Planning a Europe trip on a budget

Ever heard of how affordable traveling in Europe was?Well, i finally had the chance to experience it myself..and i have to say..it's true! With enough research and guts, you can find affordable accommodation, food and fun times.

My itinerary was quite packed for the 10 days i was there.

1. Vancouver -> Frankfurt (lay over of 7 hours!...gave me a chance to explore the city)


2. Frankfurt -> Florence 


3. Florence -> Venice


4. Venice -> Cinque Terre


5. Cinque Terre -> Pisa


6. Pisa -> Nuremberg


7. Nuremberg -> Biberach


8. Biberach -> Frankfurt/Vancouver

PLANNING

this was actually a very last min trip for me...i decided to go two weeks before i left!  there was a change in my work that made me take this opportunity to travel.  with that said, i was way beyond the three month booking period for cheap airfares, but even with limited discount i got away with some pretty good deals going to Kayak.com.

Kayak

i was on this site a LOT during the planning of my trip, checking out what times would the most optimal for my itinerary.  One trick i learned, that probably saved me some money, was to CLEAR MY COOKIES once in a while.

Air Transat

i also checked Air Transat during my research and ended up getting my flight home with them.  The only catch with Air transat is that they only fly a few days a week.  But if your schedule fits, it can easily get a flight in the $1100 range from the West Coast to Europe.

Ryan air

Famous for their cheap intra-europe flights ! my flight as around 60 euros, which was considered more on the expensive side from Pisa to Nuremberg.  But there are other options for cheaper depending on your flexibility.

Meinfernbus.de

If you're really pinched for your penny or you want to go to smaller towns in Germany, this coach company is a good place to look.

Trains

Trains prove to a reliable form of transportation in Europe too.  I've been on quite a few trains, new and old during my trip...especially in Italy... word of caution, looking at train schedules are a bit tricky in Italy!

Trenitalia - Itally

DB Bahn - Germany

Accommodation

Now that you've planned all logistics, it's time to look for a place to stay !

I went and booked my places on Hostelworld.  It's a pretty trustworthy site, and you can book directly on there.  We've had some pretty interesting places - like camping in Venice!

We also tried Airbnb in Germany and it worked out great.

Know anymore planning tools?  Let me know!