A savage in Europe. To go to Europe as a savage, all you need is desire, a phrasebook and sign language

Planning a trip around Europe is not difficult, but planning everything so that the trip is inexpensive and comfortable is already 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 is enough just to follow some basic rules. Here are some tips and life hacks on how to save money while traveling.

General Travel Savings Rules Everyone Should Know About

1. Are you still planning your vacation for August? Finally start traveling in the “off season”: there are fewer tourists, prices are many times lower, service is better. The most expensive time in Europe: July, August, September, Christmas and New Year. 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 you are not interested in. Find out in advance the dates of the holidays that will be held along your route, because the prices for transport and hotels on such days increase by 2-3 times. And if you are not interested in these holidays, then why pay more?

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

4. Take a reliable bank card on a trip - we already wrote. It is better to take cards from different banks: if one is blocked, then a spare will remain.

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

How to save on transport in Europe

How to find cheap flights detailed instructions read . But how to save further?

In the photo: passengers at the station in Marseille

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

Tourist advice. When buying a low-cost air ticket, check the location of the airport. Otherwise, it may turn out that you will pay 10 euros for an air ticket, and three times more to get from the airport to the city. Given this, it can 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 travel card for several trips. Before traveling to expensive cities useful to read helpful tips how to save. Recommended : the best , useful , and excellent .

7. Register on the websites of transport companies (SNCF, RyanAir, Alsa) - so 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, when planning to rent a car in Europe, succumb to advertising and order a car along with an air ticket, or book a car on car rental websites - this is most often unprofitable. Before doing so, do not be too lazy to check the prices in all car rental companies - a couple of minutes, and you can save 10-30%.

10. It is not necessary to rent a car, make up - so you can see a lot of interesting things along the way, even from the bus window. This way you can spot places for future trips. For example, you will see Lake Como, the Alps, and magnificent Switzerland. But an interesting independent - ready-made instructions!

11. Get yourself a low-cost suitcase with the right dimensions so you don't have to pay for luggage.

In the photo: the “right” suitcase is the one that fits in the hand luggage of most airlines

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

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

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

How to save money on food

In the photo: the menu in the resort cafe, Tenerife

Life hack. 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 most delicious food is served in establishments where there is no menu, and the owner himself will tell you what is being served 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 taking the same one, but 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, it is not necessary to order a whole lunch or dinner in a restaurant in the center of a tourist hangout. The cheapest thing is to have a bite to eat in bars: we move away from the main street, we find a cozy bar and from the counter (without asking for a menu) we make an order in the local language. The only difficulty: you need to know a dozen phrases in the local language and the features of the local cuisine.

For example, in Spain, a cup of coffee and tortilla de patatas (it's a Spanish omelet, 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 will cost 2-3 euros (the 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 products at half the price. And by the way, before the trip it will always be useful to find out the local prices. For example, here you are.

How to save on accommodation in Europe

The most expensive part of travel 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 talk about less obvious things.

18. When choosing hotels for the entire trip in Europe, book the weekend first. These days, hotels are significantly more expensive and they are taken apart first.

19. Everyone knows that you need to book hotels in advance. BUT, if you didn’t make it 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, they can provide you with a free airport transfer, or tell you how to get there by local transport.

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

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 do not get to scammers, read - in other European countries in the same way.

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

23. When booking tickets and hotels in major cities, immediately check the location of the arrival station and your hotel.
Often travelers take a ticket to the central station of the city, forgetting about intermediate stops. Sometimes it is more profitable to get off the train one stop earlier - it can 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 directly rent accommodation with discounts.

26. If you have a birthday coming up, do not hesitate to notify the hotel about it. There are chances to get a nice bonus.

What you can not 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 do not like to spend money for nothing, but there is a limit to everything. There are normal ways to save money, and there are perverted ones - when people seem to be specifically looking for problems for themselves.

It is important not to confuse stinginess with savings, and also remember why you are traveling at all. Sleeping on buses or at train stations is good for those who like extreme travel, but not at all for those who want to relax and love comfort. Keep a balance and do not turn pleasure into inhuman conditions of life.

