How much does it cost to travel Europe?

So you want to travel Europe and you want to know how much it would cost? Well, congratulations, you’ve reached the right blog!

While a trip to Europe costs and arm and leg, it’s no denying that it is everyone’s dream. For some celebrities, influencers, businessmen etc. going to Europe is just another common trip. For an ordinary individual like me who has suffice income, traveling Europe is a fulfillment of a childhood dream. Europe has been my dream since young. I promised myself once I get a job, earn enough and save up I will use it to travel to my dream destinations. So without further ado, let me share to you how I maximize my hard earned money while traveling Europe.

First of, my itinerary was Barcelona(Spain), Rome(Italy), Pisa(Italy), Venice(Italy), Paris(France), Belfast and Northern Ireland,  London(England) for 21 days.

Visa

Of course before going to Europe you need to obtain a visa. Since my itinerary includes a visit to Ireland and London I have to apply for Schengen and UK visas. Here’s a breakdown of how much I spent for my visa alone.

• Schengen flight reservation ticket from Gazelle Travel and Tour: Php990

• BPI bank certificate (Php200/copy): Php800 (4 copies)

• BPI statement of account (Php50/page): Php250 (5 pages)

    NOTE: You can download and print SOA from BPI app.

• MAPFRE travel insurance (with 15 days allowance beyond travel period as required by Italian Embassy): Php2,202 (total of 29 days)

I received a letter from Italian embassy for an interview and I have to pay for its courier service.

• Courier service for NO BIOMETRIC: Php215

• Schengen visa as of 2019: €60 / Php3,519

NOTE: As of February 2, 2020 Schengen visa application for adult cost: €80 (Php4,500 – Php5,000)

• VIA service / handling fees: Php1,350

• SMS service for Schengen visa : Php100

• UK visa : $121 / Php6,453.22

• Cathay Pacific flight reservation ticket for my UK visa: $15 / Php806.56

During my UK Visa application I had trouble setting up my appoinment online so I had to contact UKVI. Second, I contacted them again to inquire about the status of my application.

• Email inquiry to UKVI (£5.48/inquiry): Php709.4 (2 inquiries)

When applying for UK Visa, VFS Global offers different visa services one of which is Document Scanning Assistance. Otherwise, you can scan your own document but make sure to follow specific guidelines.

• VFS document scanning assistance: Php670

• VFS SMS servive for UK Visa: Php150

The last thing that I will mention is optional. Please be aware that VFS Global (Makati) center is very stringent on things you can bring inside- only you and your visa application are allowed. You may need to leave your personal belongings including your phone and wallets in a locker. On that note, make sure to bring an acquaintance with you.

• Locker rental: Php75

For my Schengen and UK visas alone I spent total of Php18, 290.18. But wait, before you break your bank let’s also discuss some vital factors that you need to reckon.

Accommodation

All my accommodations are booked through Booking.com They have wide variety of accommodation you can choose from depending on your budget - hostel, apartment, hotel etc. with prices from lowest to highest. You can also book 1 year in advance which is a good thing while saving up for your travel. They have an option of no prepayment or pay at the property and free cancellation. Alternately, you can book through Airbnb which offers arrange lodging. To give you an idea of how much I spent on my accommodation here’s a breakdown:

Safestay Barcelona Gothic

$102 / €91.33 / Php5,350.1 (4 nights)

The YellowSquare Rome: 

$89 / €79.35 / Php4,645.16 (3 nights)

Dream2

$62 / €55 / Php3,219.71 (2 nights)

Enjoy hostel

$83 / €74.26 / Php4,347.19 (2 nights)

Paddy's Palace Belfast

$60 / £46 / Php3,108.61 (3 nights)

Publove @ The Exmouth Arms, Euston

$89/ £68.40 / Php4,619.1 (4 nights)

Attractions

There are various activities you will enjoy in Europe. To name a few here are the different must visit attractions.

• Sagrada Familia basic ticket: €17 / Php1,017.78 (Under 30 years old)
  

• Park Guell ticket: €10 / Php596.30.

If you purchase a Roma pass there is a free 1 or 2 participating museums, archeological sites, exhibitions of your choice. If you wish to visit Colosseum it is included in Roma Pass and you only need to book for Colosseum entrance ticket. You can purchase it through Klook. A visit to St Peter’s Basilica is free and not included in Roma pass.

• Colosseum entrance ticket reservation: €2 / Php1,19.74

• Klook Roma pass: €28/ Php1,606 (valid for 48hrs / 2 days) 
  

If you’re planning a side trip to the iconic Tower of Pisa you can left your luggage at Pisa central for €5/Php104.1. Seeing the Leaning of Tower of Pisa is free but climbing the famous tower is only possible with a timed admission ticket. To avoid long queues book your ticket in advance.

• Klook Gondola ride: €28/ Php1,656

Gondola ride in Venice is costly. You can booked a 30 minutes ride in Klook. It was such a superb experience floating in a gondola and see the sunset while moving along the fascinating Grand Canal. Make sure to select a late afternoon ride around 5pm.

• Paris Eiffel tower : €10.20/ Php591.3 (access to stairs only)

If you want to get sweat go climb the ravishing Eiffel tower. Tickets with access lift to 2^nd floor and top floor of Eiffel tower can be purchased online while tickets with access to stairs are on sale at the tower only.

