How Much Does 2 Weeks in Europe Actually Cost – Honest Breakdown

The most common question people ask when planning a first European trip is: ‘How much does it actually cost?’ The second most common question is: ‘Why did it cost so much more than I budgeted?’ Both questions have the same answer: the costs are real, they compound across 14 days, and the gap between what people expect to pay and what they actually pay is largest for travelers who have underestimated the base cost of Western European cities.

This guide gives you the specific numbers with no sugarcoating. Budget, mid-range, and comfort level costs for the key expense categories – international flights, Schengen visa, accommodation, intra-European transport, food, and activities – across a classic 2-week European itinerary. The numbers are based on actual 2025 pricing data from multiple travel research sources and are specific to Indian tourists traveling to the classic London-Amsterdam-Paris-Rome-Barcelona circuit.

One critical context note: London is not in the Schengen zone. UK visa and London accommodation pricing are separate from Schengen Europe. This guide covers both, broken out separately, because treating them as one ‘Europe cost’ is how budgets get miscalculated.

Quick Facts – 2 Weeks in Europe Actually Cost

• Budget (hostels, budget travel): $2,500–$3,500 total per person including international flights

• Mid-range (3-star hotels, mix restaurants): $4,500–$7,000 per person including flights

• Comfort (4-star hotels, good dining): $8,000–$12,000+ per person including flights

• International flights India to Europe: INR 45,000–85,000 return economy (varies hugely by season/airline)

• Schengen visa fee: €90 per adult (from India via VFS) – applied once, covers Amsterdam/Paris/Rome/Barcelona

• Intra-Europe budget flights (Ryanair, easyJet): €20–€80 each way booked 4–6 weeks ahead

• Hotel cost per night: €30–€50 hostel dorm | €90–€150 budget hotel | €150–€300 mid-range

• Daily food: €20–€35 budget | €40–€70 mid-range | €80–€120 comfort – Western Europe only

International Flights: India to Europe and Back

International flights are typically the largest single expense of a European trip from India. The cheapest period to fly India to Europe is late January through March (except school holidays) and October through November. The most expensive is June through August and the Christmas/New Year period. Airlines worth comparing for the India-Europe route include Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways, Air India, and Lufthansa – the Gulf carriers often offer the best combination of price and connection quality.

From Mumbai (BOM), flights to London Heathrow (LHR) average INR 50,000–90,000 return economy. Delhi (DEL) has slightly more competition and can come in 10–15% cheaper. Flying to Amsterdam (AMS) or Frankfurt (FRA) instead of London, then taking the Eurostar or a cheap flight to London, is sometimes cheaper and worth checking. Book at least 3–4 months ahead for summer travel. EaseMyTrip, MakeMyTrip, and Google Flights (flexible date search) are all useful for finding the best India-Europe fare.

• Mumbai/Delhi To London Return: INR 45,000–90,000 economy (varies widely by season)
• Cheapest Booking Window: 3–4 months ahead for summer | 6–8 weeks for shoulder season
• Gulf Carriers (Emirates, Qatar, Etihad): often best for India-Europe with 1 connection
• Consider Flying: into Amsterdam or Paris instead of London – sometimes cheaper entry point
• September and October Departures: typically 20–30% cheaper than August

Schengen Visa and UK Visa Costs

Indian passport holders need two separate visas for the classic European itinerary: a UK Standard Visitor Visa for the London leg, and a Schengen C tourist visa for Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, and Barcelona. The Schengen visa is applied for at the embassy or VFS Global centre of the country where you spend the most nights (France if following this guide). The fee is €90 per adult, processing takes 15–30 working days, and the standard refusal rate for Indian applicants has declined as processing has improved – but strong bank statements and a confirmed itinerary remain essential.

UK Visa: The standard visitor visa costs £115 (approximately INR 12,000) and takes approximately 3 weeks for standard processing or 5 days for priority service at an additional cost. Both visas should be applied for simultaneously, with the Schengen visa submitted first, as it has the longer processing time. Budget approximately INR 22,000–25,000 total in visa fees for one adult (UK + Schengen) before VFS service charges.

• Schengen C tourist visa: €90 adult (~INR 8,000) + VFS service charge
• UK Standard Visitor Visa: £115 (~INR 12,000) + VHS Global service charge
• Total Visa Cost One Adult: approximately INR 22,000–27,000 including service fees
• Apply Schengen First (longer processing) – apply at least 45–60 days before travel
• Required: 3+ months bank statements, travel insurance (mandatory for Schengen), confirmed flights

Accommodation: The Biggest Cost Variable

Accommodation is where the European budget reality hits hardest, especially in the summer months when Western European cities see peak tourist demand. A mid-range 3-star hotel in central Paris during June through August averages €120–€180 per night. Amsterdam is €110–€170. London is £150–£250. Rome is €100–€160. Barcelona is €110–€170. For a 14-night trip with 3 nights in each of five cities, mid-range accommodation alone costs €1,500–€2,500 per room – not per person.

The most significant saving available is booking early. For summer travel, hotels in Amsterdam and Paris booked 4–6 months ahead can be 30–40% cheaper than the same hotel booked 4 weeks ahead. Hostels remain the most dramatic cost reducer – a hostel dorm in Amsterdam or Paris runs €25–€40 per night, cutting accommodation to a fraction of the hotel cost. Quality European hostels (Generator, MEININGER) offer dorm beds and private rooms with excellent common areas and often better social infrastructure than budget hotels.