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 in order to collect 10,000 euros from friends ...
Firstly, without insurance, they may not be allowed through customs - they rarely check, but it happens, because. Travel insurance is mandatory when entering Europe, whether you need a visa or not. Secondly, medicine in Europe is expensive for tourists, and if something suddenly happens, even a simple poisoning, then just a doctor’s examination will immediately “beat off” the money for insurance. There can be only one option for saving on insurance - than ordinary tourists do.

28. Accommodation in hostels, couchsurfing, etc. is not safe, and not only for single girls. If there is very little money, it is better to rent a bed in a trusted hostel. In such places, you can not only spend the night for 10 euros in comfort, but also meet new interesting people from all over the world.

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

How to travel wild 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 the Old World - 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 still more interesting prices for tours to any European state offered by tour operators. Of course, they will pick up a good hotel, and provide plane tickets, and meals, and delivery, and organize excursions ... You don’t have to worry about anything, except for paying a rather large bill. Of course, all this is good, but now you will go on excursions in a group, along a strictly “knurled” route, and “not a step to the side.” In general, you will not get special freedom of movement.

But what if you want to go wherever you want, not to be bound by some kind of framework? And if you want to visit not one country, but several, and at the same time live there as long as you need, and not 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.

Benefits of traveling wild

Independent travel by "savages" is becoming more and more popular. And there are many reasons for that. Here are just a few of them:

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

Not to be attached to anything or anyone - what could be better? This, and monetary savings - best pros travel "savage".

How to prepare for a trip

First you need to outline an approximate travel plan, at least in terms of dates and states. Think about where you would like to visit and how long it will take. Of course, accuracy to the day is not important, but you need to decide on the countries, especially the first one you will enter and where you plan to spend the most time.

You will need a passport. If it exists, fine; if not, you need to get it. Children over the age of 14 also need a passport.

The states of Europe require a visa for entry, at least from Russian citizens. Therefore, the first step is to get a Schengen visa. It will allow you to move around the countries of Europe, which are part of the so-called Schengen area. Before that, 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 at the embassy of the first country you will enter. What documents you need to collect in each case, you also need to study. All documents for a visa must be in perfect order, and it is better to take extra certificates than to go and find that something is missing. It takes at least a week to collect certificates and obtain a visa. Before going to the embassy, ​​you need to call there and find out what time is best to approach 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. It's 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 the trip, you will have to go through it. In addition, if a tour operator were involved in this, you would have to pay, otherwise it will cost you almost 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 city, the approximate duration of stay there, clarify the places of overnight stays, prices for air tickets. By the way, tickets can already be booked.

If you are going to stay in hotels, you can pre-book rooms via the Internet - there are special services for this. But it is quite expensive and deprives maneuverability. Most travelers "savages" prefer to stay in cheap hostels or local residents who can host a traveler for free, for the sake of communication. All information about this is easy to find 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. It is possible to purchase train or bus tickets. In addition, you can travel with your own car or rent it. All these “small issues” need to be resolved in advance, the list of the most important points for each city it is better to print. You can make maps - Google Maps will help you a lot with this.

You need to pay attention to such things as communication in the places you want to visit and solve the financial issue. How to call, how much does a call cost in roaming and how are things going there 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 - this is more profitable than regular tariffs. Important phone numbers should be written down, including the numbers of your embassy in different countries. A 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 too lazy to read about it. If you violate something or offend someone out of ignorance, then you will not be given a discount. What can be imported into the country and what cannot be exported? How much cash and how many cigarettes can I carry at customs? All this must be read in order to avoid troubles and misunderstandings.

Going to Europe as a "savage", take care of how you will communicate there. It is unlikely that knowledge of Russian will help much 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 do not know the languages ​​yourself, an electronic translator will help, and it is best to take a fellow traveler 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 much. There is no need to pack a bunch of suitcases - you will have to carry them, and not someone else, do not forget about it. It is enough to collect an ordinary backpack with the most necessary things– among other things, save on the fact that you do not have 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, a camera with you. Many European cafes have Internet and free Wi-Fi, so it is advisable to grab a netbook or tablet - with it you can book rooms, book tickets, get directions and keep all the necessary background 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 have to walk a lot, and nothing should slow you down and annoy you.

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 like the cost of traveling on a space shuttle? Does the thought of visiting several countries terrify you at all? Do not despair! There are ways even now to organize a rich and interesting vacation in Europe, combining excursion program and the beach without spending a fortune.

