The currencies of the more "modern" eastern european countries have all experienced large gains relative to the dollar, just like the euro, but they started from a much lower base, so things are aboslutely more expensive there than before, but relative to western europe, still lower. Saving money means shopping at super markets for breakfast and lunch foods (and beer), staying out of bars and clubs, eating a take out or a grill bar supper and visiting low cost tourist sites/museums. You would be surprised how the exstras add up.

Camping is a great way to save money. Hitch-hiking or ride-sharing could save you a lot, too.

The dollar is made out of paper so you’ll have a hard time stretching it. However if you put a coin on some railroad tracks and let a train run over it, then it’ll get pretty damn big. Good luck.

so Ive heard a lot of camping suggestions, but whats the deal with it? Do I need to bring my own tent/sleeping bag? I know that I found this in Italy, but which other countries is this a feasible option? (Some place that doesnt get too cold, although I will be traveling throughout the month of june). Ive narrowed the list down to krakow, prague, cinque terre, rome, paris, berlin and/or munich, brugges, and amsterdam(not in that order).

Yes, you need to bring your own tent, sleeping bag and matress. There are campsites that rent out caravans or cabins, but that won’t save you money if you’re on your own (if you’re in a group of 3-4 people it would). It’s warm enough to camp anywhere in Europe in june, though of course it will be rainy in some places (so make absolutely sure you have a good, water-resistant tent). I’ve actually camped in Prague, Paris, Berlin and Munich, and I know there’s a good campsite in Amsterdam as well. The one in Paris was a long walk from the nearest metro station, but the others were within easy reach (by public transport) of the city centre and major sights. I could see if I can find adresses of these campsites, but you should find them listed in guidebooks as well (Europe on a Shoestring etc.). In eastern Europe you don’t really need to camp as you should be able to find a reasonably priced hostel there, e.g. in Krakow I got a single room for 50 zloty (11 Euro) at the Trzy Kafki hostel (2 years ago, so it may be a little more now).

www.artoftravel.com has loads of great tips on budget travel, btw.

The biggest way that I have found to stretch the dollar is to NOT drink soda and do not pay for water. Bring one bottle and refil it at the hostel or a drinking fountain (not a foutain that you throw coins into!)

Most people cannot do my second suggestion, but I promise that if you are one of the few who can, you will save a lot of money: Don’t buy alcohol from a bar/club/pub.

1.) The flask is your friend

2.) Supermarket shopping

3.) Don’t pay for sex.

lol @nadrazi

Serisously, though, it’ll be tough. The US dollar has been sliding against several currencies including the Euro, Pound sterling, Yen, and Canadian Dollar. Most likely, it has slid against other European currencies as well (Polish Zloty, Swiss Franc, etc)…add to that the rising cost of living in EU countries. Scandinavian countries have always had a general high cost for basic goods. Elsewhere, the advent of the single currency (the Euro) has led to a huge increase in the cost of living: Greece, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands are countries where this is reported to have been most severe. The newer ten members may be experiencing a rise in cost of living as well simply for entering the EU (just as Ireland, Spain, Greece, and Portugal experienced in the 1980s and 1990s) so watch out for that. And outside the EU, the cost of living in Russia has shot up, faster than growth in incomes. Add to that the sliding US dollar, and Europe has become very expensive for American visitors.

Some additional remedies I go by:

-Avoid bureaux de change as much as possible. They usually charge high commision fees. Banks give better rates. Your best option is drawing money from an ATM account. Cirrus is widely accepted in Europe, and make sure your ATM pin number has 4, not 5 digits. ATM machines only subject you to minimal fees (such as 1.50 or 2 Euros) and your bank searches for the best exchange rates in tha market in order to convert your withdrawals into US dollars.

As snorkelman says, avoid bottled water if you can. Sometimes you can’t. In Rome, there’s water fountains everywhere (I don’t mean the decorative fountains…there’s actually drinking fountains everywhere built back in the day when there was no indoor plumbing and people relied on these for water). In Athens, there aren’t any such fountains, but the bottled water is very inexpensive (one of the few things that are still inexpensive) and widely available at newsstands. But at reastaurants, request tap water instead. (Don’t drink pop either…not only does it cost $money$ and can actually be pricier in Europe than in the US, but it is also extra unneeded calories, and the sugar will make you thirsty again, completely defeating the purpose). Yes, tap water is safe and clean in all of Europe. In some areas, people might discourage it, because -just as in the US it might be hard water or as is the case on smaller Greek islands it’s desalinated sea water and may not taste that great.

-eat from the supermarket. Do this religiously. Hostel doesn’t have a kitchen? Eat sandwhiches and fruit. (Your lunch meat and cheese can last quite some time without refridgeration. Give it 2 days…you’ll have eaten all by then anyways). There is a huge variety of such products in supermarkets across the continent. Also, be aware that supermarkets are not open as long as they are in the US. In France, they close at 7pm, and close all day on Sundays. Store closures on Sundays are pretty much the thing in most of Europe.

