10 Ideas For Low-Cost Active Holidays

Active holidays are often associated with costly flights to far-away destinations and participating in costly paid tours and activities. But there are plenty of ways to enjoy an active vacation on a shoestring budget. Here, moneyland.ch lists simple ideas for active holidays that can cost very little in the way of money.

• Biking tours

The slower the vehicle, the bigger the world. Cycling transforms that bit of landscape you ignore from the highway or airplane into an entire world filled with corners to explore and life to be experienced. While there is some cost in the way of food and accommodations, the cost of transportation disappears completely – as long as you own a bike, or can borrow one.

Switzerland has a well-developed network of cycling trails. You can get a clear overview on the SwitzerlandMobility website.

International routes that start in or pass through Switzerland include:

• The EuroVelo 5 route that crosses Switzerland on its way from the tip of Italy to London.
• The EuroVelo 15 that follows the Rhine from Switzerland to the Atlantic coast in the Netherlands. 
• The EuroVelo 17 follows the Rhone from Valais through the south of France to the Mediterranean.

These routes cross others on the EuroVelo network, allowing you to cycle to most European countries on dedicated cycling trails.

• Working holidays

Ever dreamt of being a deckhand, a farmer, a stablehand, an artist, or a cook? Working holidays can give you a chance to do work you enjoy but do not normally have time for. For ideas of what is available, take a look at workcation platforms like Workaway, HelpX, and Wwoof. While many workcation opportunities are on a room-and-board basis rather than paying a salary, they can be a very affordable option for an active holiday.

• Canoe and kayak tours

Like cycling tours, traveling by canoe or kayak lets you see the world from a unique perspective while staying physically active. The Rhine and the Rhone are obvious choices for international boating tours from Switzerland. The Po and the Danube are other nearby waterways that make for interesting river-based travel.

Many of Europe’s canals are also open to non-motorized boats, and offer interesting glimpses into the continent’s industrial and agricultural past along a route less travelled. It is important to check in advance if a license is required, as is the case for the UK’s canal network. The license fees are generally very affordable.

• Wild camping

Combining a cross-country trek or bike tour with freestyle camping can be a fun active holiday for adults and children alike. What is more, it eliminates the cost of accommodations. European countries that generally allow camping on uncultivated land free of charge include Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway, and Sweden. You can find the rules that apply in Switzerland in the financial guide for campers.

• Hiking and walking tours

There are many things that you will only see and experience on foot. Switzerland offers numerous interesting routes for multi-day hiking tours. The scenic Four Springs Trail that takes to the sources of the Reuss, Rhine, Rhone, and Ticino rivers is just one example. The SwitzerlandMobility website provides detailed maps of the Swiss hiking trail network. You can find more useful tips in the financial guide to hiking in Switzerland.

If Switzerland is too close to home, check out the E-Paths recommended by the European Hiking Federation.

• From Switzerland, the E1 walking trail will take you as far south as Sicily and as far north as Norway’s northern cape.
• The E4 trail, which runs through Geneva, crosses France from north to south. You can also step onto the E4 trail in the north of Switzerland and follow it as far east as Gibraltar or as far west as Cyprus.
• The E5 route, which also passes through northern Switzerland, is ideal if you want to explore the northern parts of France or Italy.

Like the EuroVelo bicycle trails, many walking trails in the E-Paths network intersect with other trails in the network, which means you can combine routes.

• No-money cross-country challenge

If you are both a very social person, the no-cost travel challenge can be a very interesting experiment. The goal of this challenge is to travel while spending as little money as possible. This is accomplished by hitchhiking, wild camping, staying with people, and working for room and board. An interesting variant of this challenge is to race a friend to a certain location. Online services like Blablacar (hitchhiking) and Couchsurfers and Be Welcome (accomodation) make connecting with people who are willing to offer rides and accommodation much easier.

• Fishing trips

Fishing is an easy way to enjoy an active holiday without spending much money. That is especially true if you combine it with bicycle or walking tours and wild camping.

Many Swiss municipalities charge high licensing fees for fishing in their lakes or rivers. But there are a number of Swiss lakes where a fishing license is not required as long as the rules are followed. European countries that generally do not require licenses for fishing in the ocean from the shore include Cyprus, Estonia, Norway, Sweden, and parts of the UK and Belgium. However, certain rules and limitations apply, and it is important to get informed beforehand. In many countries and regions where a license is required, the licensing fees are very modest.

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