Europe Travel Tips: Packing Light, Saving Smart, Living Fully

This was my third trip to Europe. My first trip was a few years ago when I was studying for my Master’s. It made me slightly brave to plan this one.

All my trips have given me different experiences, sometimes mundane sometimes interesting… but above all they made be independent. Independent, not just in a generic sense, but in a way wherein I can plan my own trips, make small and large decisions, and adapt when things don’t go as per the plan – all by myself.

At first, I was just chasing countries to tick off the list but gradually, with time, it showed me the other side of traveling. A side that I wasn’t expecting to see.

Perhaps, that’s why I decided to name my blog Stories Around the World.

In this post, I’ll share some of my experiences, tips on how to travel on budget, and make the most of your journey.

#1 – Choose your Travel Style: Adventure vs Comfort

One of the primary things I was fortunately aware of was the type of travel I was embarking upon. Decide if you want to go on a journey of adventure or a tour of comfort. So far, I have always chosen adventure – perhaps because comfort travel feels a bit boring, unimaginative, and expensive.

When I first travelled solo, everything was new and different. I covered three countries – Scotland, England, and Ireland. It feels very liberating when you experience freedom and adulting in its truest sense for the first time.

I lived in hostels, explored cities with dorm mates, and wandered around for hours by myself. It was a feeling that I hadn’t experienced before and a feeling that I knew a tourist guide wouldn’t offer.

Honestly, it helps you travel freely on your own clock – without the rush of covering every spot on the list, without the pressure of sticking to a prefect itinerary. At times, it was so pristine that I wished I could zoom out and watch myself living it.

#2 – Spend of Souvenirs and Excursions > Stay and Apparel

I have spent hours in souvenir stores deciding the right piece to buy. Today, my fridge is filled with magnets from different cities across the world.

When you are traveling on budget, avoid splurging on fancy hotels or apparels. Instead use all that cash on souvenirs and excursions.

Souvenirs hold memories more than anything else and excursions bring you one step closer to the place. When I was travelling across Austria, I didn’t think twice about spending ~100 euros just to see an old, vintage castle built a thousand years ago. It was the best experience – worth every penny.

Perhaps, souvenirs are like wrinkles on your face – they are symbol of a life well lived. Perhaps one day, when you’ve run out of the gas to travel, you’d still have something to look back at and marvel at the times you travelled, reminisce the people you met, and the fun you had while you could.

#3 – Try Local Delicacies… But Don’t Make It Your Mission

One thing which I accepted early enough was the fact that I’m no food blogger. So, I don’t have to try every local delicacy out there and upload a trite picture of it. Thanks, but no thanks.

One thing most of us fancying over local meals forget to consider is how expensive they are. For example, when I was in Switzerland, there was a lot of buzz around their cheese fondue. It looked good but costed around 50 euros with the cover charge. It didn’t feel worth the investment for a bowl of melted cheese and bread.

A lot of places where I lived, be it hostels or Airbnb, offered kitchenette. It is a fascinating experience to cook in those shared kitchenettes as they offer you a chance to strike organic conversations with people. The other thing that I strangely rejoiced was doing grocery in a country that didn’t speak my language – a place where the aisles weren’t familiar and I found myself decoding every label.

Essentially, travel teaches you to adapt. To figure it out on the go. To trust your instincts. Sometimes, growth looks like standing clueless in the middle of an aisle and still having the faith that you’d be fine.  

#4 – Just Visiting Different Countries Doesn’t Make You Well-Travelled

In my opinion, the whole point of travel is to experience things you otherwise wouldn’t. Touring different cities in your private bubble or insular groups might give you a sense of travel, but it limits the depth of your experience.

Travel, in essence, is about connection – with people, cultures, and ways of life that are different from your own. For me, that’s the core idea of travel. It helps you understand how people from different parts of the world live, think, and eat.

If you take away that essence then you’d be left with a change in scenery, not a change in perspective.

I met so many people in hostels from incredibly diverse background. In Zurich, I met someone who had been away from home for two years, travelling across continents. In Edinburgh, I crossed paths with someone going through a divorce and had decided to venture out alone for the first time in their life. You meet people at different stages of their life – and with each encounter, you realize how different the definitions of ‘normal’ really is.

#5 – Travel light

This time when I travelled, it was for three weeks straight. This was the longest I have travelled. Very soon on my trip, I realized the longer you travel, the lighter you should pack. It makes your trip smooth.

When you hold onto a lot of stuff, there is a mental weight that unknowingly influences your decisions to move. Happiness comes from knowing you are unburdened and free. It’s not about how much you carry, but how freely you can move through the world.

Every trip leaves behind traces – in the form of stories, people, places, and feelings that quietly shape who we are. For me, traveling hasn’t remained about ticking countries off a list anymore; it is about seeing things, meeting people, and discovering experiences that you otherwise won’t.