15 tips Infallible to travel Europe cheap without sacrificing experiences

Travel couple Europe without spending a fortune (yes it is possible)

Travel couple Europe sounds like a dream, right? Cities of story, sunsets along the river, dinners in the light of the candles in the cobbled alleys, bike rides through the vineyards or afternoons lying in a park with a bottle of cheap wine... sounds idyllic, yes, but also, for many, expensive.

We are living in the flesh. Despite the fact that we already live in Europe, to plan for weekend getaways or longer trips we always had the same idea: “How much is going to cost us?”. And the most frustrating thing was that feeling of having to choose between saving or enjoy. As if traveling cheap means to renounce the magic of the trip, and as if “romantic trip” was synonymous with “excessive spending”.

With time, and with many trips over (some well-planned and others not so much), we went with the understanding that it is not about spending less at all costsbut spending the better. Of know where it is worth investing (because there are experiences that have no replacement) and where we can implement strategies to save money without feeling that we are missing something.

This article is just that: to tell, from our experience, how to travel with a partner for Europe without leaving the account, trembling, but without sacrificing what makes it unique each trip. Because yes, you can have the best of two worlds: special moments, good accommodation, great food, and plans unforgettable... no need to go into debt or to live at the base of instant noodles.

Why travel with a partner looks more expensive?

There is a belief quite installed that travel in couples doubles the costs, when in reality, if you know how to handle it well, you can save more that traveling alone. The problem is how they plan those trips. Sometimes one falls into the trap of the “perfect trip” and start adding boutique hotels, dinners faces and activities, pay in each city, as if that were the only way to enjoy a romantic trip. But the truth is that the romance does not depend on the pricebut at the time, the place and how you share it.

And not to sound cheesy (though a little yes), but some of the memories most beautiful that we have together will not cost almost anything: a makeshift picnic in front of the Seine with bread, cheese and wine supermarket; a sunset in Lisbon from miradouro da Senhora do Monte; a walk without heading to Bruges in autumn. What we learned is that there are very specific things in which we should spend a little more... and others where it is better not to throw away the silver.

This is not to skimp, but to choose well

In this article you will find 15 tips that actually usewe have worked time and time again, travelling around various cities in europe. But before going into detail, I wanted to tell you something important: we we're not one of those travelers avoid any spending at all costs. We do not travel with the mindset of “backpacking to the extreme.” What our going more by the side of the balance: know when to spend and when not to.

For example:

• 💸 Yes worth paying for:
  • A special dinner in a typical restaurant that has good reviews (not every day, but at least once in every new city).
  • Accommodation with a good location, although a little more expensive, if it saves us time and shipping.
  • A local activity only one that is not repeated in another place (a thermal bath in Budapest, from wine-tasting in Tuscany, an opera in Vienna...).
• 🧠 You can save quietly in:
  • Meals of the day-to-day, (taking advantage of markets, bakeries or cooking something simple in the accommodation).
  • Transport, if planificás with time and you use appropriate media.
  • Accommodation in cities faces, if looking to alternative areas or te animás to house sitting, or home exchange.
  • Entries sightseeing, if you know what days you are free or you use cards to local tourism.

The key is to know that not everything that is sold as “romantic” or “pin” it really is, and that many times, the simpler it ends up being the most memorable. It is also important that as a couple they are aligned on expectations for the journey: speaking of budget, preferences, pace... that saves a lot of misunderstanding and allow you to enjoy more.

What this article is for you?

If you are thinking of organizing a trip as a couple for Europe (whether it be your first time or your tenth escape together), and you want that journey to be:

• Romantic, but not cliché
• Well taken advantage of without running from one point to another
• Reasonably cheap, but without having to give up the joy of the experience

... then these tips are designed pairto you

We're not going to recommend things that were impossible to get, or to fill you with tips recycled. Let's talk about specific tools that we use, real-world examples (from Berlin to Porto, from Prague to Marseille) and small decisions that can make a big difference in your budget... and in your experience of traveling as a couple.

