3 Insanely Cheap Ways to Travel Europe in 2025

On the hunt for cheap ways to travel Europe?

It’s been my raison d’etre since my first trip to Europe in 2013. I arrived in Naples, Italy, for a 3-week trip while earning a peanuts intern salary of R8,000 per month.

Money was tiiiiight.

(And yes, I’m equally bewildered how I managed to save enough money for flights, food, and attractions, but I somehow survived!)

A few years later, I returned to Europe for the first of many month-long sojourns across the continent. Starting in Sicily, I ate my way up to Rome, caught a cheap flight to Berlin, took a 6-hour train ride to Amsterdam, and then an overnight bus to Poland for a day trip to Auschwitz.

While I had more money to my name (a cool R20,000 +/-salary), I still had to count Euros diligently and stretch my Rands as far as possible.

Fast forward to 2022, and I’m currently in the midst of a 3-month trip and finding cheap ways to travel Europe is more important than ever before.

Gone are the 10 EUR flights and cheap as chips bus tickets. With rising fuel prices, a war in Ukraine, and coming fresh off the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic, cheap transportation in Europe is still around but much harder to find.

If you’re heading to Europe soon and knee-deep in planning, here are my best tips and tricks for finding the cheapest ways to travel Europe.

Psst…Want more budget Europe travel tips? Check out these other posts:

• How To Travel Europe on a Budget: A Complete Guide
• 16 of the Best Rand-Friendly Holiday Destinations in Europe
• How To Travel Rome on a Budget (& Still See the Top Sights!)
• A Magical 2-Days in Lisbon Itinerary (Including a Sintra Day Trip)
• How to Apply for Your Schengen Visa as a South African
• How to Get From Paris to Versailles & Plan The Perfect Day Trip

How to Find The Cheapest Way to Travel Europe Every Single Time

Here’s the thing about Europe:

Somedays, catching a flight with RyanAir is cheaper than taking an overnight bus. On other days, 2-hour flights are ridiculously expensive, and taking a train will save you thousands of Rands.

So how do you quickly figure out the best and cheapest way to get around Europe without losing precious hours of your life to search engines?

Allow me to introduce you to your newest BFF: Rome2Rio.

The website will tell you how to get anywhere in Europe via plane, train, bus, ferry, and car.

It will shave hours off your prep time and help you quickly discover the most cheapest option for your travel budget.

It’s quickly become the Lois to my Clark. The avo to my toast. The air to the lungs of my travel planning toolkit.

Over the last two months of travelling Europe, Rome2Rio has helped me find numerous cheap ways to travel Europe including:

• 3 EUR train tickets between Vienna and Budapest.
• Discover the best way to get from Prague, Czech Republic to Berlin, Germany.
• Cheap overnight bus tickets from Paris to Barcelona.
• Uncover that it’s cheaper and faster for me to fly to Stockholm.
• Figure out how to get from Barcelona to Verona using a mix of flights, trains, and buses.

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How Does Rome2Rio Work?

• Pop in your departure and arrival destinations.
• The search results will break down all the different public transportation options with travel times and ticket price estimations.
• Click on a route option and change the date and time to see up-to-date transport schedules.
• Scroll down to find the different operators’ websites, click on your preferred one, and book your tickets.

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Take The Bus to Travel Europe Cheaply & Save a Night on Accommodation

The cheapest way to travel within Europe? Without a doubt, the bus.

Sure, it’s not hella comfortable (especially when the person in front of you reclines their seat) or as scenic as some of the railway journeys, but what you lose to long travel times, you’ll make up with more money to spend on activities. 😍

Plus, some buses have WiFi. So if you can’t sleep on your overnight journey, you can at least binge Netflix or swipe yourself into TikTok oblivion.

Top Tip: Book an overnight bus ride to save money on accommodation!

The Best Bus Operator in Europe: FlixBus

FlixBus is my go-to option for bus travel in Europe.

It’s affordable, reliable, and the platform has a massive network of 400,000 daily connections to over 2,500 destinations in 35 European countries.

Pretty impressive, right?

Plus, there’s (usually) free WiFi onboard and an app for that. Your tickets are automatically synced to your phone, the meeting point shows up with a link to Google Maps, there are status updates, and you can change your reservation.

Tips for Using FlixBus in Europe

• Go to the bus station early: FlixBus usually arrives ahead of schedule, and the first passengers onboard get to pick the best seats.
• Boarding usually starts 30-minutes before departure: If you’re late, the bus won’t wait for you.
• Look for direct routes: For a hassle-free bus experience, opt for routes where you don’t need to change buses halfway through your journey.
• Travel outside peak times: Early morning, late evening, and overnight buses usually have the cheapest tickets.
• Solo female traveller safety: If the stop is not at the main bus station (some are on the side of the road), book a departure that isn’t at 1 am.
• Changing tickets: Once you’ve bought a FlixBus ticket, you can’t get a cash refund. However, you can exchange it for a voucher and use it for future trips.
• Cancellation policy: Flixbus lets you cancel or change your ticket up to 15-minutes before departure. You will have to pay a small fee, but it’s the flexibility you need when plans change last minute.
• Payment problems for South Africans: For some reason, FNB flags FlixBus transactions and declines the sale. To buy my tickets and bypass FNB, I’ve had to use my PayPal account.

