When I say I live in Europe, it sounds like I could just travel anywhere all the time. While that would certainly be the dream, the reality is that I work in Spain as a teacher. While I certainly make more than enough to live comfortably here each month, it doesn’t always allow for extravagant spending when traveling outside of Spain. Furthermore, not all parts of Europe were created equal. I spent my winter vacation in the Netherlands and Belgium. Before going, I knew I needed to have a plan. A Bruges on a budget plan.
You for sure can spend lots of money when you travel. You also don’t have to and you can still have a good time. Here are 5 ways we did Bruges on a budget.
1. We stayed in a hostel
If you’re looking to make travel more affordable in general, hostels are the way to go. Hostels in Bruges seem to be between 19-30 euros a night. If you’re not a super high maintenance person and don’t mind to share your space with others, hostels are the way to go.
We stayed at St. Christopher’s Inn. It really was a nice place. Each bed had it’s own curtain, which meant that any lights people turned on wouldn’t be as much of a bother. I also liked that because it felt like I had a bit more of my own space. Each bed had it’s own outlet, which is essential when traveling. I know at the end of the day, I always need to recharge my phone.
I booked my reservation with them on hotels.com because I was only two away from earning a free night. On hotels.com, you get a free night after every 10 booked. So I have a room credit waiting to be used. However there are also some benefits to booking with them directly on their website. People who book here enjoy free breakfast (we had to pay) and 25% off any other food bought in the restaurant. The best prices are also always on their website.
2. We drank beer for 2 euros a piece
Before traveling to Belgium, I knew I was entering beer country. No offence to Spain, but the beer there is really nothing special. That also means it’s pretty cheap. However in my experience back home, the better the quality always means more expensive. A pint can be as much as $6-7 sometimes. So I was expecting to shell out more for beer in Belgium than I do in Spain.
However in Bruges, I found the spot to drink on the cheap. Surprisingly it was found at one of the more touristy spots in town. Friends if you want to drink on the cheap, look no further than the Bruges Beer Experience. This place is a museum where you can experience beer. While you can for sure take a tour … we didn’t. We just went to the cafe to drink.
Basically at the bar, you buy tokens. It’s 2.50 a piece if you buy one by one. However if you buy five at a time, each one is 2 euros. Basically they entice you to drink more beer. Their selection is quite extensive as well.
3. We ate breakfast for 2 euros
Another thing I’m accustomed to in Spain is cheap food. In fact, Granada is the city of free tapas with a beverage. I’m spoiled with what I spend in Spain and I know it. Hence when I travel to other parts of Europe, I try to be prepared … or I just ask everyone where cheap food is.
I was told about a place called HEMA that serves breakfast for 2 Euro. This shop reminded me a lot of Ikea minus the furniture. Ikea also always has inexpensive food. Instead HEMA is more like a bazar kind of shop similar to Tiger in Spain.
Anyway, this breakfast was the bomb. You got coffee, orange juice, an egg sandwich and a croissant with jelly. The breakfast here was amazingly cheaper than the one at my hostel (unless you book directly on their website). I would recommend breakfast here at least once during your travel to Bruges.
4. A free walking tour
A free walking tour is such a great way to become familiar with a city and decide what you want to do. Of course we all know they’re not really free. It’s customary to leave a tip. I usually aim for 3-5 euros and if it was really amazing, I might do 10. I do travel on a budget a lot of the time as working as a teacher doesn’t pay heaps and loads.
I met our tour guide in front of the Belfry tower. I honestly cannot remember the name of the company I took a tour with (bad travel blogger I know). There were several in both English and Spanish, and perhaps other languages as well. I remember seeing Spanish and English for sure. Our tour guide was a nice British woman who took us all over the city. Here are a few highlights:
5. Visit the cathedral
Not many things are totally free in Bruges. However the Holy Savior Cathedral is. I have always been a big fan of visiting cathedrals. Perhaps it’s because it’s something that many different European countries have in common. Two countries can be worlds different but both have cathedrals.
The one in Bruges wasn’t too shabby. Was it my favorite ever? No … that probably goes to the Glasgow Cathedral. However for being totally free, it wasn’t too bad.
Have you traveled to Bruges before? How do you find ways to save when you travel?
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