Europe On A Budget

[Lana]

Oh! And not all countries in Europe use the Euro. And those countries that don't, won't give you too favorable a rate if you pay in Euros so do your research well

[Podweed]

Podweed. OK ba ang mga cruises? It seems like it's a little restricting since you're on a ship most of the time. I really prefer being on the ground and exploring.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Oh, no, you wouldn't feel restricted at all. An airplane would be, but not a luxury liner. It's a floating hotel. Food is absolutely free. You may even bug room service all you want. There are parties, programs, restaurants, a movie theater, a library, three swimming pools, sports venues, gift shops, a casino, a gym, etc. A daily program is delivered to your cabin and you can have your pick of what to do. You're issued a magnetic card which serves as your credit tile. Strictly no cash transactions. You pay what you owe at the end of the cruise. Your cabin attendant will most probably be Indonesian or Malaysian. Expect to see lotsa Filipinos. Believe you me, they will fall over each other in making sure you have everything you need. It's not often they see a 'kabayan' on board.

 

Cruises last from seven to ten days. Depending on the ship's ports of call, you may spend half of the time on land, usually on eight hour excursions. You'll have no problems arranging tours. The guides will approach you. One day though is reserved exclusively at sea. Our Mediterranean Cruise stops included Venice, Bari (Italy), Katakolon (gateway to ancient Olympia), Mykonos, Santorini, Rhodes (Greece), and Dubrovnik (Croatia).

 

All in all, I'd say the ten days I spent aboard the Costa Victoria was more enjoyable than the equivalent time on the Continent itself. To each his own.

 

Oh, one more thing, tap water is clean in Europe. I hate their 'mineral'. Too saturated.

[Podweed]

Oh! And not all countries in Europe use the Euro. And those countries that don't, won't give you too favorable a rate if you pay in Euros so do your research well

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Thing is, if you exchange Euros for the local currency, you really wouldn't know how much you'll be spending anyway (unless you plan on being a tightwad for the day). Approximating is useless, trust me. We tried it and always overshot our budgets. So, when you finally exchange the remaining monies back into Euros, you'll be shelling out just a little bit more, too. In effect, you save nothing. Stick to Euros.

[gadgets]

I don't know kung applicable ba to the ATM cards of the Phil banks, pero I have had favorable experience withdrawing foreign currency with my ATM card (Plus or Cirrus network with 4 digit PIN). The exchange rate is quite good and the charge is not so bad (except sa Pilipinas kasi most of the machines I've used only allowed me to take out 5000PHP each time per use, tapos I have re-enter my PIN again which incurs another service charge). It is quite risky to buy your Euros all at once, especially if you will be backpacking and staying at hostels (take this with a grain of salt though kasi I've never experienced hostelling).

[Lana]

Thing is, if you exchange Euros for the local currency, you really wouldn't know how much you'll be spending anyway (unless you plan on being a tightwad for the day). Approximating is useless, trust me. We tried it and always overshot our budgets. So, when you finally exchange the remaining monies back into Euros, you'll be shelling out just a little bit more, too. In effect, you save nothing. Stick to Euros.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Hahahahaha! Natatawa ako nung isang time kasama namin sa group nagulat kasi akala nila all of Europe uses Euros so we were stuck wandering around looking for a bank to exchange Euros to the local currency. Ako naman, I only changed a little bit for incidentals since I didn't really plan on shopping except for little souvenirs and food. Besides, if you bought and paid for something in Euros, they'll most likely give you change in the local currency. E di mas napamahal ka pa kung ganun. That's what I thought, at least. Ang ginawa ko na lang, pagdating sa border, lahat ng barya ko, ginamit kong pambili ng chocolate. E di may pasalubong pa

[Podweed]

I don't know kung applicable ba to the ATM cards of the Phil banks, pero I have had favorable experience withdrawing foreign currency with my ATM card (Plus or Cirrus network with 4 digit PIN).  The exchange rate is quite good and the charge is not so bad (except sa Pilipinas kasi most of the machines I've used only allowed me to take out 5000PHP each time per use, tapos I have re-enter my PIN again which incurs another service charge).  It is quite risky to buy your Euros all at once, especially if you will be backpacking and staying at hostels (take this with a grain of salt though kasi I've never experienced hostelling).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

There's always an element of risk and it's the same as making sure you do not lose that ATM card. Make sure you do not keep all your eggs in one basket. While Europe by and large is safe, its terminals of public transportation are infested with pickpockets - same as any other country. Just keep your wits about you.

