Budget tips

11 clever tips for interrailing Europe on a travel budget

11 budget travel hacks for interrailing Europe 

If you want to do interrailing and want to do it properly, you can’t blow your budget in the first week!

You’ll probably agree with me here when I say, if you want to do long term travel, costs can add up!

You need to know how you can cut your costs, so that you can have an awsome time AND travel for longer.

I went interrailing around Europe, or ‘euro railing’ as it is sometimes called, for 1 month on a budget of £1000 (or just over $1000/euros)!

That was for the whole trip!

Pst…That includes the train pass, flights and accommodation too!

…And better yet, I had the time of my life!

Once you’re done with getting all these helpful tips, head over to my blog post about WHERE in Europe I travelled to...the perfect route!

I was on a tight budget, but this did not hold me back from doing everything I possibly wanted and more.

Don’t get me wrong, I was vigilant about where I was spending my money, but this only took a little extra thought and consideration.

Although I wasn’t able to spend as freely, it certainly didn’t put a downer on my overall experience.

I managed to visit 11 different places and 7 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES on my interrailing trip, all within my budget!

You’re probably thinking, how is this possible?

But honestly, this is so achievable if you’re just careful and save where possible during the trip.

If you’re looking for tips on how to save money for your travels, I have a blog post to help with exactly this!

When I started my interrailing journey, I knew I had a certain amount to spend, but I didn’t have a plan as to how I was going keep within my budget.

Luckily for you, my trials and errors have been tried and tested and I have come up with the BEST travel tips to keep travel expenses to a minimum when interrailing Europe!

Without further ado, let’s get into it…

Other posts you might like:

The ideal route for inter railing Europe

Must-know tips on saving money for travel

How to make money in Spain

1. Find the cheapest place to start your interrailing journey.

Basically, wherever you are starting your interrailing trip from, choose the cheapest destination that you can get to, and make your travel plan based on beginning at that place.

So, I was starting from Liverpool, and the cheapest place in Europe I could get to from there was Amsterdam.

I think the flight ticket was something like £18how ridiculously cheap!

However, you have to factor in that you will be travelling with luggage, in my case (no pun intended) a heavy backpack with all my belongings for 5 weeks.

You will likely have to pay an extra cost for taking your luggage on the flight, so the cheaper the flight, the better!

Although, perhaps you could…

*Consider getting a bus from the UK to Europe, it’s more time consuming but could save you moolah.

So, choose your destination wisely, and then plan your trip from there. If you can save money before you have even begun, you’re on to a winner my friend!

2. Save on travel before you begin!

Get an interrail train pass!

I used Interrail.eu which allows you to travel across 33 countries with just one ticket!

This was my SAVIOUR, because it meant that I didn’t have to hunt down ticket offices and worry about when and where to get rail tickets from.

All I had to worry about was when the trains would be leaving, and even then it didn’t really matter because I could just hop on the next train!

How handy is that!

I could literally get on any train to most destinations with my inter rail ticket, which spared me so much hassle and meant I could enjoy each location with more time to spend sightseeing.

Additionally, I didn’t have to pay for each individual train, which not only saved me money, but also helped me actually plan my budget more accurately in advance, because I knew exactly what the main travel costs would be!

No hidden surprises!

Something to consider with the interrail pass is that you have to buy it in line with the number of travel days you have.

So, you can buy one pass which is 7 days or 5 days of travel within 1 month of the first travel date. If you are travelling around a number of different countries, this is sufficient.

You can buy your interrailing pass on the interrail.eu website in advance.

Remember, every day is not a travel day, you will be spending some time in the various locations.

So, before you buy the pass you need to think about how long you will spend in each place, how many places you want to visit and therefore how many days of actual travel you have.

You can then add up how many days you will be actually travelling out of the total number of days you will be there.

This will help you decide which ticket is the better option for you.

I went for the 7 days of travel because it was ideal for the number of places I wanted to visit.

Another thing to think about is with having the pass, you don’t reserve seats on trains because the idea is that you can be flexible to get on any train.

BUT, you may want to arrive early to platforms and be the first on in order to secure a seat!

It’s worth noting…

I know that some people think that inter railing can be done cheaper by getting on buses everywhere.

For me, I think part of the experience is actually getting that pass and getting on those trains around Europe.

It’s the coolest feeling arriving into a new station.

That’s why it’s called inter RAIL!

I don’t think the price of the pass is too expensive considering the frequency and reliability of the trains. Also, the fact that you can get around Europe quicker makes all the difference!

