Cheapest way to travel around Europe on my own?

martindow

ralphy wrote: »

Brill thanks! I'll add Berlin to the list, I've heard about Air BnB and they sound a good option.

Don't rely on airbnb in Berlin and no doubt in other places too

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/may/01/berlin-authorities-taking-stand-against-airbnb-rental-boom

mgdavid

ralphy wrote: »

Out of interest, which time of the year is best to go to Scandinavia? I don't want it to be absolutely freezing or dark all day, is their summer the same time as ours?

may one politely ask where you've been for the last 40 years?

w211

Download the "Accor Hotels" app. They own the Ibis chain of hotels, and using the app, you can book at the last minute, and often have good deals. Joining their loyalty scheme "Le Club Accor" and earning points for money off future stays is also handy.

ralphy

mgdavid wrote: »

may one politely ask where you've been for the last 40 years?

I've been to Spain, France, Italy, Bulgaria, Malta, Greece, Egypt, Turkey and others but always with friends or family holidays/weekends away. I've never travelled abroad on my own before hence the reason for this thread! I want to explore parts of Europe I've never been before and always wanted to go.

colcheslad

Since joining the singles club (and it's looking like a lifetime membership for me :rotfl:) I've been to Bucharest, Krakow and Sofia, all wonderful cities and easy to get about by yourself, and as a bonus extremely cheap! Although I do these trips for 3 or 4 days at a time a couple of times a year so can't help with the length your planning.

Voyager2002

ralphy wrote: »

Interrail sounds like a good idea, I like the idea of just jumping on a train as and when I need to, I'll investigate further. As for driving I feel it's too costly. Air BnB does seem a good idea I'm happy to share with other people it's a good way of meeting people and like you say hostels are more catered for the younger crowd!

Thanks for the advice I'll look into it more...

Do be aware that Interail costs significantly more than buying tickets for the journeys that you make,particularly if you can book in advance (even by a few days). And in many countries (Spain for instance) train tickets are so cheap that you don't need to think about them -- I once travelled from Burgos to Barcelona (about eight hours, a long way), first class with food included, for about ten pounds.

The hostels that I used were fine, and I am in my fifties.

zagfles

ocean88 wrote: »

Now I stayed in youth hostels which is great for meeting people and cheap but it's a young crowd and there are issues with privacy and theft. Do you want to sleep in a Dorm?

Most hostels have private rooms, so you get the best of both worlds - the price and friendlyness of a hostel without the disadvantages of a dorm.

zagfles

ralphy wrote: »

Out of interest, which time of the year is best to go to Scandinavia? I don't want it to be absolutely freezing or dark all day, is their summer the same time as ours?

Yes it's the same time, and usually better! Sunnier, generally as warm as the UK, unless you go to the far north - southern Scandinavia has summers like the UK but less rain.

And they have longer days in the summer than us or southern Europe, 24 hour daylight at the moment in the north.

Blue264

ralphy wrote: »

... and like you say hostels are more catered for the younger crowd!

My partner is in his early 50's and will still happily use hostels. Also, Barcelona has some of the best hostels in the World.

Barcelona can be a ridiculously cheap city to get around and see. Just buy a T10 ticket when you arrive at the airport. It's one of the best travel deals out there.

http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/faq/transport/t10/00-t10.html

For Switzerland, Austria & Germany, take a look at Flixbus, which is as cheap as Megabus in the UK. On many routes, the fare can be 1/3 - 1/4 the cost of a train fare with only 30-60mins difference in travel time. Definitely worth checking out.

https://www.flixbus.co.uk/

For Italy, I've been signed up to the Italo trains website for a few years now so that I can pounce on their deals. Italo don't have as expansive a network as Trentalia, but cover the main tourist routes. I've had business class tickets from Italo for less than the cost of a standard ticket with Trentalia.

http://www.italotreno.it/en

If you make it down to Rome, it's also worth checking out Tam busses. I've used them a few times and have always been impressed. Also, a few times, I've arrived for the bus earlier than the time I've booked and been allowed to take the earlier bus when they have free seats.

http://www.tambus.it/?lang=en

Further south, stick to the local Sita busses and you'll save a fortune.

As for flights between countries, the cheaper options will most likely Vueling, Niki (Lauda), Easyjet, Ryanair and Emirates Regional. If you put a route into Momondo, it will show if there's a train fare cheaper than an air fare. This is how I first discovered Italo.

I haven't done Scandinavia myself yet, but booked an awful lot of Scandic hotels for clients in the past.

Hope there's something in this that will help you.

martindow

For European rail travel, this is the site for information

http://seat61.com/