is good for those who like extreme travel, but it is not at all suitable for those who want to relax and love comfort. Maintain balance and do not turn pleasure into inhumane living conditions.

27. Insurance. In my opinion, a fool understands that only millionaires can afford to travel to Europe without insurance. I don’t understand people who save 20 euros and then collect 10,000 euros from friends...
Firstly, without insurance, they may not let you through customs - they rarely check, but it happens, because... Having travel insurance is mandatory when entering Europe, regardless of whether you need a visa or not. Secondly, medicine in Europe is expensive for tourists, and if something suddenly happens, even simple poisoning, then just a doctor’s examination will immediately cost you money for insurance. There can be one option for saving on insurance - than ordinary tourists do.

28. Accommodation in overnight shelters, couchsurfing, etc. – it’s unsafe, and not only for single girls. If you have very little money, it is better to rent a bed in a trusted hostel. In such places you can not only spend the night comfortably for 10 euros, but also meet new interesting people from all over the world.

29. Rent housing through Russian speakers on social networks etc. Remember “we Gusskies don’t deceive each other”? Everyone knows about this, but they stubbornly continue to “save”, lose money, ruin their vacation, and then complain about how crooked Europe is and everything is bad. And, although there are now a lot of wonderful Russian-speaking people in Europe who not only do not cheat, but also help each other, we still must not forget about the rules of basic safety!
I always book accommodation on

The first month of summer is coming to an end, and you still haven’t decided how to spend your vacation? Want to go to Europe, but plane ticket prices are increasingly looking like the cost of traveling on the space shuttle? Does the thought of visiting several countries terrify you at all? Don't despair! There are ways now to organize yourself a rich and interesting vacation in Europe, combining an excursion program and a beach, without spending a fortune on it.

Let's start with the most necessary - air tickets. Let's plan a vacation for the second half of July and see how much the combined cost will cost us self-guided tour for two weeks for two with departure from Moscow. And also how and what we can save on, without denying ourselves almost anything.

HOW TO BOOK AND FIND CHEAP TICKETS

Since we don’t start booking air tickets at all in advance, all the popular beach and tourist routes are already affordable. For example, just a flight on our dates on the Moscow-Tivat-Moscow route will cost at least 42,000 rubles for two, and you can fly to Croatian Pula for almost 60,000 rubles.

WE'RE READY FOR VACATION

What to do? It's simple! Free yourself from the idea that the direct route is the easiest, and transfers are just a waste of energy and time. Most transfers are not only possible, but also necessary to make for an interesting and enjoyable vacation.

1. We are looking for tickets from Moscow in search engines that allow you to leave the “to” field blank or mark “everywhere”.
2. We choose direct flights to European destinations with the most inexpensive tickets.
3. From them we select the direction with big city or a major aviation hub, there are usually many very inexpensive flights from such cities.
4. Now, as the point of departure, we set the city where we found convenient tickets from Moscow, and as the destination of arrival, we again select the point “everywhere”.
5. Evaluate the results. If there are inexpensive and interesting flight destinations, then the city for your first stop was chosen correctly.

AIR TICKET RESERVATION. EXAMPLE.

1. Moscow – “everywhere”. There – Saturday, July 16th. Return – Sunday, July 31st.
2. Of the European countries, the most best tickets for these dates to Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary and Estonia. Their cost is from 8 to 12 thousand rubles.
3. For our first stop, we chose Budapest (Hungary), the cost of one ticket Moscow-Budapest-Moscow is 11,000 rubles.

Why Budapest?

Of all the proposed destinations, Riga and Budapest are suitable for the role of transshipment hub. We chose Budapest. It really doesn't take long to check routes and ticket prices from several European cities, plus a list of low-cost flights from Russian capital, as a rule, is limited.

Budapest is incredibly beautiful and interesting city with a rich imperial history, luxurious cuisine and very reasonable prices for hotels and food.

NOTE: If you have no idea about the price level in the country or city you want to choose as your “European departure point,” be sure to spend a few minutes searching for a hotel before booking your plane ticket.

Thus, Munich or Vienna often turn out to be very profitable flight destinations, but you need to spend a lot of time finding an inexpensive hotel here. Public transport and food will also cost a pretty penny. This beautiful cities, but there will be no savings with them.

Budapest. What's next?

We planned three days in Budapest: July 16, 17 and 18, and on the 19th we would like to go further.

