How to Plan a 5-Day Budget Trip across Europe

We did something we’d never done before: went on a 5-day budget trip across Central and Western Europe with a quick stop in Riga, Latvia.

^{Last updated: December 5, 2024}

Accidentally Spending 5 Days in Europe

We traveled to Europe quite often this year. Our winter trip was inspired by our desire to explore more of this continent. The summer adventure started as a family business trip to Eastern Europe. And once it was taken care of, we decided to go on a 5-day budget trip across a small part of Central and Western Europe.

Update: During this time, we visited four countries. It may be too fast for some. The truth is, we ourselves would plan this trip slightly differently today, spending more time in one place and checking out lesser-known places outside major European cities.

Apart from it, we would plan our 5-day budget trip across Europe exactly the same, using the exact same tips. I hope you will find them useful as well while planning your own European vacation.

4 THINGS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER WHILE PLANNING A 5-DAY BUDGET TRIP ACROSS EUROPE

1. Choose Place(s) You Want to Visit

Five days is a short time. Make sure to choose your destination or destinations wisely. We failed at it miserably several years ago when we traveled from London to Paris to Marrakech and then back to London using the exact same route but in reverse. Some airlines require you to book a round trip if you want to use their best deals possible. And trust me, it’s so well worth it. But in this case, change your everyday itinerary.

If you know that you’ll be in Paris in a few days, don’t try to rush and see absolutely everything now. Prioritize what you want to see first and then leave the rest for the time when you come back. In other words, enjoy the city. Don’t let it overwhelm you.

On the other hand, if you want to spend five days exploring different corners of Italy, do just that. Your European trip should not be about counting new countries, but collecting deeper experiences that enrich your travel and everyday life.

For those who want to cross the borders and visit different countries, make sure your points of interests are located relatively close to each other. The last thing you want to do is to spend most of your time traversing from one place to another.

2. Decide how Long You Need to Stay in One Place

Once you choose your destination, deciding how long to stay there should be easy. During our five-day budget trip across Europe we stayed one night in each of the main areas we wanted to visit: Prague, Munich, and Zurich. As these cities are not particularly big, one day was enough for us to see everything we aimed to see without pushing ourselves to the limit.

For cities like Paris and London, you definitely need more than one day. So, give each destination the adequate time they need and deserve.

3. Don’t Forget about Travel Visas

Europeans have a big advantage in this department. The majority of them can travel across the countries of the European Union without any visa. Europe is also a visa-free destination for citizens of many other countries, such as Canada, the U.S., and Australia, if they travel here up to 90 days within a 180-day period.

Citizens of the counties that don’t fall under this category need to get a Schengen visa to visit the European Union or a separate visa to visit a European country that is not a member of the EU. Make sure to check each county’s visa regulations before planning your trip across Europe.

4. Choose how to Get around Europe as Budget Traveler

Not less important is the type of transportation you choose to travel across Europe as a budget traveler. Flying across the continent can be relatively inexpensive. Make sure to book your flight with European budget airlines and follow their instructions to a T.

Often you can just jump on a train (we did it when we traveled from Vienna, Austria, to Bratislava, Slovakia) or bus (I used it to get to Antwerp, Belgium, from Amsterdam, the Netherlands), and explore a new country without shelling out for plane tickets.