Travelling with Worldpackers – Ultimate Guide

Travelling with Worldpackers – Ultimate Guide

Volunteering with Worldpackers – A Beginner’s Guide to volunteering abroad and travelling with Worldpackers on a budget: 

What is Worldpackers? 

Worldpackers is an international volunteering organisation, connecting people looking to volunteer abroad with hosts in over 140 countries.

Volunteering activities primarily focus on topics such as sustainability, community, or social projects – but activities listed on Worldpackers can commonly include marketing assistance, agriculture, childcare, office administration, hospitality and even jobs such as plumbing, renovation, and more!  There is quite literally something suited to everyone!

worldpackers provides travellers with the opportunity to volunteer abroad while travelling on a budget, through getting free accommodation and extras.

If this sounds good to you, then this guide has everything you need to know about Worldpackers and how to get started.

 

*This blog contains affiliate links and codes which earn a commission to help support this free website. All opinions remain my own. Affiliate links featured in my blog posts will never affect the price you pay, except to sometimes provide you with a discount. Learn more

How does Worldpackers work?

Going on a Worldpackers trip means you will exchange volunteering hours, for free accommodation from hosts. Many also offer free meals, transportation, and other perks.

This gives people the chance to give back to local communities and businesses, while getting to explore new countries on a budget.

Is Worldpackers legit and safe?

Yes, Worldpackers is a legitimate and safe platform. They have been connecting hosts and volunteers for over 10 years!

Hundreds of hosts join Worldpackers every month and each of these are vetted, verified, and continually monitored by Worldpackers. While over 127,000 travellers have used Worldpackers since 2014!

Worldpackers offers a Safeguarding and Support group for their users, so you can get in touch if you have issues.

Volunteers have the opportunity to leave reviews once their volunteering experience is over, so you can read honest reviews from other volunteers to help you decide which host experience is right for you.

How much does Worldpackers Cost?

You can create a Worldpackers account entirely for free! With a free account, you can browse experiences, read reviews from other volunteers, and see if there’s anything that takes your fancy.

To apply for an opportunity you will need to then upgrade to a paid account. There are different tiers of paid accounts which we will break down below.

You can use code GIGSNTRAVEL to save  $10 (or the equivalent in your currency), off any Worldpackers membership.

Either type the code when signing up on the Worldpackers site, or click here to apply it directly.

Worldpackers Packages:

Worldpackers offer plans geared towards solo travellers, or group packages geared towards couples and friends.

Worldpackers membership levels have two different ‘tiers’, which include ‘Trips’ or ‘Packs’. ‘Trips’ tend to offer all the basics you need to access Worldpackers – a great choice for budget travellers. Whereas ‘Pack’ plans offer enhanced safety and compensation features.

Solo memberships:

Solo Trips

View here

An entry level plan for budget travellers

Cost: Approx. £49 or $62.75 USD for a 12 month membership

Includes:

  • Access to Worldpackers Safeguard (get up to $49 refunded for emergency accommodation if needed).
  • Host Response Guarantee.
  • Access to #1 world volunteering community.
  • Highly responsive support 7-days-a-week.
  • Part of your membership fee will be donated to support social and ecological projects.

Solo Pack

View here

The most popular and one of the safest choices for first-time and solo travellers.

Cost: Approx. £99 or $126.78 USD for 12 months

Includes:

  • All the benefits of the Trips Solo Plan.
  • Access to Worldpackers Safeguard (get up to $199 refunded for emergency accommodation if needed).
  • Priority support.
  • Access to extra academy training videos.
  • Exclusive discounts with Wise; Hostelpass, Pax, Babbel, Yesim, and Stasher.

Solo Pack Plus

View here

For those looking for an extra layer of safety with the Prime WP Safeguard.

Cost: Approx. £129 or $165.20 USD for 12 months

Includes:

  • All the benefits of the Solo Trips and Solo Packs plans.
  • Access to Prime Worldpackers Safeguard – get up to $399 refunded for emergency accommodation if your volunteering experience doesn’t go as planned.

Couple memberships:

With the Friends/Couples plans it is not possible for a single person to use this plan to travel solo. You must be completing the volunteer experience in your pair.

Couples/Friends Trip

View here

Apply to thousands of volunteer positions along with your partner or friend.

Cost: Approx. £59 ($75.56 USD) for 12 months

Includes:

  • Access to Worldpackers Safeguard (get up to $49 refunded for emergency accommodation if needed).
  • Host Response guarantee.
  • Volunteer together – connect your accounts to apply to volunteer opportunities that accept couples or friends.
  • Access to #1 world volunteering community.
  • Highly responsive support 7-days-a-week.
  • Part of your membership fee will be donated to support social and ecological projects.

Couples/Friends Pack

View here

Travel with your partner or friend while enjoying more safety and exclusive Worldpackers benefits.

Cost: Approx. £119 ($152.39 USD) for 12 months

Includes:

  • All the benefits of the Couple/Friends Trips plan.
  • Access to Worldpackers Safeguard (get up to $199 refunded for emergency accommodation if needed)
  • Priority support
  • Access to extra academy training videos
  • Exclusive discounts with Wise; Hostelpass, Pax, Babbel, Yesim, and Stasher.

Couples/Friends Pack Plus

View here

Everything Worldpackers has to offer in order for you to travel with your partner or friend.