-Limit alcohol consumption. Some backpackers drink beer 24/7, coming from cultures where alcohol is demonized. Certain countries, such as France, levy extra taxes on beer, which is why beer is so expensive and wine so cheap. Other backpackers will tell you beer is "cheap" in Spain, but it’s not. Prices are low, but so are portions. Reserve alcohol consumption for when you’re at the pub or club.

-Take overnight trains. An overnight train saves you one night’s hostel fare.

-Don’t be tempted to buy clothes in Europe. You may think they look cool, but you won’t wear them when you’re back in the States; you’ll get rid of them, only to see the same styles come out in the US a year or two later. Wait, and go with the trend back home.

You can always save money by skipping a few nights at the hostel. As LTB said an overnight train will save you the money for a night’s bed but there are other ways of doing this without leaving town.

– Find a club that’s open till early morning, then you’ll be first in line wherever you go tomorrow.
– At the end of the night find some lonely person sitting by themself in the bar and hopefully you’ll get to sleep in his/her bed.
– Sleep in the park. If you’re a little worried about this then just get pissed drunk before and you’ll no longer care.
– Get pissed drunk and fall over somewhere.
– Check local public drunkeness fines. The drunk tank may be cheaper then the only available hostel/hotel room. If so, start being disorderly.

If you do go without a bed remember, the McDonalds bathroom shower is highly underrated. Save the soap scum for tomorrow’s shampoo.

Drink dark heavy beer and save money on food.

Fatten yourself up before you leave and lose the weight along the way.

Convince people reading this to buy up US securities

Earlier this afternoon, I purchased the railpasses for our May trip to France and Italy.

I’m fully expecting the rates to go up in 2005 for two reasons – the price hasn’t gone up significantly over the last couple of years and is due for an increase, plus the dollar is much weaker now than it was at the beginning 2004, when the price was set. Another advantage is that the railpass cost is set in dollars, which isn’t affected by all the currency fluctuations we’ve seen lately.

The only caveat is that you must validate the pass within 6 months. My trip will begin a month before the expiration date, so I’m all set.

LTB has some great suggestions, and here are a few more:

1) Once you arrive in a city, WALK to your accommodation rather than taking a local bus or subway. Some hostels are on the outskirts of a city or town, but walking everywhere is great exercise, helps you lose weight, and helps you see more of a city than just the main sights. Don’t worry too much about shady locals following you around. I still maintain that, with very few exceptions, Europe is just about the safest place in the world to visit.

2) Take advantage of free admission days for museums or reduced admission (often if you arrive in mid-afternoon). You may have to contend with larger crowds but you’ll seldom be able to completely avoid them anyway.

3) Go as long as you can without doing laundry. I don’t mean to sound gross, and travelling in, say, southern Italy during July will leave your clothes drenched in sweat and quite stinky. But as long as you take a shower every morning, if your traveling to places with more moderate temperatures (for example, the UK), you’d be surprised how long you can remain more-or-less odor-free wearing the same t-shirt, shorts, and underwear.

4) Don’t eat at sidewalk cafes in the main public areas of cities like Venice. Instead, look for a smaller hole-in-the-wall cafe without a bilingual menu.

5) Avoid the clubs/discos. I don’t understand while so many Americans have to go clubbing in Europe. Sure, they’re hoping to get laid most of the time, but really, a dance club in Europe can’t be THAT much different than a dance club in the US…and is it really a true cultural experience? This one is just my $0.02.

6) To second snorkleman, don’t drink alcohol. You’ll save bunches!

quote:3) Go as long as you can without doing laundry. I don’t mean to sound gross, and travelling in, say, southern Italy during July will leave your clothes drenched in sweat and quite stinky. But as long as you take a shower every morning, if your traveling to places with more moderate temperatures (for example, the UK), you’d be surprised how long you can remain more-or-less odor-free wearing the same t-shirt, shorts, and underwear.

Buy it. Love it. Use it. It’s your new best friend that will travel everywhere with you and we’ll all thank you for it. And don’t overlook washing a few things in the sink. A piece of string tied between the bunks and it’ll be dry by morning.

Laundry soap really isn’t that expensive! (And I’d still rather wash my clothes with shampoo when I run out than not wash them at all)

My husband and I are using piceline for the first time for our upcoming trip. It was good in a couple of ways – we prepaid, so even as the dolalr continues to slide, we are not affected with lodging price. And we are actually staying in a real hotel for the price of a dumpy place like we would normally stay in. (Budapest Marriot for $70 – 50 euros wouldn’t have gotten us much)
We are also cashing in Hilton points for 3 free nights at the Vienna Hilton. My husband travels a lot for work – that’s 3 years worth of Hampton stays.
This is so not our usual travel style, but I’m looking forward to something a little different while cutting back on costs.

an alternative to camping is sites like www.couchsurfing.com

there are other sites like this out there, but this one seems to be the best, and is my favorite.=)

quote:
The dollar is made out of paper so you’ll have a hard time stretching it. However if you put a coin on some railroad tracks and let a train run over it, then it’ll get pretty damn big. Good luck.

Actually it’s not, it’s a cotton/linen blend with some silk woven in. Which is why it doesn’t get destroyed when you wash it.