How to experience Zante on a budget 

The Greek island of Zakynthos, commonly known as Zante, is one of the nightlife hotspots of Europe. It’s also full of stunning sandy beaches, turquoise waters and year-round sunshine. No wonder it’s so popular!

Despite Zante being one of the cheapest party destinations, costs can still quickly add up. So, here’s your guide to experiencing Zante on a budget.

Accommodation

Accommodation is often one of the most expensive parts of travelling. In Zante, you’re looking at average hotel prices of around £50-£100 a night. Cheaper options are available but might mean having to stay further away from the centre of the action. 

Of course, it all depends on what time of year you go. But if you’re hoping to experience the summer party season, what use is travelling in November?!

One of the best ways to save money without sacrificing the proper Zante experience is to visit on a working holiday. When you book through Summer Takeover, your Zante workers accommodation is located just 10 minutes from the main strip.

Your apartment will have cooking facilities, a balcony, an on-site pool, and cleaning included. With 28-day packages starting from just £549, it’s a no-brainer. 

Nightlife

One of the best things about Zante nightlife is that pay-in clubs are rare. Rescue is one of the most popular clubs in Zante, and it’s completely free to enter. This means that a night out in Zante can be as cheap or expensive as you want it to be.

With that being said, some events are ticketed. This is especially the case if you’re going to see a special guest DJ. If you’re keen to attend a few different events, you can save money with an events package.  

Food and drink

Food

Food and drink can quickly add up, but here’s where things get interesting. It’s actually surprisingly easy to keep yourself fed and watered on a shoestring budget (ok, so there probably won’t be much water involved). 

From €1 pizza slices on the strip to €3 gyros, you can subsist entirely on fast food if that’s what floats your boat. We won’t blame you if you do – authentic gyros beat kebabs any day of the week. Wanting to consume as many as possible while you still can is completely understandable.

But if you are looking for fast food, it’s best to avoid the familiar names from home. Subway and McDonald’s are both more expensive than the local favourites.

You can save even more money by eating in for some meals. If you’re staying in one of our workers apartments, then you’ll have the added bonus of being able to cook in your very own kitchen. 

And yes, putting a pizza in the oven is cooking. Just stock up at one of the cheap local supermarkets first.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner – they all roll into one when you’re up all night and sleeping through the following day. But after a week of living off late-night gyros and too many bowls of cereal, you might feel like treating yourself to a nice meal out.

If that’s the case, try to avoid the tourist hotspots. Prices are more likely to be inflated here. If you can find where the locals eat, head there. The food will be better and the prices are usually much fairer! You can get a meal out for between €10-€20 depending on where you go.

Drinks

All the best nights out start with pre-drinks. The good news is that wine and beer are cheap as chips from the local supermarket – you can pick up a bottle of vino for as little as €3. 

But spirits can be expensive, so it’s always handy to stock up in duty free on your way through the airport.

Once you’re out and roaming the streets of Zante, there are plenty of ways to drink on a budget. On the strip, there are bars offering crazy deals like two cocktails for €6 or two shots for €1. Speak to the reps walking up and down – they often have the best offers!

If you can make it out in time for happy hour (often 8-9 pm) you’ll be able to take advantage of even better deals. As the night goes on and you end up in the bigger clubs, drinks prices will usually rise to about €5 per spirit mixer.

Still, it’s more than possible to go the entire night without spending more than €30 on drinks. 

One final thing to bear in mind is that most people prefer not to drink the tap water in Zante. But bottled water from the supermarket is cheap – around 6 litres for €1.50 – so it won’t break the bank.

Things to do

Zante is full of natural beauty that’s 100% free to enjoy. Watching the sunset over the beach will be one of the highlights of your trip. There are too many breathtaking beaches to name, and the best part is that you can visit many of them for free using the island shuttle bus. 

If you want a day away from resort life, you can take a quick bus trip into Zakynthos town – it’s only €1.80 each way. 

There are loads more activities that Zante has to offer, but they start to get a bit pricier from here. Booze cruise tickets start from around €40 but that does include drinks, so it’s worth setting aside money for. 

It’s also worth taking the boat trip to Navagio Beach (also called Shipwreck Beach – you’ll see why) at least once. 

Tips for experiencing Zante on a budget

To round off, we’ve highlighted our top tips for saving money when in Zante:

1. Get a job – earning money means you can spend money!
2. Get a discount workers band – Sumer Takeover workers get discounts from local partners.
3. Plan a daily budget in advance – this will help you avoid any money-related disasters.
4. Bring cash out – you can’t spend it if you don’t have it with you!
5. Buy food from the local supermarket and eat in where you can.
6. Pre-drink – it’s more fun that way anyway.
7. Book activities and packages in advance to secure better rates.
8. Look out for great deals – 2-4-1 cocktails, we’re coming for you!

There are plenty of reasons to work in Zante. Aside from having more money to spend, you’ll also meet people from all over the world, be part of a community, and be able to make a summer of partying look good on your CV.

Check out our summer jobs in Zante to find out more about the opportunity.