So if you like it, we get a full on the tips. Let's divide them into blocks (before you travel, lodging, food, and experiences), so you can use them as a guide to practice and adapted according to your route. What is important is that you stay with the idea that to travel cheap is not to travel, “less”, but to travel with head. And that, in a couple, it can be even more fun.

Before you travel: what planeás from home can make you save a lot more piensas

Before you set foot in the airport, because you can start to save. In fact, much of the budget of a trip is defined in the planning stage. We do not speak only of searching for “low prices”, but to make smart decisions that will influence the entire trip: from the dates that you choose, to how organizás travelling between cities or how to divide up expenses as a couple. Here we leave you our top five tips for that first phase:

Tip 1: Planificá with anticipation intelligent (not always the cheapest first)

One of the most common mistakes is to think that the earlier you buy something, the cheaper it's going to come. And sometimes, yes, it is true (on all flights or trains), but it's not always the first thing that pops up is the best.

We tend to start to look at prices with a 2 or 3 months in advance for getaways within Europe, and up to 5 months if it is a longer trip, or key dates (such as easter or summer). But instead of whizzing off to buy the first cheap flight that we see, we do a kind of “scanning” general: what options are there, from which airports can you leave (sometimes it's worth it to move a little), which days are cheaper, and if there are any special promotion.

💡 Bonus tip: if you find a cheap flight, but comes at 2 in the morning, or at an airport far away, sumá the cost of transportation to the center + the accommodation for that night. Many times what seems “cheap” ends up leaving more expensive in time and silver.

Tip 2: Use comparison sites like Skyscanner and Google Flights (but with strategy)

These tools are key to finding cheap flights, but you have to know how to use them. We use Google Flights to visually explore what days or destinations more convenient for you, and after Skyscanner to search for combinations of more creative or flexible.

Something that we always do is to search with the option “whole Month” or “Month cheaper, especially if we have some flexibility. We also use the option “anywhere” or “From any nearby airport” if we are open to alternative destinations. Sometimes so we found gems: a flight Brussels–Sevilla for 14€, or Amsterdam–Venice by 22€.

🧭 Tip practical: after you find the best choice, go direct to the website of the airline. Not always, but many times it is cheaper to buy through agencies in the middle.

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Tip 3: Viajá in mid season or down (when it all costs less and enjoy more)

One of our favorite tricks. To travel in high season or low not only saves you moneybut also really improves the experience: there are fewer people, the accommodations lower prices, the cities feel more authentic and don't have to queue for everything.

The best times for us tend to be:

• May: good weather in most of Europe, long days and flowers on all sides.
• September: continues to be hot, but already lowered the summer tourism.
• October and November- ideal for short breaks, urban (Berlin, Vienna, Lyon...) and begin the markets fall.
• January and February: super cheap to cities such as Budapest, Prague, or even Paris (even though it's cold, everything feels more intimate).

Avoid July, August and Christmas you can literally save hundreds of euros and headaches.

Tip 4: Movete with night trains or FlixBus to save money on transportation and accommodation

Move between cities can be one of the biggest expenses if you don't planificás well. Our solution many times did you travel night on night trains or buses as a FlixBus, which allow you to combine transport + night of accommodation in a single expenditure.

Obviously, it is not the most glamorous of the world, but if you choose routes that are not as long or pagás a seat more comfortable (or even a cabin on some trains), it's absolutely worth it. For example:

• We travel from Berlin to Amsterdam with FlixBus for€ 25 each and we slept during the journey.
• We use night train from Paris to Toulouse and we woke up ready for touring the south of France.

🛏️ Advice for couples: llevá a light blanket, headphones and something to nibble on. Don't expect the amenities of a hotel, but a solution to a practical and economical.

Tip 5: Presupuestá with apps and I split expenses easily with tools such as Splitwise

When travelling in couple, the silver can be a sensitive topic and if you don't speak well from the very beginning. To avoid friction or confusion, the best thing that we did was to use apps to keep track clear and shared expenses.

