Apr 23

Apr 23 Getting Around Europe

One of the more expensive aspects of travel is transportation. Getting around where you want to go can get pricey quickly if you're not careful. There are many transit packages and deals out there if you know where to look. Let's start with the continent and then zoom into cities.

Fly

The fastest way to travel from city to city in Europe is to fly. Ryanair has great deals that you may not even consider. Living in the US, it's easy to default to the idea that fights are expensive, but in the EU, that's not the case. I just priced out a flight from Ireland to France and it was less than $40 per person. Hop on that website and play around with destinations and dates and see what you can find!

Train

Another great tool for getting around the EU is the Eurail Pass. Now, only non-EU citizens can use the Eurail Pass. EU citizens must use the Interrail. This pass is great because it is a flat price that will allow you to use as many trains as you want during a set timeframe across 28 different countries. Eurail Pass holders also get discounts on other transit types.

Eurail Pass | My blog post on the Eurail Pass | Interrail

Ferries

In addition to trains and planes, there are ferries from one part of the continent to another. There are a few different ferry companies in Europe that have different levels of quality. I'm here to tell you that some of the ferries over there are basically cruise ships that you spend a single night on!

I took a ferry from Rosslare Harbour, Ireland to Cherbourg, France in 2012 and that ship was amazing. It had nightclubs and cocktail lounges, a casino and a piano bar. There was a spa and you could rent a room with a bed and everything! I chose to ride in the "coach" section which will only get you a chair and to be honest, I ended up sleeping on the floor for the night that I spent on that boat which wasn't great, but know that the beds are an option. You can check out a 360-degree virtual tour if you want, too. These ships are beautiful!

Oscar Wilde ferry from Ireland to France

I've taken a couple of ferries in my adventures over there and they vary in quality from place to place, but know that there a handful that are amazing. Here are a couple of sites that you can check out for pricing and booking:

Irish Ferries | Eurail | World Ferries | Direct Ferries | A Ferry

City Transit Pass

Let's zoom into the city level now. Most major cities have transit packages that you can purchase that will grant you access to multiple forms of travel in the city. Let me explain. Most major cities have a metro system, a bus system, and taxis. The transit packages that you can get will have different combinations of these types of transit for a flat rate.

I've bought these city passes in most of the places that I go because I love the convenience of hopping on and off public transportation to go where the wind takes me. Some transit passes are simpler than others, but that depends on where you go. Here are a few sites where you can find more information about city transit passes:

Go Book Your Transit!

I hope that these tips for getting around help you out for planning your next trip. Don't forget to plan for the cost of transit when you budget your next vacation. Use the links to do your research ahead of time and remember to Gallivant Gallantly and Go See the World!

Thanks, y'all!