We arrive in the capital of Hungary in the morning, so we can safely assume that we have three full days to explore the city. For European capital hotels in Budapest are inexpensive. You can book apartments in the city center for our dates from 80 euros for the entire stay. But still, most quality offers start from 120 euros. Lowest cost separate apartment near the center that we found - 55 euros. By ordering an apartment, we can save on food in restaurants and get a larger living area, usually from 30 to 60 square meters. meters. Let's calculate that we will pay 120 euros for housing in Budapest.

If for some reason the apartments scare you, then by paying an additional 30 euros for the entire stay, you can easily find a hotel in the central part of the city. We will budget another 150 euros for food, 50 for transport and excursions, 40 for the famous Hungarian baths. This should be enough for one dinner in a restaurant with wine, and the rest of the time we eat at home and in small cafes.

The cost of visiting the Gellert bathhouse for two is 38 euros, and the Rudas bathhouse (the one where scenes from the film “Red Heat” were filmed) is about 20 euros.

Budapest. What to see.

Budapest is located on two sides of the Danube, on the east - Buda, on the west - Pest. Both banks are connected by many bridges, which offer views of the Danube and the city.

1. Royal Palace and Fortress Mountain. First official royal residence originated here in the middle of the 13th century. Hungarian work here National Gallery, Budapest Historical Museum and State Library named after. Széchenyi.
2. The building of the Hungarian Parliament. Built after the unification of the cities of Buda and Pest at the end of the 19th century. It stands right on the banks of the Danube.
3. Fisherman's Bastion. Located on Buda Hill. From here you have fantastic views of the city. Despite the fact that the fishermen's bastion was built at the beginning of the 20th century, it has something of Cinderella's castle, but with a Hungarian flavor.
4. Walks along the Danube.
5. Mount Gellert is named after the Catholic saint Gerard of Hungary. At the foot of the mountain you can see a waterfall, and at the top is the Citadel, built in mid-19th century.
6. Baths of Budapest: Gellert, Rudas, Csasar, Kiraly, Rac and others. There are 27 baths in Budapest, of which 13 are therapeutic. Most of the baths are quite old with marble and tiles.

Price

So, we consider:

2. Transfers, accommodation, meals ≈ 22,000 rubles
3. Excursions and entertainment ≈ 5000 rubles

TOTAL: ≈ 49,000 rubles

Minimum cost:

1. Flight. 11000x2 = 22000 rubles
2. Transfers, accommodation, meals ≈ 9,000 rubles
3. Excursions and entertainment ≈ 2000 rubles

TOTAL: ≈ 34,000 rubles

Budapest – Milan: moving on

The most profitable destination for flying from Budapest to the south of Europe turned out to be Milan. The city is not cheap, but interesting. In addition, there are many flights from there to southern, south-eastern and south-western Europe. Italy also has a well-developed railway connection. And no one has canceled shopping in Milan.

Milan. What to see.

1. The Duomo Cathedral is beautiful both during the day and at night.
2. Observation deck on the roof of the Duomo.
3. Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie and the Last Vespers fresco by Leonardo da Vinci. It is better to buy a ticket here in advance. For the summer months in a few days or weeks via the Internet.
4. Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, where you can see masterpieces by Caravaggio, Raphael and Titian.

When booking the following flight legs, you should remember:

1. Departure times and dates.

1. The departure time from Budapest to Moscow is morning, and therefore it is better not to risk it and fly to Budapest the day before, that is, July 30.

2. Airports of departure and arrival. Relevant for cities with several airports, such as Milan or Moscow.

A flight on the Budapest-Milan-Budapest route costs us 7,600 rubles for two. Departure there is July 19 morning. Return – July 30 in the afternoon. Although the morning flight is a little cheaper, we will try to connect our transfers so that way back do without an overnight stay in Milan.

1. Transfer: Airport-Milan-Airport – 20-40 euros (depending on the airport), that is, on average 2000 rubles for two.

Transfers from Bergamo are cheaper, so if you don't have flights from Malpensa on the same day, choose Bergamo Airport.

1. Flight ≈ 100 euros (7600 rubles)
2. Accommodation in Milan, two days ≈ 90 euros.
3. Transfer ≈ 30 euros.
4. Food and transport in the city: ≈ 70 euros.
5. Excursions ≈ 70 euros.

Total: ≈ 26,000 rubles.

Minimum cost: ≈ 22,000 rubles.

You can save about 60 euros on accommodation and food, that is, a little more than 4,000 rubles, and avoid excursions.

IMPORTANT: Taxis are very expensive in Milan, so it is best to book morning or afternoon flights to take advantage of public transport.