3. Save on food!

Something that was imperative for me, was staying in hostels that had kitchen areas.

The idea was to try and prepare my own meals as much as possible.

Most hostels or Airbnbs have this facility, but it is worth double-checking before booking/choosing a place to stay because this could save you a hell of a lot!

I found all my hostels on Hostelworld.

A quick hint…

When I arrived in each location, I would check into the hostel first and then go and find the nearest supermarket.

Depending on how many days I was staying, I would get enough food for lunches (sandwiches), breakfast (cereal) and some dinners.

I made the decision to eat out in a restaurant once in each location.

Often in supermarkets, I would buy what locals were buying, giving myself the “local experience”.

Anyway, hostel kitchens are communal areas where you can meet new people, get different meal tips and get talking to strangers from around the globe!

They’re a great way for solo travellers to meet fellow travellers!

Another handy tip...have big lunches or big breakfasts so that you’re not hungry throughout the day.

The last thing you want is your stomach rumbling like a volcano in the middle of a museum!

And a big one for me… take plenty snacks with you to tide you over until the next meal!

Don’t forget…

In hostels, a lot of people are coming and going daily and subsequently, buying food and leaving it.

You will often find in hostels that there is a section where communal food is kept which you can help yourself to.

So, it’s worth checking out before you go on a shopping spree!

I found that the meal situation helped me save A LOT of money.

It was a way more sustainable way of travelling for a long period, whilst also keeping healthy and cutting costs.

Win win!

Other posts you might like:

The ideal route for inter railing Europe

Must-know tips on saving money for travel

How to make money in Spain

4. Make the most of free tours!

Make the most of free walking tours wherever you go. There will more than likely be a free walking tour in most locations.

Are free tours not as good as paid ones you say?

Not at all!

I LOVE free walking tours because they are often guided by a local, giving you local insight and tips.

You can also ask for further recommendations from a local expert for free!

A really good tour company I found for Berlin and Prague was New Europe Tours.

You can also look on Tripadviser to help find reviews on different tour companies around Europe.

Tour companies also organize other paid tours which I took advantage of.

The free tours were a great taster of how competent the guides were!

You’re probably wondering…. how the tour companies make money on the free tours?

Well, at the end of each free tour they ask for a donation, this can be whatever you can afford/what you think the tour was worth.

There is no obligation to stay until the end of the tour and no obligation to give a donation.

This is why I think the free walking tours are so good because the guides try so hard to make the experience so great for you so that you will give them a cheeky donation at the end.

It’s another win win!

5. Buy alternative souvenirs?

It is super tempting to collect souvenirs from every place you have ever visited.

…And then, when you get home your souvenirs start accumulating dust and years later you wonder why you ever bought them!

At least, I know I do.

Souvenirs are often pricey; some can cost the same as a full day tour!

My advice for travellers is… don’t get caught up in tourist souvenir traps, resist the temptation!

Ask yourself, do I really need that?

What I did instead…

…was to buy a POSTCARD from every place, write what I did in that place, buy a stamp and post it to myself.

That way, I didn’t have to carry postcards around with me and I had a memory for each place I went to.

As you can imagine, I have amassed A LOT of postcards over the years!

Sometimes, it is important to get keep sakes from different trips, but what I am saying here is, you don’t need to collect something from everywhere.

If you’re a hoarder and love to keep Knick knacks, you could collect a small item from places you visit which don’t cost much and are fun to look out for when travelling.

This could be: magnets, pens, keyrings, badges, stamps…the list goes on…  

6. Get money-back!

Another great way of cutting costs is getting your money back from recycling cans and bottles you have bought from supermarkets in Germany.

If you have decided to get a few beers to take back to the hostel for a casual night in, you may want to save the bottles and return them to the supermarket and get some money back for recycling them.

You can also do this for water and coca cola plastic bottles.

I have found a useful blog post on this, which gives you a more step by step guide to recycling in return for money- German-dude blog.

Other countries may have their own initiatives, so it is worth checking this out before you go!

7. Find free books!

If you’re a bit of a book worm, interrailing will probably cause you to get through a lot of books!

All those hours sat on a train!

Instead of buying more books from book shops or supermarkets, which can be pricey might I add…

Why not look out for book exchanges when you’re out and about or in hostels.

It’s a great way to replace your completed book for a new one, at no cost to you!

8. Plan as much as you can before inter railing.

This one might sound obvious, but if you’re able to book the majority of your accommodation, transport and any major tours (such as the Anne Frank museum, which you have to book in advance) this will help you budget better.