Other Cheap Options for Bus Travel in Europe

Besides FlixBus, you can use BlaBlaBus to get around. I haven’t used it myself, but the reviews from other travellers are mixed, and the WiFi is often offline.

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Next, you can try GetByBus. I’ve used this provider in Croatia and didn’t have the greatest experience. Both times the bus was late by 45-minutes, and we had to pay extra for each bag we put into the hold. If you’re heading to Croatian islands, getting to Hvar requires a combination of buses and ferries, so understanding the connection times between transport modes is crucial to avoid missing your boat

Lastly, you have regional or local bus lines. These buses are usually available from the station on the day.

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Travel Europe By Train on a Budget (The Most Scenic Option!)

Trains are one of my favourite ways to travel in Europe.

• Gorgeous scenery? Check.
• Onboard WiFi? Most of the time
• Silent carriages and fold-out desks? Double Check

The only downside? Train travel in Europe isn’t always affordable.

*cough*Eurail pass*cough*

But not all hope is lost.

Over my last two trips, I’ve noticed that if you stick to train travel in Central and Eastern Europe, you can snag some impressive deals.

Western Europe on the other hand is quite pricey.

How impressive, you ask?

• I scooped up return train tickets to Budapest for only 6 EUR. 🤯

• My trip from Prague to Berlin only set me back R420.00.

• A train from Verona to Milan Airport only cost 15 EUR, and that’s after I went all bougie by upgrading to silent carriages.

As you can see, train travel in Europe on a budget is possible!

Plus, it’s always a good idea to check if specific countries are in a festive mood. During my last trip to Germany, the railway company made all regional trips for the next month cost a measly 9 EUR.

#ShutUpAndTakeMyMoney

Read More: How to Get From Munich to Neuschwanstein Castle Without a Car

Tips for Finding Cheap Train Tickets in Europe

• Book Early: As a rule of thumb, you’ll generally find cheap deals the earlier you book. However, those cheap as chips Vienna – Budapest train tickets were booked 3-days before the trip. If you’re someone who thrives on last-minute travel planning, it is possible to get a good deal.

• Book Return Tickets: If you’re planning a round-trip, buying return tickets will work out cheaper. But if you’re country-hopping, you’ll still find excellent one-way train ticket deals.

• Use Rome2Rio to Compare Operators: As mentioned earlier, Rome2Rio is the butter to my bread. Before booking a train ticket in Europe, check the app to make sure you’re getting the best possible deal.

• Take an Overnight Train: Similar to the buses, overnight trains are an excellent way to save money in Europe. Not only does it usually works out cheaper than a night in a hotel or Airbnb, but you’re sleeping away the bulk of your journey, meaning you gain a full day to explore a new destination.

• Travel During Off-Peak Times: Train tickets in Europe are cheaper if you travel over off-peak hours. Sometimes that means sacrificing sleep and waking up at 5 am to catch a 6 am train or travelling before and after evening commutes.

• Check For Discounts: Are you still in your early and mid-20s? Congrats! You automatically unlock youth train discounts in Europe. The same applies if you’re a senior or a student.

• Compare Prices to Eurail: The Eurail passes aren’t cheap. But sometimes, it works out cheaper than buying individual tickets depending on where you’re going, time periods, etc. Do your due diligence and compare single ticket prices to the Aural passes before making any final payments.

• Take a Slower Train: The high-speed trains will get you to your destination faster but often cost more. If you’re not on a time constraint, take the slower train to save money on train tickets in Europe.

• Opt for no ticket refunds: Scary, right? But if you know for sure that you’re heading to Rome, say yes to the ticket option with no refund option. It’s way cheaper than a flexible ticket and probably won’t hurt too much if you do need to change your plans last minute.
  
• Choose RegioJet: RegioJet is by far my favourite railway company. The service on board is incredible, and their prices are unbeatable. If you can travel with them, do it!

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Country Hop Around Europe with Budget Airlines

Back in my day (pre-2020 catastrophe), you could find ridiculous prices for cheap flights in Europe.

I’m talking R300 from Rome to Berlin return.

Let that sink in.

You could take a 2-hour flight to another country for a little more than an Uber from Cape Town’s CBD to Cape Town International Airport.

WILD.

Unfortunately, the golden era of cheap flights in Europe is over.

