Europe On A Budget

[bluejazz]

you can search for Youth hostels which is a backpackers inn.. very cheap rates and clean.. its spread all accross Europe...good thing about this hostels are that they are very near city centers..

[titing_galit]

Hi, well, backpacked around Europe on a shoe string budget a few years back. Eurail passes is a must if you wanna save. I just had a book with me, and just browse through it kung san ok pumunta. Good thing I had a relative in Stuttgart where I left my luggage.

 

Madrid is ok if you like Museums, toledo for churches, Barcelona is the BOMB! :cool: Got to watch bullfights too.

 

Stuttgart--Zurich around 3hrs by train (night life is vibrant, parang Malate pero cool!)

Zurich--Lucerne about 2 hours yata (it's a good city to walk around in.. Don't forget to see the dying lion monument)

 

Zurich--Rome overnight by train (hassle lang when you reach the border kasi gabing gabi, pag tingin mo yung border police ng italy may flashlight sa mukah mo) lol

 

Rome--Florence about 2-3 hours lang

 

Florence--Venice around the same time lang

 

Venice--Paris 16 hour train ride

 

Paris--Brussels--Cologne Germany around 6 hours yata.

 

What I do whenever I get to a city is I go to the tourist office (yung may "I" na logo) then ask for good hotels na hindi masyado mahal. They'll refer you naman din eh. In Zurich i stayed in a hostel na along the strip talaga so ok lang, sa Rome I was referred to a Hotel very near Circus Maximus na yung staff halos lahat Pinoy(napa libre pa ako ng kain sa plaza kasi pag linggo nagkikita mga pinoy dun), then sa Paris yung front desk ng hotel ko eh Pinay, so ok din. Sya nag turo sa akin how to get around Paris.

 

A good bet always is to talk to Pinoys when you're there... They'll be very helpful.

[dj_flip03]

Hi, well, backpacked around Europe on a shoe string budget a few years back. Eurail passes is a must if you wanna save. I just had a book with me, and just browse through it kung san ok pumunta. Good thing I had a relative in Stuttgart where I left my luggage.

 

Madrid is ok if you like Museums, toledo for churches, Barcelona is the BOMB! :cool: Got to watch bullfights too.

 

Stuttgart--Zurich around 3hrs by train (night life is vibrant, parang Malate pero cool!)

Zurich--Lucerne about 2 hours yata (it's a good city to walk around in.. Don't forget to see the dying lion monument)

 

Zurich--Rome overnight by train (hassle lang when you reach the border kasi gabing gabi, pag tingin mo yung border police ng italy may flashlight sa mukah mo) lol

 

Rome--Florence about 2-3 hours lang

 

Florence--Venice around the same time lang

 

Venice--Paris 16 hour train ride

 

Paris--Brussels--Cologne Germany around 6 hours yata.

 

What I do whenever I get to a city is I go to the tourist office (yung may "I" na logo) then ask for good hotels na hindi masyado mahal. They'll refer you naman din eh. In Zurich i stayed in a hostel na along the strip talaga so ok lang, sa Rome I was referred to a Hotel very near Circus Maximus na yung staff halos lahat Pinoy(napa libre pa ako ng kain sa plaza kasi pag linggo nagkikita mga pinoy dun), then sa Paris yung front desk ng hotel ko eh Pinay, so ok din. Sya nag turo sa akin how to get around Paris.

 

A good bet always is to talk to Pinoys when you're there... They'll be very helpful.

 

 

 

Sarap naman.

 

 

 

Guys, if I'm holding with me a P100,000 bucks, kakasya kaya to?

[titing_galit]

Sarap naman.

Guys, if I'm holding with me a P100,000 bucks, kakasya kaya to?

 

I think for a while Qatar airways had a promo na around USD$ 750 or something yung plane fare to Europe. If u had P100t, ok na rin, though I would suggest have a credit card ready.

 

France and Italy are the best! Though my next trip would be to the former eastern blocks (Slovak, Czech, Hungary) as well as The Hague...

[_eRon_]

titing galit kaw nagfinance ng trip mo? how much should i save if my gf & i plan to tour europe?

Edited January 31, 2007 by _eRon_

[titing_galit]

titing galit kaw nagfinance ng trip mo? how much should i save if my gf & i plan to tour europe?

 

Hi Eron,

 

Yep, I financed my trip-partly-kasi my uncle worked with a company who usually sponsors foreign travels for their employees pag may quota. My uncle is entitled to two tickets, but since he is single, he usually takes someone from the family with him. Since it was my turn then, ako naka sama. Though yung sinagot lang nila was the roundtrip ticket from Manila-Frankfurt-Manila with connecting flights to Madrid & Barcelona and accomodations in Spain.

 

Yung backpacking ko ako na gumastos.