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

HOW TO BOOK AND SEARCH FOR CHEAP TICKETS

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

GETTING READY FOR VACATION

What to do? Everything is simple! Get rid of the idea that the direct route is the easiest, and transfers are just a waste of time and effort. Of the majority of transplants, it is not only possible, but also necessary to make an interesting and pleasant vacation.

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

BOOKING OF AIR TICKETS. EXAMPLE.

1. Moscow - "everywhere". There, Saturday, July 16th. Return Sunday, July 31st.
2. From European countries, the most profitable tickets for these dates are 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 a transshipment hub. We chose Budapest. It really doesn't take long to check routes and fares from several European cities, and the list of low-cost flights from the Russian capital is usually limited.

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

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

So, often Munich or Vienna turn out to be very profitable destinations for a flight, but when searching cheap hotels here you need to spend a lot of time. Public transport and food will also cost a pretty penny. These are beautiful cities, but savings will not work with them.

Budapest. What's next?

We planned three days for Budapest: July 16, 17 and 18, and on July 19 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 a European capital, hotels in Budapest are inexpensive. In the city center for our dates you can book apartments from 80 euros for the entire stay. But still, most quality offers start from 120 euros. The lowest price we found for a separate apartment near the center is 55 euros. By ordering an apartment, we can save on food in restaurants and get a large living area, usually from 30 to 60 square meters. meters. We will calculate that we will give 120 euros for housing in Budapest.

If for some reason apartments scare you, then by paying 30 euros for the whole time, you can easily find a hotel in the central part of the city. We will lay 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 (where the scenes of the film “Red Heat” were filmed) is about 20 euros.

Budapest. What to watch.

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 Hill. The first official royal residence appeared here in the middle of the 13th century. The Hungarian National Gallery, the Budapest Historical Museum and the State Library. Széchenyi.
2. The building of the Hungarian Parliament. It was 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 the Buda Hill. From here you have fantastic views of the city. Despite the fact that the fisherman's bastion was built at the beginning of the 20th century, it has something of the 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 observe a waterfall, and at the top is the Citadel, built in the middle of the 19th century.
6. Baths of Budapest: Gellert, Rudash, Chasar, Kiraly, Rats and others. In total, there are 27 baths in Budapest, 13 of them are therapeutic. Most of the baths are quite old with marble finishes 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

Milan turned out to be the most profitable destination for a flight from Budapest to the south of Europe. The city is not cheap, but interesting. In addition, there are many flights from there to southern, southeastern and southwestern Europe. Italy also has a well-developed rail network. And shopping in Milan has not been canceled.

Milan. What to watch.

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

When booking the following flight legs, you should remember:

1. Time and dates of departures.

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, on July 30th.

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

A flight on the route Budapest-Milan-Budapest costs us 7600 rubles for two. Departure there - July 19 morning. Back - July 30 in the afternoon. Although the morning flight is a little cheaper, we will try to connect our transfers so that on the way back we can do without spending the night in Milan.

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

Transfer from Bergamo is cheaper, so if you do not plan flights from Malpensa on the same day, choose Bergamo Airport.

1. Flight ≈ 100 euros (7600 rubles)
2. Accommodation in Milan, two nights ≈ 90 euros.
3. Transfer ≈ 30 euros.
4. Meals 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 meals, that is, a little more than 4,000 rubles, and refuse excursions.

IMPORTANT: Taxis are very expensive in Milan, so it is better to book morning or afternoon flights to use public transport.

Routes from Milan

Milan is a large aviation and railway hub, so you can plan many routes from here, differing in price, duration and complexity of organization. We will consider a few, the most simple and inexpensive.

Milan is the sea. The easiest route.

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

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

Apartments 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 help you save a lot on food. But anyway, let's put in our budget the possibility of a snack outside the house and plan our budget for food 550 euros. Total - beach holiday rises to us at 1300 euros - about 95,000 rubles.

Beach holidays - 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 a self-catering accommodation on the coast for our dates, which we found, is 360 euros ≈ 26,000 rubles. If you almost completely refuse to eat out, then 300 euros or 22,000 rubles will be enough for food and transfers.

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

Pescara. What to do besides the sea

In Pescara, there are not only beaches, there is the Cathedral of San Setteo, the house of the writer Gabriel D'Annunzio, the churches of the Holy Spirit and the Apostle Andrew, as well as the government palace. There are museums. Just in mid-July, the Pescara Jazz international music festival takes place in the city.

