PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL

BACKPACKING EUROPE:
How to Plan Your Dream
Euro Tour on a Budget
I’m writing this at four in the morning. Wrapped in a thick blanket and sipping a cup
of tea, I have given up on catching some sleep tonight. I seem to have left my mind in
Europe, unable to adjust. Every time I close my eyes, I am bombarded with an endless
succession of wonderful memories from our Euro trip. I still can’t believe two months
went by that quickly. It feels like it was just yesterday. It’s been a week but I still look
at prices and count in euro. It’s been a week but it’s like I could still sense the sweet
scent of truffle and waffles. Water tastes like beer. Or wine.

It’s been a week since we wrapped up our two-month backpacking journey around
Europe, the first of three Euro trips that we’ve been planning for the next couple of
years in an effort to visit all countries in Europe. On this leg, we visited 16 countries.
It took careful, meticulous planning because we wanted to do as much as we could
within the short time the embassy allowed.

As soon as we announced we were in Europe, our inbox was flooded with inquiries
asking for more details. We promised to share our full itinerary and cost in a blog
post. Well, ladies and gentlemen, this post is NOT it. Not yet. We’ll share the details
of our entire two months in another post soon. In the meantime, we’ll tell you HOW
we planned our trip and HOW you can plan yours, instead of simply posting our
itinerary. Here are the reasons for that:

 We all have different dreams and tastes. There are items in our bucket list
that may not be in yours. There are experiences we would love to try but you
wouldn’t even dare.
 We all have different budget and time restrictions. We were allowed to stay
in Europe by the German embassy for 60 days. Initially, we wanted to stay
longer —- our original plan is 3 months! —- but our budget forced us to trim it
down to just 2.
 If you have a bigger or smaller budget and your dream destinations vary
greatly from ours, there really is no point in simply sharing our
itinerary. Besides, planning a trip to Europe goes beyond simply building an
itinerary. There are a lot of things to consider. The cost of living, climate,
language, and the culture in general vary from country to country, which will
all affect your preparation.
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1. Determine your budget.

First things first: How much is your budget?

Your budget will dictate how long you can stay in Europe, where you will be staying,
and what places you can visit.

Let’s assume that you have a P135,000 budget for this trip.

Immediately, let’s subtract P30,000 from your budget for your airfare. Trust me, you
can find roundtrip fares for many major cities in Europe for less than P30,000 if you
book in advance.

2. Determine WHEN you want

to go.
The summer months of June-August are considered high season (peak season) in most
parts of Europe. Because of the sunshiny skies, it is the most touristy time of the year.
Hence, prices go up! If you’re on a budget, you might want to avoid this and consider
the shoulder months of September-November instead.

But the weather isn’t the only thing you need to take into account. Is there any event
you would like to experience but can only be enjoyed at certain times of the year? If
you would like to experience Oktoberfest, go to Munich in mid-September (but
expect the hotel and tour rates to skyrocket)! If you want to see the Northern Lights in
the Nordic countries, visit between mid-September to mid-March but consider the
moon’s brightness too for greater chances of seeing the aurora.

If you have events you MUST MUST MUST experience, use it as your starting point
and work from there.

If you don’t have any, then you can be much more flexible.
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3. List down all your must-

visits!
Are there any destinations you’ve always dreamed of visiting? Is Paris something you
can’t miss? Did you make a vow to attend the papal mass at the Vatican? Are you a
big fan of the Sound of Music and you just NEED to see the locations in person?

For this exercise, let’s call them “must-visits.” These are your non-negotiables.
Meaning, whatever happens, you HAVE TO make a stop at these cities. These are the
reasons you’re traveling to Europe in the first place.

List them all down. Don’t edit it yet. It’s easy to travel within Europe, so just write
them down and we’ll figure it out later.

For example, let’s say that here are your must-visits:

 PRAGUE
 FLORENCE
 PARIS

4. Find out lodging costs.

Cost of accommodations varies greatly from one city to another. For example, hotels
in Prague are unbelievably cheap while Reykjavik seems like it wants your soul with
your money. There are A LOT of cheap lodging options in Europe. It doesn’t always
have to be a full-service hotel. There are no-frills hotels, hostels, dorms, and AirBnB
options!

