Euro-transport options

During My Euro trip 2013,  I used various means of transport some of which I had never heard about before. While it seems very obvious to locals in Europe, it is all new for travelers from other parts of the world hence I am putting together a small note for all you budget travelers. 

1) Cheap flights

When I say cheap I mean really cheap. I had no idea that there are some airlines that provide tickets worth 10 euros at times ( INR 1000 onwards ). http://www.ryanair.com/ is one such airline provider. I was lucky to get a flight worth 18 euros on it from Netherlands to Spain! Can you beat that. Just do be a little careful when booking your flight on this one though. Do make sure that the airport is well connected to the city or your place of stay. Ryan air airports tend to be a little too far from the city. It is a no frill airline so you will have to have minimum luggage to be able to juice this option.

2) Carpooling

There are a number of car pooling sites in the Europe and most of them are free. A very good one which I have personally tried is http://www.blablacar.com/. Check it out. I used it to get from Cuenca to Bunol for the Tomatina festival '13 in barely €5. Recently I used it to offer a ride, from Netherlands to Prague and managed to make up for the fuel costs. A great way to meet new people as well. Travel with the locals!

3) Ferry

Ferry over a flight any day for me! Especially if it is cheaper. I love water and ferry rides are definitely more fun than flights.

I happened to take the ferry from Valencia to Ibiza in barely 60 euros to and fro when the flight costs were 150 euro++.

4) Hitchhiking

Travel for free. It really cannot get better than this. Hitchhiking was part of my to-do-eurotrip'13 list. It was a concept alien to me. It was definitely scary initially however it turned out to be super fun and an amazing experience. Just remember to take your head with you and use good intuition to judge which car to choose and which to let go. 

I met a 60 year old man in Bordeaux, France who told me that he had traveled almost half the world just hitch hiking. He was my inspiration then and soon after I hitch-hiked from one end of France to another. 

5) Buses

I often used buses, even for large distances, since most of my planning was done last minute. I found them much cheaper, comfortable and was pleasantly surprised to find WiFi on almost all buses. 

6) Euro rail pass

It is suggested to go for the Euro rail pass however I skipped this recommended option and I didn't really miss it!

7) On-foot

Yes I have to pen this one down especially for Indians - we do not want to walk! Till about last year I needed a ride to cross even few kilometers. 

Then on the Euro trip, I just started exploring places on foot. And trust me it is so much better. It is filled with far more surprises than a bus journey. There were days I walked about 15 - 18 kms exploring the city on foot walking just about to wherever I needed to go. 

I happened to meet a tour guide in Prague who said that he had run through every country in Europe. Well that is not my target but yes within a city nothing better than exploring it on foot.

8) Biking
Europe has an awesome biking / cycling culture. Please do not miss out on it. Bikes can be rented on a daily basis from 1-10 euro / day depending on the city. A great way of getting around the city and a healthy one too. Paris, Netherlands and Denmark are especially known for this for a reason!

I am still discovering comfortable, last minute, cheap options of traveling around Europe. I will add them as and when I come across them. Feel free to add more in the comments.

Happy traveling !