• Central Paris 3-Star Summer: €120–€180/night | Book 4–6 months ahead to save 30–40%
• Amsterdam Central Hotel: €110–€170/night – very limited supply, prices spike quickly
• London Budget Hotel: £100–£160 | Central London adds significant premium
• Hostel Dorm (Generator, MEININGER): €25–€40/night – Europe’s best hostel chain
• Private Hostel Room: €70–€110/night – often comparable quality to 2-star hotel at lower price

Cost Category	Budget (per person)	Mid-Range (per person)	Comfort (per person)	Notes
International Flights	$600–$900	$900–$1,400	$1,400–$3,000	Economy return India-Europe
UK + Schengen Visa	$280–$320	$280–$320	$280–$320	Fixed cost – same for all
Accommodation 14 nights	$400–$700	$1,200–$2,200	$2,500–$5,000+	Per person sharing
Intra-Europe Transport	$150–$300	$300–$600	$600–$1,200	Trains + budget flights
Food 14 days	$350–$500	$700–$1,100	$1,200–$2,000	Per person
Activities/Attractions	$150–$250	$350–$600	$600–$1,500	Museums, tours, bookings
Local Transport	$80–$120	$150–$250	$300–$600	City metros, buses
Miscellaneous/Shopping	$100–$200	$200–$400	$500–$2,000+	Souvenirs, extras
TOTAL PER PERSON	$2,100–$3,290	$4,080–$6,870	$7,480–$15,620	All-inclusive 14 days

Food Costs: The Daily Reality

Western European food costs surprise many Indian travelers because the gap between eating at a cafe versus a sit-down restaurant is smaller than they expect, and the expectation of finding cheap food ‘somewhere nearby’ often leads to eating in tourist-trap restaurants adjacent to major attractions. The reliable budget food options in European cities: boulangeries and bakeries (Parisian croissant and coffee, €4–€6); supermarkets (Carrefour, Lidl, and Albert Heijn in Amsterdam- €6–€10 for a decent lunch); and market food (Borough Market in London, Les Halles in Paris, and Campo de’ Fiori in Rome).

A sit-down restaurant dinner in Western Europe at mid-range runs €20–€40 per person for a main course, drink, and dessert – plus a service charge that varies by country (France often adds 12–15% automatically; Italy does not tip, but bread covers are charged separately as coperto at €1–€3 per person).

• Budget: €40–€70 per person per day for food at mid-range in
• Western Europe: coffee and pastry breakfast (€4–€6), market or bakery lunch (€8–€14), and a restaurant dinner with wine (€25–€45).

• Paris: Boulangerie lunch: €6–€10 | Brasserie dinner: €30–€50 per person
• Amsterdam: Albert Heijn supermarket lunch €6–€10 | Restaurant dinner €25–€45
• Rome: trattoria lunch €12–€20 | Dinner with wine €25–€40 | Coperto €1–€3 extra
• London: pub lunch £10–£18 | Casual restaurant dinner £25–£45 | Tipping 10–12.5%
• Barcelona: tapas bar lunch €12–€18 | Menu del día: 3-course lunch for €12–€16 (great value)

Saving Money on a 2-Week European Trip

The most impactful savings in European travel come from a few specific decisions rather than accumulating small daily economies. Flying into a cheaper gateway city (Amsterdam or Frankfurt instead of London) and using a budget airline or cheap Eurostar to London saves €100–€200. Booking accommodation 4–6 months ahead saves 25–40% versus the same-day price in summer. Using budget airlines for Rome and Barcelona instead of trains saves 4–6 hours and often €50–€100 per person. Booking museum tickets online rather than at the door often gets you 10–15% off and skips 30–60-minute queues.

The least effective saving strategies are sacrificing accommodation location for price (staying 45 minutes from the center adds transport costs and time that erode the savings), eating exclusively at cheap restaurants and missing the food experience that is genuinely central to a European trip, or skipping major attractions to save money and then returning home without seeing what you came to see. The European trip is expensive. The question is where to spend versus where to optimize, not whether to spend at all.

• Book flights 3–4 months ahead and compare Gulf carriers on the India-Europe leg
• Book accommodation 4–6 months ahead for summer – saves 25–40% on the same hotel
• Fly budget airlines for Paris→Rome and Rome→Barcelona: Ryanair/easyJet/Vueling
• Museum city passes: Paris Museum Pass (€52/2 days) covers Louvre, Orsay, Versailles – excellent value
• Menu del día (Spain) and Prix Fixe lunch (France): 3 courses at lunch for €12–€18 vs €40+ dinner

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Final Thoughts

A mid-range 2-week European trip for an Indian tourist – flights from Mumbai, Schengen + UK visas, 3-star hotels shared between two people, casual restaurant meals, train and budget flight intra-Europe transport, and the main paid attractions – realistically costs $4,500–$6,500 per person all-in. This is not a number to reduce significantly through optimization; it is the actual cost of a comfortable first European trip from India. Budget for it accurately from the start.

The two costs that catch most Indian travelers off-guard are the visa fees (nearly INR 25,000 combined for UK and Schengen before service charges) and the food cost in Western Europe, which is 3–4× higher than in India for equivalent quality. Budget €50–€70 per person per day for food in London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Rome – not €20–€30. The lower estimate will leave you eating at McDonald’s next to major monuments, which is a poor use of your European visit.

Book everything in advance. European tourism infrastructure is excellent but capacity-limited – the Eiffel Tower, Colosseum, Anne Frank House, and Sagrada Familia all sell out at peak times. The cost of advance booking is zero; the experience of standing outside a sold-out landmark on the one day you had allocated for it is significant. Plan the bookings timeline as carefully as the trip itself.

Frequently Asked Questions