Europe on a Budget
Europe on a Budget by Rough Guides
Introduction
Every year thousands of travellers pack their backpacks and set off on a European adventure. It's easy to see why – the “Old World” has an amazingly rich variety of cultures, languages, and classic must-see sights all squeezed into a user-friendly continent. In the same day you can ski down a black run, grab lunch in a sun-drenched piazza, admire world-class art, before winding down at a beachside bar. Add to this hassle-free transport, open borders and a widely used single currency and you have the proverbial travel playground.
With some of the highest living costs on earth, “Europe” and “budget travel” may seem a tricky combination. But behind the glossy surface of haute couture, royal palaces and €6 cappuccinos you'll find a low-cost destination waiting to be discovered. Europe has the best hostel network on the planet, delicious street food and a huge student population catered for by affordable bars, clubs and restaurants. The key is knowing where to look and we've included budget tips throughout this guide from fishing for your supper in Istanbul to finding a cheap pint in central London.
Where Europe begins and ends is a little hazy and its boundaries with Russia, the Middle East and North Africa have seen plenty of two-way traffic over the centuries. This book covers all the quintessential European sights and cities from Paris to Warsaw, Athens to Helsinki as well as destinations as diverse as Moscow and Marrakesh. Off the beaten track, a huge range of landscapes open up from Arctic Lapland to the Saharan desert, and Atlantic surf beaches to Alpine peaks. In fact, you'll probably find deciding where to go the hardest part of your trip.
When to go
Europe is a year-round destination and you'll always find somewhere it's the perfect time to visit. In terms of your wallet, travelling in the off season (basically October through to May) makes a lot of sense with hotels dropping rates and prices becoming more negotiable. This is especially true of tourist hotspots such as Paris, Rome and Barcelona where during the height of summer you'll find yourself queuing for hours to get into the key sights and struggling to locate a hostel bed.
If you are travelling during the peak summer months, try heading east – the Balkan coastline, the Slovenian mountains and Baltic cities are all fantastic places to make the most of your money. As the tourist traffic begins to die down, autumn is the ideal time to explore the Mediterranean coastline and islands as well as the cities of Spain and Italy which begin to look their best at this time of year. The European winter brings world-class skiing and snowboarding, atmospheric Christmas markets and legendary New Years' parties and there's still the option of blue skies and sun in Morocco and Turkey. While it's no secret that spring is the time to hit the French capital, it's also worth heading north to the Netherlands, Scandinavia and the British Isles where you'll find beautifully long days and relatively affordable prices before the summer season kicks in around July.
Ideas - Outdoor Activities
Taking a sauna, Finland. A traditional cure for weeks spent in hostels and trains – finish up with a bone-chilling plunge if you're brave enough.
Hiking the Tatra Mountains, Poland. The gradiose Tatras range offer world class hiking in summer and some of Europe's best-value skiing in winter.
Island-hopping, Greece. Sail your way across the Aegean aboard a yacht or traditional kaïkia.
Riding the Great Plain, Hungary. Experience the big skies and wild expanse of Hungary's Great Plain on horseback.
White-water rafting, Slovenia. Slovenia is a magnet for adrenaline junkies and its foaming mountain rivers are perfect for rafting and kayaking.
Surfing, Portugal. Join the surf bums riding the Atlantic breakers off Portugal's coast.
Skiing and snowboarding, Chamonix, France. The valleys around Mt Blanc offer the gnarliest and liveliest skiing and boarding on the continent.
Hot air ballooning Cappadocia, Turkey. Cruise over these bizarre rock formations from the best vantage point possible.
Ideas - Festivals and Events
Summer in Ibiza, Spain. The white island offers hard-core clubbing, mega discotecas and plenty of beaches on which to sleep it all off.
St Patrick's Day, Ireland. Ireland's national holiday is the time to dress up and drink up especially on the home turf of Dublin.
Carnival, Venice. Venetians let their hair down with ten days of masks, costumes and frenetic partying in the run-up to Lent.
Oktoberfest, Munich. Two weeks of unadulterated beer guzzling at the world's largest public festival.
Glastonbury, England. “Glasto” is the one music festival where it doesn't matter who's playing, you'll have a great time anyway.
Exit Festival, Serbia. A beautiful fortress setting, a thumping sound system and top-name acts – what's not to like?
Love Parade, Germany. Berlin's free love and techno fest is Europe's wildest festival and now on tour across Germany.
Fiesta de San FermÍn, Spain. Try your luck outrunning a bovine freight train orjust stand back and enjoy the fun at this week-long Pamplona Fiesta.
Europe on a Budget by Rough Guides is published by Rough Guides (paperback; £15.99). It is also available through Rough Guides and all good booksellers.
Send this to your Friend - Digg this - Stumble Upon - del.icio.us - Share on Facebook - Add this to Technorati!