Cost: Approx. £149 ($190.81 USD) for 12 months

Includes:

  • All the benefits of the Couples/Friends Trip and Couple/Friends Pack
  • Access to Prime Worldpackers Safeguard – get up to $399 refunded for emergency accommodation if your volunteering experience doesn’t go as planned.

Group Trips

Epic Trips

The latest Worldpackers membership option is something called Epic Trips. Worldpackers Epic Trips are another option for first-time solo female travellers to connect and join women-only group trips.

You can choose from a number of Worldpackers Epic trips that are available here.

Epic Trips include:

  • An exclusive Trip Coordinator to help during every step of the way.
  • The experiences are all inclusive (all meals, accommodation, and activities included).
  • The trips last between 1 and 2 weeks, and come to under $100 USD per day.
  • The trips take place in Worldpackers top-rated hosts.
  • A 12-month Worldpackers premium membership comes along with Epic Trips, so you’re able to continue travelling after completing a group trip!

While Epic Trips have a larger price tag upfront, you get a lot more guaranteed perks compared to a basic Worldpackers package – as well as still getting a premium Worldpackers membership after completing your Epic Trip!

This can be a great option for women who are perhaps feeling a little nervous about taking the plunge and doing their first Worldpackers experience on their own!

View Epic Trip opportunities here

How old do I need to be to volunteer abroad with Worldpackers?

You must be at least 18 years of age to volunteer abroad with Worldpackers.

 

What languages do I need to speak to volunteer with Worldpackers?

While each host requires a certain proficiency level in a given language, including English. As a volunteer, you don’t necessarily need to speak a certain language unless it is otherwise listed on the specific volunteering opportunity that you’re looking for.

Many experiences involve teaching languages, so you could always look out for opportunities that involves teaching your native language to others!

Worldpackers is a great opportunity to learn and practise new languages as well. You can use your volunteering opportunity to help others as well as learn yourself! 

What can you do with a free Worldpackers membership?

A free Worldpackers membership lets you browse opportunities and find volunteering jobs that you’d like to apply for.

To apply or message hosts, you will need to upgrade to a paid membership.

The great thing about Worldpackers offering a free membership is that there is no commitment until you find the volunteer opportunities that you know you want to apply for, there is no fee for simply accessing the platform!

How to optimise your Worldpackers profile

When applying for Worldpackers opportunities, hosts will see your profile. They can also search for profiles and reach out to you if they think they’d have a good opportunity for you.

Some volunteer experiences have high demand, so you need to make sure your profile stands out. Here’s some things you can do to optimise your profile.

Add your skills

Select your key skills from the given list and what your experience level is with each one, don’t worry about only having limited experience in certain skills. Hosts are generally very open to working with people with limited skills that are eager to learn.

 

Provide your personal, professional and travel background

The easiest way to make a big difference to your profile is updating it with some information on your personal, professional and travel background.

Good things to include here are:

  • Your work experience – provide a brief summary of your experience, whether it’s office work, babysitting, hospitality, etc.
  • Key skills – List key skills you have gained in your work experience that might be relevant to the type of volunteering you’re looking to do.
  • Travel experience – list the countries you have travelled to, and where you’re keen to explore
  • Volunteer experience – Provide any volunteering, fundraising, or charity experience you have
  • Education – Generally I’d say this is less important than other categories, so keep this section shorter. If you have relevant education that is related to the types of volunteering you want to do, then make sure to highlight this at the top.

Update your bio

Fill in your ‘About Me’ section  by writing a brief introduction about yourself. What type of travel do you like? What do you want to get out of volunteering? Are you keen to learn more about new cultures? Are you looking to improve your languages, or get out of your comfort zone?

 

Travel Motivations and Interests

You can select up to 5 travel interests and motivations from a list that sum up why you’re volunteering with Worldpackers.

 

Provide your Social Media

If you have social media profiles that are relevant, you might want to include them. For example, if you’re looking to volunteer in teaching sports and you have a fitness social media account, attaching it would be beneficial!

Additional Information

Additional information is information that includes useful information about you – for example, do you have any allergies? Are you a digital nomad who is planning to do some of your own work alongside your volunteering work? Are you a smoker? etc.

 

Presentation Video and Travel Album

To enhance your profile even more, you could include a presentation video to introduce yourself, and attach some of your previous travel pictures which show your personality off to your ‘ travel album’ – if you’ve done previous volunteer travel before, any pictures form this could be a great idea to add!

 

References

While not entirely necessary for most volunteering roles, you could attach some references from previous employers or other co-workers from previous volunteering experiences to provide you with some more credibility.

Complete the ‘How to become an outstanding Worldpacker’ course

Worldpackers offer a course called ‘How to become an outstanding Worldpacker’, which they encourage volunteers to take. The course takes about 45 minutes and is a series of 6 short videos which explain the entire Worldpackers process, what hosts value, safety, and how to ensure you have the best Worldpackers experience!

Once you’ve completed this course, it will be attached to your profile. Hosts will be able to see that you’ve completed this certification.

There are also plenty of other Worldpackers courses that you can take with the Worldpackers Academy to help give your profile an extra boost!

How to search for Worldpackers opportunities

When setting up your Worldpackers account, you can select a list of travel interests you might be interested in, such as eco programmes, social impact etc.

You can also select the type of trip you’re interested in, for example are you looking to solo travel, are you a digital nomad, perhaps you’re looking to practise a certain language, or you’re looking to travel as a couple?