Not only will you have the time to compare prices and get the best deal, but you will be able to eliminate the main costs from your overall budget total!

This will give you a better idea of what you have left to spend on food, tours, souvenirs and extra travel.

Take a look at my blog post on how to make your travel budget here for extra tips.

Before I went inter railing, I booked the train passes, all of the accommodation (except one hostel), the flights and one tour.

(My plans changed slightly in that I decided last minute to visit Munich. I booked a last-minute hostel because it was on my route to my next destination and thought it would be a great stop.)

It’s worth mentioning…

If I had constantly been booking on the go, I may not have been able to compare and contrast, as I would be more tied up with finding a place to sleep!

Obviously I know this is not always possible if you’re travelling for a longer period or you want to be more flexible.

Other posts you might like:

9. Pack smart for inter railing.

The key to budget travel is being prepared so that you do not need to pay over and above for simple things that you could have planned for yourself.

I will list a few main essentials that I have found useful to carry with me:

Laundry

When you’re travelling for a few weeks, you inevitably will need to wash your clothes at some point- right?

Laundry services in hotels or hostels can be expensive and above all, can take a while to come back to you.

If you only have a few days in a place, you won’t want to leave your laundry with someone for these days in case it isn’t finished when you are ready to leave.

I have found it INVALUABLE packing a small bottle of detergent. This lets me hand wash my dirty clothes as and when I need to.

You can either hang your wet washing over a bath or towel rails.

Or, if you’re a bit more creative, you can take some string to make your very own washing line!

Tea bags/coffee sachets

You can SAVE a lot of money by not buying a cup of a tea or coffee everyday.

Taking sachets with you allows you to have a cup of coffee whenever you are having a break at your hostel.

Which, might I add, is another great reason for choosing a hostel with a kitchen!

You could also take a flask to prepare drinks for long journeys ahead.

First aid equipment

I always take plasters, paracetamol, small antiseptic wipes and anything else I deem to be useful for the trip ahead.

I don’t necessarily do this for the purposes of keeping costs low, but more that if I need these items, I do not have to trek around a foreign place looking for somewhere that sells them!

Sandwich bags

Bit of a strange one!

These are so invaluable when travelling for a longer period.

I like to make sandwiches to carry around with me when I’m sightseeing.

Having sandwich bags means I have somewhere to put them. It’s quick and easy.

Again, I don’t want to be searching for this when I’m only staying somewhere for a few days.

They are handy just to have!

10. Save money on transport!

It’s so easy to jump into a taxi to get you around places.

But paying for this luxury can add up!

Especially in certain countries where taxi prices rise for tourists.

In Europe, it is much cheaper and fairly straight forward to use public transport. 

You don’t even have to do this often, European cities and towns are often MEGA walk-able.

In fact, when I was interrailing, I walked almost everywhere. It gives you the chance to see all sorts that you may not see on a bus.

An opportunity to really EXPLORE a place!

You may take the whole day walking and exploring and find you don’t even spend a penny!

11. Act like a local!

Whenever I go anywhere abroad, I try to live like a local.

There are obviously tourist attractions that I will want to visit.

But generally speaking, the cheaper cafes, restaurants, shops, bars etc are those hidden from the touristy areas.

How do you find them?

Take advantage of a bit of local wisdom and speak to the people who live in the area.

Ask your Airbnb host or your hostel reception where the popular local places are.

Make sure you’re eating at places that don’t have an English menu outside.

This is a big teller that you’re in a place aimed at tourists.

Because I was only eating out once in each destination, I wanted to make sure I wasn’t being ripped off by the touristy restaurants.

I wanted to be eating the authentic food, to get the full experience.

The locals are not going to be paying tourist prices and neither should you!

Your experiences will be even better if you’re surrounded by natives rather than people of your own nationality.

You will learn more and surely have more enriching encounters!

To conclude…

So…I hope after all that you’ve found some helpful ways to save money when interrailing!

After all, you don’t want to blow your budget in the first week.

There are numerous wonderful ways of interrailing on a budget.

Try these tips out and I’m sure you’ll see results.

On a side note, if there are things you really want to do, don’t beat yourself up about price- remember, travel is about EXPERIENCES.

You don’t have to be frugal, but sometimes it just isn’t necessary to spend money on something that you can do for much cheaper.

It will mean that you will be able to sustain a longer journey and see more places!

Good luck on your trip and let me know if any of these work for you.

If you need some handy tips on coming up with your travel budget, check out my 50:30:10:10 method here!

Also, to get some helpful pointers to saving money for travel, I’ve also done a post on this- here!

Yours,

Holly

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