Europe on $5 a Day - stories?

mamabear232
Wed, 06 Jan 2016 18:01:12 +0000

I was a kid in the 70s but my dad liked to travel frugally and he took me and my sisters to Europe (one at a time so he didn’t have to break up squabbles and to make it affordable). We were also basically add-ons to his business trips so he got reimbursement for his part. It was great to get one-on-one time with my dad. This was back when international airfare was 50% off for kids. We stayed at hostels and guesthouses, used the 2nd class Eurail pass, ate out of vending machines and in train stations and in neighborhood restaurants, and sometimes slept overnight on the train. It was high adventure.

One of my most vivid memories is waiting for a train in Germany, eating a bratwurst on a hard bun bought from a station vendor, with a Mozartkugeln for dessert. Priceless. And yes, we loaded up with Toblerone and gummi bears and duty free booze on the return.

When I traveled to Europe on my own in the mid 80s, it was probably closer to $20/day and combined a rail pass, stays with friends then studying abroad, and cheap digs. I remember having money for cheap beer and bad wine.

Going to Europe with my kids a couple of summers ago, we rented a car and stayed mostly in apartments and I’d not do it that way again, despite the significant cost savings. Eurail passes are so expensive and restrictive now! It ended up feeling a bit insular. However, I still use paper maps and guides and don’t have a smart phone so that forced us to interact with locals.