At this point, you should already know if you’re traveling alone or part of a group.
This will affect your expenses and accommodation choices significantly.

 If you’re traveling alone and you’re concerned about the budget, consider
booking dorm beds. It’s waaay cheaper than booking a private room. (Even
single rooms can be pricey.) It’s also a great way to meet other travelers and
make new friends.
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 If you’re a pair, you may consider booking two dorm beds or a private room,
depends on the situation. If you’re a duo wanting to meet people, the dorm is
still a good choice. If you’re a couple on a romantic getaway or a honeymoon,
my god, please get a private room (haha!). Note, though, that in many hostels,
the bedrooms may be private but the toilet and bath are sometimes shared.
Check the arrangement before booking.
 If you’re a group of three, know that Triple Rooms are not uncommon in
Europe. You may also check their policy on extra person on Double/Twin
rooms. It’s a great way to save!

Since by now you have an idea of your travel dates, it’s best to go
to Booking.com and check hotel rates per night for your must-visit’s. (Why
Booking.com? I’ll explain later below.)

DON’T BOOK YET. Just check the rates first. We’re only budgeting at this point
and figuring out the allocations.

But to give you an idea, here are the price ranges for some key cities in Europe for a
September-December stay.

Decide on how long you would want to stay at each of these stops. Let’s assume
you’re staying at each of your must-visits for 5 days and 4 nights and you’re
traveling with a friend. That means staying for a total of 12 nights in your must-visit
cities, and dividing the room cost by 2.

Using our example above, the following will be your accommodations expenses:

That’s PHP 15,000 per person for 12 nights!

Again, these are just for the purpose of budgeting. You can find more affordable
options. (AirBnB provides cheaper options!)

Okay, let’s do a recap:

Airfare: P30,000
Hotels so far: P15,000

Total so far: P45,000

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4. Plot your route.

It’s time to build our itinerary!

First, get a map of Europe and mark all your must-visits. In our case, we have marked
Paris, Prague and Florence.

Then, look at the nearby areas. Are there any other places that you would want to see?
Let’s call these “nice-to-have’s.” They’re not really your must-visit places, but it
would be great if you get to see them too if your time and budget allow. If not, it’s
okay too. Not the end of the world for you.

I highly recommend considering cities that are along the route connecting your must-
visits. For example, if Amsterdam and Paris are in your must-visit list, you’ll find that
Brussels (in Belgium) sits comfortably in between! If Copenhagen and Prague are
your must-visits, know that Berlin is smack in the middle!

You may also consider going on a day tour to another city. If Vienna is a must-visit
for you, it wouldn’t hurt to also check out Bratislava, Slovakia, or Budapest, Hungary.
The beauty of this is that you don’t have your bulky, heavy luggage with you.

Let’s use our Paris-Prague-Florence example. To get to Florence from Prague by

train, you might want to stop in Vienna, Munich or Zurich! Let’s stay that you spend
3 nights each in Munich and Zurich. And since you’re already in Florence, why not
end the trip in Rome? Flights to Manila are cheaper from Rome because it’s a major
hub.

Here’s our lodging cost so far:

That’s P29,000 per person!

Time for another recap:

Airfare: P30,000
Hotels so far: P29,000

Total cost so far: P59,000

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5. Reserve hotel/hostel
rooms.
If you’re happy with your itinerary, it’s time to reserve the rooms. RESERVE, don’t
book yet.

This is why I highly recommend BOOKING.COM. They let you reserve rooms for a
long time without charging you a cent. (Just choose properties that are marked with
FREE CANCELLATION.) Remember, you don’t have a visa yet. This gives you the
flexibility to cancel in case your application get denied or in case you change your
mind.

During our trip, we made a number of changes to our itinerary and we were able to
modify our bookings without additional cost.

When choosing accommodations, always check the location. You’ll be surprised that
there are A LOT of affordable options that are in the city center! Of our 12 hotels on
our Euro Trip, only one was far from all the action and that’s because we booked too
late (Hello, Zurich!). It’s also wise to pick hotels near the train station.

