I found the secret to Europe on a budget

A holiday in Europe doesn’t have to be eye-wateringly expensive. You just need to know these travel hacks.

The first – and last – time I travelled in Europe with a Eurail Pass, the world was a different place. Clutching fistfuls of tickets and a jumble of cassettes for my Walkman, I watched the ever-changing scenery unfurling before me with a sense of awe. Undulating Tuscan hills, shimmering coastlines and fairytale villages sprinkled liberally with castles and fortresses, it was almost as though a cinematographer had been commissioned to design a visual feast just for me.

Today, some 30 years later, Europe still takes my breath away – for all the wrong reasons. There’s the eye-watering cost for a start, and then there are the crowds, but does it really have to be that way? Climbing back into my 18-year-old headspace, I enlist my friend Daniel to travel with me and together we set a challenge: to do Europe the way the continent should be done in 2024, by avoiding the high prices and smothering crowds of the likes of Paris, Rome and London, and focusing on eastern Europe, where our dollar stretches further. We opt to go in low season, when everything is cheaper, criss-crossing Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Austria by train (fun fact: planes emit almost five times more greenhouse gas emissions than trains, according to the latest data from the European Environment Agency, making rail travel a far more sustainable option).

We can’t avoid flying altogether, of course, but happily, Singapore Airlines’ low-cost subsidiary, Scoot, provides a lifebuoy in the form of airfares to Berlin (via Athens and Singapore) that start from $1407. The airline takes a “tailor the price depending on what you need” approach, meaning you’ll have to buy check-in baggage and meals if required, but they do offer a generous 10kg carry-on policy (why not wear multiple layers?). With our Eurail passes uploaded on our phones and all first-class seat reservations made (hey, the mindset might be 18 but the chassis remains mid-40s), we’re ready to go.

We arrive in Berlin to a balmy 3C but the grey skies do little to dampen our spirits. Checking in to the delightful, design-led (and moderately priced) Circus Hotel right in the heart of Berlin-Mitte, we make the most of our Berlin WelcomeCards, which not only include free public transport, but give us discounted access to more than 180 attractions. We visit countless museums ranging from the Jewish Museum Berlin to the Disgusting Food Museum (we’re nothing if not versatile), check out Brandenberg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie, and tackle both a Fork & Walk culinary tour and a street art tour of the grungy Friedrichshain-Kruezberg district with Berlin Kult Tour in a whirlwind couple of days.

In Berlin, we check out Brandenberg Gate. Picture: iStock.

A four-hour train journey (or, more precisely, a fantastic schnitzel in the rail dining car), plus three hours of work courtesy of the on-board wi-fi later, we arrive in Prague to much wonder. “I can’t believe we can just travel from country to country without having to go through immigration or security checks,” Daniel says as he marvels at the ease of it.

“I can’t believe we’re delivered into the heart of each city without having to take a long journey from an airport,” I respond, equally impressed.

We arrive in Prague to much wonder. Picture: iStock.

Many seasoned travellers insist Prague is equal to Paris in terms of beauty and I’m here to go on the record: they are correct. Here, the buildings are a celebration of Gothic, Baroque, Renaissance and Art Nouveau, all dramatic spires, historic bridges and cobblestone streets teeming with cafés and pubs. Prague Castle, a Unesco World Heritage site, Wenceslas Square and the Charles Bridge are must-sees, sure, but settled into our central base of Numa Laurel, we soon discover beer is frighteningly cheap, the schnitzels are excellent (don’t miss SchnitzelHaus Rizkarna, which serves corn-crumbed schnitzel in a retro setting) and the café culture is bustling. Einstein and Kafka frequented the likes of Café Louvre and Café Savoy and we make sure to pay our respects, in between strolls around the Banksy Museum and a dip in a beer spa, of course.

Budapest, too, is sickeningly beautiful, but it’s the locals’ diehard commitment to thermal bathing that gets our attention. Dotted across the city, the spas offer a series of pools – indoors and outdoors – set at various temperatures; these are places to unwind and drink in the spectacular architecture. Some of the spas, such as Rudas and Veli Bej, are centuries old, but despite trying to keep costs down with our Budapest Cards, we make a rookie error and instead head to the largest, most celebrated, and as we soon find out, one of the most expensive, Szechenyi Thermal Baths. Happily, other highlights (Buda Castle, the Danube Promenade and some evening downtime at popular ruin bar Szimpla Kert are either free or not far from it, as is our crash pad, Hotel Noble.

Budapest is sickeningly beautiful. Picture: iStock.

What is there to do in Salzburg if you’re not a fan of The Sound of Music? Plenty, and it all starts with studiously ignoring your travel partner’s incessant “Doe, a deer” vocal stylings, checking into Numa Mozart and taking the cable car to the powder-white peaks of Untersberg, where we enjoy a beer. Since time is limited, we book a private tour with the delightful Michaela at Salzburg Experience, who breathes life into each spot we visit, from Fortress Hohensalzburg and Mirabell Gardens to the boutiques of the Old Town. A Mozart concerto at Mirabell Palace sounds like it could be horribly expensive, but we find it surprisingly good value at around $70.

When it comes to Germany, you might automatically think of Berlin or Munich, but heading to a second- or third-tier city can be far more affordable. Dresden, a city once known as the “Jewel Box” thanks to its spectacular Baroque and Rococo city centre, makes for a wonderful final stop. With Motel One Dresden am Zwinger as our base, we amble around Zwinger Palace and Frauenkirche, and hang out at Brühl’s Terrace, which offers magnificent views of the Elbe River, and once the sky grows dark, we take our seats for the ballet at 19th-century Semperoper Theatre. “Psst, tickets for the opera here start from only €10,” whispers Daniel as the lights are dimmed. Clearly we need to come back, but next time I would easily tack on another month of travel.

The writer travelled as a guest of Eurail and Scoot.

How many destinations can you visit with an Eurail pass?

Eurail visits more than 30,000 destinations across 33 countries with the opportunity to travel the continent with 35 different rail and ferry companies. 

How many destinations does Scoot fly to from Australia?

Scoot offers Australians a wide network of 67 destinations across 15 countries and territories, with departures from Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. 

Originally published as I found the secret to Europe on a budget