Rough Budget : For Malaysians who want to travel to Europe

I've been asked this question multiple times from friends and families back home : "How much does it cost to travel to Europe".

Prior to this question, I've decided to do a rough budget for those who have this theme in their bucket list. As Malaysians, we often have the idea of travelling as a luxury and only those with real hard cash could afford, and the rest would just never go out of the country. Fret not, this post might give you a clear insight of how much does it actually costs you to travel!

This post is dedicated to students and young working adults with lots of energy and hunger for adventure. Like stated, this is a budget guide. Please do not expect five star furnished hotel rooms and fancy dinners.

1. A two way ticket to Europe

This may be the biggest challenge. Tickts from Malaysia to London, Paris or Frankfurt do cost quite a bomb. And it generally would be the biggest bill in your travel budget. Flights to main cities are cheaper. A two way ticket would roughly cost you 600€ during off season and up to 900€ for off season. Travelling during off season is much better ain't it? If you really want to travel cheap, do visit MATTA Fairs all over the country. You might get a chance to score tickets below RM2000.

2. Travel duration

This might be easier for students compared to yound working adults. Maybe you have just started work, maybe you have finished up your yearly leaves. Holidays in Malaysia are hard to get because we work 6 Days a week and only have 2 weeks of annual leave. So count them up!
So how many days do you plan to spend your Europe Trip? I'll roughly calculate for two weeks.

Prague

3. Destinations

Where would you like to go? The common places a Malaysian would visit would be London and Paris. Let's see other options that we can have. Why not visit Spain and Portugal? Or Italy and Germany? Czech republic maybe? The places you choose also determines your spending. Touristic places are far more expensive than small cities or towns. 14 Days is roughly enough for you to visit two countries. One country if you'd like to see all of its sights.

4. Group Travel

My ideal group size would be 4 people. 5 would be maximum. You know why? Some countries like Germany have group train passes for 5 people. If you were to rent a car, 4 people would fit nicely. If you were to take an overnight train, a cabin of 4 is the most comfortable. Most hostels gladly have room for 4. If you were to book a hotel room, you can book 2 double rooms (hotels in Europe charges per head, not per room). You can save money by travelling in this small group of yours (and borrow money if you've just been pick pocketed)!

Backpacking in Switzerland in 2009

7. Transportation

Travelling in Europe is dead easy when it comes to transportation. You are spoil with choices. Flight? Maybe with a train? Bus? Car? Trams, Subways, bicycles? Sometimes the prices of flights are way cheaper than trains. You can get a flight for 30€ from Frankfurt to Barcelona. From Barcelona to Granada? Flight, bus or train? Overnight trains can save you both transport and accomodation money (Barcelona-Granada, ~90€). How about a night bus from Nuremburg to Amsterdam (~60€)? Obviously flying saves more time than taking a train or a bus. But you do have to be at the airport 2 hours before the flight, and you have to pay for check-in luggages. Liquids for hand luggage should'nt be more than 100ml.
Budget flights : Ryanair, Easyjet
Train Pass : Eurail

6. Accomodation

Hostels would be your best friend. Read this post. They are cheap and fun. And most hostels now do have wifi. So you can skype with your worried sick mum who always thinks everyone wants to kidnap and sell her child to black markets. The rates for hostels varies and rooms comes in different sizes. The more beds in the room, the cheaper they are. If you're not fond of sharing a room with 17 other strangers, then opt for a 6 or 4 bedded room. Some rooms have toilets in them, they are called ensuite rooms. So a group of you can have your own toilet. Makesure you read the reviews before booking.
Hostels : Hostelworld, Hostelbookers

Farmers Platter in Budapest

7. Food & Drinks 

Going to Italy means you must try their homemade pasta and pizzas. Visiting Germany without a bite of Bratwurst? Not having a Paella in Spain? Food is part of culture, and we as Malaysian sware upon that. So travelling budget should'nt mean that you should have a piece of bread a day. I just learned that if you follow your guidebooks religiously, it'll only take you to touristy restaurants. Why not ask your hostel which places the locals go to? It's way cheaper even though you might not know how to explain what you would like to order. But that's all in the experience isn't it?

8. Souvenirs

I dare you to travel without bringing any souvenirs back. I bet you your aunty will say you're an ungrateful niece/nephew. To save, you don't have to buy souvenirs for everyone. Only ones that are important. A keychain or a magnet maybe. If you'd like to buy chocolates for the little ones, do buy them in supermarkets and not in specialty shops. It'll save you some cash for your next meal.

I'll roughly draw out a travel plan + budget for 2 weeks to London and Spain.

4 days 3 nights in London 

Flights : 

KLIA - London Heathrow, 2 ways (620€)

Accomodation :

3 nights in London (35€ x 3 = 105€)

8 days 7 nights in Spain 

Flights :

London - Malaga (70€, no check-in luggage)

Barcelona - London (70€)

Busses and Trains :

Malaga - Granada, approx 2 hours (10€)

Granada - Barcelona, overnight train in a 4 bed cabin (92€)

Accomodation : 

1 night in Malaga (20€)

2 nights in Granada (20€ x 2 = 40€)

3 nights in Barcelona (30€ x 3 = 90€)

Sum : 1217€ ~ RM4965

(not including personal expenses, subway/city tickets, food and entertainment)

Maybe you could add 600€ for your expenses. Should be cheaper than this actually. I usually spend a maximum of 250€ in a country.
All in all : RM7400

Have you started saving up for your trip to Europe?