Monday, August 13, 2018

EAST EUROPE - ON A SHOE STRING BUDGET By


EAST EUROPE - ON A SHOE STRING BUDGET
By
VK Singh
            There was time when only the well heeled could afford to holiday in Europe. For most middle calls Indian families, their first foreign holiday was usually in Kathmandu, Singapore, Bangkok or Dubai. In the last 20-30 years, the profile of the Indian tourist has changed. A number of families are now venturing farther afield to more exotic and expensive locations, such as South Africa, China, Australia, Egypt and Russia. Europe and America come on their radar only after a couple of trips to countries that are closer at hand, which can be visited in less than a week. Because of their distance from India and high cost, holidays to America and Europe are expensive. The large number of places to be visited means that the duration is rarely less than two weeks. This adds to the cost, putting it out of the range of the average middle class family. However, with a little bit of planning, self reliance and adventure, it is possible to enjoy a vacation in Europe at almost half the cost of the price advertised by most travel operators.
In September this year, my wife and I decided to visit East Europe, which we had not seen. My daughter, son-in-law, their two children and my son-in-law’s mother also agreed to join us. The party now comprised three senior citizens, two middle aged adults, and two children. The countries we planned to visit were Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland. The duration was to be two weeks. Subsequently, Poland was dropped and Paris added to the list because the kids wanted to see Disneyland. The final itinerary was Vienna, Salzburg, Budapest, Bratislava, Prague and Paris. We spent almost three months exploring various options, which ranged from taking a guided tour by coach, a customised tour by rail/road, hiring a car and travelling by train. Naturally, the most important consideration was the cost, which we agreed should not exceed one lakh rupees per person, including all expenses such as air fare, visa fees, cost of train/coach travel, hotel expenses, food, sightseeing and local transport.
We got quotes from almost all well known travel operators in India, such as Thomas Cook, SOTC, Make My Trip, Carnation etc. We also got quotations from well known foreign agencies such as Globus, Cosmos, ITBC, World Wide Destinations (WWD) and Gate who organise guided as well as customised tours to East Europe. In our budgeted cost, the maximum we were able to get was 7-8 days. Finally, we decided on a do-it-yourself holiday. Having already done a back packers’ trip to Europe almost 25 years back, I was sure it would work out. Of course, we were younger then, and there were no children. At the end of the trip, when we calculated the cost, we were pleasantly surprised. The expenditure per adult was Rs. 80,000 while for the children, it was around 60,000. If we had excluded Paris, perhaps it would have been even lesser.
 A holiday to Europe has certain fixed costs, such as air fare, travel insurance and visa fees. The flexible costs are inter-city travel within Europe (train/coach/air), local transport in the city (bus/metro/tram/taxi), sightseeing (conducted tours by coach, with or without guide; walking tours, free/paid; bicycle tours etc), food (in hotel/restaurant/street food) and incidentals. If one plans his tour sensibly and is ready to rough it out a bit, a two week tour can be managed in about Rs. 80,000/- per person. Here are a few tips for those who want to do East Europe on a shoe string budget.
Itinerary
The first thing to be decided is the itinerary. I would recommend a two week tour to include Warsaw (Poland), Prague (Czech Republic), Vienna and Salzburg (Austria), Bratislava (Slovakia) and Budapest (Hungary). The ideal duration of stay at in each city is three nights. For this trip, one can plan on three nights each at Warsaw, Prague and Budapest, with five nights at Vienna. The longer stay at Vienna is to cater for day trips to Salzburg and Bratislava. This way, you will visit six cities, but will have to pack and unpack only four times. The order in which the places are to visited is entirely up to you, and may have to be changed depending on availability of the cheapest airfare, accommodation during holidays and so on.  
Air Tickets
            Unless your dates are fixed, search for the cheapest air fare to any of the places mentioned. One can buy a return air ticket, but this means that you will have to return to the starting point. This can be done without incurring any extra expenditure, if one is using a Eurail pass, but will result in spending more time travelling by train. For example, if your tour starts from Warsaw and ends in Budapest, you will have to go back to Warsaw by train on the last day. This will involve a long train journey of about 16-18 hours. A better option is to start the tour somewhere in the middle, say from Vienna or Prague. This will reduce the time spent in rail travel. Another practical option is to look for an open jaw ticket, where the return journey starts from a different location.  Sometimes, the open jaw ticket is cheaper than the return ticket. (This is exactly what we did –we flew to Vienna by Royal Jordanian and returned from Paris, using the same airline).
Inter City Travel
The most economical and comfortable means of travel from one city to another in Europe is by train. If one plans to visit only East Europe, the best option is to buy the East Europe Rail Pass. This pass offers 5 days of unlimited travel on the national rail networks of Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia and is valid for one month from the date of first use. The cost of the pass is Rs. 10,033, with children paying half this amount. It can be purchased on the net, using a credit card. It takes a maximum of five days for the pass to be delivered from the date of payment. More information can be obtained on the link question@raileurope.co.in
            Reservation charges have to be paid in addition. However, our experience was that this is not essential, except in the holiday season. In fact, when I went to make a reservation at Budapest, the girl at the counter waved me off, telling me that it is not necessary! However, if one wants to make a reservation, the charges are about 3 Euros. The train stations are well maintained and the staff quite helpful. The trains rarely stop for more than 2-3 minutes, so one has to be quick while entraining and detraining, especially if one has a lot of luggage. Since there are no porters, it is advisable to carry a stroller or rucksack rather than a large suitcase.
Accommodation
