The Toll Of Traveling Far Eastern Europe
Over the summer, I left the pop European tourist trail together with saw 3 of Europe’s lesser-visited countries: Bulgaria, Romania, together with Ukraine. They’re located on Europe’s far eastern edge and reckon few tourists. While Republic of Bulgaria sees a few to a greater extent than tourists because of its proximity to the Balkans together with acts equally a halt on the overland road from Turkey to Budapest, the further N I went, the fewer travelers I saw. In Ukraine, I solely encountered USA Peace Corp volunteers together with a handful of Europeans.
I don’t sympathise why — these countries are inexpensive and safe, together with they lack the overwhelming crowds yous notice elsewhere inward Europe. These countries are one-half the cost of their Western counterparts. In fact, during my 46 days inward these 3 countries, I spent a full of $1,876.50 USD. And that was fifty-fifty taking into trouble organisation human relationship all the sushi I splurged on! That’s a cracking cope for 46 days inward Europe.
While I would usually intermission downward the cost of each province into a unmarried post, I desire to lay these countries together, thence yous tin give notice reckon all at i time how affordable this expanse of Europe is.
The Cost of Bulgaria
While inward Bulgaria, I spent a full of 1,405.40 lev (BGL) in 23 days. That industrial plant out to live roughly $1,000 USD, or $43.47 USD per solar daytime at today’s telephone commutation rate. In the 23 days I was there, I visited all the major sightseeing destinations, including the expensive together with means overrated Sunny Beach.
How I spent my money
All prices are inward Bulgarian lev.
Food: 475.90 (cheap local meals, a few restaurants, together with a lot of sushi)
Accommodation: 445.70 (I stayed inward dorm rooms together with Couchsurfed for v nights)
Alcohol: 259.40 (I partied pretty heavily, peculiarly along the Black Sea)
Buses: 100
Taxis: xix (a few intra-city together with aerodrome taxis.)
Tours/Sightseeing: 53
Movies: 42.5
Water: 8.9
Chess inward the park: 1
How much tin give notice yous genuinely produce it for?
About the same. Excluding my sushi splurge, my daily average would bring been exactly about $38.29 USD. I didn’t pass lavishly inward Republic of Bulgaria or genuinely produce anything beyond what the normal budget traveler would do. I used local transport, ate local meals, stayed inward inexpensive hostels. If yous aren’t a sushi fan, budgeting $35–40 USD per solar daytime inward Republic of Bulgaria should live adequate.
If you’re looking for nicer accommodations together with to a greater extent than eating seat meals, yous should consider budgeting $50–55 USD per day. And piece these are non the rock-bottom prices yous tin give notice notice inward other parts of the world, when comparison them to prices inward Western Europe or Scandinavia, things are considerably cheaper.
How to salvage coin inward Bulgaria
If yous desire to salvage fifty-fifty to a greater extent than coin inward Bulgaria, hither are a few ways to cutting your expenses:
Couchsurf – Hostels are cheap, but if yous desire to save fifty-fifty to a greater extent than coin on accommodation, yous tin give notice Couchsurf together with remain alongside locals for free. There are a lot of available hosts inward this country.
Cook – There’s a lot of inexpensive Bulgarian food, peculiarly the pizza, hot dogs, together with sandwiches on the street. Cooking your ain nutrient volition apparently brand things cheaper too, peculiarly since the markets bring a broad multifariousness of inexpensive fruits together with vegetables.
Stay at Hostel Mostel – Staying at this hostel tin give notice lower your costs, because non solely produce they offering gratis breakfast but they also offering gratis dinner (which also comes alongside a gratis beer). Staying hither gets yous ii meals a day. They bring locations inward Sofia, Plovdiv, together with Velinko Tarnovo.
Take buses – The trains inward Republic of Bulgaria are to a greater extent than expensive than buses.
The Cost of Romania
While inward Romania, I spent 1878.30 leu (RON) or $578.83 USD inward the xvi days I was there. That industrial plant out to live 117.38 leu or $36.17 USD per day. This covered the cost of locomote from Bucharest through Bra?ov together with Transylvania to Cluj-Napoca.
How I spent my money
All prices are inward Romanaian leu.
Food: 724.4 (sushi meals, a few squeamish restaurants, equally good equally cooking for 3 days)
Accommodation: 881 (dorm rooms together with ii nights inward a somebody room)
Alcohol: 9
Transportation: 113.9 (buses together with aerodrome taxis)
Tours/Sightseeing: eighty (Bran Castle, a bunch of museums, together with walking tours)
Cold Medicine: 57
Water: 13
How much tin give notice yous genuinely produce it for?
