Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
15
Europe
Europe is not a monolithic place, and prices vary greatly depending how far north, east, south, or west
you travel. You could spend $70 USD per day in one place and then switch countries and spend $30 the
next. While not all of Europe is as expensive as most people believe, it isn't the easiest destination to live on
$50 USD a day either. But it isn't impossible. It just takes more work. By balancing expensive countries like
France and England with cheaper destinations like Poland, Romania, and Greece, you can keep your daily av-
erage low. I spent more than $100 USD per day while visiting friends in Sweden (mostly because they kept
taking me to restaurants and clubs), but while exploring Eastern Europe, my daily average was closer to $30
USD per day.
When talking about Europe, I think it is best to break it up into three zones: Western Europe, which con-
sists of mostly Eurozone countries and Great Britain; Eastern Europe (countries of the old Soviet bloc); and
Scandinavia. The countries that are included in each zone tend to be similar in price and in ways to save
money.
Western Europe
Eurozone countries, Switzerland, England, Scotland
Western Europe is expensive. High taxes, prices, and high-valued currencies (euro, Swiss franc, British
pound) are a deadly combination. You have to be creative to do Western Europe cheaply. While I've had
friends get by on as little as $50 USD per day, they had a very tight budget that consisted of not eating out
and limited sightseeing.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Hostels
The most popular form of budget accommodation is hostels. Hostels in Europe contain a wide range of amen-
ities—free breakfast, wi-fi, kitchens, common rooms, bars, dorms with their own bathrooms, and tours, just
to name a few things. In my opinion, European hostels are some of the best in the world; they foster a great
sense of community and go out of their way to organize activities.
Hostel dormitory rooms cost between $26 USD and $39 USD per night, depending on the room's size
and the popularity of the hostel. You can find dorm rooms as low as $15 USD per night in Greece, Spain,
Portugal, and some parts of Germany. I stayed in a six-bed dorm in Berlin for $16 USD, while the same one
would have cost me around $30 USD in Paris. Information about popularity, size, and proximity to the city
center can be found on the hostel booking sites mentioned in Chapter 11.
