Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
$40 USD and $60 USD for a whole apartment. You can find cheaper if you are willing to share a room in
someone's house, with prices beginning at $25 USD.
Camping
Camping is also less common in Eastern Europe and exists only around a few major cities, like Tallinn,
Prague, Krakow, and Budapest. Many campsites only open during the summer. You'll find an especially
short camping season in countries up north, where winter comes early. Camping costs around $8 USD,
though can be as high as $12-15 USD if you need to rent a tent. If you have your own tent, you can find
campsites for around $6 USD. In many cases, hostels will let you camp if you have your own tent, for a
price a little less than a dorm room.
Hospitality Exchange
Couchsurfing is very popular in Eastern Europe, as many use it as a way to practice English. I used it in
Ukraine and was the hit of a party simply because everyone wanted to try to speak English with me. Couch-
surfing opportunities in Eastern Europe are limited in the countryside, but in the larger cities, you'll have
no problem finding people who are willing to host travelers. In this region, hosts tend to be younger and are
often students.
Servas and Hospitality Club don't have as many users here as they do in Western Europe, and I would
stick more to Couchsurfing than those two.
Accommodations are already cheap in Eastern Europe, and you don't need to do much to make them
cheaper. You are already paying very little money for accommodations, especially if you are staying at a
hostel.
All accommodations can be booked at the booking sites mentioned in Chapter 11 or listed in Appendix
A. Additionally, local tourist offices can help you secure accommodations.
WWOOF
WWOOFing in Central and Eastern Europe is relatively small, with most countries having only a few dozen
opportunities. It's best to inquire about openings far in advance.
FOOD
Food is much cheaper in Eastern Europe than in the west. Even if you are eating out for all your meals, you
can still get by on as little as $10 USD per day.
If you decide to buy your groceries, you'll average about $40 USD per week. This will get you
everything you need for large dinners, hearty meals, pasta, and some sandwiches. While I was in Romania,
I spent $35 USD for a week's supply of groceries that consisted of pasta, chicken, ground beef, and sand-
wiches. In Bulgaria, it cost me $35 USD for the week. In Bratislava, Slovakia, I spent $40 USD. Food prices
tend to be higher in central Europe than in the eastern part of the continent.
There are cheap outdoor food stalls around this whole area, though they are especially abundant in Bul-
garia, Poland, and Hungary. These street stalls typically sell fast meals like pizza, sandwiches, kebabs, or
sausages. They typically cost between $1.50 USD and $4 USD. Just as in Western Europe, these meals
present a quick and cheap way to eat. In Bulgaria, I practically lived off this little kebab and salad place near
my hostel.
