Budget Travel Guides Countries in Europe
Exploring Europe
The Europe Budget Travel Guide is created for the benefit of those who wish to explore Europe on a budget. Information on every country on the continent is provided here. Select the country you are visiting for more details.
Europe is one of the world's seven continents. It is separated from Asia by the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains. Surrounding Europe is the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and the Arctic Ocean to the north. Europe is the world's second-smallest continent in the world. It only covers 10,180,000 square kilometres (3,930,000 sq mi) or 2% of the Earth's surface or about 6.8% of its total land area. There are 50 countries in Europe. The largest and most populous is Russia, while the smallest is Vatican City. is the smallest. With a population of 731 million, which is 11% of the world's population.
Europe, as seen from Space
Author: NASA (public domain)
Europe began to play a predominant role in global affairs starting from the 16th century onwards, subsequently colonialising much of the rest of the world. Between the 17th and 20th centuries, European nations controlled at various times the Americas, most of Africa, Oceania, and large portions of Asia. The two World Wars began in Europe, contributing to a decline in European dominance of the world just as the United States and Soviet Union became more prominent. The Cold War divided Europe along the Iron Curtain, between NATO countries in the West and the Warsaw Pact countries in the East. The fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 enabled the integration of many former Eastern pact countries into the European Union.
Europe got its name from Europa, the Phoenician princess from Greek mythology whom Zeus abducted after he assumed the form of a dazzling white bull. Zeus took Europa to the island of Crete where she gave birth to Minos, Rhadamanthus and Sarpedon. For Homer, Europe was a mythological queen of Crete, not a geographical designation. The name eventually came to refer to central-north Greece, and by 500 BC, the meaning of Europe had been extended to the lands to the north.
Heathrow Airport, Terminal 5, London
Author: Terminal 5 Insider (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)
Budget Travel to Europe
There are several major airports in Europe. Among the biggest include London Heathrow, Frankfurt-am-Main, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport.
The international airports in Europe has a separation between flights to/from a "Shengen country" and those from a non-Shengen country. A Shengen country is one that has ratified the Schengen Agreement in 1985, in Schengen, Luxembourg, creating a borderless zone among them. As of February 2010, they are Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark (excluding Greenland and Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France (excluding all its overseas departments and territories), Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands (excluding Aruba and Netherlands Antilles), Norway (excluding Svalbard), Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. The countries that are not yet within Shengen Area, but are set to join it include Liechtenstein, Romania, Bulgaria and Cyprus. Ireland and United Kingdom has opted out of joining the Shengen Area.
You do not need a visa to enter the Schengen area if you are from Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Macedonia*, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro*, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Korea, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela, as well as Hong Kong and Macau, on the condition that you do not stay over 3 months within a half year period, and you do not work while within the Shengen Area.
Upon arriving, you will clear customs and immigrations if you are flying in from a non-Schengen country. If you are flying in from a Schengen country, there you can expect to travel without any further customs clearance.
The French TGV High Speed Train in Lausanne, Switzerland
Author: Daniel Sparing (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)
Budget Travel within Europe
By Train
Train is the fastest and most efficient form of travel, especially within Western and Central Europe. High-speed trains include the French TGV, the German ICE, the Spanish AVE and the cross-border Eurostar and Thalys. They are often a speedier option compared to planes, which require travel to an airport outside downtown and checking in. If you are a non-European traveler, a Eurail pass will allow you to travel extensively around the continent.
By Plane
Flying has become a rather cumbersome form of travel, now with more stringent restrictions and limitations on carrying of liquids, gels, creams and sharp objects. Having said that, it is often the fastest form of travel, and the availability of low-cost carriers now enable travelers to explore Europe on a limited budget. Among the most popular low-cost carriers in Europe are Ryanair, Easyjet, AirBerlin, WizzAir, Germanwings and Tuifly.
Photos from different parts of Europe
Autumn in the Bükk Mountains, Hungary
Author: Nobli (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
The quaint little town of Quedlinburg in Germany
Author: Fk (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 Generic)
View from Vitosha to the cloud-covered Sofia Valley in Bulgaria
Author: Preslav (public domain)
Myrtos Beach, Kefalonia, Greece
Author: Matt Sims (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)
|
Budget Travel Guide to the Countries in Europe
The following are budget travel guides to other countries in Europe.
- Albania Budget Travel Guide
Small country in Southeastern Europe bordered by Montenegro, Macedonia and Greece.
- Andorra Budget Travel Guide
Tiny principality sandwiched between Spain and France.
- Armenia Budget Travel Guide
Mountainous country in Eastern Europe bordered by Turkey, Georgia, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Azerbaijan and Iran.
- Austria Budget Travel Guide
Landlocked country in Central Europe bordered by Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
- Belarus Budget Travel Guide
Landlocked country in Eastern Europe bordered by Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.
- Belgium Budget Travel Guide
Small country in Western Europe bordered by the Netherlands, France, Germany and Luxembourg.