As well as this you can highlight the continents you have the most interest in travelling to. While these preferences might help influence the opportunities that are suggested to you, you can still search outside of these preferences in the Worldpackers app, and you can change them anytime in the ‘Travel Interests’ tab.

If you’re looking for a volunteering opportunity in a specific country, city etc. then you can search by location on Worldpackers. You can choose whether to view this in a list view, or map view and find the opportunities that are in the locations you’re looking for.

You can also search by volunteering activity on Worldpackers. For example, if you want to do gardening work, then you can search for ‘gardening’, or if you want to get involved with some marketing work, you can simply search for ‘marketing’ and Worldpackers will show you destinations around the world offering these volunteering opportunities.

Refine your searches by filtering for duration. Worldpackers programmes can last a few days, or several months, so filter down to find what you’re looking for. If you have a plan to volunteer during a set month, then you can also filter by month of availability – for example, you could bring up every Worldpackers experience in a certain country that has availability in November. 

How many hours do I need to work for Worldpackers?

Worldpackers opportunities vary in hours and days required to work. A typical overview of a volunteering week will be displayed underneath the opportunity, so you can double check the experience is right for you before applying.

According to Worldpackers, the average hours requested by Worldpackers hosts is 25 hours per week. The maximum number of hours that Worldpackers allow hosts to request is 32 hours per week.

When searching for opportunities, you can also filter by working hours per week to make sure you’re finding the right opportunity for you.

Volunteering is super rewarding, but you ideally want to make sure your schedule has free time for you to also explore the country you’re visiting in.

Schedules from hosts will vary, for example someone might advertise a 25 hour week with 5 hours per day Monday – Friday, another host might squeeze the 25 hours across 3 longer days, so you have more days for ‘free time’, while other hosts could ask you to work those 25 hours across 7 short days, which means while you’ll be doing a little bit of work each day, you’ll still have the majority of each day to go out and explore.

Your work schedule depends on the host and the work you’ll be doing. Each host discloses working patterns underneath their posting.   

Advice for applying for Worldpackers Experiences

You’re not always guaranteed to get the Worldpackers experience that you apply for. Some hosts can get extreme demand and only have limited slots, other volunteer work might be seasonal, and applications are only open during certain parts of the year.

To increase your chances of getting a volunteer experience, consider the following:

  • Check to see if an experience is ‘in demand’ to manage your expectations.
  • Apply for multiple experiences.
  • Check the host’s response rate before applying.
  • Optimise your Worldpackers profile.
  • Read reviews from other volunteers before applying.
  • Add experiences to your ‘favourites’ folder, so they’re easy to find when you need them.
  • If you’re certain about a particular location, use the map feature to see how many volunteering opportunities there are in that area and apply to multiple.

Worldpackers FAQ’s

Do you get paid for doing Worldpackers?

No, you are doing volunteer work with Worldpackers so your working hours are unpaid. In exchange, hosts will provide you with accommodation. Many hosts will also provide you with free meals. Some hosts will provide you with access to excursions, offer airport pick-ups, or use of equipment such as bicycles to go out and explore in your free time.

Is Worldpackers Safe? 

Yes, Worldpackers is a legitimate and safe platform. They have been connecting hosts and volunteers for over 10 years. Worldpackers make sure that their hosts are vetted, verified and continually monitored. They also have a Safeguarding Support Team that you can reach out to at any time while volunteering.

Worldpackers cost?

You can make a free membership to browse Worldpackers opportunities. However, if you find something you want to apply for, you will need to upgrade to a paid plan. A 12-month membership can range from £49 ($62.75 USD) to £149 ($190.81 USD) annually.

Worldpackers Discount Code?

The Best Worldpackers Promo Code to use is: GIGSNTRAVEL

This will save you $10 (or the equivalent in your currency) off ANY Worldpackers membership. This code can also be used in conjunction with additional Worldpackers promos that might be running. 

Is paying for Worldpackers worth it?

Yes! If you’re looking to travel on a budget and want to volunteer abroad, then paying for Worldpackers is definitely worth it, even if you just do one volunteer experience you generally make the cost of your membership back by all the free accommodation, free meals and other benefits you get too. It’s a great choice for budget travellers. 

Do I need a work visa to volunteer with Worldpackers?

Typically you don’t need a work visa to volunteer with Worldpackers. This is because you are volunteering, so you are not earning a wage or salary. A limited number of experiences might require a Work VISA, so make sure you check with your host. You are still responsible for sorting any visas you need to travel, so you must do your research to make sure you are prepared before you travel.

Do Worldpackers host group trips?

Worldpackers have just announced they are hosting group trips for solo female travellers called ‘Epic Plans’.

There’s plenty more where that came from…

Read related Gigs n’ Travel articles

How to do Disneyland Paris on a Budget

How to do Disneyland Paris on a Budget

How to do Disneyland Paris for cheap 

Disney is great for any age, but it can get expensive. The good news is that it is possible to save a considerable amount of money during a trip to Disneyland Paris!

I’ve been to several Disney Parks around the world, including multiple visits to Disneyland Paris over the years!

Here are my top tips to consider when it comes to saving money on your trip to Disneyland Paris:

Skip to the end to find out how much I spent on my most recent trip to Disneyland Paris, as someone who had a relatively small budget, but still stayed at Disneyland.

