Words by Mason O'Brien, who studied abroad with ASA in Sevilla, Spain, during the spring semester of 2025.
While I was abroad in Seville, there were a few trips I wanted to take that I knew were going to break the bank. There were also trips that I found out were going to be inexpensive and very enjoyable for the price.
Traveling across Europe taught me really well how to save my money when I didn’t need to spend it. Places like Dublin and Amsterdam were definitely expensive, but going to Budapest or even taking a flight to Rome for €25 were great ways to travel and watch my wallet.
SAVE MONEY: VISIT FRIENDS ABROAD
I want to preface one thing. If you have friends elsewhere in Europe, visit them. Especially if they are in places you want to see. A comfortable couch to sleep on is worth more than any hostel, especially when it's free.
I had a friend in Florence who stayed right next to the Duomo in his student apartment, and I got to sleep there for free for a few nights. That was an experience of a lifetime that I don’t think I would’ve had if it weren’t for him being there. I flew into Rome for €25, and out of Pisa for around €55. Overall, over a long weekend, it only cost €80 to get in and out of Italy. I only had to pay to stay two nights in Rome, then I spent the other three with my friend. Instead of spending another €200 to stay in Florence, I was able to save that money. It is absolutely worth it to see your friends and save some money while you do it.
SAVE MONEY: GO SOMEWHERE KNOWN FOR BEING CHEAPER
For a place like Budapest, we went in a group even though I had a friend there, so we stayed in a hotel room. But it was not expensive, and we were right in the middle of everything. The city was so fun, and it felt new and unique in Europe after seeing so much in my semester. The food was inexpensive, and the experiences were all fairly priced if not free. Budapest was never high on my list, but I am so glad I went there and cannot wait to go back.
SAVE MONEY: STAY ON THE OUTSKIRTS AND USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
When I traveled to Amsterdam, it was very impulsive. We booked the trip maybe a week before we went because we kept watching the prices and wanted to see it go down, but it never really did. We went right around tulip season, so our round-trip flights were about €300. We actually had a full day layover in Dublin on the way back and explored Dublin for the day, but that is a different story. Amsterdam itself was such a beautiful place, especially with the tulip festival in peak season when we were there. Unfortunately, their city center is extremely expensive to stay in. So, in order to help with that, we stayed about a 15–20-minute train ride away from the city center. That made Amsterdam much more affordable, and the train was so easy to use that it didn’t feel that far anyway. It made Amsterdam, which was a top spot on my list, extremely affordable!
SAVE MONEY: USE A LAYOVER FOR A SHORT STOP IN AN EXPENSIVE CITY YOU WANT TO SEE
We did not fly straight back from Amsterdam; we had a day-long layover in Dublin where we took our bags and went and explored the city for the day. We went and toured the Guinness factory and walked down by the river in the center. It was a quick day, but it was also an expensive day. Food that we anticipated as quick and easy ended up being about €25-30 at least per person, which was much more than we thought. Dublin was definitely more expensive than we expected, after being there for eight hours and spending maybe €100 each on the day. Even though they were the same trip technically, Dublin and Amsterdam ended up being expensive. But that is the price you pay for going to these places, both of which I would recommend!
Thanks, Mason!