Cheapest Countries in Western Europe for Travel
The days of backpacking all over Western Europe at bargain rates are over. In fact, Western Europe is arguably the most expensive region on the world travel circuit. But some of the 22 countries in this survey are much cheaper than others. It turns out there are bargains to be had after all; you just have to get (way) off the beaten path.
This post follows up in the Cheapest Country series, which has so far included Cheapest Countries in Latin America and Cheapest Countries in Asia.
Here’s a wrap-up of the winners and why you should go:
Andorra: The Cheapest Country in Western Europe?
A tiny country wedged between France and Spain, Andorra offers great mountain panoramas and even better skiing. Better brush up on your Catalan.
#2. Portugal
Attractive beaches, beautiful country vistas, a rich architecture and history. Sound good? Relatively modest prices are the icing on the cake.
#3. Finland
Arguably more a part of Northern than Western Europe, Finland offers oodles of coastline, expansive and untouched wilderness areas for trekking, and a fine city brimming with culture: Helsinki.
Linda
Wow, I’m surprised Finland came out cheap, judging by the price of beer there! Malta will probably become a bit more expensive now after joining the euro.
A good way to work out a budget for travel in Europe is to work out how much it costs for one night’s accommodation, then double that price for your daily budget. If you’re travelling around a lot, triple it. There’s a podcast on this idea at http://www.indietravelpodcast.com/podcast/021-a-simple-budget-idea/.
Also, we’ve got a competition going at the moment too - you can win a book from Lonely Planet, which is pretty cool. Have a look at http://www.indietravelpodcast.com for the details.
Jul 31st, 2008 at 5:51 am
Cherish D
FINLAND! I really hope to go there in the future! I like your picture, a lot of snow, I think I couldn’t imagine how cold it is. Thanks
Dec 5th, 2008 at 6:24 am
Milo
Is this a serious website?!? i’ve travelled through most countries in western Europe and I can assure you that you have no clue what you are talking about. Sweden for 33$ a day??? Spain being as expensive as the Netherlands? And Finland one of the cheapest countries?
Just an example of how wrong you are: the cheapest dorm bed in Helsinki is $30 dollars. So how the **** are you planning to get around in Finland for 29$ a day as a total budget?
I can go on like this for pretty much country. How did you make up this list? ffs, don’t write an article if you have no clue what you are talking about. Also your other lists are bs too, as far as i can judge.
May 23rd, 2009 at 3:09 pm
BudgetMonkeyDave
Milo,
The methodology I used to calculate these figures is laid out clearly in the Latin America costs post. The basic data comes from Lonely Planet estimated costs for food and lodging, assuming one is sharing a low-end double room with a buddy.
I mention clearly in that post that the figures are certainly underestimates and should be taken with a grain of salt, but that my hope is that they might shed some light on the relative costs of travel in these countries.
I invite anyone with on-the-ground experience in these countries to provide their input to augment this picture, as you so have so kindly done.
May 24th, 2009 at 7:30 am
John
Do you know how to find really cheap places to live in the worlds most developed countries? I go to small towns in USA, for example in South-East, South Carolina for instance - good weather, lower living costs - you can find an apartment in downtown of a biggest city in SC for under $1000 a month… no… as low as $500-$700 a month. But that’s not all, - you drive through small towns and can find rentals as low as $200 a month! Not a week, but a month. Say $215 a month rent in a small town about 40 km from a major city in USA. All you need is a car and gasoline money at around $0.50 per litre. And you can buy a decent brick house for as low as $30000-$40000 in a big town. So what you do is you don’t live in a city, but outside of it. I’m sure even in western Europe one can find rental and immovable property bargains outside of big cities.
Jun 13th, 2009 at 8:54 am
Michael
Lonely Planet guide book prices are usually 2-3 years out of date by the time they go to print, but in this case it’s more like 10 years.
Finland is expensive compared to many countries. A 2 hour bus journey (minimum travel time between towns) is from 15 euro’s, and double that for the trains!
‘Budget’ accomodation about 40 euro’s a night, plus any food drinks and you’re looking at around 70 euro’s a day realistically.
Although you could always hitch-hike and camp out in the beautiful forest’s if travelling in summertime, but you’ll need lots of mosquito (and bear) repellent.
Aug 31st, 2009 at 6:06 am