[Magaling]

I'm a frequent Europe traveler (3 times last year alone). Just want to share an FR I've posted in another thread. Hopefully, readers here could get a few tips.

 

LONDON

 

From Heathrow, the only sensible way to get to your airport is to take the Heathrow Express train going to Paddington Station. Just follow the signs. From Paddington, either take a taxi to your hotel OR if you know which station is closest to where your hotel is, take the subway (or underground as the Brits call it). Note that taking a cab from Heathrow to downtown London is at least £40 (that's $70, stop converting or London will drive you nuts!)

 

Places to see: There are so many historical sites it all depends on your budget or how much time you have on your hands. What I did the first time I in London was 1) get a good map from the hotel concierge. 2) Figure out how to get to Trafalgar Square. From Trafalgar, pass thru Pall Mall (that’s what the long road is called) which leads to Buckingham Palace. From there, pass thru St. James Park on the way to Westminster Abbey. Then the Parliament and Big Ben. On the way back, look for the road that intersects with Downing Street then Picadilly Circus. What you need is a good map and a pair of good legs for walking. OR you can take the double decker tourist bus. In this case, I can’t help you because I’ve never taken it. I always do my sightseeing the old fashioned way: on foot.

 

Places to eat: One thing good about London is that they don’t bastardize Asian food the way the Americans do. There are a lot of good Indian, Malay, and Chinese restaurants around. My favorites: there’s one place in Chinatown that I always go to although most of the Chinese restaurants I’ve tried in London's Chinatown were okay. If you’re craving for Filipino food, go to Earl’s Court. Down the road from the subway station, there’s a good Filipino restaurant there. On budget? Go to a supermarket or grocery (there’s plenty of them around) and buy a sandwich or packed lunches.

 

I don’t recommend the steak houses that you’ll see around almost every street corner. They are bland. I still don't get the point. What's the big deal with British steak? They are expensive. The restaurants offer poor service. Definitely not worth it. Your money will be better spent someplace else!

 

Places to stay: There are a lot of budget hotels in the city. However, please take note that most of them don’t have air-conditioning so if you happen to be traveling in summer, brace yourself for a bit of inconvenience. Otherwise, stick to the business hotels like Marriott or Hilton (fortunately, I always travel on business so this is not a problem).

 

Shopping: Your best bet would be Marks & Spencer. They have branches all over. You can also go to world-famous Harrods. Been there to browse a couple of times but never bought a thing. That place is expensive!

 

Other things to do: Watch theatre. Go to a pub and have a pint of ale.

[Lana]

Watch theater. Definitely. If you can squeeze in more than one, try watching one mainstream (like Les Miz or Phantom) and one that isn't quite so mainstream! Plus, the experimental ones are usually a bit cheaper than the mainstays. Oh, and dress up a bit so you won't look so much like a tourist.

 

Harrods is bloody expensive. Browse lang. Don't buy. Marks and Spencer is actually cheaper in the UK and they have a wider selection of items. It's really a middle class type of store (pero high end naman siya dito).

 

English steak? Yuck Oh, and if you really want to go authentic, go fish and chips! Hahahahahahhaha!!!

[Podweed]

Aren't we all Anglophiles? That's nice.

