For $1600? That will basically get you to the Czech Republic. From what I hear it’s safe there but that’s definitely not enough money. When are you planning on going? If you plan on going in the summer time that will definitely be how much it takes to get there. Even if it only costs you $1000 to get there, $600 isn’t going to last you long…even in Eastern Europe, unfortunately. I’d spend some more time home saving money.

That’s a really tight budget. You’d have to be really, really frugal, go at the right time, and go someplace cheap and you might be able to squeak by. I’d definitely try to scrape together more cash or shorten or postpone your trip.

That said, where are you flying from? When are you wanting to go?

It will be in May, 07. I checked at plane tickets and cheapest I can find is for $900 for Czech.

$600-$700 is not enough for 20 days?? I guess I am going to have to do extra work during xmas. What if I can find a travel buddy? Would that cut down the cost a little? Or wouldn’t make much difference?

quote: What if I can find a travel buddy? Would that cut down the cost a little? Or wouldn’t make much difference?

Generally, no. Budget accomodations usually charge by the person, not by the room. You might save a tad by sharing food — cooking together or sharing a loaf of bread from the market, but that won’t make enough difference to matter.

Don’t look for a ticket to Prague. Find a sale on flights to London or Paris, then hop a cheap flight from there. That should save you some money.

If you want to be away for almost three weeks, and that is your budget, look into something that will pay for your room and board for at least part of your stay. One possibility, but not the only:

http://wwoof.org

Berlin is pretty cheap so far as European cities go. I would feel able to manage quite well in Berlin on 40 Euros per day, but would want more in many other cities. Still, even 40 Euros per day for 20 days plus airfare will put you well over your limit.

If you go to just one or two or three places, that will help you save money too. Example – you can buy your groceries for a week and use them up. You might get a cheaper weekly rate at a hostel than a daily rate. You can buy a weekly transit pass.

quote:
If you want to be away for almost three weeks, and that is your budget, look into something that will pay for your room and board for at least part of your stay. One possibility, but not the only:

http://wwoof.org

Berlin is pretty cheap so far as European cities go. I would feel able to manage quite well in Berlin on 40 Euros per day, but would want more in many other cities. Still, even 40 Euros per day for 20 days plus airfare will put you well over your limit.

If you go to just one or two or three places, that will help you save money too. Example – you can buy your groceries for a week and use them up. You might get a cheaper weekly rate at a hostel than a daily rate. You can buy a weekly transit pass.

http://wwoof.org never heard of that think. But looks like fun. Now you have confused me even more about my trip. ..j/k

i would love to do that in czech. Do you know any other possibilities other than WWOOF?

has anybody here tried WWOOF before?

A friend of mine is leaving in Janruary to do WWOOF for a year in New Zealand.

Once you hit May the prices start going up. If you could go in April you’d save some money because the tourist season isn’t quite started yet.

Prague is safe. I feel safer in any European city in the middle of the night as opposed to here.

Since your going for 20 days I would spend some time in Poland. It’s less expensive than the Czech Republic.

If you haven’t posted in the Flights forum, I would do that. Don is uncanny about finding deals for people.

I like the idea about flying into London and then catching a small carrier like Ryan Air to Prague. Just be sure to check out the total of all costs to get to Prague and determine if the trouble is worth the money saved.

One idea may be to travel to Munich and catch a night train to Prague. It may cost $30-$40 to get to Prague but the train doubles as a place to sleep for the night….And if you land in Munich early enough, you can leave your things in a locker and see some of the area before you leave for Prague that night.

That link mentions a WWOOF in the Czech Republic:

WWOOF Czech Republic
Contact : Jana Lojkova
Address : AREA Viva, Dubecno 50, 28902 Knezice, Czech Republic
For host list send membership application form available from AREA Viva or from the website. Send with 15$ or GBP£10 sterling or 15 euros cash wrapped in kitchen foil and extra paper wrapping. To send bank drafts, contact us.
Tel : +42 (0) 776 22 60 14
Email : areaviva{at}quickcz or areaviva{at}seznam.cz
Web : www.wwoof.ecn.cz

quote:
That link mentions a WWOOF in the Czech Republic:

WWOOF Czech Republic
Contact : Jana Lojkova
Address : AREA Viva, Dubecno 50, 28902 Knezice, Czech Republic
For host list send membership application form available from AREA Viva or from the website. Send with 15$ or GBP£10 sterling or 15 euros cash wrapped in kitchen foil and extra paper wrapping. To send bank drafts, contact us.
Tel : +42 (0) 776 22 60 14
Email : areaviva{at}quickcz or areaviva{at}seznam.cz
Web : www.wwoof.ecn.cz

thanks

btw…which one is more fun/better.. doing wwoof in czech or in Italy ?? I am thinking turcany area would be fun. But I am czech is much cheaper country.

Which country you have a better experience WWOOFing in will probably depend on your hosts, and the situation of their particular farm, more than the actual country. I suspect there would be a lot more competition for Tuscany, though.

Try Portugal in the early spring. If you book early and fly mid-week you could find a ticket for around $500 in March on Iberia. Or have you thought abour Croatia or Slovenia, also in early spring? Slovenia at least is cheaper that the Czech Rep. It will still be cold, but your wallet will be full!