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I know what you're thinking. Europe is expensive. Everyone says so. And sure — if you fly business class, stay at boutique hotels, and eat at white-tablecloth restaurants, it'll cost you. But if you travel the way I do? Europe is not only affordable, it's one of the best-value long-haul destinations for travelers from North America and Australia.
Here's the breakdown of my 3-week Portugal–Spain–Italy trip, every euro accounted for.
The Route
Week 1: Lisbon and the Alentejo coast, Portugal Week 2: Madrid and Barcelona, Spain Week 3: Rome and the Amalfi Coast, Italy
Three countries, seven cities, three weeks. Total cost including return flights from New York: $1,847.
How I Kept Flights Cheap
This is where most people blow their budget before they've even packed. My transatlantic flights (JFK–Lisbon and Rome–JFK) cost me $420 round-trip.
How? I booked 4 months in advance, flew on a Tuesday, and used flight alerts to catch a fare drop. I use Skyscanner's price alerts — they notify you when a route drops below your target price.
Find Cheap Europe Flights on Skyscanner
Set up price alerts and compare airlines across every route. I found my $420 transatlantic fare here — it works.
For internal European travel, I used a mix of budget carriers (Ryanair Madrid–Barcelona, $19) and trains (Barcelona–Rome overnight sleeper, $78). The sleeper train saved me one night of accommodation.
Flight total: $420 round-trip + $97 internal = $517
Accommodation: The Hybrid Strategy
I didn't stay exclusively in hostels, but I didn't avoid them either. Here's what I used:
- Hostels (private rooms, not dorms): 9 nights. Average cost: $32/night.
- Airbnb: 5 nights in Rome with a friend splitting costs. Average: $28/night each.
- Budget hotels: 6 nights in Madrid and Barcelona. Average: $45/night.
Total accommodation cost: $498 over 21 nights. That's an average of $23.70/night.
The key was booking via Booking.com with free cancellation, then keeping an eye out for price drops closer to my travel dates and rebooking if something cheaper appeared.
Book Europe Accommodation on Booking.com
From budget hostels to boutique hotels — compare thousands of options with free cancellation on most properties. Price-match guarantee.
Food: Eating Like a Local
Food in Europe can drain your budget fast if you eat like a tourist. Here's how I ate well without overspending:
Portugal: The best value in Western Europe. A full lunch menu (3 courses with wine) at a local restaurant: €12–14. I ate lunch as my main meal every day, then had a light dinner of cheese, bread, and local wine from a supermarket. Daily food budget: ~$18.
Spain: Barcelona is more expensive than Lisbon but still affordable if you eat tapas at standing bars and avoid Las Ramblas. Pintxos in San Sebastián (not on my route, but worth flagging) are dirt cheap and incredible. Daily food budget: ~$25.
Italy: The biggest budget challenge. Touristy restaurants in Rome charge €15–20 for a mediocre pasta. The secret: eat at the neighborhood trattorie two streets back from any major sight, and never pay for water. Daily food budget: ~$30.
Total food spend: ~$490 over 21 days
Activities: The Free Stuff Is Often the Best
Europe's greatest sights are often free or cheap:
- Walking the streets of Alfama in Lisbon: Free
- Watching sunset from Gianicolo Hill in Rome: Free
- Wandering the Sagrada Família exterior: Free (interior: €26, worth it)
- Every museum in Madrid has free hours on evenings or Sundays — plan around these
I budgeted €15–20/day for activities and stuck close to it.
Total activities: ~$240
Transport Between Cities
- Ryanair Madrid–Barcelona: $19
- Barcelona–Rome overnight train: $78
- Local transit day passes: ~$6–8/day
- Total local transport: ~$180
The Full Breakdown
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Flights | $517 |
| Accommodation | $498 |
| Food | $490 |
| Activities | $240 |
| Local transport | $180 |
| Misc/buffer | $72 |
| TOTAL | $1,997 |
Just under $2,000. For three weeks. In Europe.
The Mindset Shift
Budget travel isn't about suffering. It's about priorities. I spent more on certain experiences (the Sagrada Família interior, a cooking class in Lisbon, a really good meal in Rome) and saved everywhere else. I ate like a local, moved like a local, and got more out of the trip than I would have on a packaged tour twice the price.
The key tools:
- Skyscanner for flights (set price alerts, be flexible on dates)
- Booking.com for accommodation (free cancellation is essential for flexibility)
- Rome2Rio for comparing transport options between cities
- Google Maps offline — download maps before you leave WiFi
Travel doesn't have to be expensive. It has to be intentional.
Questions about the route or specific cities? Drop them in the comments — I answer every one.
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