Independent travel across Europe

A trip to Europe is surely a must-visit for anyone with a fondness for travel. And since Europe is a very complex concept, the prospect of buying a tour to several countries at once seems dubious and, of course, expensive. Planning a trip on your own is a direct path to the sea of ​​vivid impressions and equally pleasant savings.

You should not be afraid to take organizational issues upon yourself, a trip to Europe by car (or by plane 🙂) is not so scary as the imagination draws it. The main point is to choose a priority method for you to travel between countries from the above. We will help you decide, write out all the nuances and calculate the approximate cost of your future adventure!

The difference between auto and air travel is only in the principle of preliminary preparation. And if everything is simple with an airplane - we buy tickets and a huge winged car takes us to the country of our dreams, then with a car it is more difficult, because the planning process here requires more meticulousness. Well, if only because you will control the four-wheeled beast yourself.

To make a successful trip across Europe by car, it is necessary, first of all, to draw up a reliable and detailed route.

P.S. The starting point of our trip, both by plane and by car, is the city of Moscow.

Where do we look for insurance for 600-800 rubles? Cherekhapa Compare.ru Strahovkaru.ru

Looking for cool shots with the Eiffel Tower - how do you like it?

We are laying a tourist route in Europe

It all depends on your fantasies and desires. Perhaps you are an avid explorer of Europe and this time you are striving to explore France inside and out, or maybe you are discovering the western expanses for the first time and want to capture all the great capitals. The extreme option is unlikely to fit into a standard 14-day vacation, but you can try.

In any case, first decide on the main cities where the adventurous spirit attracts you, and enter the points in the navigator, having estimated the type of route, and along the way mark the stops on the good old map - in case of an unexpected shutdown of the gadget. Remember, your plan should be as specific and detailed as possible.

By the way, special planning sites help to calculate the route of the trip. They will roughly calculate the kilometers and hours that you will spend traveling around European lands, as well as the approximate (from the word very) cost of fuel consumption. And following the well-known recommendation - build your path so that you can drive no more than 5-6 hours, and in relation to distances, limit yourself to 250-300 km daily. You don't want to contemplate the landscapes from the car window during half daylight hours?

Walking the streets of Barcelona somewhere in the Gothic Quarter

A favorite tourist route for traveling in Europe with a starting point from Moscow goes through Belarus and flows smoothly to the border with Poland, and there already - wherever the navigator tells. We advise you to familiarize yourself with the customs regulations in advance, because there are often restrictions on the transportation of certain groups of goods.

Behind the border checkpoint, ideal roads begin that will accompany you throughout your journey by car. Riding on them is not burdensome. But here's what can really cause inconvenience: most of the highways here are toll roads. Therefore, in order to avoid collisions with formidable inspectors and payment of fines, inquire in advance about the payment of travel in the countries included in your route through Europe. The tolls.eu website shows that in the Republic of Poland, for example, the fare varies from 150 to 1000 rubles.

An important point is the calculation of gasoline for a trip. Mark at least a few petrol stations in between each of the long journeys, but never make it to the last en route. If the tank is half empty, refuel at the nearest station, and do not rely on the "one" after a dozen kilometers. In general, you are unlikely to be surprised to learn that the cost of gasoline in Europe is much more expensive than at home, and gas stations along the highways offer fuel at higher prices than in cities. The approximate price of gasoline in the Schengen countries is about € 1.20, or 70 rubles.

As we said, with an airplane, everything is much easier. However, how to save money and how to find the cheapest air tickets to Europe have their own snags.

Photo of Paris taken from the Arc de Triomphe (rise - 12 euros)

We buy cheap air tickets in Europe. What are low-cost airlines?

Skyscanner and Aviasales are flight search services, including smart search, price calendars for a year in advance, route planning, etc.

The most expensive part of air travel, as a rule, is the air route from Russia to the Schengen country. Since we are looking for exceptionally profitable routes, then the options with a visit to a travel agency or to the airport itself are definitely not suitable for us.

What is left for us? Find and buy cheap tickets to Europe online. This is where special offers from Moscow (and not only) and airline sales promotions in 2021 are hidden. No air carrier and booking system will lower the price of their own product on their website (or in their representative office), but at sites where dozens and hundreds of such companies are gathered, they will have to try hard to get your attention.

Few things can compete in price with European low-cost airlines!