Routes from Milan

Milan is a large air and rail hub, so you can plan many routes from here, varying in price, duration and complexity of organization. We will look at a few of the simplest and most inexpensive ones.

Milan is the sea. The easiest route.

The cheapest and easiest to organize is the Milan-Pescara-Milan flight. For two, a flight on this route will cost 4,500 rubles. We will not need additional transfers from/to the airport, since we will fly from Pescara and fly to Budapest on the same day - Bergamo airport.

Pescara airport is only three kilometers from the city, and transfer by bus does not take much time or money. In 15 minutes and 6 euros from the airport you can get to the city.

An apartment in Pescara, not far from the coast, but not on the first line, will cost us 650 - 800 euros for 9 days. Having a kitchen will allow you to save a lot on food. But we’ll still factor into our budget the possibility of eating out and plan our food budget at 550 euros. Total – beach holiday costs us 1,300 euros – about 95,000 rubles.

Beach holiday – cost

1. Flight Milan – Pescara – Milan ≈ 4500 rubles.
2. Accommodation in apartments ≈ 50,000 rubles.
3. Food and transfers ≈ 41,000 rubles.

Total for a beach holiday ≈ 95,000 rubles.

The minimum cost of accommodation with your own kitchen on the coast for our dates, which we found, is 360 euros ≈ 26,000 rubles. If you almost completely give up eating outside the home, then 300 euros or 22,000 rubles will be enough for food and transfers.

Thus, the minimum budget for our beach vacation is ≈ 52,000 rubles.

Pescara. What to do besides the sea

Pescara has not only beaches, but also the Cathedral of San Setteo, the house of the writer Gabriel D'Annunzio, the Church of the Holy Spirit and St. Andrew the Apostle, as well as the Government Palace. There are museums. Just in mid-July, the city hosts the international music festival Pescara Jazz.

Pescara and Rome

Pescara is located just 155 kilometers from Rome. The fastest way (except for taxi) is to get there by bus. Travel time one way is 2 hours 25 minutes. The cost of a round trip for two is ≈ 50 euros (3,700 rubles).

Rome – eternal city, so let’s calculate that one day here will cost us 150 euros. For excursions, city trips and food. One day is certainly not enough to explore Rome. You can stay overnight near the center for 50 euros, with an additional 50 for transport and food. Now you can make it to the Vatican in time. Going to the museum and admiring the hand-made paintings of the Sistine Chapel by Botticelli, Pinturicchio and Michelangelo, as well as many other works of art, is, of course, priceless, but it will cost 56 euros for two, that is, about 4,000 rubles.

It is impossible to thoughtfully tour the Vatican Museums in half a day, but getting an idea and seeing the main masterpieces is quite possible. Total: the second day in Rome will cost us 7,200 rubles (100 euros) without visiting the Vatican Museums and 11,200 rubles or 160 euros if visiting the Vatican Museums.

Trip to Rome. Price

1. Bus Pescara – Rome – Pescara ≈ 50 euros (3700 rubles)
2. Excursions, food, transport in Rome ≈ 150 euros (10,800 rubles)

Total trip to Rome for 1 day ≈ 200 euros (14,500 rubles)

Savings are possible on food and excursions if you explore most of the sights on your own, and for lunch and dinner choose a restaurant in the center in advance, but not in a popular tourist area. Then a day in Rome will cost us about 75 euros or 5,400 rubles. An economy travel option will cost a little more than 9,000 rubles.

Two day trip to Rome

A second day in Rome will add 50 to 150 euros to existing options.

1. Rome – one night in a hotel near the center – 50 euros (3700 rubles)
2. Visit to the Vatican Museums ≈ 56 euros.
3. Transport, food, souvenirs, tickets for excursions for two days 150 euros (10,800 rubles)

In total, a trip to Rome for 2 days will cost ≈ from 250 to 310 euros for the entire trip (18,200 – 22,200 rubles).

What to see in Rome in one or two days

1. Cathedral and St. Peter's Square (Vatican)
2. Optional Vatican Museums
3. Piazza Navona
4. Pantheon and Rotunda
5. Trevi Fountain
6. Coliseum
7. Arch of Constantine in Rome
8. Baths of Caracalla

The road home

Since we bought all the tickets there and back, most of the expenses for the return journey have already been calculated. We fly from Pescara to Bergamo, from where we have a flight to Budapest in four hours. Therefore, we will budget 40 euros for a snack at the airport and 20 euros for transfers from Budapest airport to the hotel and back. In order to make the journey easier, we chose a hotel on the way back, two kilometers from Budapest airport.

