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Suggestions for cheaper destinations for mid-twenties couple

Suggestions for cheaper destinations for mid-twenties couple

Old May 3rd, 2015, 01:30 PM
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Suggestions for cheaper destinations for mid-twenties couple

Hi,

We are planning a trip to Europe for this summer. We are in our mid-twenties and likely won't get to travel to Europe for awhile, so we are taking advantage of this time while we can! We travel a lot but in terms of Europe, we have only been previously to France (multiple times) and England. We love cultural sites but also enjoy ecotourism and activities such as bike riding or hiking. We like to alternate days of sightseeing with days of just soaking up the atmosphere. We have no interest in nightlife so that's not a factor. We are looking for help to narrow down which countries we should consider. We would like to limit our trip to one or two countries. We are hoping to get the best bang for our buck. We have been looking at Germany, Austria, Hungary, Turkey, Czech Republic, Greece, and Denmark. I thought Denmark would be on the pricier side, but for some reason airfare there is much cheaper than any other city. I'm not sure why that is? Flying out of PHL but can be flexible with that as well.

Budget: $6500-$7000 including airfare
Lodging: Prefer to rent an apartment, but not a huge factor- looking to spend around 150 USD per night or less
Timeframe: Hoping to spend 12-14 days, flexible, need to go after June 27th and arrive back home before August 1st

Please suggest the country or countries you think would best fit our interests and budget. Thank you for your input.
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Old May 3rd, 2015, 01:31 PM
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Sorry, I meant to say airfare to Copenhagen, Denmark, was much cheaper than any other city I've found so far. Obviously Denmark is not a city.
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Old May 3rd, 2015, 01:38 PM
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Click on my Id for a Czech Republic trip report. We found to be a very affordable place to visit. Note that we were not staying in Prague but in the east of the country (Beskydy mountains area)
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Old May 3rd, 2015, 01:43 PM
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Thank you, RM67- reading it now.
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Old May 3rd, 2015, 02:35 PM
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I have no idea about the airfare, so why not just separate that issue and figure out the other stuff. Then you can add the two together. But if you want to spend 150 USD for lodging, that is doable now in Europe (although the euro has gone up a little). Czech Republic and Poland are cheaper than, say, UK and France. So is Spain. YOu can easily get places there for that, and not hostels.

You can get by on that budget most anywhere you want to go, actually. It's up to you. Yes, I think you can spend less in some places, though.

I presume that budget is for 2 people, isn't it? Because it is quite generous for one, so I can't imagine you would think that being frugal. So if you spend $3000 on airfare, that leaves $4000 max or about $300 a day for two people, 150 for lodging and 150 for food and everything else. That's perfectly doable, when I travel alone, that's often about what I spend and I'm not even trying to be frugal and could easily spend more. I am not into expensive restaurants and don't eat 3 meals a day, though, that's just my habits. But you can easily do that just by watching things a little.

I don't have experience in Greece and Turkey, but I'm sure you can get by there, but you can in Spain, Poland and CR also, well enough. Where do you really want to go, anyway? I haven't been to Denmark, I think you can do that, but I have never heard anybody calling Denmark a particularly cheap place.

Maybe SAS was having a sale from your point of origin, They do have good fares to COpenhagen, though, I've noticed that also. Usually London and Paris are the cheapest destinations for me. Frankfurt and Amsterdam aren't bad either due to United and KLM flights from where I live. Others involve transfers and cost more.
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Old May 3rd, 2015, 02:37 PM
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Scandinavia is not cheap. The airfare may be [SAS has some killer fare sales from time to time] a deal but other things are not.

Czech Republic was least expensive place when we toured several countries last year. We thought Hungary would be too, but wasn't. Check out Slovakia too.
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Old May 3rd, 2015, 02:43 PM
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Central Europe (read: former Soviet satellites and USSR member states) is less expensive than Western Europe (with the exception of Portugal, which is the poorest country in Western Europe).

