How can I travel around Europe inexpensively?

Question

I am starting out in Amsterdam and then trying to make my way down to the Mediterranean coast (Spain, France, Italy, or the Greek isles...anywhere warm, relaxing, and not too touristy--I'm open to suggestions BTW) so I'm wondering what the cheapest way to travel is. Eurail, discount airlines (Ryan Air, EasyJet, Sterling, etc), renting a car...? My budget is around $250 (USD) per person, round trip (about 160 Euro).

Any suggestions, experiences, or tips would be appreciated.

Answer 1

The discount airlines are the cheapest.  You can definitely get a round trip to somewhere on the Mediterranean for less than $250 round trip, but you will need much more than that amount to actually spend any time in the Mediterranean.

If you want to actually make your way down to the Mediterranean and see places along the way, the cheapest way is the Eurolines bus.  The train will be more expensive, but there can be some good discounts if you buy in advance.  Renting a car will be very expensive, both for the rental fees and for the gas, which is even more expensive in Europe than in the US right now.

Answer 2

Hi you can apply for Interrail. You purchase a train ticket and travel the whole Europe. Depending the time of your trip the price increases:

http://www.interrailnet.com/2_buy_now