*This blog may contain affiliate links that earn a commission to help support this free website. All opinions remain my own. Affiliate links featured in my blog posts will never affect the price you pay, except to sometimes provide you with a discount. Learn more

Getting to Disneyland – Transportation

Your choice of transportation to Disneyland Paris can significantly affect the overall cost of your trip to Disneyland Paris from the get-go, it’s important to check your airport choices and transfer options as they can significantly differ between the three main Paris airports.

 

Flying into CGD Airport

CDG is the most convenient airport to fly to when visiting Disneyland Paris.

From here, you can get the TGV Fast Train to Marne-la-Vallee station, next door to Disneyland Paris.

Getting the TGV Fast Train from CDG Airport to Disneyland Paris

The TGV Fast Trian takes about 10 minutes to get from the airport to Disneyland.

The train station at Paris-Charles de Gaulle is attached to the airport between terminals 2C, 2D, 2E and 2F, on the lower ground. If you’re flying into Terminals 1 and 3, then you can get the shuttle train that gets into the main station, and then get the TGV Fast Train from there.

I wouldn’t recommend booking your train too far in advance, as strangely the price is much higher the further in advance you book! I booked my train less than a week in advance, and it cost approximately £12 for a one way trip to Disneyland.

Had I booked this four weeks or more in advance, the same ticket was going to cost me around £33.40 to book online.

Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy station is right next door to Disneyland. When you arrive, simply follow the signs to leave the station and Disneyland will be about a two minute walk away.

Getting the Disney Magic Shuttle Bus to Disneyland Paris

Alternatively, you can get the Disney Magic Shuttle Bus, which takes approximately 60 minutes, and has departures between every 20-90 minutes

Magical Shuttle operates every day, including public holidays, and costs €24 each way for an adult, €11 each way for a child up to 12 years old, and children 0-2 years old go free.

Taxi from CDG Airport to Disneyland Paris

If you’re arriving late at CDG, then you might have to get a taxi to Disneyland Paris. This is typically the most expensive option, as the prices will vary – especially if you are traveling later at night.

However, if there are enough of you to split the cost, then this might end up becoming better value. The prices really depend on the amount of people and therefore the size of the vehicle you need, but typically can cost upwards of €75 for one way.

If you are a group of adults travelling to Disney, there might be a chance that a taxi can sometimes work out cheaper than alternative options.

You need to consider the number of people you’d be dividing the cost between.

If you’re a family with young children, consider whether the taxi service you’re looking at requires you to pay for young children, given the fact children under two years get a free space on the Disney Magic Shuttle, and children up to 12 years get cheaper tickets – it is often still cheaper to get the Magic Shuttle Bus.

It’s about a 40 to 45 minute journey via taxi to get from CDG Airport to Disneyland.

Overall getting the TGV Fast Train tends to work out cheaper for an adult than any other option, if you book the tickets relatively last minute for £19.80-ish each way, it works out at around €46, whereas a Magic Shuttle will cost you €48 – granted there’s not much in it, but considering the TGV Fast Train is also six times quicker than the shuttle bus, then the TGV Fast Train works out at much better value.

Flying into ORLY Airport

ORLY Airport is a smaller airport with less international airline connections than CDG, however ORLY is closer to Paris City Centre, and both airports are a similar distance away from Disneyland Paris – so this can be a great option to fly into if you can get reasonably priced tickets!

You can get the Disney Magic Shuttle from ORLY Airport

An adult ticket is priced at about €24, with children up to 12 years costing €11, and children under 2 years old go free.

The Magic Shuttle service runs every day and leaves every 20-40 minutes depending on time and season. The journey takes about 45 minutes from ORLY Airport.

Taxi from ORLY Airport to Disneyland Paris

The taxi cost from ORLY Airport to Disneyland typically costs between €75-€105 each way, however this can fluctuate massively depending on group size and time you are traveling to and from Disneyland – so keep this in mind.

Similarly to CDG, it’s approximately a 45 minute drive from ORLY Airport to Disneyland Paris.

Flying into BVA Airport

Many low cost airlines fly to BVA airport, so often flights here are cheaper than flights to CDG or ORLY, however this is because the airport is a lot further out of Paris and Disneyland than other airports.

Taxi from BVA Airport to Disneyland Paris

Beauvais Airport to Disneyland Paris Transfer is approximately a 1.5 hour drive from Disneyland Paris – typically costing €160 to €250 for a one-way taxi, depending on the number of passengers.

Typically the price of the cheap flights to Beauvais Airport is not worth the cost of the transfer, so you’re better off flying into CDG, or ORLY for both convenience of transfer time, and better value transfer cost.

Bus and Trains from BVA Airport to Disneyland Paris

Unfortunately, the bus service the Magical Shuttle service that used to run from BVA Airport to Disneyland Paris is no longer available anymore.

As a result, there is no direct rail line between Beauvais airport and Disneyland resort, meaning travelling via public transport is very time consuming.

If you want to travel via public transport from BVA to Disneyland, you would first need to go to the Beauvais train station by bus or taxi, and then take a train into Paris City Centre.

There is also an airport coach service to Paris city centre from BVA airport. Running times of this shuttle can vary, so it’s best to check ahead.

From Paris Centre, you’d need to take a commuter train (RER A) to Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy, which is next door to the Disney Hotels.