6. Apply for a visa.

Okay, the hard part: getting a visa.

If you’re traveling within the Schengen Area, you will need a visa.

The Schengen Visa itself is a complicated animal. Let me explain: The Schengen Visa
is a travel document that allows the holder to enter any of the 26 states that are part of
the Schengen agreement. Think of it as an almost all-access pass to many countries in
Europe, eliminating the immigration borders within the Schengen zone and the hassle
of having to apply for a visa for each individual country. These are the countries who
are part of the Schengen Zone:

But hold your horses. You can’t apply just anywhere. You need to figure out which
embassy to lodge your application, and it will depend on the purpose of your trip or
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your overall European itinerary. The rule is, you should apply at the embassy of
the country where you will stay the longest.

In our sample itinerary so far, we will be staying in Italy the longest. This requires
you to apply at the Italian Embassy.

All good? Good.

But here’s the thing. The Italian Embassy, along with the Spanish Embassy, is
notorious for being extra strict. In my travel circles, the Dutch and German Embassies
are widely regarded as the most forgiving and most considerate.

Many applicants would deliberately modify their itineraries in order to stay longer in
the Netherlands or Germany. Do I recommend that? Sure! They are beautiful
countries! It’s up to you if you will follow the itinerary you submitted to the embassy
or not, should it get approved. But my personal recommendation is to be honest to
avoid any complications. If you’re applying at the French Embassy, stay the longest
in France. Bear in mind that you will be interviewed during the application and they
will know if you’re lying. Still, if you change your mind after you get the visa, no
one’s stopping you from deviating from your itinerary a little bit.

More info about applying for a Schengen Visa below:

 via French Embassy

 via German Embassy
 via Greek Embassy
 via Italian Embassy

If you’re visiting countries outside Schengen zone, make sure you have the
corresponding visa. Some countries will accept your Schengen visa as long as it
allows you multiple entry. Always check with the embassy of that country.

If we stick to our sample itinerary and apply at the Italian Embassy, here are
additional fees we need to take into account:

Visa fee: EUR 60 (PHP 3200)

Service fee: EUR 26 (PHP 1400)
Travel Insurance: EUR (PHP 1500)

Sub-total of all Visa Fees: P6,100

Time for another recap:

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Airfare: P30,000
Hotels so far: P29,000
Visa fees: P6,100

Total so far: 65,100

7. Book flights, trains, and

hotels.
Once your visa is approved, book the flights and hotels that you had reserved!

You might also need to book additional flights. Traveling by air within Europe is
cheaper than you think. You’ll find Paris-Rome flights for only P1000 (via Ryan Air),
Paris-Barcelona for P1700 (via RyanAir), and Paris-Prague for only P3000 (Czech
Airlines). You just need to book in advance.

Consider trains and buses too! In Europe, I prefer the train to the plane for many
reasons. First, I don’t need to show up at least an hour before. Second, I don’t need to
check in baggage and wait for pickup. Lastly, most main train stations are located at
the heart of the city. All these saves me time, effort, and money.

In our sample itinerary, let’s assume that we’re flying from Paris to Prague and then
take the train all the way to Rome, making stops along the way.

ROUTE MODE COST (EUR)

Paris to Prague Plane 57
Prague to Munich Train 15
Munich to Zurich Train 39
Zurich to Florence Train 28
Florence to Rome Train 19

Subtotal of additional transportation expenses: 158 Euro or P8320

It’s also time to book some attractions and tours. I say SOME because you don’t need
to book everything. Book only those that require advance booking like the Eiffel
Tower, Vatican tickets, and food tours. For the others, you’ll most likely find cheaper
tours when you get to that destination.

Time for another recap:

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Airfare: P30,000
Hotels so far: P29,000
Visa fees: P6,100
Transportation Expenses: P8320

Total so far: 65,100

8. Allocate money for food

and tours.
Food and tours will take the biggest fraction of your budget. To keep our expenses
low, what I do is follow this rule:

Keep daily FOOD expenses below EUR 20,

and tour expenses below EUR 20.