We use Splitwise: one puts one how much you paid, the other one puts his own, and the app makes the automatic calculation. At the end of the trip, doing a single transfer or adjustment.
We also use TrabeePocket or simply a spreadsheet in Google Sheets to get a general idea of how much we are spending day to day.

📊 Tip useful: I divided the budget category from the beginning (transport, food, accommodation, extras), and leave a small margin for the “whims spontaneous”. So you do not feel guilt for an ice-cream in Rome, or a bottle of wine in Portugal.

Accommodation without spending a fortune: sleep well, spend less and add experiences

One of the decisions that most affect the budget —and also the enjoy— it where are you going to sleep. Especially if you travel as a couple, accommodation is not only a place where you drop: you can also be a space to cook together, have a rest after a long day, or even have a mini romantic moment without getting out.
Now well, that it does not mean that you have to pay for a luxury hotel or resign yourself to a site uncomfortable. What we learned is that, with a bit of searching and openness of mind, you can find options cool, cozy, and very accessible. We tell you our favorites:

Tip 6: Reservá Airbnbs with kitchen: savings on meals and time together

One of the best decisions that we take on many trips was to choose Airbnbs (or other accommodations with a kitchen equipped). Why? Because allowed us to save a lot on meals —all about breakfast and dinner— and also gave us moments of cute couple.

For example: in Florence, after a full day of walking, we went to the central market and buy fresh pasta, tomatoes, wine and cook in the apartment. Rich dinner, intimate and with a view of the Duomo, for less than 15€ in total.
In pricey places like Switzerland, or Iceland, having a kitchen directly made the difference between a trip as possible and one priceless.

👩🏻🍳 Bonus tip: look for accommodations that are close to markets or local supermarkets. If you have a washing machine, it is better still!

Tip 7: home exchange or house sitting: sleep for free (and sometimes with a pet included!)

If you animás to something different and have a little more flexibility, an amazing option is to make home exchange or care of homes and pets.
We tested TrustedHousesitters and it was a beautiful experience: a week in a village near the town of Ghent, in a beautiful house, caring for a cat pampered and watering the plants. All without paying for accommodation.

There are also platforms such as HomeExchange, where intercambiás your home (or acumulás points) to stay in the other users. The good thing about this is that you're not only saving money: we're having a local experience total. You live like a resident more, you know neighbors, you go to the market in the neighborhood... and that adds a lot to the trip.

🏡 Eye: you need to create a profile, serious, with good references and be willing to take good care of the space. But if you do it well, you can get access to amazing houses across Europe.

Tip 8: boutique Hotels with breakfast included: experience + real value

Do not discard the hotels entrance. There are many hotels small or family-run we offer double rooms, super comfortable, with local charm and, most important, breakfast included.
And we do not speak of coffee with a sad and a piece of toast: in many european countries (especially Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Belgium), the hotel breakfasts are complete, varied and can save easily 10-15€ per person every morning.

In addition, many of these hotels are located in quiet areas, but well-connected, and the hosts often give recommendations of gold.
On a trip to Ljubljana, for example, we stayed at a boutique hotel where the breakfast included home-made products and local. We ended up chatting with the owners, we were recommended a restaurant that neither appeared in Google, and it was spectacular!

🥐 Bonus tip: filtrá for “breakfast included” and read good reviews. Sometimes it makes sense to pay a little more, and compensate with a hearty breakfast and skipping lunch.

Tip 9: Hostels with private room: option a romantic and economic

The hostels are no longer what they were. Today, many offer private rooms with own bathroom, decoración moderna and common spaces super well cared for.
It is true that some are still targeting a younger audience and partying, but if you choose well, you can find hostels quiet, clean, well located and perfect for couples who want to save money without sacrificing comfort.

We stayed in a hostel in Kraków, which had a double room beautiful, with a coffee machine, a shower moderna and a breakfast buffet is spectacular... for less than 40€ / night.

🛎️ Tip of trust: searches on Hostelworld or Booking using filters such as “private room”, “perfect for couples” or “hostel quiet”. Read the latest reviews and see the real photos.

