How to save money on a couples trip to Europe

To save money as a couple in Europe, prioritize apartment rentals over hotels to utilize a kitchen, and shift your primary meal to a late 'menu del día' lunch. Focus on traveling by train between cities and using overnight buses or slow-train routes to save on one night of accommodation costs.

1. Book accommodations with kitchenettes. Filter your search for 'entire place' rentals with a kitchen. Preparing breakfast and dinner at home saves roughly $60 per day compared to eating out for every meal, allowing you to allocate those funds toward high-quality regional ingredients from local markets.
2. Eat your main meal at lunch. In many European countries, specifically Spain, France, and Italy, restaurants offer a 'prix fixe' lunch menu that is often 40-50% cheaper than the dinner menu for the exact same quality of food.
3. Use regional rail passes or night trains. Avoid expensive short-haul flights which add costs for checked bags and transfers to airports. Use the Omio or Trainline app to compare bus and train routes, choosing overnight options to combine your transit and lodging expenses into one ticket.
4. Prioritize free walking tours and city cards. Skip expensive guided bus tours. Join local free walking tours (tipping $10 per person is standard) and research the local 'City Pass' only if you plan to visit at least three paid museums per day.

Is it cheaper to fly between European cities?

Rarely. Once you add baggage fees and the cost of transport to outlying airports, train travel is almost always more cost-effective and far less stressful.

Should we get a rail pass?

Only if you are doing a high-speed, multi-country trip. If you are staying in one region, point-to-point tickets booked 4 weeks in advance are significantly cheaper.