Wednesday | May 23, 2012
European Summer Vacation On a Budget (Part II)
| Rate Center | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Today's Average Rates Across the Country* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
By
Jennifer O'Brien, Let's Go Travel Writer
11 March 2004
Summer vacation is coming and maybe you’ve been dying to visit popular European destinations like Paris, or Amsterdam, or Venice for ages. But don’t close your options quite yet. When traveling on a budget, there are two major factors to consider; the cost of airfare and the day-to-day costs once you’re there.
In Europe, the two factors often contradict each other. You might find amazing air deals to London or Paris, but daily expenses can wipe your bank account if you don’t plan carefully; on the flip side, flights to Budapest or Prague might seem steep, but once there you’ll only spend a fraction of what you would spend at home.
So now what? Hop online and surf websites like Student Universe or Orbitz and tool around with their ticket searches for the destination of your heart’s desire or for new ideas of where to go. Come up with a list of three or four favorites and flip through a travel guide such as Let’s Go to get an idea of the daily travel expenses for each destination (and remember to use up-to-date exchange rates from a website like xe.com).
Which reminds me: consider the currency exchange rates themselves. With the weakened dollar (and with currencies like the British pound the strongest they’ve been in over a decade), your money simply won’t go as far as it used to, especially in Western Europe. Western Europe is more expensive than Eastern Europe, and even within the European Union some destinations are pricier than others.
Britain and France will cost you more on average than Spain and Portugal, which in turn are pricier Hungary or the Czech Republic, which in turn cost more than Croatia or Russia. If you’re doing a lot of traveling, or hitting multiple countries, play around with your route to find the cheapest connecting flights (or trains or buses, which can often also be found online).
When to go. Europe is generally more expensive in the summer. Airfares peak between mid-June and early September (as well as the December holidays), so if possible, try to leave in May or early June. Not only will your flight cost less, but most sights and hostels will yet to be thoroughly clogged with camera-touting tourists.
But wait, you’re not done. Even the day of the week that you fly impacts price; midweek (Monday to Thursday morning) roundtrip flights generally run at least $50 cheaper than weekend flights. Whether or not you stay through a Saturday will often also affect the price.
The length of your stay might often change the price, so if you have some flexibility in both time and money, toy around online with different return dates (differing by a week or two). Remember that while staying longer might save some cash on the airfare, it will add to the expense of the trip itself (additional accommodations, meals, and activities).
Cheap sleep. Accommodations are the other major place to save; after all, do you really need sweet digs if you’re going to spend 90 percent of your time there sleeping? Unlike the U.S., every major city in Europe (and most towns) will have at least one youth hostel, as well as bed & breakfasts and budget hotels. While an average hotel in Europe might run you $50-80, you can usually find a hostel bed for as little as ten bucks.
Hostels are usually dorm style with bunk beds, mixed and same-sex rooms, common rooms, common bathrooms and kitchen, laundry, Internet, and other services (but some have lockout hours, curfews, or don’t accept reservations). The cheapest of the cheap options is to camp out, but check out local laws to avoid getting fined for picking an illegal site.
Rail passes. Trains in Europe are generally comfortable, convenient, and reasonably fast; in Eastern Europe buses and individual tickets are usually the best call. Most countries give student or youth (under 26) discounts, so bring your ISIC. You can either buy a rail pass for unlimited travel within a defined region for a given time (either a time span or total days of travel), or buy individual point-to-point tickets.
The most popular passes are the Eurailpass, Selectpass, and Flexipass (try www.raileurope.com or www.railpass.com), designed so you can hop country to country whenever and wherever you want; in reality it’s not so simple. Passes still need to be validated before each trip, and many travelers find they have to buy supplements or leave cash deposits for seat reservations.
Since passes run from $360 to $1,660, they probably won’t pay for themselves unless you plan on traveling extensively, and budget flights or point-to-point tickets might prove your best bet. If you do get a pass, maximize your use; an overnight train or ferry uses up only one travel day if it leaves after 7 p.m. (and will save you one night’s stay at a hostel or hotel).
Other odds and ends. If you don’t have a passport, apply for one immediately; processing for an American passport can take six to eight weeks, and rushing a passport can cost close to $200. Check out visa requirements (which cost both time and money in advance), especially if you’re planning on staying for a long period of time or are heading to the non-EU enlargement countries in the East.
Remember to pack any particular toiletries or first-aid supplies that might not be available abroad (or with a poor exchange rate might cost twice as much as at home). The same goes for film. If you’re staying in hostels, consider making a sleepsack (fold a full-size sheet and sew two edges like a sleeping bag) to save on potential linens charges.
Once on the road, budget your meals. Buy groceries and prepare your own meals, or if eating out balance a dinner splurge with a cheap buffet lunch. While budget travel is a great way to explore Europe and the world, remember not to compromise safety and sanity for a cheap deal, and to keep some emergency cash on tap.
Copyright 2006 Let’s Go Travel
Tag Cloud
Financial help Center
Newsletter Sign Up
Enter to win a Young Money Career Package by signing up for our newletter.