As you can see, sleep well doesn't have to be expensive. Sometimes it is A matter of leave a little of the typicalcombine options by destination, and will always be clear what valorás more on each trip: location, comfort, privacy, or cultural immersion.

Food and dining: enjoy local without breaking the budget

Eating well is an essential part of any trip... and if you're in a couple, even more. A good meal can become the perfect souvenir of the dayin a break or romantic in a cultural experience in itself.
But you eat all the days out —breakfast, lunch, and dinner— you can vaciarte the pocket without you realizing.

After many trips and a lot of mistakes (yes, also fell into the trap of “restaurant with views of the main square which charges€ 5 for a water”), we learned that eat rich, authentic and cheap is completely possible. We'll leave you our top 3 tips for doing so:

Tip 10: Try where they eat the local markets and menu of the day

A rule of thumb: if you see more tourists than locals, it's probably not the best place to eat (or the cheapest).

In almost all the european cities, there are markets, food, stalls or small restaurants that offer menu of the dayand there is where the best quality-price ratio.
A full lunch for 10-14 euros, with starter, main and drink, it is entirely possible in cities such as Lisbon, Valencia, Krakow or Marseille.

In our case, we tend to search for:

• Local markets covered (as the Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid or the Central market of Florence).
• Restaurants are a bit far from the tourist areas (5-10 minute walk usually mark the difference).
• Posters, hand-written or whiteboards: generally indicate that the menu changes daily and that it is homemade.

👀 Tip practical: revisá Google Maps by searching for “menu of the day” or “local food”, filtering by recent reviews. If there are older people eating there, it is a good sign. 😄

Tip 11: Make a picnic in the parks iconic: cheap food, luxury views

This tip is one of our favorites, not only for the savings, but for how special you feel: buy something delicious on the market, look for a beautiful park and make a makeshift picnic. It's cheap, comfortable, flexible... and if there is a good view or a sunset, it's romantic as hell!

Some of our experiences unforgettable picnic:

• In Paris, facing the Eiffel Tower, in the Field of Mars, with baguette, brie cheese and red wine.
• In Madrid, under the shade of the trees in The Retreatwith Spanish tortilla and olives on the market.
• In Berlin, in Tempelhofer Feldwith currywurst and beer from the supermarket.

🧺 Council of logistics: we always carry a small bag of cloth, a small knife, and a bottle reusable. It all adds up! In addition, in most of Europe it is permissible to drink alcohol in public spaces (with respect), so that a bottle of wine or a birra also fall within the plan.

Tip 12: Use apps food with discount: Too Good To Go and TheFork

Applications are allied quiet but very powerful when it comes to eating well and cheap. These two that we use always helped us to save money without sacrificing taste:

🍱 Too Good To Go

Works with local sold at a reduced price food they had that day (but is in perfect condition).
We have managed to packs surprise with pastry, sushi, Italian food or bakery craft for 3-5€.
What we use in our house in Brussels, but also that we have used in Amsterdam and Milan, and we always get a good surprise.

🍽️ TheFork

It is an app for booking restaurants with discounts of up to 50% in the letterand also you can read reviews real.
We served a lot in Paris, Barcelona and Rome, where the prices can skyrocket. With TheFork, we were able to give us tastes in restaurants well worth paying half.

📱 Recommendation: download this archive at before the trip, configurá the language/localization, and use them to plan dinners spontaneous without breaking the bank. Sometimes you discover places that do not appear in the guides classic.

Activities and attractions: unforgettable experiences, often free

One of the biggest myths when traveling through Europe is that you have to spend a lot to make things interesting. And while there are activities for which it is worth paying (such as climbing the Eiffel Tower or to enter the Holy Family), there is a universe of plans, either free or almost free that can be just as memorable —or more.

Here are our three favorite tips to enjoy to the fullest without the card, take smoke:

Tip 13: Hacé free tours and searches visits free (but leaving a tip!)