Scandinavia is NOT inexpensive in any manner or by any measurement. But the Baltics (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) are a short trip away.
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Old May 3rd, 2015, 03:19 PM
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In my opinion, Greece is a perfect combination of culture and nature. You can find a vast variety of landscapes, sites and activities. In your case I recommend you the island group of the Dodecanese. The island of Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese. It's a wonderful island with many interesting attractions. The old city of Rhodes is a UNESCO site. This walled city is the biggest inhabited castle-town of Europe, and once was one of the greatest cities of the Greek world due to its location on the gates of the East. Once home to one of the seven wonders of the world, the Colossus of Rhodes, this city later became a center of knowledge and even Caesar himself was taught rhetoric in its great schools. The island was eventually conquered by Byzantines, Crusaders, Ottomans and Italians, all leaving their mark creating one diverse and cosmopolitan city. Today the city of Rhodes is one of the most perfect and intact examples of medieval architecture, encircled by huge walls constructed by the Crusaders, the town is home to Byzantine churches, Ottoman mosques and hamams, Crusader palaces and roads, Jewish synagogues and many other intriguing sites. Another beautiful town on the island of Rhodes is Lindos. A picturesque traditional settlement, crowned with an ancient Acropolis. There you will find stone alleys, churches and old squares. But beyond all that beauty in this town you will find the Tomb of Cleobulus, one of the Seven Sages of Greece. A must for History lovers. Rhodes is one of the most fertile Greek islands, so you will have a great opportunity to discover its diverse ecosystem. The natural wonder of the island is the valley of the butterflies. Each summer a unique phenomenon occurs in the forested valley. Millions of colorful butterflies flock into the forest the reproduce, and there are so many that you almost can't see the trees. Rhodes has also tens of excellent sandy beaches. Tsampika beach is a large organized sandy beach with blue waters. The Anthony Quinn beach is a rocky beach with turquoise waters surrounded by green rocks. You can hike many parts of Rhodes, there are more than enough places to explore on foot. Ancient acropolises, medieval castles, Byzantine monasteries, traditional villages and natural paths are dotted all over the island. The Rhodian Cuisine is an amazing blend of Greek cuisine, with Arabic, Turkish and Italian influences. It's also cheap, and opposed to other European destinations Rhodes is -very- cheap for what it offers. You can make day trips to other beautiful islands of the Dodecanese, or even staying for a couple of days experiencing the true laid-back Aegean atmosphere. Some of the most beautiful islands are: Symi, a small island with a gorgeous colorful town with seaside tavernas and atmospheric alleys, built in neoclassical style. It has many beautiful virgin beaches and a awesome monastery, the Panormitis. Another gorgeous island is Kastellorizo. This tiny island is the easternmost region of Greece, just across the Anatolian coast. It's off the beaten path and its beautiful town is ideal for relaxing, as it has all the Greek beauty bit without any tourists (most tourists don't even know its existence due to its location). The tow is crowned by a red crusader castle, on of the sites of the island. There is even a Lycian tomb on top of the town, built before the birth of Christ. Make sure to take the tour of the island and visit one of Europe's best kept secret. The Cave of Parasta, or simply the Blue Cave is a an out-of-this-world cave in the sea, with a distinct deep blue color in which you can swim.
I hope my information seemed helpful, if you choose Greece for your next trip I'm sure you will love it.
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Old May 3rd, 2015, 03:47 PM
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Thank you so much to everyone who has replied so far.

Yes, that budget would be for two. But I would strongly prefer to spend less than that if possible. We tend to get a cheap breakfast on the run or cook breakfast and make our own sandwiches for lunch/dinner so we only have to eat out one meal per day max.

The airfare to Denmark was significantly less than anywhere else- about $600-$1500 below two tickets to anywhere else. I wondered if that would compensate for the extra expense.

Where would I want to go? Well, Italy, but I know that it will be way too hot for my husband there in July, despite his protests (which likely would rule out Turkey) or France again, to bike ride in the Loire Valley which we never got to do. But I think we'd rather go somewhere new. Greece and Denmark have always been on our list, but I am really loving what I am reading about Czech Republic. Austria is up there, too.

I am taking a look now at Slovakia as well, and an extra look at Rhodes-thanks for all that information!

Seems to have narrowed down so far to Greece, Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary- possibly adding Slovakia to the list and can't quite let go of Denmark.
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Old May 3rd, 2015, 03:51 PM
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Sorry, scratch off Hungary based on its expense plus my lack of interest compared to other places.

If it helps, history, culture, nature, and bike riding would be our top four wishes. We like a place charming and friendly if possible.
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Old May 3rd, 2015, 04:39 PM
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Well if Italy will be too hot then I wouldn't head to Greece either.