All together this can take you anywhere between 2-3.5 hours to get to Disneyland, and can cost you anywhere between €17 to €80, depending on the bus or train routes you get.

My recommendation would be to avoid flying into BVA airport if possible, as the transfer route and cost often ends up meaning you’ll pay more than if you paid for a more expensive flight into CDG or ORLY.

Driving

The costs of driving to Paris/ Disneyland Paris will significantly differ depending on where you’re driving from.

You will need to consider the country/ countries you will be driving through, fuel costs, toll roads and transport if you need to cross water. For example, if you are driving from the UK to Paris then you will need to go through the Channel Tunnel.

Driving tends to be a lot more time consuming than flying, but if this works out cheaper for you, then you should definitely consider it!

Eurostar

The Eurostar is a train which connects the UK, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

UK to Disneyland Paris Eurostar

The easiest way to get the Eurostar to Disneyland Paris from the UK is by taking the Eurostar from London St Pancras International to Lille Europe station, and then change to get the French TGV train, which take you to Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy, next door to Disneyland.

This route will take you about 3 hours.

Prices can vary, although you can often get good deals. I’ve never gotten the Eurostar to Disneyland as it has always been a more expensive option than flying into CDG in my case.

This isn’t always the case for everyone, it depends on the dates you’re planning to travel, and whether you can be flexible when it comes to getting a good Eurostar deal.

Sometimes Eurostar have sales on, which can provide you to get discounted tickets for a limited number of dates.

From researching the Eurostar website, the cheapest tickets I was able to find were in April, heading to Paris on a Tuesday and returning to London on a Thursday. The cheapest standard ticket was £168.44 for a return for one adult. This ran from London St Pancras, changing at Lille, and then onto Marne-la- Vallée-Chessy.

Belgium to Disneyland Paris Eurostar

To get the Eurostar from Belgium to Disneyland Paris, you will need to depart from Brussel-Zuid station to  Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy station next door to Disneyland Paris. This journey takes as little as 1 hour 30 minutes.

 

Netherlands to Disneyland Paris Eurostar

To get the Eurostar from the Netherlands to Disneyland Paris, you will need to head to Schiphol airport, which is just outside of Amsterdam.

The train station at Schiphol is on the bottom floor of the airport. From here you can get a Eurostar to Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy, which will take approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes.

There are also a limited number of direct routes that run from Amsterdam City Centre to Disneyland Paris.

Thalys, who are now owned by the Eurostar Group, also operate a train from Amsterdam Centraal to Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy five times a week.

It will take you about 3 hours and 50 minutes to get to the Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy station at Disneyland, but currently these trains run much less frequently than the trains going from Schiphol.

Eurostar vs Flying from the UK

To compare this with flights at various major airports around the UK, for the exact same dates – this is what I found:

  • London Gatwick, into Paris ORLY ranging from a £54-£57 return, with a free carry-on and flying with Vueling.
  • Heathrow had similarly priced flights ranging from £65 – £108 for a return, with options to fly with either Vueling or British Airways, as well as options to fly into both ORLY and CDG airports.
  • London Luton had flights with EasyJet, ranging from £59-£61 for a return flight, with one free under-seat carry-on, flying into CDG.
  • Birmingham International had return flights for the same dates with EasyJet, for £81 for a return, with one free under-seat carry-on, flying into CDG.
  • Manchester airport had flights ranging from £57-£70 for a return, flying with EasyJet, with one free under-seat carry-on, and flying into CDG.
  • Edinburgh airport had flights ranging from £86-£150 for a return, with EasyJet, including one free under-seat carry-on, and flying into CGD Airport.

However, you need to consider luggage costs and how much you’d like to bring with you.

The last time I visited Disneyland Paris it was December and very cold. I packed several layers, yet still managed to fit everything into just the free carry-on bag that EasyJet let you have. To provide context with how long I went for – I spent two nights at Disneyland Paris and one night in Paris City Centre.

If you want to fly on a budget, it’s best to pack light if possible. If you’re heading in Spring, Summer or early Autumn, this might be a lot easier. If you’re heading during Winter, I’ve proven it’s still possible – just be clever with what you pack!

I personally found having compression packaging cubes and having this bag, ideal for managing to fit everything in.

Flying in and out of different airports

Sometimes it makes it cheaper to fly in and out of different airports, if this is viable for you, then you should definitely check the cost of one-way flights, and the costs of getting to and from the airports and back home.

Last time I flew to Disneyland Paris, I flew from Manchester and back into Birmingham – managing to get cheap train tickets back in the UK made getting to and from the different airports relatively cheap, and more cost effective then it was to get an expensive return flight back into the same airport!

This is not always the case, so you need to play around with your options. I recommend using both Skyscanner and Goole Flights as an easy way to look at your options when it comes to flights.

 

 

Accommodation

Accommodation is one of the major price factors when it comes to a budget Disneyland Paris stay, so making sure to consider all your options is vital.

 

Benefits of staying at a Disney Hotel

Disney offers a range of accommodations, including their budget-friendly options.

The benefit of staying in Disney Accommodation is the fact that the stay includes park hopper tickets for the duration of your stay. This means you can enter and leave both the Disneyland Park and the Walt Disney Studios Park as many times as you want throughout the day.

As an extra bonus, staying in Disney accommodation also means you get to make use of Magic Hour – which is an additional hour in the park before it is open to the general public. This always gives a great advantage when it comes to fast queue times. I typically tend to ride the attractions that usually have famously long lines, such as Crush’s Coaster, Big Thunder Mountain, or Peter Pan.