Europe has several affordable options for the budget traveller. This includes budget hotels, service apartments, paying guest accommodation, hostels and so on. I would recommend the youth hostels. The International Youth Hostels Association, now known as Hostels International, has hostels in every major city in Europe. For a family, this is the ideal option as one can get a room with 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 beds. The rooms have bunk beds (believe me, the children love it), with some having attached toilets. Breakfast is usually provided. One can become a member of Hostels International by paying just Rs 100 for a year. One can make reservations on the net, by paying just 5% of the cost by credit card, with the balance being paid on arrival. If the reservation is cancelled more than 24 hours in advance, the reservation fee is refunded. This is a boon, when one considers that travel agents rarely refund the booking amounts at short notice.
            The charges for accommodation vary with the type of room. A bed in a dorm costs about 15-16 Euros, which works out to about Rs. 1000 per night. Rooms with several beds are charged by room, with those with more beds working out to be cheaper than those with fewer beds. We were a party of seven, which included two children. If we could not get a room with 6 or 7 beds, we were given two rooms, one with 3 and the other with 4 beds or 2 and 5 bed respectively. The average cost was about Rs. 1000 per person per day. One cannot get a room in a hotel for this price. The other good thing about hostels is the informal atmosphere and facilities. One can use the kitchen to cook his own food or brew tea/coffee, use the washing machine to wash clothes and there is usually a bar and restaurant where the food is not expensive. The persons manning the hostels are usually students who are ever ready to give advice and tips about the city, including free sightseeing tours. Detailed information about HI hostels can be obtained from info@hihostels.com.
Intra City Transport
Almost all cities have an excellent transport network, comprising the metro, bus, and tram. The best option is to buy a three or four day travel card, which is valid for all modes of transport. The cost of a three day travel card is about 16-18 Euros or around Rs. 1000-1200. One needs to carry a map, so that one knows where exactly he has to change from one mode to the other. Of course, the HI Hostel will send you detailed instructions on how to reach the hostel from the airport, rail station or bus terminus. Some metro stations have lifts or escalators, but if one has to use the tram or bus, heavy luggage becomes a problem. One would be well advised to travel light, using strollers with wheels, rucksacks or hand bags.  Families with children and senior citizens who cannot avoid carrying larger bags may have to use a taxi from and to the airport or railway station.
Sightseeing
Sightseeing is the whole purpose of a European trip. For those who can walk, almost every city has free walking tours, which last 2-3 hours. These are usually conducted 2 or 3 times a day, starting from the city centre or a prominent landmark. The guides are normally students, who volunteer for the work to earn some extra money. The tours are free, but the guides do not mind a small tip. A couple can pay a small amount of say 5 Euros, while larger groups usually pay 10-20 Euros. Of course, tipping is not mandatory, and is subject to the performance of the guide.
Another option is the hop on hop off bus. These have a fixed fare, and stop at major tourist spots. One can get on and off anywhere and at any time. Other options are tours on scooters, bicycles and skates. These are not expensive, and less arduous than walking tours. The conducted tours by coach are not recommended. Not only are they expensive, but the buses cannot enter the narrow streets of the old town, where the best monuments are located.
Food
            One can get a substantial breakfast at the hostel. In some hostels, breakfast is not included, but costs about 3 Euros. Dinner and lunch can be had for about 5 Euros. While in town, one can eat in restaurants or kiosks. Water is expensive, so a better alternative is to drink beer or wine. For teetotallers, the best option is to carry water in a bottle. There is no need to buy filtered water – tap water is safe enough to drink. If one is diffident to try the local cuisine, there are pizzerias and outlets of MacDonald’s and KFC. The street food is cheap and wholesome, especially if one is non-vegetarian and adventurous. Typical expenditure on food is about 10 Euros per day, excluding liquor.
Incidental Expenses
In addition to the expected expenses on travel, accommodation, sightseeing and food, one must be ready to shell out some money on incidentals such as a river cruise on the Danube, use of pay toilets, entry fees for museums, palaces and monuments. Shopping has not been taken into account, but getting a charcoal sketch made on the Charles Bridge in Prague is almost de rigueur.  One must also cater for small medical expenses, such as treatment of cuts and bruises and medicines for minor ailments.
General Tips
·         Buy the air ticket only after browsing the net for the best deals.  There is considerable difference in the fare, from day to day.
·         The Schengen Visa is valid for all countries. You should apply to the embassy of the country that you plan to visit first or where the stay is longest. Some embassies accept applications directly while others accept it through the application centre of VFS Global Services Private Limited, which charges a small commission. It normally takes a week for the visa to be issued, provided all documents are in order. Some embassies insist on a personal interview. The visa fee is about Rs. 4000.   A travel agent will do it for you for about Rs. 5000, including his charges.
·         Unless you are going through a tour operator, book the accommodation directly on the net. If you plan to stay in the HI hostel, select the one that suits you best. Some are close to the city centre while other are closer to the airport and rail station. Membership of HI Hostel is advisable but not mandatory. The hostels give accommodation to non-members, if it is available.
·         Medical insurance is a must. It must cover the dates of travel and stay. The rates vary with age. For adults and children, the cost for 15 days is about Rs. 800. For senior citizens (above 60), the cost is about Rs.1500.
·         Instead of cash, carry a Euro card, which can be obtained from any bank after making a deposit in Indian currency. These are like travellers’ cheques, but much more flexible. They can be used in any ATM abroad. The unspent amount can be converted back into Indian rupees on return.  It is not advisable to use the credit or debit card, since the commissions are high.
A summary of the likely expenses is given below:-
Airfare                         30,000
Visa                             4,000
Insurance                     1,000
Rail Pass                      10,000
Hostel charges             15,000
Local Transport           5,000
Sightseeing                  5,000
Food                            10,000
Total                           80,000

12 Dec 2014

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