Therefore, in order to catch cheap flights from Moscow to Europe, we proceed as follows:

1. Looking for sales! Several times a year, many airlines are generous with really worthwhile offers. Of course, it is difficult to predict whether these will be travel options in a long enough perspective (3-4 months, or even six months) or promotions that will take you to Spain in a week. However, always check the specials.

One of the recent interesting options is a ticket from Moscow to Europe (Montenegro) in the high season for 11,000 rubles in both directions!

To help the traveler - a cool tool from Aviasales:

2. We use services to find cheap air tickets at full capacity. The most convenient and proven:

• Skyscanner.ru
• Aviasales.ru

Some of their chips can not only find for you the cheapest flights to Europe, but also help you decide on the route.

For example, the flexible search function: we drive Moscow into the "from where" line and Everywhere - into the "where", plus the desired month, and we get a profitable offer. And having escaped from the capital to the Schengen country, from there we can go for a penny to almost anywhere in Europe.

The golden rule of promotions for cheap tickets to European countries - do not hesitate. Have seen, buy. If you postpone the purchase until tomorrow, you will most likely have to start looking again.

3. Fly around Europe with low-cost airlines.
The countries of the Schengen agreement are famous both for their "open" borders among themselves, and for the convenient network of low-cost airlines that connects them. Low-cost airlines, or “low-cost air carriers” in Russian, may well offer to fly from Italy to France for less than 1,000 rubles.

Of course, passengers pay with some inconveniences - luggage surcharge, surcharge for seat selection, obligatory online check-in (otherwise surcharge at the airport), lack of meals and further down the list.

But one glance at the prices of low-cost airlines (Ryanair, Wizz Air, EasyJet) - and all this fades into the background, because there is an excellent prospect of a tour of European countries with very inexpensive flights ahead. See for yourself:

Our advice: if you decide to visit only one country, then it is often more profitable to do it with a tour. For example, in Spain (Barcelona) vouchers can be grabbed for 40-45,000 rubles for two, and in Italy (Rimini) - for only 30,000 rubles! We are looking for them according to the following algorithm: we look at Travelata and Level.Travel, compare offers, look at Onlinetours - what if there is a hot tour? - and then we buy on the service where it is cheaper.

Rental housing in Europe

Free observation deck in Bergen, Norway
(walked up in about 1.5 hours)

If we travel around Europe on our own, then we should book the hotel on our own.

Here the following services will come to the rescue:

✓ Hotellook and Booking - are full of a huge number of hotels, inns, hostels and guest houses located literally in every place in the world. They also clearly show that cheap housing in Europe is real.

Of course, in large European cities, and especially in capitals, accommodation will be somewhat more expensive than in provinces or towns. However, even here you can try your luck and catch a super-profitable offer from a 4 * or even 5 * hotel. Play with dates and pay attention to promotional options on Booking!

Airbnb.com - Rentals in Europe are carried out mainly through this site. It is possible to rent an apartment, room, villa, house - in general, whatever you wish. Millions of people are posting attractive options, sometimes for very low fees. Plus, by invitation, a discount of 4000 rubles for the first booking is added!

Couchsurfing - here you will find the cheapest accommodation in Europe, believe me. After all, payment is made only by warm gatherings by the fireplace with a cup of coffee, a joint trip to a bar, or just a meaningful dialogue with a hospitable host / hostess. Yes, here a wandering stranger can be sheltered completely free of charge, but the choice of a place to stay for the night should be approached responsibly and immediately weed out the options that cause even the slightest doubt.

Recommended hotels / hostels (verified personally by us):

• Athens (Bedbox Hostel)
• Porto (Oporto City Hostel)
• Bergen (P-Hotels Bergen)
• Oslo (Anker Hostel)
• Paris (Les Piaules)
• Barcelona (Hostal LIWI)
• Genoa (Hotel Nologo)

Car rental in Europe. What do you need to know?

Rented a car with friends in Spain for 5 days
(link to details above)

Car rental in Europe means great freedom of movement. However, as elsewhere, isn't it? Having four wheels at your disposal, in 3 days you and Berlin will see what is called “in detail” and drive to neighboring Leipzig or Dresden.

Basically, there are two options for how to rent a car in Europe: rent it directly at the airport of the country of arrival, or take care in advance and contact aggregators looking for a car around the world (and save a couple of thousand rubles).

