rusty_griswold

hello all!!

for those of you who are well traveled throughout the countries under the incredibly expensive (US dollar speaking) euro...

on a super tight, base-line hostel, canned food diet, regular train transportation... how far will 700 euro get me if i am traveling through a few countries?

also, this Ryan Air economy carrier sounds too good to be true. is it really possible to catch a flight from London to Rome for 99 pence?

is it worth even attempting to travel throughout europe for 2-3 weeks for less than 1000 euros?

i understand that this question is incredibly vague, but any information will help me out greatly!!!

thanks everyone!

suze

If you have not yet, please check www.lonelyplanet.com and their BB called The Thorn Tree. Lots of shoestring travelers there (more than here on Fodors).

bobthenavigator

Is your father named Clark?

Patrick

bobthenavigator,

martytravels

1000 euro for 2-3 weeks sounds very difficult, but I'm sure you could do it with a lot of planning. Perhaps you should check out Let's Go Europe or Rick Steves' Europe on a Shoestring for some suggestions.

nytraveler

1000 euros for 3 weeks leaves you about $62 dollars per day - including travel between cities. Frankly I don;t see how this can be doable - even if you buy food from a deli and walk everywhere.

Suggest you go to thorntree and start with info on:

hostels (realistic prices for safe places)
prices for least expensive local transport passes
activities with free admittance (on this budget you can;t afford $15 to get into the Tower of London)
super cheap airlines (and how to get from their far flung airports into the city)

If you stick to central europe where prices are lower it may be a little easier but frankly I think you'll end up hungry and bored.

kswl

No, you cannot fly anywhere on Ryan Aif for 99 pence. There are extra security fees, fuel charges, departure taxes, etc., that are fixed costs and added to your ticket price. In November these added fees were around 15 GBP, if I remember correctly. So, even if you were able to get the 99 pence flight, the total cost in dollars would be more like $32, about half your allotment for that day.

Rhardy5554

It's a mess. I don't expect our dollar to get anywhere near parity with the euro (which it's supposed to be) anytime within our lifetime. As our debt increases, the dollar becomes less valuable to the world. The euro will become the currency of choice -not the dollar.

Patrick

"I don't expect our dollar to get anywhere near parity with the euro (which it's supposed to be) anytime within our lifetime."

You mean, of course, "again". It was nice just a couple years ago when they were at parity, and even nicer when we bought a euro for something like 85 US cents.

rex

<<1000 euros for 3 weeks leaves you about $62 dollars per day>>

1000 euros for TWO weeks (rusty did say a range of 2-3 weeks) is 70 euros per day (or about $91 USD if there is some reason to do the math this way).

You can do it - - as has been mentioned by others, if you get away from expensive cities like London and Rome. And move around as little as possible.

I do hope that by "canned food diet" you mean "grocery store" diet. "Canned foods", are of course, a much poorer value than bread, fruits and vegetables.

The "dad" in me wonders... if you "burn through" 1000 euro in some alotted time - - will you come home to assets of zero?

and if so, why are you doing this?

Best wishes,

Rex

RufusTFirefly

As I remember it, the initial value of the Euro was pegged at about $1.20 or so originally, not $1.00. I never read anywhere that there was any intent that it equal the US dollar in valuce.

It dropped to $.85 or so, and then started its current rise.

It will rise and fall over time, as most currencies do.

Intrepid1

I agree that the notion that the Euro is somehow supposed to be the same value as the Dollar is totally unrealistic, not to mention rather chauvinistic.

Rusty, I think your money would go a lot farther if you accept the fact and without any sugar coating that you cannot easily "travel through a few countries" on this kind of budget. You might much more easily travel through ONE or TWO.

suze

Pick 1-2 places and stay only 10 days and your budget will be quite doable.

That said, and as mentioned talk to the good folks over on Thorn Tree who most likely believe Europe can still be done on $25 dollars per day!!

StevePWales

Whilst 60-70 euros per day may not get you luxury accomodation it may be possible if you camp instead. It's been a few years since I did any camping in Europe, but you should be able to get a plot for a tent for 10 euros a day.

That would leave you 50-60 euros a day for travel and food - should be eminently doable.

Does mean you've got to lug a tent around with you, but that can be kind of fun for a while (at least it was when I was 17 - touring Europe for a month with just a railpass and a tent was very liberating)

Alternatively Youh Hostels are (I think) less than £20 (15 euros) a night in the UK, and there are similar operations in other countries.
Have a look at :
http://www.yha.org.uk/

Have fun whatever you choose to do - It is worth slumming it a bit if it is the only way you'll get to see Europe.