Ace_

Hey all,
im leaving for europe in about 6 weeks, but what i keep stressing about is, how much money am i gonna need.
I dont wanna stay overseas for a month or two, i wanna stay awhile, so i know i have to get some under the table work.
I've got $8500 NZD which works out to be about 4250 euro...how long do u thik this will last me, assuming i find some casual work.

Another way to put it is, how much did anyone take with them when they went overseas (on a budget of course)


thanks.

Ace_

anyone?

foofiter

A simple question with a complex answer! I have done a lot of research on this and I am coming close to an accurate number. There will be three "budget killers" that you must decide on. The first is how much you move around. Trains and planes can clean you out quickly if you move around too much. The second is accommodation. I assume you will be using hostels for the bulk of your trip. The third is food and alcohol. Partying is expensive and eating out costs a lot too. You should spend an average of 35 euro per day on food, shelter, and mass transit/entrance fees if you stay in hostels (free breakfast most places!) and make at least 2 of your other meals per day. Plane/Train Travel within europe and partying is not included in this figure. I would get a general idea of where you want to go and price out the options that are available. If you go to Eastern Europe you can easily spend a LOT less. I have heard as low as 10 euro a day and as high as 20 euro per day in Eastern Europe. If it were me I would cover the Western Europe places that I wanted to see first and then go to Eastern Europe to extend my time and see all the great stuff over there too.

Hope this helps!

foofiter

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Ace_

cheers mate, i figured as much...what about hitch hiking?
is it a safe way to get around in europe, in new zealand, i can hitch from one end of the country to the other with no problems, but europe is a much different place than new zealand.

pinion

I did a bit in Italy...but it was out necessity more then anything else.

I met this one lady who was hitchhiking her way around Europe. Mind you...she did seem a bit off. Every day she would leave the hostel at 6am & wouldn't get back till after midnight.

No one knew where she went, but she always came back with a fresh fish.

If you do plan on hitchhiking just be careful bro, I don't want to find your face on the back of my milk carton.

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I've been a wild rover for many's the year,
And I've spent all me money on whiskey and beer.
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And I never will play the wild rover no more

Ace_

thanks for the concern dude....but youve never seen my face

but seriously, thats why I asked, i dont want to be abducted or anything, but hitching would save me soooo much money, and, it makes it more of an adventure.

i want an adventure...but i still want to be alive when its time to come home

Corporal Canuck

My experience with hitch hiking is limited, but here's what I've learned. It's better not to hold up a sign with your destination written on it. Instead, when the driver pulls over, I ask where he/she is headed. If the answer is on my way, (and there are no cadavres or dry blood in the backseat) I hop in. If not, I politely decline.
I bet the number of hitch hiker homicides per year is ridiculously small, so your biggest concern is definitely the reckless driver. I sometimes ask European cab drivers to slow down as soon as my life starts to flash before my eyes. Don't be afraid to ask, and if the driver refuses, you have the right to get out.

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Ace_

cheers corporal...i think i will hitch-hike, it makes the trip more interesting, thats for sure.

TheJake

I hitched it in colorado all the time and loved it. I figured out that holding up a sign that said YMCA was always my best bet for getting a ride. not sure that will work in europe for ya though..

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Ace_

i dont know about the YMCA sign, you might give off the wrong impresson...but if you jumped in the car and they were playing the village people, i would be outta there!

Ryder

i'm just wondering. in new zealand, the dollar there compared to other coutnries is sort of weak, but is a hamburger at mcdonalds for example still 99 cents? Like would something that cousts $20USD be sold in new zealand for $20NZD?

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Jake Ryder

Ace_

i dont know about hamburgers...i only get cheeseburgers

they are about $1.95NZD
our dollar is weak compared to the rest of the world, but its getting better...or the us dollar is getting worse....i dunno, 6months ago, 1 nzd brought bout 50 us cents, now its 72 us cents.

and...screw it all, im hitching!

only 5 weeks to go!

Solo_Traveller

Check this out for a rough idea...

...of why you should not post SPAM!

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