 

If you're taking your girl to Europe, maybe P200t minimum nowadays for both of you. Though I would suggest Paris and Rome as very nice destinations for you and your girl. Saka mo na lang puntahan yung iba. :thumbsupsmiley:

[nehemiah]

i just came back from a trip to europe last month. it was surprisingly cheap but i'm used to us/canadian prices. my total trip lasting 2.5 weeks costed just over P100K including air fare return. i was total cheapskate throughout the trip, stayed at hostels or with friends, bought almost all my food from supermarkets and cooked at the hostel, rarely ate at sit down restos (cuz there's a table charge of euro2, just for sitting down...grabe talaga), and took public transit almost always.

 

Instead of eurailpass, I took mostly ryanair and easyjet. it can be really cheap to fly compared to train but the experience is different. the train stations are frequently right in the middle of the city so its super convenient. also the cost of getting to and from these discount airports can be more expensive than the flight itself, or getting a train ticket. but i got to see more countries and cities than I could have dreamed of in a very short time. I would recommend spain and eastern european countries especially because they are much cheaper. france is mainly for girls, imho, cuz i didn't find it all that. italy was cool but super expensive. uk is the most expensive of all. don't spend much time there unless you have a lot of money to burn or you have relatives/friends there to crash with and bum food off of.

[_eRon_]

tnx sa info titing_galit..that's my dream kasi, to take my girl around europe, hopefully i'll be able to take her in the future..

[jamboree168]

can anyone help me. I will be at London by june 28 until August 14,2007 after that I will travel europe. i think 2 weeks before coming back. Any reco for s cheap stay at london? then france, benelux, austria my last stop will at milan.

[shadowspy]

I'll be having an 18 day official trip to France. Most of the time I'll be in Grenoble and Chamonix pero merong 3 or 4 days sa Paris. Any suggestions sa hotel (or hostel) na mura pero ok, places to see in such a short time etc. Or kung merong taga Paris dito na makakatulong, I would highly appreciate it. Thanks!

[cuatro_ojos]

Try checking out this link to 1-star hotels in Paris.

 

http://www.europe-cities.com/paris-1stars.aspx

 

It would be ideal if your hotel is situated near the main train station (Gare de Lyon), but then expect the prices to skyrocket along this area. Transportation in Paris is excellent -- one only needs to familiarize himself with the metro and bus system and what lines you need to take in order to get to your intended destinations. You can ask for public transportation guides (bus and train schedules) from the receptionists' counters.

[shadowspy]

Try checking out this link to 1-star hotels in Paris.

 

http://www.europe-cities.com/paris-1stars.aspx

 

It would be ideal if your hotel is situated near the main train station (Gare de Lyon), but then expect the prices to skyrocket along this area. Transportation in Paris is excellent -- one only needs to familiarize himself with the metro and bus system and what lines you need to take in order to get to your intended destinations. You can ask for public transportation guides (bus and train schedules) from the receptionists' counters.

 

thanks for the link. oo nga gusto ko nga somwhere near gare de nord kasi dadating akong cdg eh late night. may nakita na akong isang option pero naghahanap pa ako ng alternative. thanks ulit!

[titing_galit]

I'll be having an 18 day official trip to France. Most of the time I'll be in Grenoble and Chamonix pero merong 3 or 4 days sa Paris. Any suggestions sa hotel (or hostel) na mura pero ok, places to see in such a short time etc. Or kung merong taga Paris dito na makakatulong, I would highly appreciate it. Thanks!

 

The hotel I stayed at in Paris was Hotel Palym. Pinay pa yung nasa front desk. It's right outside Gare Lyon (or Gare de Nord). you can search for their website.

[whitetiger]

For seeing Europe on a budget you can do two things.

 

If you only want to see acouple of cities (for example Paris, Rome, London) you can fly to one of these destinations and then you should be able to get reasonably priced flights from one of the major airlines (Lufthansa, BA, Air France) to the other destinations for around 100 EUR (6500 PHP).

 

If you really want to see Europe, meaning see more of the different countries, you should buy the Eurorail/Interrail tickel. It will cost you around 450 EUR (30.000 PHP) for 3 weeks and get you to almost any location you want.

 

In Paris for example, getting around the city is no problem if you use the Metro (subway). The service is excellent, you can reach any location very easily.

 

If you are looking for hotels I can recommend to check out http://www.holidaycheck.com. They have pretty good rates and real world reviews from travellers for hotels.

 

whitetiger

 

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[Sweetstinger]

I plan to go to Cyprus and Spain this coming September... anybody here who's been there? Tips please!

[titing_galit]

I plan to go to Cyprus and Spain this coming September... anybody here who's been there? Tips please!

 

 

Where in Spain do you intend to go? I've been to Madrid, Toledo and Barcelona. Madrid for culture, Toledo ok for sightseeing, Barcelona for shopping-and some sightseeing.

[dj_flip03]

Here's a stupid(?) question:

 

If I wanna tour EUROPE, what VISA should I get? Can I just get a plane ticket to, let's say, France or Italy? Or do I have to secure different VISAS? How about the SHENGEN visa? To those who have travelled and/or will be travelling, what VISA do you guys have?

