In the future, I would love to go to some of the European countries and rent a small place for perhaps a month at a time. If I choose a place where I won't need a car, can I keep my daily expenses roughly the same as at home? I'm talking about food, entertainment and misc expenses. Those of you that do slow travel and stop to smell the roses, do you find you spend a lot more than you would at home. I'd really like some insight into what others do. I think renting a car would really add to the expense of the trip. SO do you take local buses? DO you do better in large cities like Paris ,or in small towns in the south of France.
Thanks for any information. I would appreciate hearing anyones views or ideas.
Posts: 5 | Location: burlington, on, Canada | Registered: 19 June 2003
Our family spent a year in Europe recently and we were just back for seven weeks this past summer.
You can definitely save money by renting. You can also save by going in the off-season and going to less touristed places. The big cities are typically much more expensive than a small village, but a very popular small village can be expensive in the summer.
You will save a lot of money by cooking your own meals, but part of the fun of being in Europe is eating out and enjoying the wonderful food. There are less expensive ways to eat out (have only one course and make it the plat du jour, eat where locals eat, get a sandwich at a stand etc.), but I am always too tempted by the wonderful three course meals that cost 15 euro. This doesn't sound like much, but it's almost $20 and I'd never spend that much at home for LUNCH! Of course you could eat some lunches out and have light dinners at home... It is usually cheaper to eat out at lunch than dinner.
We have also found that we do spend more on entertainment because there is so much more we want to see and do-- and that's part of the reason we are there. You can find ways to save on museums (sometimes free days or free museums). Hiking is also a wonderful cheap activity!
You can definitely save money by staying somewhere where you don't need a car. But depending on where you are, this can also restrict you seriously. We have spent most of our time in the south of France (Provence). I wouldn't want to be there without a car. But in other countries (like Switzerland), you have lots of mobility using public transportation.
Hope this gives you at least some initial ideas... good for you for pursuing a dream!
Kathy, thank you so much for taking the time to share so many great ideas. I really appreciate it. I can understand that entertainment woul d be more. And having to have a car would definately be a big added expense if we were in the country, rather than staying in the big cities. Your information is valuable and I'll save it for the future.
Happy travelling...
Posts: 5 | Location: burlington, on, Canada | Registered: 19 June 2003
Like Kaydee (Hi Kaydee!), my husband and I are currently living abroad for a year. The only way we could possibly do this was to get apartment rentals. It saves a lot of money over hotels, and usually if you stay for a month or longer, you can get a discount on your stay.
I agree tha eating out is part of the fun of traveling, but there is still a lot of savings versus eating all meals out. It is also fun to shop in the local grocery stores and explore new recipes.
I love staying in town centers that don't require a car, and that is our plan for most of the trip. We are focusing on small to mid-sized cities with great shops/transportaion/cafes but not the larger cities. This is cheaper while still allowing us to be in walking distance of all we need. We take the train to go visit other towns and will rent a car to explore the countryside. Of course, if there is a large city you are really interested in, you could spend a little more on rent and then less on transportation since you can spend more time exploring that city.
Overall it might be more than the cost of daily life at home, but that is the nature of traveling since you are getting out more. It is definitely a great way to save money, though, while also giving you more of an idea of the people and culture.
I have done the long term trip a couple of times and each was successful. But I think this was due to careful research and knowing what I wanted to do and see. It was more expensive than my daily expenses are at home, but then at home I don't try to go to shows and plays as much as I did then. My first long stay trip was in the London area. I was lucky enough to sublet an apartment in Wimbledon and so I didn't need a car. Food was more expensive than at home, but at the time it was very cheap to eat in Las Vegas (my home). This is no longer true. But I loved playing in the kitchen and shopping at the different stores there. Produce was so much fresher and I had a greater variety so I probably bought much more than I would or do here. I spent lots of going to theatre and concerts but that was one of my reasons for going and so I had set aside money for this. My second long stay was in York and was much cheaper. But again, I didn't have a car and used local transportation to visit town/villages. I ate at home more than ate out so it was about the same. Well, I found Betty's Tea Cafe and have to admit I did really spurge or find excuses to stop in more often than I should have. I didn't shop much for English items as I already had done that on other trips so that wasn't a concern. I did have Brit Rail passes...several of them each visit and used them for trips that were more than a day or so. All in all, yes it was more than my daily expenses but then on a daily basis I don't do the same things here that I would on a trip. I also did a long term to New Zealand but this was a little different as I was able to fill in for a teacher who was leaving for three months.
I think it would be great if you could go for a month or more and just settle into one area. Let us know what you decide.
In Italy and France, just think of the savings on wine - and cheese! (I can't eat cow's milk, so it is goat or ewe's, and they are dreadfully expensive in most parts of North America).
My extended stays in Europe were always studying, doing research or working on projects for which I was paid back home, so no choice, I simply couldn't afford to eat out more than once a week, unless it was just having a pizza with fellow students or researchers.