Well, sorta.

You can still find some good flight deals, but it’s a lot harder, and the prices have gone up.

But if you’re flexible with your destination and travel plans, you can still uncover some gems. There are just a few things to be aware of before you click on “book flight”.

The Sneaky Costs of Cheap Flights in Europe

European budget airlines are the ultimate breed of hustlers.

If an extra buck is to be made at any point, you can bet you’ll pay for it.

Exhibit Number 1: Checking In For Your Flight

I have a question for you.

How often has an airline asked you to pay to check-in for your flight?

If the answer is zero, you’re about to have your reality rocked to its core when you travel to Europe.

The budget airlines will charge you a pretty penny if you don’t check-in online within the given timeframe and try to do it at the airport.

There’s also this wild thing where you sometimes have to pay to print your ticket at the airport, but I’m kinda on board with it. Most airlines have apps that’ll store a digital version of your boarding pass, helping you help the planet by avoiding unnecessary paper waste.

Big Takeaway: Always review each budget airline’s rules and hidden costs to avoid nasty surprises to your bank balance.

Exhibit Number 2: None of Your Luggage is Free

The budget airlines in Europe love catching your attention with a this-is-too-good-to-be-true fare to lure you in, but it usually doesn’t include baggage.

I mean, no baggage.

Not even cabin.

Sometimes just a small backpack or handbag.

And when you add the luggage add-ons you need (like hand luggage and a checked bag), it’s no longer a cheap flight.

Vueling Airlines charged me $40 to add a checked bag on top of the flight fee. 🤯

Big Takeaway: Always check what luggage the fare includes and the prices for adding bags.

How to Find Cheap Flights in Europe

I use a mix of Skyscanner and Google Flights to find cheap ways to travel Europe.

It’s the perfect pairing and will save you a lot of time trying to figure out where to go next and how to get there cheaply.

On Google Flights, you can set your destination to “Everywhere in Europe”. It will show a map with flight prices from your departing city.

Skyscanner has a similar feature with its “Everywhere” search.

The difference?

Google Flights sticks to the official airline websites to return results, while Skyscanner uses a mix of airline websites and travel agents (who sometimes have better deals).

So it’s always a good idea to cross reference both sites to find the cheapest flights.

Read More: How To Book Cheap Flights From South Africa To Your Dream Destination

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Even More Ways to Travel Around Europe Cheaply

Looking for more ways to cut costs on your next Europe trip?

Here are some other tried and true ways to get around that I haven’t personally tried but have heard about:

BlaBlaCar

BlaBlaCar is a carpool search engine. It matches drivers up with passengers who are going to the same places.

This is an affordable option if you’re not afraid of strangers and like to plan your movements in short time frames. Rides are usually up on the site 1 to 3 days before departure.

The app uses a review system similar to Airbnb, which makes it kind of less sketch that you’re going to get in a car with a cereal killer.

Hitchhiking

Hitchhiking is for the brave, in my opinion. Apparently, it’s a chill and safe thing to do in Europe, but you won’t catch me doing it.

If it’s up your alley, keep in mind that you can’t have strict plans on where you need to be and when. It could take you a while to find a ride.

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Cheap Ways to Travel Europe FAQ

• What’s the least expensive way to travel in Europe? The cheapest way to get around Europe is by bus. Although, you can sometimes find train or cheap flights with better deals.
• When is the cheapest time to travel within Europe? The shoulder seasons (March to May and September to November) and the low season (December to February) are the best times to go to Europe. However, transport prices will depend if you’re travelling to expensive cities or sticking to budget options. If you’re going during peak season (June to August) stick to the cheaper countries to find affordable flights, train and bus fares.

• What’s the best way to travel between countries in Europe? The best way to travel between countries in Europe is by train. The journeys are incredibly scenic, there is free WiFi on board, and you’ll have more legroom. But if you’re short on time, flying between destinations is the quickest option.

• Is it cheaper to fly or take a train in Europe? Regional train tickets are usually cheaper than flights in Europe. However, budget airlines sometimes offer incredible deals that work out cheaper than taking the train. Use Rome2Rio to compare airline and rail operators to see which is the cheaper option.

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gETTING aROUND Europe on A bUDGET is Possible

When you convert Euros to Rands, I feel the collective cringe.

It’s painful, but it’s possible to find cheap ways to travel Europe that won’t hurt too much.

That said, Europe is not Southeast Asia. You’ll spend a lot more here, and you need to prepare your bank balance for the hit.

Use these tips for whittling down your Europe transport expenses and an app like Wally to track your spending and savings.

With a dash of discipline and perseverance, you can get around Europe on a budget!

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Got any questions about cheap ways to travel around Europe? Got any more travel tips for other travellers? Hit ya gurl up in the comments below!

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