 

Notice that when you take in London from the air, it's not laid out in grids like younger cities? Beautiful. What better way is there to welcome a weary traveler wanting to stretch his legs at the end of a flight? Be prepared for Heathrow International though. It isn't exactly ultra-modern and spiffy like German aiports, but it's nice enough. The ramps leading to the Tube platforms and the stations themselves look almost exactly like they appear in World War II movies. Cold, dank, and above all, old. Some have been modernized and provided the line isn't runing late, can actually be quite tolerable. The trains are clean and one thing that needs getting used to is how close they get to the walls. Scary at first, but you'll get over it. People are very courteous, almost to a fault that it's irritating. You will immediately envy how they respect each other and will be very conscious of your own actions at all times. Sure, you'll encounter rowdy individuals and groups, yet they're few and far between.

 

Buy the day-pass. It'll set you back by 5 pounds, however, you can get on any bus (including the red double-deckers) and ride the Underground to any point and back. It's good for twenty four hours. Well worth it. A lot of what London has to offer by way of tourist sites are within walking distance of each other so be prepared to walk. Try to get on The Eye. View is fabulous from the top. I also recommend visiting the National Gallery and Winston Churchill's underground bunker. Of course, one should not miss the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. I think three days, four tops, is enough to see the sites worth seeing. Give yourself another three to experience the culture - plays, the nightlife, a drive through the countryside, etc.

 

My palette didn't quite appreciate London's food and of all the things to miss out on (how contradictory that must sound), I never tasted Fish and Chips. We couldn't find a food cart selling them (or it?) Luckily, my classmate-host knew all to well I favored home fare and so served Filipino dishes. Oh, and we brought sandwiches as baon. I really don't remember if at that time, I found food expensive since as has been pointed out earlier, converting money in your head in that city really will drive you nuts. I just spent and spent and spent because that was the last leg of my summer trip.

 

I'll try to post other tips just as soon as I can recall them.

[missmanners]

lovely tips, darlings. i've been backreading for a while now and i must say i'm definitely excited to be going to europe this time around.

 

i'll be traveling parts of it alone, parts of it with a cousin and some parts with a few friends. and depending on the location of family and friends who live there, i've definitely decided to drop in london, geneva, paris, barcelona, lisbon, amsterdam, rome, florence, vienna, berlin and prague. still thinking if two months is enough for all these places or not.. or if i can squeeze in a couple more cities.

 

my shengen visa and individual visas for non-shengen countries are all ready.

 

i'll be there sometime august. how's the weather there at that time? should i buy coats, uggs and thermals?

[Marseru]

If you earn in pesos europe on a budget is still fooking expensive.

 

Check out the youth tours like kontiki etc. They can get you the most bang for the buck generally. Quick stops to the most frequent places at western youth prices. It's still expensive but an easy way to see many countries and their most frequented places.

 

If you scrimp in London that's at least 10-15 pounds a day 1,000-1,500 pesoses. If you scrimp in Berlin you're looking to spend 3/4 that money daily. This is without accomodations. Throw in a show that's halfprice and that's like another L20, 2,000 pesoses.

 

Here's a quick day breakdown of how much London's going to cost you, generally the other most developed Euro countries will cost you 3/4 this. On absolute scrimping.

 

1 Day Bus Pass - 3.00

Breakfast - 2.75 (pret a manger sandwich)

Lunch - 6.50 (china town value meal)

Dinner - 6.50 (indian econo meal)

Museums - Free (perhaps the only good thing about London)

Show - 12.50 (at halfprice)

Grand total without night gimmick where cocktails are ridiculously priced at L3.

 

L31.25 = P3125

 

You can scrimp a lot more but you lose a lot of what London has. The other euro country I'm familiar with is Berlin and they charge for museum entrance. The best part about Germany is actually the countryside and that's also a lot of money to add on your tour.

 

As you may have noticed I'm not a huge fan of scrimping in Europe. My logic is basically that my opportunity to visit the west is limited. Rather than force myself towards the budget areas accesible to me I'd rather be able to splurge that one time to have access to all the things a particular country has to offer. Sadly, some of the best things about first world countries do cost money. With this being said, I'd suggest you reduce your travel time to two weeks, reduce the countries your visiting to 2 or 3 and thereby granting yourself twice the money to spend in these countries.