We take accommodation without breakfast, since we have an early flight. Double room ≈ 35 euros. We will also estimate dinner at the restaurant at 40 euros and leave another 12 euros for breakfast at the airport. To calculate the minimum budget, you can replace dinner with a snack and spend 15 euros on it, but you shouldn’t refuse a sandwich and coffee at the airport. The airline we are flying with only offers meals on board for an additional fee, that is, approximately the same 12 euros for two.

Travel home cost

1. Light lunch at Bergamo airport (pizza and drinks) ≈ 20 euros.
2. Dinner in Budapest ≈ 40 euros.
3. Hotel accommodation ≈ 35 euros.
4. Breakfast at the airport or on board the plane ≈ 12 euros.
5. Transfer airport-hotel-airport ≈ 20 euros.

Total for the trip back is about 130 euros (9000 rubles).

As we wrote above, you can only save on food here. By tightening your belts, or by switching to hot dogs, the trip home will cost us 7,000 rubles.

SUMMARY BY ROUTE

1. Two or three countries: Hungary, Italy (Vatican). Three cities: Budapest - three days, Milan - two days, Pescara - 9 days. Six flights. Optional is a trip to Rome for one or two days.
2. The minimum budget for all flights, accommodation, meals and transfers is ≈ 115,000 rubles for two or 57,500 rubles for one traveler.
3. An economical, but still not ascetic budget is approximately 179,000 rubles for two or 89,500 rubles for one traveler. With a trip to Rome - from 188,000 rubles.

Prices in comparison

We called one of the major Russian travel agencies and asked to calculate the minimum cost of a package tour for two on the Italian coast from July 16 to July 31.

Accommodation in a 3* hotel with breakfast relatively close to the sea will cost from 97,000 rubles for two with flights and transfers. Even if we only eat pizza and drink only water, we will eat at least 500 euros in 14 days. Thus, a package tour, without excursions and a diet hazardous to health, will cost us at least 130,000 rubles.

A package tour, without excursions and a diet hazardous to health, will cost us at least 130,000 rubles.

ROUTE TWO – SPANISH

We will not describe the second route in detail. Let's describe it schematically, minimalistically and by dates.

1. From July 21 to July 30 we travel from Milan to Barcelona.
2. The flight Milan-Barcelona - Milan will cost us 200 euros 14,400 rubles.
3. Accommodation on the coast of Barcelona for the entire period (9 nights) from 600 euros or 43,200 rubles.
4. Meals (we cook ourselves) – 300 euros or 22,000 rubles.
5. Transfers, excursions, souvenirs - 150 euros or 10,800 rubles.

Total beach holiday in Spain from 90,000 rubles.

POSSIBLE DIRECTIONS FROM MILAN

We will briefly describe a few more possible trips from Milan to the beaches of Europe. On at the moment their cost is comparable to the options that we have already described. If traveling towards south-eastern Europe, Croatia and Montenegro, minor savings on food and hotels are possible.

1. Atlantic coast of Spain Santander and Bilbao.
a. Flight from Milan and back 220 euros.
2. Croatia and Montenegro: flight to Dubrovnik and back – 180 euros. 7-9 days in Dubrovnik and surroundings from 700 euros. In neighboring (distance about 50 km) Herceg Novi (Montenegro) from 450 euros.
3. Northern Italy and Croatia: we get to Trieste by train - the round trip will cost us about 100 euros.

Buses in Croatia are comfortable, equipped with air conditioning and often toilets.

1. Hotels or apartments on the Croatian coast are not cheap. For 9 days, the best offer is an apartment for 450 euros, but the next most expensive accommodation option asks for 950 euros.
2. You can stay one night in Rijeka (about 100 euros) and go to Plitvice Lakes by bus. It's quite easy to rent there nice apartments possible for 400 euros for the entire stay.

Attention! Prices are current at the time of writing, and therefore may differ from current ones. To determine prices, we used one air ticket aggregator, two of the most popular hotel and apartment booking services, bus and railway transport Italy and bus transport in Croatia.

In this text we consider inexpensive options accommodation in private rooms or apartments with a private bathroom. Accordingly, the cost of living in a hostel or in a hotel room with a shared bathroom can be 10-50% lower. The overall cost can also be reduced by avoiding restaurants entirely. We also provide an example of the minimum route budget based on current market offerings. All prices in the text are for two adults