Planning My First Europe Trip on Budget

I'm so excited to go to Europe for the first time. It has been a dream of mine for as long as I remember.

So here's how I started planning my trip.

1. Book in advance

Even though I'm going to Europe in June 2019, I booked my flight in September 2018. That's almost 9 months early. Also, I only bought a one way flight at the time because I wasn't sure how long I wanted to be there. Because when you book that early plans always change. I purchased my flights through Expedia, Travelocity and Kayak.

2. Accomodation

After booking my one way flight to Paris, France i started looking for a place to stay which was close to metro and easier to get to and from the airport without having to change trains too many time. Also, metro in walking distance from where I'll stay because carrying around luggage after a 8+ hour fight is not fun.

Paris: If you are on a tight budget like me, places like Expedia, Travelocity etc are not always going to be very affordable in the city centre . Most of them have shared bathrooms, shared common areas and no elevator. It's always a great idea to check AirBnB for alternative options. I was able to get a really good deal on AirBnB which is really close to louvre , we got the entire apartment with a small elevator, wifi. Really happy with my choice.

Milan: Again, I wanted to stay close to the main train station, I found a good deal on snap travel. Their website is a little different, they send you deals and discounts through Facebook Messenger. You can use code mehrozm99 at checkout for some $$ off. 

Venice: I booked through AirBnB again. I wanted to stay near St Mark Square and Realto Bridge. Hotels are very expensive in that area. I found some good deals for a room through AirBnB. I had a small problems with my first booking. First place I booked seemed too good to be true for the price they were offering, also the posting didn't have any reviews (always read reviews) I contacted the customer service they informed me that the hosts don't recieve any funds until we check out.  However few months after booking that post was removed and I recieved full refund. And I was able to book with another host. Really happy to be able to get a 2 bedroom apartment all to ourselves. 

Florence & Rome: I booked through a website called Amoma.com. They offer great deals and discounts. It's worth checking out. I highly recommend it. All my reservations are within a 1 or 2 blocks from the main train station.

3. Transportation

For my travel plans, I'm flying out of Toronto to Paris, I plan to stay there a week or so then I'm flying to Milan. From Milan I'm taking the train to all my other destinations. 

I purchased all my train tickets through Trainline, because it's one place where you can see time table and compare prices for all train companies in Italy (also Europe). The thing I like most about Trainline is that I can pay in my local currency (CAD). 

Paris: I did quiet a bit of research and finally decided to get the Paris Pass Lib. Mostly because it included local transportation, museum pass and a hop on hop off bus ticket.

Milan: 1 day hop on and hop off bus tour from https://www.hop-on-hop-off-bus.com.  you can also buy the same things at Viator but I found that it was a few dollars more expensive. You can also find multiple day tickets with the option of museum tickets. I highly recommend it if you are going to spend more than a day.

Venice: Gondola rides are a must. From the reviews I read everyone recommends bargaining with the vendor in person. There's also tons of options available on Viator. Shared Gondola rides are a lot more affordable than private ones. As per reviews they are more expensive online than in person. 

There's also option for hop on hop off boat ride in Venice. I'm really looking forward to this to go to the islands around Venice. Such as Murano and Burano. 

I wonder why gondola rides are more expensive than hop on hop off unlimited boat rides. Gondola rides are shorter  and doesn't even need gas.

Florence: Hop on and hop off bus tour for 1 day. They also have 48 hours and 72 hours options available. I highly recommend purchasing some museum tickets if you are going to be there more than a day. 

Pisa: I don't know if there is a bus that takes people from Pisa Centrale Station, I haven't found anything online so far. If not it will be a decent walk for us to spend half a day in Pisa. 

Rome: I have been debating between the Omnia Pass and the Turbo City Pass. They are both more or less same, offer same major sightseeing places and unlimited local transportation. 

On Omnia Pass you get 3 days of hop on hop off bus ride as well as unlimited local transport which you can technically stretch it out for 6 days, if you use the Vatican pass for 1 day and Roma pass for 3 days that's 4 days of sightseeing. 

On Turbo city Pass, you get 1 day of hop on and hop off bus ticket, and unlimited local transport for the duration of your pass. Also it includes airport transfer to and from airport. You can also purchase this pass without transportation and it's significantly cheaper. 

It depends on the length of your stay. And in which type of travel do you feel most comfortable with. Omnia Pass is a bit more pricey than the Turbo Rome pass for a 3 day pass. 

4. Airport Transfer

I will update about my airport transfer suggestions after I return from my trip.

Rome: Take a bus from Roma termini. For an adult and child it's 18$ and takes about an hour to Fiumicino Airport.

Or use a shared private transfer. You get picked up from your hotel, stops in a couple of places to pick up more people (upto 8) and takes about an hour or so to get to airport for $26. 

Also you can take a train from Roma termini to Fiumicino airport. It costs between $22 - $58 and takes about 35 mins. Check out Trainline for timetable and prices. 

So far these are all the plans I made. Things do change during the trip. I can't wait to share my experiences on my blog, instagram and make some YouTube videos of my trip. 

5. Internet Data

I have been looking for a data plan to use in Europe. It can be very expensive if you use data roaming. I came across multiple prepaid phone providers for tourists in Paris, such as Orange, SFR. They do have decent plans but their cards are only valid for 14 days. Which is a problem if you are going to be there for longer than that.

After some Google Search I came across a place called Sim Corner. They offer 12gb - 20gb of data plans which is valid for 28-30 days from activation date, valid anywhere in Europe  and costs between $38-$76 but it needs to be ordered online. They don't have any local boutiques. It's worth it if you work online from your phone and active on social media.

I spoke with the customer service before ordering, and luckily they also speak English, if you order multiple sim cards and don't activate it, you can always use it for next time you go to Europe as they never expire.

I can't wait to blog and share my experience with everyone on instagram, blog and make some amazing YouTube videos. 

Love 

Mehroz