 

August is the start of fall. It can get cold but you won't be needing thermals or even a thick jacket unless you're malamigin or are visiting a high altitude country.

 

Ditch Geneva, boring! Or just forget europe and bring me to Boracay.

Rock on!

[Marseru]

Short addendum:

 

If you're going to eat fish and chips consider it a cultural experience rather than a cultural one. There's really nothing special about it and if you want good cheap food there are thousands of gems in London. I can list some if you want me to.

[Marseru]

Short addendum:

 

If you're going to eat fish and chips consider it a cultural experience rather than a cultural one. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Oops cultural rather than culinary.

[Lana]

I agree. Ditch Geneva. It's a boring place. If you're bent on traveling to Switzerland, other cities will probably be of better cultural value. Lucerne is a popular tourist place but all I saw was one huge shopping complex. Actually, I find Switzerland boring. If you're into gorgeous scenery and quiet, then it's a good place for you (parang retirement place nga e ). And it's where Nestle hails from (Vevey -- if you notice the address on all the Nestle packaging :boo: ). Everything's super clean and the people are friendly (not too much in the big cities though). It's like the twilight zone dammit.

 

Oh, and going through Central Europe means having to go on a diet of meat and potatoes since you'll notice on the map that it's landlocked. That means seafood is of not-so-good quality and/or hugely expensive. When I was there, I got really really sick of beef, pork, potatoes and bread :sick: Sabik na sabik na akong magkanin paguwi ko.

 

Ay. Switzerland isn't using the Euro yet. Wag mo na lang puntahan unless gustong gusto mo talaga yung place. Sayang lang exchange rate mo. Papapalit ka pa ng pera tapos saglit ka lang doon At ang hirap pang maghanap ng bangko na nagpapalit ng Euro = Swiss Francs.

 

Another tip: If you're wanting to shop, the cheapest country will be Czech. So if you find something nice there, buy it! :boo: Everywhere else is more expensive

 

Short addendum:

 

If you're going to eat fish and chips consider it a cultural experience rather than a culinary one.  There's really nothing special about it and if you want good cheap food there are thousands of gems in London.  I can list some if you want me to.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Yes, I agree. Gusto ko lang i-try. Saka mas mura siya kasi parang sa tabi tabi lang na food stall e. Basta Indian food! That's where I learned to eat and love (North) Indian food. Ironically, it was a white guy who introduced me to the joys of eating Indian food! Now when I'm in Singapore, I make it a point to eat Indian at least once! Kahit magisa ako! (My friends and family think I'm crazy )

 

Actually, if you think about it, the UK isn't really a part of Europe. Ayaw nga nila ng Euro diba? Hahahaha! Palagi sila hiwalay. Ah basta I love England

[Marseru]

Another tip: If you're wanting to shop, the cheapest country will be Czech. So if you find something nice there, buy it! :boo: Everywhere else is more expensive 

Yes, I agree. Gusto ko lang i-try. Saka mas mura siya kasi parang sa tabi tabi lang na food stall e. Basta Indian food! That's where I learned to eat and love (North) Indian food. Ironically, it was a white guy who introduced me to the joys of eating Indian food! Now when I'm in Singapore, I make it a point to eat Indian at least once! Kahit magisa ako! (My friends and family think I'm crazy )

 

Actually, if you think about it, the UK isn't really a part of Europe. Ayaw nga nila ng Euro diba? Hahahaha! Palagi sila hiwalay. Ah basta I love England

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

While they don't use the euro, the UK is still part of the EU. They're just suwapang about their currency because it's so strong at the moment. Give it a year and the Czech republic will be using euros too, they've been approved to join the EU.

 

While generally speaking London is crap to shop in due to prices, go over to Camden market. It's like a western ukay-ukay if you're patient and thorough you can find cheap stuff.