Pescara and Rome

Pescara is located just 155 kilometers from Rome. The fastest way (except for taxis) is 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 is an eternal city, so we will calculate that one day here will cost us 150 euros. On excursions, trips around the city and food. One day is certainly not enough to explore Rome. You can stay overnight near the center for 50 euros, and we will lay an additional 50 euros for transport and food. Now you can make it to the Vatican. Going to the museum and admiring the murals of the Sistine Chapel made by hands: Botticelli, Pinturicchio and Michelangelo, as well as many other works of art, of course, is priceless, but it will cost 56 euros for two, that is, about 4,000 rubles.

It is impossible to thoughtfully walk around the Vatican Museums in half a day, but it is quite possible to get an idea and see the main masterpieces. 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 you visit 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 visit most of the sights on your own, and for lunch and dinner, choose a restaurant in the center in advance, but not in the popular tourist area. Then a day in Rome will cost us about 75 euros or 5,400 rubles. The economy version of the trip will cost a little more than 9,000 rubles.

2 day trip to Rome

Second day in Rome will add to existing options from 50 to 150 euros.

1. Rome - one night in a hotel near the center - 50 euros (3700 rubles)
2. A 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 ≈ 250 to 310 euros for the entire trip (18,200 - 22,200 rubles).

What to see in Rome in one or two days

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

Way home

Since we bought all the round-trip tickets, most of the expenses for the return trip have already been calculated for us. We fly from Pescara to Bergamo, from where we have a flight to Budapest in four hours. Therefore, we will lay down 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 trip easier, we chose a hotel on the way back two kilometers from Budapest Airport.

We take accommodation without breakfast, as we have an early flight. Double room ≈ 35 euros. Dinner at the restaurant will also be estimated at 40 euros and 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 should not refuse a sandwich and coffee at the airport. The airline we fly with offers food on board only for an additional fee, that is, approximately the same 12 euros for two.

Road 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 on the way back about 130 euros (9000 rubles).

As we have already written above, you can only save on food here. Tightening your belts, well, or switching to hot dogs, the road home will cost us 7000 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 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 ≈ 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 us to calculate the minimum cost of a package tour for two on the coast of Italy from July 16 to 31.

Accommodation in a 3 * hotel with breakfast relatively close to the sea will cost from 97,000 rubles for two with a flight and transfer. Even if we only eat pizza and drink only water, in 14 days we will eat at least 500 euros. 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 date.

1. From July 21st to 30th we travel from Milan to Barcelona.
2. 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 DESTINATIONS FROM MILAN

We will briefly describe a few more likely trips from Milan to the beaches of Europe. On the this moment their cost is comparable to those options that we have already described. In the case of traveling towards southeastern Europe, Croatia and Montenegro, slight savings on food and hotels are possible.

1. Atlantic coast 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 the neighboring (distance about 50 km.) Herceg Novi (Montenegro) from 450 euros.
3. North of Italy and Croatia: we get to Trieste by train - the way there and back will cost us about 100 euros.

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

1. Hotels or apartments on the coast of Croatia are not cheap. For 9 days the most profitable proposition- this is an apartment for 450 euros, but now the next most expensive accommodation option asks for 950 euros.
2. You can stay for one night in Rijeka (about 100 euros) and go to the Plitvice Lakes by bus. You can rent quite good apartments there for 400 euros for the entire stay.

Attention! Prices are current at the time of writing, and therefore may differ from the current ones. To determine prices, we used one airline 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 are looking at inexpensive options for staying 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. Also, the total cost can be reduced by completely abandoning restaurants. We also provide an example of a minimum route budget based on current market offerings. All prices in the text are for two adults

A few tips on how not to 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 personally I am already starting to slowly try on the experience gained in Asian directions.

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

Where to begin

The first step is to decide on the city of arrival and departure.

You can, of course, start a Eurotour 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 flights and they will almost certainly cost more. Secondly, renting a car in the same city where 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 cheap air gate to Europe I can name Vienna, Berlin, Prague, Madrid. For example, last year a one-way flight from Moscow to the capital of Austria cost us only 3,700 rubles from the nose.

True, now it is difficult to find such prices - the euro exchange rate that has skyrocketed 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. At the same time, before the euro began to rise in price, it was cheaper by about a thousand and a half.

