Touring - First time touring

Hello -

I'm a highschool student and a few friends and I are wanting to go to Europe next summer when we graduate. We are, of course, tight up on cash, so we're looking to do this as absolutely cheaply as possible. We're not partyers and we're not dead set on doing touristy things. My dad went in the 70's and it pretty much cost him the price of food and a few museums. He camped in people's front yards and fields, stayed mostly out of cities, and hung with the locals. He says it was the best experience of his life. My friends and I are big into primitive camping and real rough backpacking, we know what scrimping means, so I think we could do it. However I have never been to Europe, I don't know how logistically possible this is in a different country. I know I could do it in the US, but I would like you veteran's opinions about it. Can you really get by for, say $20 a day in Europe, like my dad says you can (adding a few dollars here and there for major attractions)? I have some posts on some backpacking forums, but most of them live in the lap of luxury when abroad, compared to what we want to do, and they say you can't get by for less than $60. Have you guys ever done it? What would you suggest?

Also, could you suggest and itinerary for a month in Europe, living as described? Like I said, we'd be focusing on really rural areas (we, for the record, do in fact live in an area which is just as rural as you can get in the good ol' US).

Thank you so much!
-Serena

I think it's very possible to live on $20 a day in Europe, especially if you plan on spending time in the cheaper countries. I'm going to be touring over there for 4-6 months, and I'll probably only have a budget of $15 a day (give or take). Part of my time will be spent on farmstays and homestays though, so that kind cuts down on my expense a little. What are you interested in seeing?

In general, Western/Northen Europe is not cheap. $20 a day is probably doable, but it won't leave you much over for anything other than eating and sleeping. I know you plan to wild camp, but when you need a shower, a pitch on a formal campsite is around 10-15 Euro and when you want to stay in a city Bed and Breakfast in a cheap guesthouse is around 40 Euro for 2 sharing a room.
However, some countries are better than others, Spain, away from the Costa Del Sol (Med Coastline) is good - reasonably easy to wild camp. France is OK. Germany is pretty expensive and wild camping isn't that easy.
Eastern europe, e.g. Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, is much better for cheap cycle touring - food is cheaper and they are much more relaxed about wild camping.

How about
www.couchsurfing.com

or

http://www.warmshowers.org/

these are sites where you can get in touch with others and stay with them. (A belgian couple have just left my house this morning)

so you get somewhere free to sleep ( and food too sometimes), meet the local people,and get first hand information of the country/region where you are.

In some countries $20 a day will be enough, it all depends where you wish to travel. since taking the Euro some countries , like Greece, that were cheap are becoming more expensive.

I have wild camped in most countries in Europe, and never had a problem.

George

There's also www.globalfreeloaders.com

It's kind of the same as couchsurfing, excpt with less people, and I don't think they have any kind of "verification" process.

I traveled in Ireland this summer and was surprised how expensive it was compared to my last visit 4 years ago. The dollar has really depreciated against the Euro, making everything more expensive. Things that cost about $1 dollar in the US tend to cost about 1 Euro, but the problem is that a 1 Euro = about $1.40 right now.

However, I think you should go for the trip. You're only young once. Just have some backup plans in case you run short on money. You might need to cut your trip shorter than your plans, but it still would be worth it. And you might just get lucky and find some cheap accomodations and free meals along the way.

BTW, Ireland is a great place to travel and they are very friendly to Americans. The problem is that all of the Guiness's at 3.80 Euros apiece start to add up.

I was thinking about doing Eastern Europe (I'd rather do Western - but I'd rather do Eastern than Nothing), but many people said on some other forums that it isn't as safe and friendly as Western and isn't recommended for first time traveling. We could probably bring as much as $900 a piece (there will be four of us).

I was thinking that we'd mainly stay on the continent and not go over to the UK, this trip at least. I'd like to go the next summer, maybe just by myself, and do that.