Given all the excellent options out there, it’s no surprise that travelers don’t often plan on spending their entire European vacation in just one city. Therefore, people will want to carefully consider all of the available travel options in order to find the one that provides them with the best deals. Websites such as Rome 2 Rio, Skyscanner, and Man in Seat 61 are all good places to start researching the subject, but there are some other facts that travelers will also want to consider when they are making their plans.
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Car rentals remain a popular choice for lots of travelers but those under the age of 25 may find it hard to get a set of keys to a vehicle due to insurance policies. Driving in some places may also mean dealing with narrow roads, unfamiliar rules, and police officers that don’t speak English. Cars in Europe also tend to feature manual transmissions (a.k.a. stick shifts) more often than automatic ones, which can be a serious problem for visitors that aren’t accustomed to driving them. Given these issues, it is easy to see why many travelers choose to skip this method of transportation. However, for groups of older people that plan on traveling to numerous out-of-the-way places, renting a car is probably the most economical option.
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Using the train is another popular choice for getting around in Europe. After all, numerous discounted rail passes are available for various groups. Overnight journeys are also widely touted as a good way to save time and money. However, it is always a good idea to do the math to make sure that a pass or an overnight train is going to actually be the cheapest option because sometimes this isn’t the case.
The trains in Europe are particularly convenient for travelers that plan on spending most of their time traveling short distances between major cities. The only problem with riding the rails is that tickets can be prohibitively expensive if they are not bought far enough in advance. Trains are, therefore, a good choice for affluent students and travelers with a mid-range budget.
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Flying on budget carriers is widely presumed to be the cheapest way to cover large distances in Europe. Yet anyone with much experience on the subject is sure to recall that these businesses are known to nickel and dime their customers on minor points, which can result in excessively large bills if one isn’t careful. Many of the airports used by budget carriers are also located in out of the way spots, a fact which can result in extra time and money spent traveling in order to catch a flight. However, there is no doubt that taking to the skies is an excellent way to quickly cover long distances and avoid wasting time.
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If time is not as much of an issue as money, using reputable bus companies to get around Europe is a relatively good option. In fact, sometimes taking the bus rather than the train might only add 20 to 30 minutes to your travel time but will drastically reduce the cost of getting there. Overnight buses likewise provide travelers with the same cost-saving benefits as similarly scheduled train rides but at a fraction of the price. Browsing bus operators’ websites may also help travelers spot good deals such as Bus Eireann’s multiple day pass which covers more destinations and is cheaper than the local train system. As always, it pays to do your research on the subject at hand before making a final decision.
Happy Travels!