[scionmd]

re visa if traveling to europe you need shengen visa 1 visa for most of europe but not all... like if your going to switzerland you need a visa from that country and in u.k you need to get their visa also... france germany belgium austria netherlands shengen visa will do.. you need the visa to get to europe unlike here in asia asean members dont need visa just a plane ticket will do.

[dj_flip03]

re visa if traveling to europe you need shengen visa 1 visa for most of europe but not all... like if your going to switzerland you need a visa from that country and in u.k you need to get their visa also... france germany belgium austria netherlands shengen visa will do.. you need the visa to get to europe unlike here in asia asean members dont need visa just a plane ticket will do.

 

 

Ok. Now, I wonder if its easy to acquire a shengen visa..? How much would it cost?

[shadowspy]

just applied the other day and it costs 60 euros...di ko lang alam kung mahirap kasi this is my third time na mag apply ng schengen (france). The first two, I was sponsored by the italian government kaya no hassle. though yung mga nakasabay ko nun sa embassy mukhang nahirapan.

[shadowspy]

guys, any suggestion kung ano magandang puntahan sa paris? of course other than louvre, eiffel tower, notre dame, sacre coeur, moulin rouge, orsay and other common tourist stuff...will stay for several days in paris and gusto ko sana makita yung ibang sights other than the common touristy stuff. any help is appreciated.

[titing_galit]

DJFlip,

 

Hindi naman ganun kahirap kumuha ng Schengen Visa dito sa atin. But of course, your documents should be in order. In fact, yung 1 consul sa Spanish Embassy magaling magtagalog.

 

 

guys, any suggestion kung ano magandang puntahan sa paris? of course other than louvre, eiffel tower, notre dame, sacre coeur, moulin rouge, orsay and other common tourist stuff...will stay for several days in paris and gusto ko sana makita yung ibang sights other than the common touristy stuff. any help is appreciated.

 

 

Tapos na ba French Open? When I was there last time, French Open kasi. Though mahirap kumuha ng tickets.

[Mike Chester]

guys, any suggestion kung ano magandang puntahan sa paris? of course other than louvre, eiffel tower, notre dame, sacre coeur, moulin rouge, orsay and other common tourist stuff...will stay for several days in paris and gusto ko sana makita yung ibang sights other than the common touristy stuff. any help is appreciated.

 

Try mo punta sa Chatelet or Les Halle magkalapit lang yun, hindi mo ma miss ito kasi ito ang may pinakamalaking Metro Station sa Paris. You will see some weird French architectural design dun sa mga malls nila, then puntahan mo rin ung isang old church dun, sa harap ng church may isang malaking head and hand stone sculpture. Sa Les Halle dami ring mga night markets with affordable prices kung budget shopper ka.

 

Sa restaurant naman, try mo ung sa St. Michelet, lapit lang ito sa Notre Dame, you can find various restaurant there by each country. Pero ang pinaka madami ay ung mga Greek restaurants.

 

And if you haven't been sa Chateau de Versailles, I recommend to visit that castle, mga 45 mins by train lang naman from Paris center. May mga package ticket na sa mga metro station where you can buy both the train and the entrance fee ticket sa castle.

[Mike Chester]

DJFlip,

 

Hindi naman ganun kahirap kumuha ng Schengen Visa dito sa atin. But of course, your documents should be in order. In fact, yung 1 consul sa Spanish Embassy magaling magtagalog.

Tapos na ba French Open? When I was there last time, French Open kasi. Though mahirap kumuha ng tickets.

 

French Open sa last week of May pa ata, sayang nga hindi ko siya maabutan pag punta ko dun next month.

[joesix2nine]

I have been to Paris, Germany, Italy and Switzerland a couple of times but not once did I let a travel agency arrange the tour for me. What I do is organize the countries I will go to including the hotels and when I get there, I call a local tour agent and arrange the tour by myself. In every hotel, you get brochures for the local tour and you can choose right there and there where you want to go. Thing is, I like to wake in my own time, change my itinerary capriciously, go to off beaten paths and meet the local people as much as possible. I also want to eat what I want and not the pre-arranged, commission-add-on restaurants that the tour agent has set for you. I was in a tour group with my in-laws, who insisted in having everything pre-arranged and I tell you, I cannot eat what they try to shove down my throat. I can see our neighbors getting really delicious food while we get all the really cheap ones. Remember, they will take you where it will be profitable for them. Be adventurous but don't be stupid. The europeans may be more educated than most of us and they are quite proud of their cultural and economic status but like in every jungle, the predators lurk for easy prey. If you know how to go around Manila whithout being mugged, you should know how not to tempt the would be muggers. Never had an unfortunate experience in Europe (well our airline lost our baggage twice), but I can sense the opportunists when I see one. Avoid the sweet talkers; they don't care a hoot about you.

 

So far, Paris never ceases to amaze me. The Parisians loved their city so much that they opted to declare it an open city. The German commander who lived there once did not think twice in preserving the city. You can understand why the Parisians are considered a bit rude, their city is just so fabulous!