If you are a devoted fan of Game Thrones then a must visit to Winterfell and some other Game of Thrones territory in Ireland should not be missed. Here are recommended tours you will definitely love.

• Game of Thrones Belfast: £50 / Php3,340.31

• Game of Thrones tour and Giant's Causeway: £35 / Php2,338.23

Expecto Patronum! Turn those childhood magical memories into reality when you visit the Warner Bros studio tour London. This experience is totally immersive. Tickets on their official website sells like hotcakes. Don’t worry, Klook is always ready to save you.

• Klook Warner Bros. studio tour London with round trip train tickets: £64 / Php4,103.00

Transportations

Getting around the beauteous city of Barcelona is a good way to exercise. If you don’t want to feel exhausted from extreme walking you can buy the T10 card within Barcelona Zone 1 for 10 trips. Another option is to purchase from Klook a Hola Barcelona travel card and enjoy unlimited transportation for 48, 72, 96, or 120 hours. For more information about Barcelona transportation and metro guide, including transfer from airport to city center (vise versa) click here.

• Barcelona T10 Card: €10.20 / Php609.75

To reach center of Rome (Termini Station) from Fiumicino airport you can either take bus, train, taxi or uber. The cheapest way is to take a bus. You can also buy Roma pass in the airport and enjoy public transport for 24, 48 or 72hrs.

• Rome Terravision bus €7 / Php396.37
  

When visiting Tower of Pisa you can take a Lam Rossa bus from Pisa Central Station to Tower of Pisa.

•   Lam Rossa bus €2.5 / Php141.49 (one way)

When traveling to Venice I suggest to find an accommodation in nearby city like Mestre. Accommodations are more reasonable compared to Venice. Mestre is just near Marco Polo Airport and Venice. A train or bus from Mestre to Venice is just 15 minutes while a bus from Mestre to Marco Polo Airport is about an hour. When in Venice, you can either walk on its cobbled streets or ride the vaporetto- Venetian public waterbus. You can also visit Venezia Unica and discover the different type of city pass they offer.

• Transfer Venice to Marco Polo Airport (vice versa): €8

• Ordinary 75-minute bus/land ticket: €1.5
  

If you want to travel on a budget around Paris consider buying a Navigo Découverte card. It will definitely save you some money.  

For Game of Thrones fanatic Ireland definitely offers astounding landscape, dramatic cliffs and historical sites. One of which is the geological wonder of Giant’s Causeway. Ireland has 2 main airports - Belfast International Airport and Belfast City George Airport.

• Bus 300 (Belfast bus center to Belfast International Airport): £8

• Bus 600 (Belfast bus center to Belfast City George Airport): £2.60

• Giants causeway Bus (visitor center to Giants causeway) : £1

For tourist or those making short visits to London make sure to purchase a Visitor Oyster Card The card costs £5 (plus postage: £10, £15, £20, £25, £30, £35, £40 or £50). If you are visiting the major sights on a first time visit this will be an affordable way to travel around London.

• Visitor Oyster card: £35

Train from ROME to PISA to VENICE

As I mentioned, my itinerary includes a side trip to Tower of Pisa before heading to Venice. You can book your train ticket in advance from the official website Trenitalia.

• Roma Termini to Pisa Centrale: €19.90 / Php1,190.43

• Pisa Centrale to Venezia Mestre: €34.90 /Php2,608.19

Flight tickets

Round trip ticket to Europe is undoubtedly an extravagant purchase. I almost sell my kidney for it (just kidding). I purchased my flight ticket through Cathay Pacific as they offer the lowest price that time of my travel. To give you an idea it costs me $814.12/ Php44,039.76. Flights within Europe are economical.

Here’s a breakdown of my flight tickets:

• Barcelona to Rome (via Ryan Air): $35.26 / Php1,878.81

• Venice to Paris (via Easyjet): €29.24 / Php1,749.15

• Paris to Belfast (via Easyjet): €110.56 / Php6,613.45

• Belfast to London (via Flybe): £58.32 / Php3,896.14

Other Expenses

• Philippine Travel Tax: Php1,620.00

• Food: Php13,855.5

• Souvenirs: Php8,867.78

• Klook Europe sim card: Php926.00 (5GB data for 30 days) (HK Airport pick up)
  

So the question is how much did I spend in total? The figures that I will be mentioning is for a budget traveler like me who doesn’t really spend too much on food, eat in a decent restaurant or stay in a hotel. I preferred to stay in a hostel with regular bunk beds and shared bathroom, bought my food in grocery stores and ate in my hostel instead. The fun part was, my foods were still the typical Filipino food while I was there - cup noodles, sardines, bread, McDonald etc. (LOL).  For 7 cities and 5 countries in 21 days I spent roughly Php152, 631.72 (including visa). However, if you would like to get the most of your trip like stay in a private room, venture into food, eat in a local restaurant, etc. then I would suggest you have to prepare around $5,000 - $6,000 (Php250,000 – Php300,000). Again, it will still depend on which country you will visit, the type of activities you will be doing, accommodation, duration of stay etc.

So let’s all SAVE. WORK. TRAVEL. REPEAT. Remember -  a money spent on fulfilling a dream and creating memories is never a wasted bill.

Disclaimer: Conversion rate was based on my travel date last October 2019.