The free tours they are one of our favorite ways to get to know a city. Usually they give them guides enthusiasts who live there, and combine history, local culture and curiosities with good humor and actual recommendations.

What we like the most is that they are to the hat: you decide how much to pay at the end depending on what you think about the experience. We have made free tours excellent in cities such as Prague, Budapest, Lisbon and Berlin, and always learned something new.

📍 Where do you find them?

• On sites like GuruWalk or FreeTour.com
• Asking in the accommodation or searching on Google “free tour + city”

🧭 Tip of couple: make it the first or second day of the trip. Gives you a good base to organize the rest and discover places that perhaps you had not considered.

Tip 14: Enjoy the free days at museums and tourist card local

In many cities, the museums have free admission on certain days of the month (e.g. on the first Sunday in Paris, Brussels, Rome...). There are also passes tourist that include multiple inputs and transport for a fixed price. We recommend you to read our article about the options of free museums and the cards for each city.

Some examples:

• Museumkaart (The Netherlands): free entry to over 400 museums throughout a year. If you are going to visit several Dutch cities, pays for itself fast.
• Lisbon Card, Paris Museum Pass, I Amsterdam Card: ideal if planeás visit a number of points in a short time.

🎟️ Recommendation: make a list of what that you want to visit, sumá the individual prices and compare with the local card. Sometimes, with just 2 or 3 visits already pays for itself.

Tip 15: Enjoy free walks, viewpoints, local fairs and moments outdoor

Not everything valuable is paid. In Europe, there are amazing places to to walk, to contemplate, to sit down to get something to drink, or just watch life go by.
Some of our favorite moments they had no money: watch the sunset at mirador de Montjuïc in Barcelona, get lost along the canals of Amsterdam, walking through the historic old town of Krakow, or to sit to listen to street musicians in Paris.

There are also the local fairs (food, design, antiquities,...), that are perfect to soak in the atmosphere of the city.

👣 Tip bonus: Googleá “cosas gratis para hacer en [ciudad]” o buscá en TikTok/YouTube. Siempre aparece alguna joya escondida.

Additional tips for traveling as a couple (and don't get killed in the attempt 😅)

Travel together is a beautiful experience, but also an exercise of coexistence intense. You're out of your routine, changing of place all the time, and that can lead to chafing. These mini tips we saved more than once:

🗣️ Communication on budget

Before the trip, hablá openly about how much they want to spend. You do not have the same economic level to travel together, but it takes honesty and agreement.
Set together a budget generally avoid unnecessary tension.

📋 Division of tasks: the organization vs. logistics

A formula that works for us: one is in charge of the search for accommodation and organize the general route, the other comparing prices, make reservations, and control the budget.
As well it balances the mental load and every one feels part of the journey.

🌿 Personal spaces and moments of rest

Yes, they are traveling together... but not glued. Given space (even if it is a walk alone, or a time to read in the park), you can renew your energy and avoid saturation.
And do not overload the days: travel is not checking off lists, is to enjoy the moment.

Conclusion: to travel cheap in a relationship don't mean traveling worse

We travel many places here in Europe with tight budgets, and what we are sure of, is that travel cheap does not mean to give up experiences, but knowing how to choose.
Sometimes, the most valuable is not what you pay with euros, but what you live with intention: a home-cooked meal, a shared view, a walk in the night.
If planificás with head, looking to with creativity and mantenés a good communication partner, travel in Europe can be magical and accessible to the ever.

Frequently asked questions about traveling to Europe in a couple

What is the month cheaper to travel to Europe with your partner?

Generally, January, February, march and November are the months most economic. Also may and September offer low prices and great weather, perfect for travel as a couple without the crowds.

Is it better to stay at the hotel or Airbnb to save money?

It depends on the destination. Airbnb with a kitchen to save on meals, and is ideal for long stays. Hotels with breakfast included or hostels with private room that may be more suitable for short stays.

How to split expenses fairly traveling as a couple?

It is best to use apps like Splitwise to track who pays for what. They can also agree to a common fund from the start of the trip. The key is transparency and mutual agreement.