Therefore, sites such as Rentalcars help to rent a car in Europe cheaply. Here are collected hatchbacks, sedans, SUVs and minivans with all kinds of options for your taste. You will probably find something for comfortable travel. But still, be sure to read the terms of use and what exactly the rental company offers. Often, car insurance and coverage, flashing next to the final price, are fraught with many unpleasant moments that are revealed in the event of an incident on the road.

We issue a Schengen visa on our own

Actually, one of the main points of our trip. Without this insert in the passport, alas, the lights of Europe will not shine for us. Where to apply for Schengen? The most budgetary option will be to collect the documents yourself and apply to the visa center. By the way, we already have a ready-made article (How to make a Schengen visa yourself?), Which will assist in obtaining a Schengen visa. Read, study!

In short: we form the necessary package of documents, fill out an application for obtaining a Schengen visa and pay a visit to a visa center with consular accreditation. The algorithm is quite simple, but for some reason many go to travel agencies, or intermediary firms, preferring to shift the burden of organizational red tape onto the shoulders of "professionals". Of course, for some extra payment.

Don't overpay. Prepare the following documents:

• bank card statement (balance - at the rate of € 90 per day);
• confirmation of accommodation booking;
• certificate from the place of work indicating the amount of income or a sponsorship letter;
• medical insurance (ideal - online travel insurance);
• air tickets. If you travel around Europe by car, you must provide an exact route with the number of days spent in each country.

Study the sample of filling out the application form for the Schengen visa 2021:

And, having checked again the availability of all documents for obtaining the Schengen, go straight to the accredited visa center of your city / region.

In Montserrat, near Barcelona
(the second time we thought it was boring, it also started raining)

Determine the cost of a trip to Europe

If we undertake to calculate the price of such an undertaking as an independent travel across Europe, then it makes sense to take into account the cost of visa, tickets and accommodation, because everything else depends only on the traveler's appetite. And these points are very approximate, because everyone chooses his own ideal route.

Let's compare how much the basic 5 most popular countries in Europe will cost. For a trip in June from Moscow and per person (accommodation in a double room - the amount for one - in an inexpensive hotel, but with normal reviews):

These are the most visited, and therefore expensive, destinations in Europe (well, except for Montenegro). In a separate article, we talked about the most budgetary for a tourist, but also European countries.

If you ask why not by car, then we will answer that the petrol consumption alone for the road from Moscow to Berlin will be about € 190 (and 24 hours of travel). Of course, it is not entirely correct to compare the distances covered by an airplane and a car on the same route. Still, it's better to travel cheaply in Europe by air.

But there are probably more adventures behind the wheel and with a company of friends.

The best sights of the countries of Europe

Are you traveling to the Schengen area for the first time? Then, for sure, the places that you are eager to finally see with your own eyes will coincide with our list of the main attractions of European countries.

1. Eiffel Tower, France. For some it is a boring pile of iron, for others it is a dubious construction that disfigures the city's appearance (an approximate interpretation of the words of Dumas and Maupassant), and for others it is an eternal symbol of romance. Only one thing is certain: a date with her is exciting and exciting even for the tenth time in a row. The same will be told by guidebooks to Europe, which annually give the tower the title of the number one European landmark.

2. Colosseum, Italy. Today, the grandiose structure of the times of the Ancient World also attracts thousands of people every day. True, she seeks not for bread and circuses, but for a piece of history and photographs.

3. Temple of the Sagrada Familia, Spain. Perhaps the only sight in Europe that attracts crowds of tourists even in an unfinished state. What will happen in 2026, when the Sagrada will be revealed to us in all its glory, just in time for the centenary of the death of the chief architect of Gaudi?

Sagrada Familia and crowds of tourists - come here early in the morning (at 7 o'clock)

4. Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany.This is an ideal collective image of all the castles and palaces that we contemplated in cartoons in childhood and which we read about in legends, novels and fairy tales. The most fabulous place in Europe, it inspired Tchaikovsky to create Swan Lake. What will Neuschwanstein inspire you to do? 🙂

5. Louvre, France. Visitors to the Mecca of Fine Arts and its surrounding areas are generally divided into two types. Those who can't wait to break into the crowded halls and appear before the original painting of Mona Lisa, and those who first prefer to "grab" the pyramid - the main entrance of one of the most famous European landmarks.

But - the morning Louvre, there are practically no people!

Well, will you try to draw up a route for a cheap trip to Europe, or maybe with a ride through our Top 5? 🙂 It's up to you, the main thing - do not be afraid to organize your adventures, and not only European ones, on your own!