You tin give notice produce Romania cheaper than I did. I spent quite a flake on sushi together with had a few nights inward a somebody room. Moreover, I got a mutual frigidity together with had to pass some coin on medicine, which upped my budget too. $30 USD a solar daytime is a reasonable backpacker budget for Romania, though you’ll in all likelihood pass to a greater extent than if yous drink.
If yous desire a few nights inward a somebody room, squeamish meals, together with to a greater extent than sites, your budget volition in all likelihood come upwards closed to $45 USD per day. If yous only stay inward somebody rooms, thence merely triple the amount of coin I spent on accommodation together with that’s how much you’ll need to budget for a house to stay.
How to salvage coin inward Romania
I didn’t notice that Romania offered amazing ways to save. There wasn’t genuinely whatever i affair that I flora together with was like, “Wow! This is going to live great! My budget is saved!” Outside the normal Couchsurf/cook/eat local tips, the province is inexpensive enough.
The Cost of Ukraine
My lastly halt inward the percentage was Ukraine. While I was inward Ukraine, I spent a full of 2377.95 Ukrainian hryvnia (UAH) or $297.07 USD inward the vii days I visited the country. That industrial plant out to live a 339.70 hryvnia or $42.52 USD per day. I was inward Kiev together with Lviv piece I was there.
How I spent my money
All prices are inward Ukrainian hryvnia.
Accommodation: 740 (I stayed inward dorm rooms for most 100–110 hryvnia per night)
Food: 1122.50 (mostly local Ukrainian restaurants together with ii fancy sushi dinners)
Alcohol: 261 (two nights out inward Kiev)
Transportation: 219.20
Tours/Sightseeing: 10
Water: 15.25
Chess: 10 (I paid to lose at chess inward the park. It was fun.)
How much tin give notice yous genuinely produce it for?
One of the reasons my budget for Ukraine was thence high was because I went out for sushi twice. When yous exclude those meals from my budget, my daily average drops to 251 hryvnia or $31.09 USD. I don’t intend yous tin give notice view Ukraine for much cheaper than that. I was the ultimate backpacker hither together with stuck to everything cheap.
However, I propose yous pass to a greater extent than together with non live thence frugal. Splurge on sushi or drinks or a squeamish room every thence often. This province is inexpensive (the cheapest I’ve been to inward Europe, inward fact). Live it up. Enjoy it, because later the European soccer entitle comes hither side past times side year, prices volition for certain larn up. The Ukraine is currently i of the best value countries inward Europe. Make the most of it piece yous can.
How to salvage coin inward Ukraine
If yous genuinely experience the need to pass fifty-fifty less coin inward Ukraine, yous tin give notice produce 3 things:
Couchsurf – If 5–10 euros per nighttime is also much for you, thence Couchsurf together with salvage yourself money.
Head out of Kiev – The province is substantially cheaper exterior of Kiev, equally good equally the closer yous larn to Russia. (Note: As of now, avoid eastern Ukraine together with Crimea.)
Eat local – By solely eating at local restaurants similar Puzata Khata, you’ll boot the bucket on your nutrient prices downward equally depression equally yous can. H5N1 typical repast hither cost me most xxx hryvnia ($4 USD).
Drinking – This tip genuinely applies to all the countries mentioned here. In all these countries, yous tin give notice purchase 2.5 liter bottles of beer inward supermarkets together with corner shops for $1–2 USD. It’s incredibly proficient value together with is the means to political party on the cheap.
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The eastern business office of Europe is the best cope you’ll notice on the continent. These 3 countries were much to a greater extent than affordable than I’d previously thought, together with traveling hither definitely helped me right some of the overspending together with higher costs of Western Europe. But, beyond exactly the monetary savings, these countries are rich inward history and delicious food, together with they offering a challenge for travelers that yous don’t notice on the well-worn trail inward other parts of Europe. I’m thence happy to bring finally made it out here.
Note: I didn’t view Moldova because of fourth dimension constraints, but I’ve heard its prices are on par alongside the residuum of the area. I didn’t larn to Republic of Belarus either, because it costs a few hundred dollars for a visa, together with I didn’t experience I would pass plenty fourth dimension at that spot to justify the cost.
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