Czech Republic is fairly inexpensive and there is a reasonable amount to see and do in Prague and day trip, but I think I would head to Germany. It is quite inexpensive versus France and UK (esp Berlin) and there is a plethora of things to see and do all over the country - for people with any interests. Plus weather is usually much cooler than Italy - esp if you spend some of your time in the mountains.
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Old May 3rd, 2015, 05:18 PM
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We found Portugal very reasonable, Greece too.
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Old May 3rd, 2015, 07:13 PM
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Summer 2013 a friend and I went to Poland and the Czech Republic. Cheap! And wonderful. We tried and tried to splurge but meals and most hotels were relatively inexpensive. It was hot and humid, though. Bearable--and laughable--at times. An excellent adventure.
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Old May 3rd, 2015, 11:39 PM
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> You don't need to let go of it if you don't want to. Because Denmark is expensive does not mean you have to see it in an expensive way. There are farmstays, B&B in private houses, you can rent bicycles, you can eat food bought in supermarkets (inc hot dishes to take out) and bakeries (open sandwiches for instance), or from a fishing harbour, or street food such as pølser (Danish hotdog) or eat in a department store restaurant or have set menu lunch in a restaurant rather than dinner.

Since you like hiking, nature, bike riding, culture and history are on your list etc, you should find Denmark very appealing. Scandinavia is the summer is very special, lakes, forests, beaches.

http://www.heldgaarden.dk/index_uk.html USD45 per night for a double,location is in the middle of Zealand.

http://www.cottagefarm.dk/ USD108 inc breakfast, location closer to Copenhagen, in Dragør which is close to the airport.

http://www.bedandbreakfastguide.dk/gb/home.htm for more options

http://www.rodvigcamping.dk/3hytteruk.htm Camping or staying in log cabins is popular, camp sites are very well equipped & is an inexpensive way to stay.

http://www.bedandbreakfastdanmark.dk...en-city-centre 4km from city centre, Hellerup is a very upscale suburb, close to the beach, has lots of shops inc supermarkets. EUR68 per night inc breakfast.

http://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copen...free-things-do
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Old May 4th, 2015, 01:33 AM
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I'd look at Germany and Eastern Germany as prices are even cheaper there. The Elbe river bike path is a possibility. You could do Hamburg to Prague or maybe just Berlin to Prague (off the Elbe path for a bit but still on national bike paths) this gives some ideas. While it is possible to pay a fortune for hotel rooms in Germany, B&B and small hotels are very affordable, think E70 for two including breakfast. Food in Germany is relatively cheap though not as cheap as in Czech (outside Prague, where prices are internationally competitive).

Hungary; well Budapest can be expensive but in the countryside around get cheap, but it does get hot.

http://www.mybikeguide.co.uk/Elbe_Guide.php or

http://bilboburgler.hubpages.com/hub...ip-Preparation and then flick through the pages attached

In fact there is a bike path (with ferry included) from Berlin to Denmark.
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Old May 4th, 2015, 02:25 AM
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We often take our day or weekend trips to neighboring Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and into Poland because the overall costs are less than Austria (particularly Vienna). I even make a quarterly grocery trip for pantry items to CZ because the costs are much lower.

If you're thinking Central Europe in July, be certain that there will be AC wherever you stay, since that might be an issue for one of you.
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Old May 4th, 2015, 05:21 AM
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I second Bilbo's recommendation for eastern Germany, south of Berlin. Just returned (March) from that area. Spent several days in the Ore mountain range, very lovely. Could tie in visits to Dresden, Chemnitz as well as the Czech Republic. Fly in/ out of Prague/ Berlin. Food and lodging very reasonable and Eco activities abound.
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Old May 4th, 2015, 06:18 AM
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Just a suggestion - if you decide to go to the Czech Republic, you can rent a studio apartment in Prague for less than the cost of a hotel and use it as a base to explore the city and for day trips using public transportation. Having a kitchen and being able to cook and to have a place to actually unpack are both reasons I love having apartments. Even for three to five days, it can be a great deal.

Try Flipkey or Homeaway. There are lots of other rental websites, too.

Hope you have a wonderful time!
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Old May 4th, 2015, 06:29 AM
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Don't discount Turkey ... they're not on the Euro, so will be cheaper than any country using the Euro. Istanbul is amazing, and the only city in the world located on 2 different continents - Europe and Asia. You could combine Turkey with Greece if that interests you. There are lots of threads specific to Turkey that you might want to review.
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Old May 4th, 2015, 07:43 AM
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We hiked in Austria (Mayrhofen/Zillertal) for almost two weeks and I was quite surprised at the economy of the trip. However, it's a completely different type of trip than our usual trips to France. The clothes, gear, almost everything is different but I have many friends who travel to Europe on hiking vacations and pack this way. I think we spent less than 1200 dollars for expenses outside of airfare. The key was that we were doing high alpine hut hikes which included board. Not a trip for everyone, granted but incredibly beautiful.

Here is a sample of what that is like:

https://www.mayrhofen.at/en/101006/1...ing-trail.html


Another lovely hiking destination is Valbruna, Italy
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