Fishing hours

Online - great amount all kinds of services for searching and ordering air tickets, so you can use any of them. I prefer one of the oldest search engines: www.skyscanner.ru. True, I confess, I have never ordered tickets with his help. The resource is used specifically to search for cheap tickets, and the purchase itself was already 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 appeared on sale and sold out in just a few hours.

By the way, the proverb: “He who gets up early, God gives him” - in this case, it’s very out of place: best time for catching cheap air tickets starts somewhere from 5-6 o'clock in the morning.

How to plan a route

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

Here, Google maps (www.google.ru/maps/), as well as a huge number of travel sites and travel blogs, will become irreplaceable assistants.

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 a grateful machine will helpfully offer you a couple of million pages of the desired topic.

It is preferable to use Google maps for planning a route over 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's 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 the embassies of European countries, when applying for a visa, recognize reservations from this service. Although just a few years ago, to confirm that you have a place to live while traveling, you had to call the hotel and ask for a confirmation of your booking by fax.

Paying for rooms immediately, as a rule, is not required. Most hotels take money when checking into a hotel, and sometimes even when leaving it.

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

At first, you can book one hotel, and in the months remaining before the trip, regularly look at other offers. Almost certainly, over time, there will be more profitable or convenient hotels 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, after a couple of weeks, the Munich "Ramada" suddenly announced a promotion and reduced prices several times. Naturally, we urgently canceled the previous reservation and took a room in this luxury 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 stop looking.

It is important

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

Shortly before my trip to the USA, I saw that very suitable apartments for us were vacated, I hurried to book them, but did not read the cancellation conditions thoughtfully enough. According to them, this can be done free of charge only a month before the date of the proposed move-in. As soon as this period approaches, 450 dollars are 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 moves in, then they go towards paying for the accommodation.

At first, I was very surprised when 450 bucks disappeared from my bank card within 5 minutes after the confirmation of the reservation. However, after reading the rules more thoughtfully, it dawned on me that I booked the room 20 days before the date of arrival, which means that the rule for blocking funds on the card took effect immediately.

In the case described, inattention cost no one anything, but in other conditions it can put you in front of an unpleasant choice. 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 donate money or stay with what you have.

Car rental

This service in Europe is developed just fine. 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 will not be difficult for any car enthusiast to order the right car for the right date through the distributor’s website. I can only recommend: pay attention to the size of the trunk and measure it with 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 prior preparation. Print out your reservation in advance in the language of the country you are flying to, and just stick this piece of paper under the nose of the distributor. And then he will do everything himself. You will only have to check whether the proposed machine meets the requirements that you ordered. Remember: the distributor is obliged to provide you with a car with the parameters that you indicated, 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 do not refuel the car before returning, the distributor 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 doesn’t hurt to take a navigator with you and download a translator and a phrasebook to your smartphone. They and international sign language are enough to solve almost any tourist problem.

We issue a visa

When the tickets are paid, hotels and cars are booked, you can proceed to the issuance of visas. Naturally, there is a risk that it will not be given to you. Then you will almost certainly lose money for already paid tickets. 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, who does not take risks does not drink champagne in Champagne and does not eat Viennese schnitzels in Vienna.
There are two ways to resolve the issue with a visa: pay a travel agency or do everything yourself. In the first case, it will cost 80 euros from a passport plus consular fee, registration of medical insurance, payment for a photo for a visa.

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

Document set

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, for this it is enough to print the 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 confirmation of the reservation in Russian, it is still better not to risk it. At the German embassy, ​​they once wrapped our documents with a reservation in Russian and issued it only after we submitted them again with printouts in German. The same applies to the confirmation of the car reservation.

Finishing touch

Imagine that everything worked out for you: tickets are bought, hotels and cars are booked, a visa is in your passport, you, satisfied, land at a European airport and go to passport control.

And there, a strict uncle (or aunt) with an impenetrable face in a language you do not understand begins to demand something. And you can’t answer him: “Du yu speak English”, except: “Nicht fershtein”. Bottom line: you are confused, he (or she) is angry, and on the horizon looms the prospect of flying home on the same plane on which you just arrived.

What can be done to avoid such an unpleasant situation? Sheer rubbish.

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 still happens that the border guards require these papers before they put a stamp and let you into the country.

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