That’s actually way above our actual cost per day, but it’s better to have a good
allowance for possible overspending than to run short.

One of the first things we do when we arrive in the city is hit the supermarket and
shop for food: bread, biscuits, fruits, and drinks. It’s so much cheaper than eating out.
Your EUR10 here can last for days, even in expensive cities like Zurich, Copenhagen,
and Reykjavik. In Paris, there are places where you can buy a whole chicken for
EUR5! Yet, we still want to try traditional food! So here’s how we do it:

If you decide to splurge on dinner one day and spend more than EUR20, avoid
eating out the next day.

The same applies to activities. The EUR20 per day budget should already include
transportation (if any) and miscellaneous expenses (bottle of water, snacks, etc). If
you really want to save up, you can skip the guided tours and just do it on your own.
There are several city apps that have self-guided walking trails. You may also join
FREE walking tours so you only have to worry about the tip.

BUT we like guided tours! It’s the best way to appreciate the sites we visit. We love
hearing anecdotes and funny stories about places and important people that we would
never have read online or in textbooks. So we follow the same rule:

If you decide to take a guided tour that costs more than EUR 20 one day, do a
self-guided walking tour the next day.
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This rule has kept us afloat during our stay while still enjoying the best of what the
city has to offer.

Again, that’s EUR 20 (PHP1100) per day on food and EUR20 on tours.

So if you’re staying in Europe for 23 days, here’s how it looks:

Airfare: P30,000
Hotels so far: P29,000
Visa fees: P6,100
Transportation Expenses: P8320
Food Expenses: P24,200
Tour Expenses: P24,200

TOTAL: P121,820

That gives you an additional P13,180 allowance to cover incidental expenses, city
taxes (Rome and Florence) and others we might have missed.

So here’s our final sample itinerary:

DAY STOP ACTIVITY

0 En Route Manila to Paris
1 Paris Le Marais to Latin Quarter, Eiffel Tower
2 Paris Louvre
3 Paris Versailles (Self guided)
4 Paris Champs Elysees (Self-guided)
5 Prague En Route, Check in, Free Time
6 Prague Walking Tour (Self-guided) and River Cruise
7 Prague World War II & Communism Tour
8 Prague Choose another Tour
9 Munich En Route, Check in, Free Time
10 Munich Neuschwanstein Castle (Self-guided)
11 Munich Dachau Tour
12 Zurich En Route, Check In, Free time
13 Zurich Old Town Walking Tour (Self-guided)
14 Zurich Choose another tour
15 Florence En Route, Check in, Free Time
16 Florence Walking Tour (Self-guided), Museums
17 Florence Venice Day Tour
18 Florence Choose another tour
19 Rome En Route, Check in, Free Time
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20 Rome Vatican Tours

21 Rome Ancient Rome + Colosseum Walking Tour
22 Rome Pasalubong! (If you have leftover cash)
23 En Route Back to Manila

This is just a sample itinerary to demonstrate the process I detailed above. You
can use the same process to come up with your own itinerary based on your own
requirements, needs, and restrictions.

More Tips for the Poor

Traveler
 You can still reduce the cost significantly by pulling a DIY (self-guided)
for tours and spending much less on food. But again, we love trying local
food and learning from our guides and that’s what we recommend.
 Visit cheaper destinations. In general, Northern Europe is the most expensive
while Eastern Europe is the cheapest. If you have a much smaller budget, head
to the eastern side of the sub-continent!
 Download city apps. Like I said above, most key cities in Europe have an app
that will help you explore the city more efficiently. These may be subway apps
or walking trail apps.
 Hit the grocery at least once per stop. Eating out in Europe is expensive.
The cheapest is to shop for supplies on your first day to cover breakfast and
another meal. Eat out only once per day, at most.
 Get a credit card. You’ll be surprised that most transactions in many
European cities are done via credit card, although cash is still accepted.
Having a credit card not only allows you to do online transactions, it also gives
you a backup in case you run short on cash.
 Avoid money changers. In our 2 months in Europe, we found that the best
way to get local currency is by withdrawing from ATMs.