Affordable Transport in Europe
We have gathered in one article the most convenient service options for traveling around Europe, so that you can calmly traverse the Schengen countries far and wide. After all, it’s easy to do by taking a train, bus, or renting a car. Let’s go!
Aggregators
Omio (GoEuro)
A convenient aggregator for traveling around Europe by train, bus, plane, and ferry. Its advantage is that you can combine transport options to save money or, conversely, choose the most comfortable route for yourself and quickly reach your destination.
Rome2Rio
Rome2Rio operates on the principle of “door-to-door travel” and offers to compare prices and travel times to find the most comfortable option for you. In addition to choosing transport for your trip, you can also book a hotel immediately.
Trainline
Trainline partners with over 270 train and bus operators in 45 countries. One app will contain your transport schedule, where connections are conveniently linked. You can also buy travel passes if you decide to stay in a city a little longer.
WanderU
A great app for those who plan to travel by bus across Canada, Europe, and North America. It allows you to conveniently compare prices and build routes to get there quickly and affordably. WanderU partners with over 500 companies, so with the app, it will be quite easy for you to find the perfect route for yourself.
Buses
- Lux Express — an app that organizes transportation in the Baltic region. With its help, you can get to Tallinn, Warsaw, Helsinki, and other cities by bus;
- With Eurolines, it’s easy to buy tickets for premium class buses. On a trip through Europe and Morocco, you’ll have free internet, a power outlet, and a convenient media center with movies and music;
- Busbud — an important app for you if you decide to travel by bus across South, North America, or Europe. By the way, if you bought tickets to Turkey, also download Busbud before your flight — it works there too;
- Megabus — a must-have for traveling around the UK. The company has been operating for over 20 years and has many satisfied customers, so your trip will be as safe as possible;
- Ecolines — an app that creates convenient routes across Europe. The company’s buses are very comfortable for long-distance travel — you can use free internet or work during the trip;
- Flixbus — an excellent app for budget trips around Europe in spacious transport, with internet, a toilet, and roomy seats.
Trains
- Rail Europe — in this app, you can not only buy train tickets for Europe but also purchase advantageous passes for the desired dates in the country of interest. Passes are a great offer for those who plan to travel between European countries and want to save money. Rail Europe often organizes promotions for travel to a specific country — this can be used as an excuse for a spontaneous trip.
- OBB — the Austrian Federal Railways app is comfortable (unbelievable, but true) for traveling within Austria and to neighboring countries. OBB often has discounts, promotions, and advantageous offers. However, there’s a nuance — you need to buy a discount card of the class you need.
Cars
- Zipcar — an app for those who want to drive themselves. Zipcar offers to rent a sedan, SUV, or electric car with insurance at a good price. Of course, you will need an international driving permit and a foreign card to pay for all the joys of road life.
- BlaBlaCar — the good old app for ridesharing. You just need to choose the departure city and arrival city, the departure date, and wait for a company to form. This option, of course, is not the most reliable for particularly long trips — all fellow travelers can suddenly change their minds at any moment, but if you need to travel from one European town to another, it’s a good option. It’s important to remember personal safety rules.
Tips
- If you plan to rent a car for self-driving trips, be sure to check the validity of your international driving permit;
- Link your foreign card to the apps in advance;
- Use aggregators that will help you create an optimal route and compare prices if you want to save money;
- For those planning local trips within one country, you need to check in advance if there are any passes or travel cards for trains and buses — very often their prices are more favorable than buying single tickets.