Typically mid-January to the start of March are the cheapest times to stay at Disneyland Paris, but you might have to play around with dates in order to get a deal.

Disney’s Budget-Friendly Hotel Options

Santa Fe Hotel

The cheapest options when staying on-site at Disneyland Paris is the Cars themed hotel,  Disney Hotel Santa Fe, which is a 2-star Hotel. Santa Fe is a 20 minute walk to the Disney Parks, or an 8 minute shuttle bus, which is free.

Based on four people, staying 2 nights in one room off-season, then the cheapest you can typically book these hotels for around £87 per person, per night. This includes park tickets.

These prices will vary depending on the dates you wish to visit and the number of people you visit with.

Hotel Cheyenne and Disney Sequoia Lodge

The Disney Hotel Cheyenne and Disney Sequoia Lodge Hotels are 3-star hotels, which can also be great options, these are both a 15-20 minute walk from the Disney parks, or an 8 minute free shuttle bus.

Based on four people, staying 2 nights in one room off-season, then the cheapest you can typically book either of these hotels for around £95 per person, per night. This includes park tickets, and hotel features such as use of the swimming pool.

These prices will vary depending on the dates you wish to visit and the number of people you visit with. 

 Disney’s Davy Crockett Ranch

The Disney’s Davy Crockett Ranch is another budget-friendly Disney accommodation. It is a self-catering 3-star hotel.

However the catch is that it is not based on the main stie at Disney, but in a forest that’s approximately a 15 minute drive away. There is also no free shuttle bus to the parks, unlike all the other Disney hotels on-site offer.

Credit: Ibis Hotels

Non-Disney Hotels

Typically it’s cheaper to stay at a hotel a short drive away from Disney.

If you’re on a budget, then there are several Ibis Budget Hotels, that range from between a 10 to 30 minute drive from the parks.

  • ibis budget Marne la Vallée Pontault Combault
  • ibis budget Marne la Vallée
  • ibis budget Pontault Combault RN4 Marne La Vallée
  • ibis budget Marne la Vallée Bry sur Marne

You can search for budget accommodation on Booking.com – if you’re a regular user you can unlock various levels of their Genius discounts scheme, allowing you to save more money.

However, I would still consider looking at booking through the hotels directly, just to compare the prices also.  

Eurocamp

If you’re looking to stay somewhere with a few more on-site activities to do, a Eurocamp might be a good option.

There is a Eurocamp called ‘La Croix du Vieux Pont’ park in Berny-Rivière.

With a number of indoor and outdoor activities to choose from, from swimming pools to laser tag, there’s plenty to keep people of all ages busy!

Not to mention the shuttle service running to Disneyland Paris makes this a perfect place to base for your Disneyland Paris trip.

With accommodation to suit a range of budgets – whether you stay in a tent, mobile home, log cabin, lodge, chalet, or an apartment!

Credit: Eurocamp

Ticket Prices

If you’re not staying at a Disney Hotel, you’ll have to purchase your Disney tickets separately.

The price of Disney tickets can fluctuate significantly across the year, but there are a few ways in which you can reduce the price.

Visiting off-peak

If possible, visit during off-peak seasons, or during the weekday.

Visiting on the weekend will be a lot more expensive and also a lot busier, so its worse value for money.

During my most recent trip, we had access to the parks form Thursday to Saturday, with rides that had 15 minute wait times on the Thursday and Friday having wait times of 60+ minutes on the Saturday.

We left the park on the Saturday, as the price to stay the night also increased drastically at the weekend. 

If we had booked to stay the Saturday night, I would’ve definitely been disappointed with the value for money for that day. 

Dated tickets

It’s typically much cheaper to purchase tickets for specific dates rather than purchasing a flexible ticket.

If you purchase a dated Adult 1-Day/1 Park ticket rather than an Adult 1-Day/1 Park undated ticket, then you can save you up to €49 for each day that you visit.

Dated tickets for 1-4 days can be cancelled and refunded up to 3 days before your chosen date, so if you’re not 100% sure on your dates or your plans change, then you can get a refund until three days prior to your visit.

If you need to change your visit date, you must cancel your existing tickets and purchase new tickets for a different visit date, which might result in you paying more or less depending on the dates you’re booking.

Regardless, this still tends to be cheaper than buying undated tickets.

Authorised ticket resellers

Some authorised ticket resellers offer discounts of up to 20 per cent less.

But be aware that sometimes they also sell tickets for more, so I’d always recommend checking the official Disneyland Paris ticket page before purchasing from a reseller.

It’s important to also be aware of scammers. Although there are legitimate ticket resellers, Disney doesn’t list its authorised resellers.  So it’s best to read reviews and check sites such as Trustpilot before handing over your card details.

For added protection, it is best to book with credit card if you are going to go down this route, and never purchase anything that requires bank transfer as the payment method.

 

Use the Disney annual pass hack

Depending on how often, or how long you’re wanting to come to Disneyland, it could be cheaper to get a Disney annual pass.

Unfortunately, the benefits of the Disney annual passes changed in July 2022, and with that came a rather steep price increase of over €200 for the new pass scheme compared to the old Infinity Pass that was in place previously. The new annual passes costs approximately €289 to €699 per year, depending on whether you buy the Bronze, Silver, or Gold pass.

