Hey guys,

I'll be a first-time international traveler this March 8-17, and I'm trying to decide between Europe and Latin America. Cost is one of my primary concerns (being a college student), and I'm wondering if those more experienced than me can help me out. I've priced airline tickets and I think I can get to Europe for about $475-500, or Mexico/Latin America for around $400. So now I'm trying to figure out approximate differences in costs once I get there - specifically, how much more expensive it will be to go to Europe.

Here's my specific information: if I go to Europe, I'll most likely go to London, Paris, Amsterdam, or Madrid (although feel free to suggest alternates - I'm far from dead-set on these destinations). I figure that by going to one city it will cut down on travel costs and wasted time in transit. From what I've read, Amsterdam or Madrid will be cheaper than London or Paris.

In Latin America, I would go to Mexico City and explore around there, or fly in to a city like La Paz, Nicaragua, or Honduras and do the same.

Regarding my "travel standards": I am certainly not an extravagant traveler, but I also don't want to have to live like a complete backpacker. I'd prefer to stay in a private room at night, but I'll probably do some hostels, especially if I go to Europe. I'll be eating out, but no expensive restaurants, and I probably won't be spending a lot of money in bars. Can anyone estimate how much it will realistically cost to stay for a week in the destinations (some of them or all) I'm considering, with the conditions I've described? Are there any sites that make these estimates for various locations?

Thanks so much.

Hi Luke,

I can't help with comparing expenses to Latin America, but people are getting very good airfares right now for March travel to Europe. A friend is going to London on USAir, nonstop from North Carolina for around $300. You might check on that right away.

As to the other costs, London is extremely expensive, but I wouldn't say that about Paris. There are hostels and other ways to get around the expense. I think a good guide book oriented to budget travel, like Lonely Planet, would be a good place to start, and to help you estimate costs. Or Rick Steves. Both have helpful websites, as well.

In eight days, you should stick to London and Paris, with a bit of the surrounding contryside in each country. Otherwise you'll be spending a lot of time and money just moving from place to place. Or, just fly straight to Madrid and spend the whole time in Spain.

I've been twice to Mexico City (once for just a couple of days, once I stayed for 10 days). I've also been numerous times to all the places you are considering in Europe. I can only compare Mexico City and Europe, but I assume your other Latin American destinations will be equally as inexpensive as Mexico City or even more inexpensive. Disregarding the budget issue for a second, since this is the Europe forum, I'm sure many people here will suggest that you should go to Europe. And I think in some ways, their answer is right because a place like Paris, with all its cultural and historical 'must-sees' will be an amazing learning opportunity for a college student.

Now, let's talk about cost. The dollar is very strong against the Mexican dollar and is not doing so hot against the Euro. There's no way that a private room in Mexico City is going to cost as much as a private room in London, Paris, Madrid or Amsterdam. But how much less, you ask? Well, I would go to the library and check out Rough Guides or Let's Go Mexico and read for yourself, but I'll be amazed if you can't find something private for $30-40 per night. Food is remarkably inexpensive in Mexico City, if you avoid the chi-chi places in Polanco and Zona Rosa (and even those will be less expensive than the chi-chi places in Europe). As cheap as .25 for a taco. I've used the subway system in Mexico City to travel to the Frida Kahlo museum. It's as efficient as the ones in Europe and sure enough, the fare is less. Many people don't feel comfortable on the subway. Unlike Europe where yous ee people of different countries and ethnicities on the subway, in Mexico City everyone on the subway is Mexican. You just don;t see that many foreigners. And the cabs are very inexpensive too. However, this is a good time to talk about safety issues. If you're travelling by yourself, you may have to spend some money hiring 'tourist' cabs at night, aas regular cabs are not recommended due to their higher crime rate. So transportation to sights to see would be an issue. You'll probably need to take a tour to some of the tourist sites (for example the Pyramids of Teotihuacan) because I'm not sure there's reliable public transport that goes there. You can certainly take public buses to the nearby towns, and there's a lot of charming colonial towns that are not that far awy from Mexico City.

I would go to the local library and borrow a few guidebooks and do some reading on these places. Or if your local library does not have them, sit at a Barnes & Noble and browse them.

Geez, sorry about all the typos! I should have previewed before posting.

Luke, there're just so different, it's hard to compare the two. I've lived in both, but I'm a woman and have to consider "safety" issues even more than you would, but I have trouble going back to Mexico despite the near proximity and the savings because I find Europe so much more interesting, safer, but yes, it is more expensive. However, there may be other places in that area that may be worth checking out--I've heard very good things about Costa Rica.

How about considering Lisbon. We found it to be the least expensive city we've visited in Europe (and I've been to most of the major ones). But it's also one of the nicest, has a very "European" old world feel and plenty to do for a week or so.