Hello,
Just wondering if anyone can give me a rough daily budget for europe.
We have not bought a eurorail pass and will probably fly most of the time, so including transportation.
Ive read that it is around 20-30 euro a night for accom in hostels
We will try to couchsurf whenever we can, and eat at grocery stores to save money on food.
We are three 23 year olds, we would like to do a lot of sightseeing. And most likely will go out on a regular basis.
How much cheaper is it in Eastern Europe? We are planning on going to Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Turkey, Austria, Germany, Croatia, Poland, and the UK.
Trravelling in July, flying alot, going out every day?
Budget at least 80-120 EUR per day and person in Western European countries: Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Austria, Germany, and the UK.
For Turkey you should be able to get by on 35-60 EUR per day and person, depending on where you are and your style of travel.
Croatia, Poland - say around 65-80 EUR? I have no clue what you pay for partying in these places in summer, so I can only make a rough guess. Croatian and Polish prices are far from the bargain they used to be 10 years ago, especially not in summer.
These figures are not the minimum, but assume you stay in cheap hostels all the time and include some money for partying on top of sightseeing.
Minimum for Western Europe is around 65 EUR per day and person if you stay in hostels, ride the trains using a Eurail pass and eat food from the supermarket.
If you are serious about partying put the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria on your list of places to visit.
How much cheaper is it in Eastern Europe?
Depends upon the country. Bulgaria is generally cheaper than Poland for example, just as Spain and Germany are cheaper than the UK. So it is hard to say how much cheaper Eastern Europe is compared to Western Europe.
To start with, your choice to fly rather than do the Eurail thing is an excellent beginning. Wizzair, Ryanair and EasyJet will get you all over Europe (one way) for literally the price of a few pints of beer per flight, if planned and booked well in advance. Eurail is only for die-hard train fans who want to look at trees and fields all day and it's such a rip-off.
€20-30 in the west will do it for a room or bed. Even cheaper if you check out hostels in your towns/cities of choice.
No need to couchsurf unless you're absolutely desperate.
Destinations on your list..........
You'll probably find (overall) the most expensive are UK, France, Germany and Italy (in that order. The UK prices are just so scary. It's right up there with Scandinavia, especially in London and Manchester), then Spain, Austria and Portugal (again in that order).
The rest will probably be (in order) Greece, Poland, Turkey and Croatia. Not much to choose in price between the last 2.
Countries such as Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia and Macedonia will be so cheap for you if you did them after the UK.
What you pay for 1 beer in Manchester or London, you can buy a crate in Bulgaria. And the local beers in Bulgaria are better quality than the general beers on sale in Manchester/London bars.
A room in most Eastern European countries is available for around €20 a night or a lot less if you befriend a local for a day or 2. They'll know other locals who would like to meet westerners (especially North Americans) and will probably give you a double bed for a few €'s and a bottle of wine. That's per room, not per person and will include a breakfast of cheeses, meats, bread, juice and tea/coffee.
I've done Canada (N.S.E and W.) many times and the price variations there are nothing like in Europe. I would suggest that what you're used to paying at home, would be roughly the same as somewhere between Spain and Italy. The capitals and large cities in Western Europe are a lot more expensive than the villages, whereas in Eastern Europe, there's not a vast difference in prices. The natives just don't have that much money. Most people in Eastern Europe earn around €200-250 a month. Hurts doesn't it.
Your suggestion of groceries is brilliant. An average meal in Milan can cost up to €40 per person. The nearby markets (just superb) will sell you fresh meat, fruit and veg for 2 and a bottle of wine for around €10. There'll be enough for two of you. There's a saving for you. And you can be pretty much sure that nobody's been scratching their butt or picking their nose while getting your food together.
You've obviously done some good homework.
Hope it all comes together well for you.
Europe has to be the most diverse continent on the planet.
[ 03-Dec-2009, at 13:15 by BedouinLeo ]
Eurail is only for die-hard train fans who want to look at trees and fields all day and it's such a rip-off.
I'm willing to argue that.
Depending upon what kind of deals you get with the flights it can be cheaper to get a rail pass. Also a rail pass has one big adventure that flights have not: flexibility.
When you fly around you are stuck with a certain schedule, there is no way for a spontaneous change of plans. And should you miss one flight you might have a problem making the rest of your connections.
The main problem I see with your travel plans is that you plan to go in July. July is the high season and I think it will be difficult to find the really cheap deals for flights. Not to mention stringing them together in such a way that they make sense.
My recommendation would be that you look at a mix of train, bus and flight. Maybe combine a "10 days within 2 months Global Eurail pass" with ryanair flights? Only thing to watch out for would be reservations. Some trains (especially overnight trains) need reservations, they can be hard to come by in high season. You sometimes need to reserve 2-5 days in advance for some popular trains in July/August.
Both replies to your post sound very informative, although I too have to disagree that train travel is a waste of time, unless you just want to hop scotch around Europe. Admittedly I have little experience with Ryan Air, but it made me furious to get a ticket for less than 50euros which I thought was a bargain (Trapani to Pisa, Italy) until they dunned me almost as much for my backpack. Plus the time and effort it took to get to the airport, and wait for the flight... is very time consuming. I know of people who have had to stay at a hotel near one of these airports in order to catch an early flight the next day.
And then, what do you see from an airplane? I would rather take a bus or a train and see the countryside. Europe is as intricate as a microchip; small, but so intricately detailed, why would anyone want to miss what there is to see between these destinations you want to visit?
Remember, travel is more than just the destination, it's the journey!!!
btw, 30euros a night is average in Italy and France for a no star hotel, very clean (that's for one person) I never book ahead unless I am headed into a large city. I don't take chances then!
Hi All,
What are the other ways for the budget travel in Europe..
Apart from flying with low-cost airlines and taking trains, the other budget options would be to take buses (Eurolines) or to cycle (you'll be exposed to all the elements while on the road). I don't think people hitch-hike anymore (is it even legal?).
I have to agree with the majority of people here- I think flying in Europe is pointless, unless you're flying pretty much from one end to the other (like Portugal to Finland or similar) or are on a very tight schedule. Getting to/from the airports is often a hassle as they're far from the actual city, low-budget airlines treat you like cattle, and you have to book far in advance to get a good deal- and fly around 6am on a Wednesday morning for it to be properly cheap. You often end up paying for a taxi as well, making it not-so-cheap after all, or sleeping at the airport- and sleeping on a train is so much nicer. It's also far more environmentally friendly to use the trains- important point for me and probably to a lot of other backpackers!
Hitchhiking can be done- I've only done it a few times but know quite a few people who get around by hitchhiking on regular basis. Scandinavia is probably the hardest place to get a lift in, though, and the most expensive for train travel. I got a lift once from Helsinki to St Petersburg with a trucker and I think it's about the only time. The easiest place I found was Portugal, where people practically offered a lift before I asked! Just make sure you use common sense and don't get into anyone's car if you feel unsure about them or the situation!
[ 07-Dec-2009, at 06:26 by Ofelia ]
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