However, if you are planning on spending around 8 to 12 days a year at Disneyland Paris, then the Disneyland Paris annual pass could provide significant savings over bookings when you compare it to booking a Disney package or booking a booking a hotel and tickets separately.

Previously, the old annual pass was worthwhile in most instances if you were planning to visit Disneyland Paris for 4 days or more throughout the year. So the value of the pass has definitely decreased.

However, if you like to attend multiple times throughout the year for the different events Disneyland put on, such as the Halloween Festival, and Disney’s Enchanted Christmas, the annual pass could be worth it.

There’s no way to say whether the annual pass is the best option for those travelling for 8 to 12 days under every circumstance, because it completely depends on the prices of the entry tickets on the days you’d be planning to visit, and these can vary significantly throughout the week and time of year.

It’s worth crunching the numbers if you know exactly when you’d like to visit throughout the year, so that you can check whether the pas is worth it.  

You should always check the validity period of the annual passes, the cheapest annual pass starts at €289 for the year, but this only gives you access to the park for 170 days o the year, which doesn’t cover peak periods – this will essentially make the pass useless if you typically need to visit during school holidays.

Food options

The good news is that Disneyland Paris allow you to bring your own food and drink into the park! Packaging up some sandwiches and snacks and carrying them around for the day can end up saving you a lot of money.

There’s a variety of restaurants at Disneyland Paris, from fast-food, to fine dining, or all-you-can-eat buffets. With a variety of restaurant choices, also comes a variety of prices.

Restaurants such as Walt’s and Auberge de Cendrillon will set you back a hefty amount.

However, Disney does have more budget friendly, set menu options which usually contain a main such as pizza or pasta, along with fires or salad, and a drink, which typically comes to about €16 (approx. £13).

This tends to be a much better option than dining in themed restaurants, but you’re likely still better off bringing in your own food where possible. However, if you’re staying on-site at Disney then a lot of the hotels won’t have a fridge, this is something to keep in mind.

Disneyland Paris also has a McDonald’s within the Disney Village, which is another option for if you’re looking to eat-out somewhere fast and easy while on a budget.

Avoid unnecessary and expensive add-ons

It’s easy to convince yourself to add on some of the extras during your trip to Disneyland Paris, but if you haven’t been before then I’m here to tell you it’s most likely not worth it.

 

What add-on’s are there?

Disney Premier Access (Fast-track)

Premier Access, or fast-track essentially lets you pay to join a separate shorter queue, the idea is that you skip the queue and get priority access to get on the rides first compared to people waiting in the normal queue. However, there is absolutely no need for fast track when ride times are 5 minutes, which was really common during my trip.

My first two days in the park were Thursday evening and Friday (full-day), during these days my longest wait time was about 20 minutes. 

This did change significantly on Saturday, which was my final day at the park. Here, I was waiting around 45 – 60 minutes for most rides. I can’t vouch for whether this improved throughout the day as I left by 2pm to head to explore Paris. 

Although fast-track was not necessary for my visit, if I only had one day at the park and it was that Saturday – I might have considered purchasing Premier Access / Fast-track. Fortunately for me, I’d already been on all the rides on Thursday and Friday, so spent the Saturday picking out a few of my favourites to ride one last time before I left. 

If you’re visiting Disneyland across a couple of days or more, you should have plenty of time to ride the rides you want. You’ll have access to the Disneyland Pairs app, which will let you know the estimated wait times for rides, so you can plan accordingly.

Tip: If you have access to Magic Hour, my advice is to make use of that hour to ride the rides that typically have the longest wait times (Crush’s Coaster, Peter Pan, Big Thunder Mountain, Indiana Jones, etc.) 

Photo Pass

Perhaps this is because on my list visit to Disneyland I didn’t do any character experiences or meet-and-greets, but I did not see a single option where I would’ve used the photo pass. Unlike the times I’ve been in the various Disney World Florida Parks, and have seen members of staff constantly walking round with cameras at the popular photo areas, I did not see this at all at Disneyland Paris.

When most people carry smart phones, and you can bring a digital camera with a non-detachable lens, then why would you pay for a Disneyland Paris Photo Pass?

Guaranteed Access to shows

With shows held regularly, there wasn’t any need to pay to have guaranteed access to shows during my trip to Disneyland Paris. As long as you went and queued for a short period of time before the show, then you were essentially guaranteed a spot.

Perhaps this differs during the peak times of school holidays, but unless this is something that you or your family are desperate to do, then I wouldn’t bother paying for Guaranteed Access.

Particularly as there are other pop-up parades that happen which are not listed on the app. During my most recent three day park visit to Disneyland, I went to three organised parades and firework shows. Yet I still happened to stumble into two other surprise parades which were not listed on the app, and therefore had much smaller crowds (and were much more enjoyable).

Merch

If you want merch, I recommend buying some before your trip. If you are based in the UK and Europe, then Primark often sells Disney merchandise, including Disney Ears for much cheaper than the cost of buying merch at Disneyland.  

If you don’t mind about merchandise not being official, then you can often find some great and affordable designs on Etsy!

How much did my trip to Disneyland Paris cost?

I have done two stays at Disneyland Paris. My most recent was in December 2023 – although I was not on a super strict budget during my trip to Disneyland as I was only paying for myself to go, I still did not want to spend a fortune and was conscious of prices and saving money. 

