Clueless Irish Guy In Need Of Help! - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

Morrison · 02-04-2008, 07:04 PM

Hey all! Im kinda new to this whole backpacking thing so be gentle:D Im looking for some advice on a two and a half month trip me and a friend are making in September. Wer going to be traveling around western southern and eastern Europe and im totaly clueless on how much money we will need and where we should go. Any feed back would be very much appreciated Guys. Cheers!

**expatben** · 02-05-2008, 02:25 AM

Hey Morrison!
Well its hard to predict how much you'll need but I will say western Europe will be the most expensive with the cheapest being eastern.
Have you sorted out some sort of Eurail pass? I know in England we get our own ones so maybe you do in Ireland.

Morrison · 02-05-2008, 04:57 AM

Well to be truthfull i have nothing sorted as of yet (planing to do so next week) but were going to have to travel for the two and a half months on a bit of a shoe string buget

**Canadian Bacon** · 02-05-2008, 10:52 AM

Hey Morrison, welcome to the boards!

There's more than enough info on the threads floating around there to get your started...

some things to do first:
-plan out how much money you're willing to spend
-research basic costs... train, flight, hostel... etc
-plan out general countries you want to visit
-what do you want to do? see sights or party or both? (both I'm assuming) Anything you want to see in particular?
-buying a lonely planet guide to europe is a good start too

Congrats on deciding to go!!!

**MeTurk** · 02-05-2008, 02:17 PM

If your concerned about budget at all you spend most of your time in Eastern Europe, or anywhere east of Germany and Austria. Most of Western Europe will feel familiar you've seen so much of it in the media. Eastern Europe is a good bit different, is much cheaper and the people are great craic. In one small town in Slovakia they where giving us shot after shot, they wouldn't let us buy any drink for them. You could even go down as far as Croatia for sun.

Your within the European Union too, which is the best thing about it. It feels like much more of an adventure than western Europe but your still protected, you can get the European Medical Card and your covered in all the country's in the EU as if you where a local.

Morrison · 02-05-2008, 03:08 PM

Cheers 4 all the the advice and thanks 4 the welcome guys

Its things like the euro medical card (which i knew nothing about) that could come in very handy. I think my budget is about 4000 euro, im just wondering if that would be enough for about 2 months?

**MeTurk** · 02-06-2008, 06:07 AM

In Eastern Europe definitely.

I would really look into weather or not you need a eurorail pass, every time I went to buy tickets for a train anywhere they gave me a student discount even though I had no student card. They seem to give them out to anyone under 25. If you know where your going and can stick to a plan then it's probably worth it If you don't really know where your going to be then I don't think you'll lose out that much by not having it.

**expatben** · 02-06-2008, 06:57 AM

I would say that 1,500 euros would be enough if you're in eastern Europe for like a month or so. When I lived in Poland I was getting like 2,000zl (555 euros) and that was more than enough.
Mind you from what I hear Poland is the most expensive eastern nation so yeah you should be good with around 1,000-1500.
As for western Europe it really depends-where are you going? How long are you going for? What sort of things will you be doing?

**Esterina** · 02-06-2008, 08:02 AM

Yes, you definitively have enough !

You do need though to make a rough itinerary to avoid sleeping in parks during the last days of your trip. :D

In Eastern Europe, you will need about 25-40 Euros per day, depending on the country and your lifestyle, whereas the daily budget in Western Europe countries can reach 75 Euros. This covers food-accomodation-domestic transport-leasure.

You have 4000 euros / 60 days = 66,66 euros per day, minus international transport, insurance, etc.

By the way, no need to buy a railpass in Eastern Europe, the cost for train and bus is derisory !

My two cents !

**Canadian Bacon** · 02-06-2008, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atchoum

Yes, you definitively have enough !

You do need though to make a rough itinerary to avoid sleeping in parks during the last days of your trip. :D

... and contrary to how fun it sounds, sleeping in parks SUCKKKSSSSS

I cannot emphasize this enough.
This is how sleeping in a park feels:

**MeTurk** · 02-06-2008, 10:43 AM

You'll be grand in September though it's hardly going to be booked out anywhere. And I wouldn't want Morrison to miss out on the experience of casually arriving in a new city happy as larry, then slowly realizing every where is booked or you don't even know where any hotels are and can't ask anyone where they might be. You start panicking about how you've got nowhere to stay and what you might have to do to make it through the night in a strange place. :D

**expatben** · 02-06-2008, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MeTurk

You'll be grand in September though it's hardly going to be booked out anywhere. And I wouldn't want Morrison to miss out on the experience of casually arriving in a new city happy as larry, then slowly realizing every where is booked or you don't even know where any hotels are and can't ask anyone where they might be. You start panicking about how you've got nowhere to stay and what you might have to do to make it through the night in a strange place. :D

Ahhhhhh Brugge your food was good your beer was strong and your railway station bench was hard.

Yeah you should be fine in September although maybe to sure book your first hostel in advance then when you arrive on the continent you are sure of a place to stay

Morrison · 02-06-2008, 03:51 PM

Nice 1 guys. U all have been more than helpful:D Now to throw a spanner in the works, in contrast to europe, what would Thailand be like compared to it. Ive always wanted to go and i hear its far cheaper than traveling around europe. My hearts been kinda leaning towards Thailand, Cambodia in the last few days

**raoulduke** · 02-06-2008, 05:25 PM

I'm planning a trip to south east Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia) at the moment, from what I can tell it would be heaps cheaper for day to day expenses (here is a nice little guide of costs) but keep in mind that since you are flying 2/3 of the way to Australia your air fare is going to be much more.

If i were you I would do your Europe trip in September and save Asia for when you have more time and cash to see more of the other side of the world.

Morrison · 02-11-2008, 07:31 PM

Nice 1 folks, thanks 4 all the help. Me and my mate have talked it over during the weekend and wev set our hearts on Thailand:D Now comes the not so nice part of saving my ass of for the next six months

Thanks again for all your help guys, nice 1

**Esterina** · 02-12-2008, 07:13 AM

Good choice ! (well almost any country on the planet would make a good choice though...) And September is right at the end of the rain season, the landscape should be gorgeous !!!!!!

morte · 03-30-2008, 06:01 PM

my number one tip for any Irish person traveling in Europe is, when you get into a town or city that you don't know anything about, just walk along the street and keep your eyes pealed for a big black Guinness sine hanging from the front of a pub. it usually signifies an Irish pub that more often than not contains an Irish barmaid on working holiday who can speak to you in English, tell you where to stay, where to go, and most importantly pull you a nice pint of frothy cold shtout. (shtout may not taste as good as it does back home)