- Bosnia Herzegovina Budget Travel Guide
Small country in Southeastern Europe bordered by Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro.
- Bulgaria Budget Travel Guide
Country in South Eastern Europe bordered by Romania, Serbia, Macedonia, Greece and Turkey.
- Croatia Budget Travel Guide
C-shaped country in Southeastern Europe bordered by Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro.
- Cyprus Budget Travel Guide
Small island in the Eastern Mediterranean split between the internationally-recognized Republic of Cyprus (59%) and the Turkey-occupied Republic of Northern Cyprus (37%).
- Czech Republic Budget Travel Guide
Small landlocked country in Central Europe bordered by Poland, Germany, Austria and Slovakia.
- Denmark Budget Travel Guide
Small Scandinavian country in Northern Europe sharing a land border with Germany.
- Estonia Budget Travel Guide
Small country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe bordered by Russia and Latvia.
- Faroe Islands Budget Travel Guide
Islands north of Scotland and west of Norway administered as part of Denmark.
- Finland Budget Travel Guide
Nordic country bordered by Sweden, Norway and Russia.
- France Budget Travel Guide
Major country in Western Europe bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Spain and Andorra.
- Georgia Budget Travel Guide
Country in Eastern Europe bordered by Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
- Germany Budget Travel Guide
Major country in Western Europe bordered by Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands.
- Gibraltar Budget Travel Guide
Small territory of the United Kingdom bordered by Spain.
- Greece Budget Travel Guide
Country in Southeastern Europe bordered by Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria and Turkey.
- Greenland Budget Travel Guide
Autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark.
- Hungary Budget Travel Guide
Country in Central Europe bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia.
- Iceland Budget Travel Guide
Island national in the North Atlantic Ocean.
- Ireland Budget Travel Guide
Small country to the west of Great Britain.
- Italy Budget Travel Guide
Major country in Southern Europe bordered by France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia.
- Kosovo
A tiny, landlocked territory bordered by Serbia, Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro.
- Latvia Budget Travel Guide
Country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe bordered by Estonia, Lithuania and Russia.
- Liechtenstein Budget Travel Guide
Tiny landlocked principality bordered by Switzerland and Austria.
- Lithuania Budget Travel Guide
Small and southernmost country of the Baltic countries of Northern Europe bordered by Latvia, Belarus, Poland and the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad Oblast.
- Luxembourg Budget Travel Guide
Grand duchy in Western Europe bordered by Belgium, France and Germany.
- Macedonia Budget Travel Guide
Officially the Republic of Macedonia, a small country in Southeastern Europe bordered by Kosovo, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece and Albania.
- Malta Budget Travel Guide
Small former British colony in the Mediterranean.
- Moldova Budget Travel Guide
Small landlocked country in Eastern Europe bordered by Romania and Ukraine.
- Monaco Budget Travel Guide
Tiny principality in the south of Western Europe bordered by France.
- Montenegro Budget Travel Guide
Small country in Southeastern Europe bordered by Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo and Albania.
- Netherlands Budget Travel Guide
Small country in Western Europe bordered by Belgium and Germany.
- Norway Budget Travel Guide
Scandinavian country bordered by Sweden, Finland and Russia.
- Poland Budget Travel Guide
Country in Central Europe bordered by Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania and the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad Oblast. Kalinigrad
- Portugal Budget Travel Guide
Country on the Iberian Peninsula bordered by Spain.
- Romania Budget Travel Guide
Country in Southeastern Europe bordered by Hungary, Serbia, Ukraine, Moldova and Bulgaria.
- Russia Budget Travel Guide
The biggest country in the world, bordered by Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, North Korea, and via Kaliningrad Oblast, with Lithuania and Poland.
- San Marino Budget Travel Guide
Tiny landlocked republic surrounded by Italy.
- Serbia Budget Travel Guide
Landlocked country in Southeastern Europe bordered by Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania.
- Slovakia Budget Travel Guide
Country in Central Europe bordered by the Czech Republic, Austria, Poland, Ukraine and Hungary.
- Slovenia Budget Travel Guide
Small country in Central Europe bordered by Croatia, Hungary and Austria.
- Spain Budget Travel Guide
Major country on the Iberian Peninsula bordered by France, Andorra, Portugal and Gibraltar.
- Sweden Budget Travel Guide
Scandinavian country in Northern Europe bordered by Norway and Finland.
- Switzerland Budget Travel Guide
Small country in Central Europe bordered by Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein.
- Turkey Budget Travel Guide
Major country in Southeastern Europe bordered by Bulgaria, Greece, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq and Syria.
- Ukraine Budget Travel Guide
A major country in Eastern Europe bordered by Russia, Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova.
- United Kingdom Budget Travel Guide
Island country in the British Isles sharing a border with Ireland via Northern Ireland.
- Vatican City Budget Travel Guide
Landlocked sovereign city-state within the city of Rome, Italy.
|
|