 

Here is what I did, and how I could’ve made it cheaper:

For Context: I visited while Disney’s Enchanted Christmas 2023 was on.

I visited from the final weekend of November to the very start of December.

I stayed on-site at Disney from Thursday to Saturday, before getting on a train and staying in Paris City Centre from Saturday to Sunday.

I have not included the cost of my stay in Paris City Centre within this pricing, as I want to focus on Disney.

I booked this entire trip relatively last-minute, booking the hotels around a month in advance, and the flights a little later.

Flights

Total: £160 (€186.64 approx.)

I flew with EasyJet from Manchester to CDG, and returned from CDG to Birmingham.

I travelled with carry-on only to save money, and didn’t pay to reserve a seat, so had randomly allocated seats.

I definitely could’ve done this cheaper, but I booked this trip relatively last minute (less than a month in advance), so the plane ticket prices were more expensive than I could’ve booked them for had I organised this trip sooner.

Airport Transfer

I got the TGV Fast Train from CDG Airport to Disneyland, which cost £12 (€13.83).

Accommodation

Two nights at the Disney Sequoia Lodge, in a room that slept four people.

  • This is not the cheapest hotel I could’ve stayed in but is still largely classed as a budget option at Disney.
  • The cost of the room was £863.34 in total (€1,007.09).
  • This was split between 3 adults, which worked out at £287.78pp (or €340.20pp).
  • However, the room slept 4, which could’ve made it approximately £215.83pp depending on whether the price of park tickets for an additional person would’ve altered the overall cost.

Keep in mind that this price also included 3 days’ worth of park hopper tickets with magic hour for each guest.

Food

I didn’t plan how I was going to do food at Disney.

For context: on my first night I bought some snacks from the train station.

During the first and only full day I was at the park for, I ate at the Mcdonald’s in the Disney Village, as well as visiting the New York Style Sandwich shop in the Disney Village.

This offered the set menu where I got the Mickey Pizza, a salad and drink for €16.

On my final day at the park, I tried the Mickey Waffles for breakfast. I stayed at the park until about 2pm and then bought my lunch from the Pret at the train station before I got my train to Paris city centre.

I did buy various drinks at different times throughout my days at the parks, as well as the odd snack here and there, but overall kept my costs fairly low. 

I did not dine in at any of the themed restaurants during my time here (as much as I wanted to – but that’s a plan for another visit!).

In total across my days at Disneyland, I spent £68.58 (€80) on food.

Spending money

I spent £17.35 (€20) on a pair of Disney Ears.

This obviously was not a necessary cost at all, however this was something I’d already decided I wanted to purchase ahead of my trip, so accounted for the costs.

 

Train to leave Disneyland

I got the train from Disneyland (Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy) into Paris City Centre where I then went on to stay another night.

This cost me £5.14 (€6)

 

Grand total

Grand Total: £550.85 (or €638.18) – This works out at £275.42 per night. Keep in mind that this will also vary based on exchange rates. 

Could I have done it cheaper?

I certainly could have done it much cheaper, if I…  

  • Booked my flights in advance, or via other airports.
  • Travelled with another friend so that we divided our room costs by four adults rather than three.
  • Stayed at one of the cheaper Disney Resorts, such as Santa Fe Hotel or Disney’s Davy Crockett Ranch.
  • Stayed at an off-site non-Disney hotel and booked my tickets separately. (However had I not done this, I wouldn’t have got the extra magic hour, which I made really great use of during my trip).
  • Not bought any merchandise.
  • Not bought my lunch from the train station on my final day – this was actually my most expensive meal (costing me about £17), it would’ve been cheaper for me to grab a set meal at one of the Disney Village budget diners again or had gone to McDonald’s.

Disneyland Paris FAQ’s

How much does it cost to go to Disneyland Paris?

Day tickets typically vary from £75 to £150 per person per day, depending on the number of parks you wish to visit.

An overnight stay at Disney can vary from £349 to £2,000+ for one night, this is based on one room for two guests. This depends on which Disney Hotel you stay in – with The Disneyland Hotel being the most expensive, and the Santa Fe Hotel being a more budget-friendly option.  

However, these prices include two days worth of Park Hopper Tickets with Magic Hour for each guest!

Which Disneyland Paris is better?

The Main Disneyland Park is definitely the best value out of the two parks at Disneyland Paris. In comparison to Walt Disney Studios, The Main Disneyland Park has more rides, character opportunities, parades, plus a fireworks show.

What is the cheapest month to go to Disneyland?

Typically mid-January to the start of March are the cheapest times to go to Disneyland. The end of November can also be cheap, which is typically just before or just as the Enchanted Christmas celebrations begin.

Can you do two parks in one day at Disneyland Paris

Yes, you can do two parks in one day, but it will take a lot of planning and walking. To get the most out of both parks, you ideally will need to visit during off-peak hours, and during a week day!

Can you take food into EuroDisney?

Yes, you can take your own food to EuroDisney! Just make sure your food is locked away in containers or sandwich bags!

Does Disneyland Paris have fireworks every night?

Yes, the Firework displays at Disneyland Paris happen over the Sleeping Beauty Castle every night! The timings can vary depending on park opening and closing times, so check the Disneyland Paris app to find out when the fireworks display will be happening during your visit!

There’s plenty more where that came from…

Read related Gigs n’ Travel articles