I did travel more than I would have at home - fortunately rail is still fairly cheap in Italy. There aren't a hell of a lot of interesting destinations within two or three hours of Montréal - there are two cities, Ottawa and Québec.
Definitely either an apartment or some kind of place where one can self-cater.
Shopping at markets and supermarkets, I didn't find food (including wine, of course ) more expensive overall than in Montréal - as long as I didn't eat a lot of meat (I don't).
Public transport is a good deal in many continental European towns (not in London!), but remember that energy costs tend to be high.
Posts: 868 | Location: Montréal | Registered: 29 January 2006
Thank you all so much. YOu have all given me some great ideas and I think this is the way to go. I've done my 'dashing' through cities and countries. Now I want to 'experience' them and relax, take the time to talk to the residents and hopefully be able to do it with out spending an arm and a leg.
I appreciate all the advice.
Posts: 5 | Location: burlington, on, Canada | Registered: 19 June 2003
We are about to spend 2 1/2 years in Europe ( firt leg of a multi year world tour)and plan to actually spend less than what we do at home.( We live in SF area where there is a high cost of living).We are also renting a 4bdrm home in a beautiful Andalucian village for 5 months in the winter ( off season ,but still the warmest weather in Europe) which is MUCH less than what I pay here for a 2 bdrm rental.
We will eat out some and splurge on things,but we will also make up for it in other ways.We will spend more time in rural ( & authentic) areas and less time in the most expensive areas.
We also put most of the money that we will spend on the trip in Euros ( and pounds) when the dollar was high,so will be spending at a good exchange rate.
We found it cheapest to buy ( with a guaranteed buy back) an RV and infact we will buy 2 during this trip.We enjoy being frugal and finding ways to do luxurious things on a tight budget.If there is a will,there is a way!
Just for an amazing example,this French family of 4 toured the world by RV for 4 years ( just completed) and spent an average of 1540 euros a month ( 1/3 of that includes air fares and cargo liners to ship the rv).
We usually go to Rome for a month minimum at a time. This last trip was a bit shorter because of some time in Ireland.
What we have found is we usually spend less than we would for the same length of vacation in the USA. Rome averages about $200 a day for us including lodging and pro-rating airfare over 3-4 weeks. I seldom cook (it's my vacation too) but we do sandwiches for lunch at least a couple of days a week. And as mentioned big lunches (3 courses) and gelato for dinner works well too.
If we were living there I know our costs would probably drop because it wouldn't be 28 days of museums, concerts and attraction entrances. But then again we would probably find ourselves like the New Yorkers who have never been to the Empire State Building or the Arizonans who have never been to Grand Canyon. When we go for 5-6 weeks the middle 2-3 weeks our spending declines because "there is always tomorrow and today I want to go to Borghese and sit in the park and read". Then you find yourself with 5 days left and 50 days worth of itinerary. Why is why for me there is always "next time".
To compare with a USA vacation lets take a look at the bargain (and it is) cruise I just booked for us to Alaska.
This is the costs for 2 so far (not including food).
Hotels $300 Cruise $900 car rental $50 Cruise excursions $500 I figure conservatively another $300 in airport to cruise transfers, restaurant meals in Seattle and Olympic National Park, gas, and miscellaneous.
So for a week's vacation in the USA for the same 2 people (not including airfare) it will run about $2000. Airfare will bring it up to $2500.
Just another thought- we found when we went away for 7 weeks it did not cost that much more than our previous 4 weeks - airfares were the same and we tended to spread the pleasure rather than do and see everything. We also bought much more stuff both for us than presents in the shorter trip whereas in the longer trip we faced the lugging it about factor.We always remind ourselves that we would be spending money at home and at home we will treat ourselves to expensive wine or buy something for the house or whatever whereas we don't do this overseas. Overall we would spend more but in terms of value for money it is well worth it to us.
Thank you all so much for sharing your experineces. It really does help me plan for such trips in the future. Knowing that airfare is the biggest expense, it makes sense to take a longer vacation when time permits. Car rental would be a big expense too, so I'm thinking that staying is cities would be best, where a car is not required. Staying in the countryside, I think, would be difficult without a car.
I really appreciate all the wonderful tips and ideas.
Posts: 5 | Location: burlington, on, Canada | Registered: 19 June 2003
Well, we can go on vacation to the Outer Banks (travel in our own car, share a rental house with friends, do nothing while there) for rather less than going to Europe, even if we're self catering abroad. The point is there are ways to travel cheap, and ways to do it more lavishly, but they aren't the same, no matter how you cut it. Just depends how you want to spend your money and what you can do without.
Thanks! Bucky "Trying To Slow Down" Edgett
Posts: 750 | Location: Maryland | Registered: 24 April 2006
Slow Travel Talk 
) more expensive overall than in Montréal - as long as I didn't eat a lot of meat (I don't). 
