Costs
OK, the most important question before you go away, what’s it gonna cost? You’ve paid for your flight, bought a rail pass, and booked your hostels ;-), but there are a still a number of other things that you need to factor into to your budget. But remember, although it’s important to travel cheap, and some of us have no choice, sometimes it is better to travel for less time, and do what you want to do, than stretching the trip out as long as possible but never having the money to do anything. When that cute girl or guy asks if you want to join her for dinner when you’re hanging out in the hostel lounge, you want to be able to say yes…

So what else should you budget for? Food and drink is obviously important, and will take a significant chunk out of your daily spending allowance, especially those who like to get into the ‘drinking’ part. You will also want to see the sights on your trip, and sometimes this can also cost you. Find out in advance if you want to pay the admission fee, or if you can give up on seeing what’s so special within the gates and just enjoy the view. The there’s local transport, metro and bus tickets in the larger cities, plus laundry once a week or so (and if you are staying in big dorms this is not an optional extra), and time on the phone, reading emails, or checking the internet (like now). And of course there are the ‘hidden costs’. You might budget €10 a day for food, but two or three coffees and a coke can, in some cities, eat half of that before you yourself have, ahem, eaten. Before you go it is worth listing everything you will be spending money on, and seeing what is possible, adding ten per cent or so to cover the hidden expenses and get a rough estimate of how much money you will need.

For example you could make your budget with the following categories;

• Transportation (number of individual trips)
• Accommodation (per night)
• Food and Drink (per day)
• Social Life (alcohol, nightclubs)
• Museums and Sights
• Film, Laundry, Postcards etc
• Keeping in touch (phone, internet)

Travel Cheap – Tips
But there are always ways to save money…
Do some research into what kind of discount cards you are entitled to. Students can get the International Student Identity Card (ISIC) which qualifies you for student rates where applicable. You can pick these up before you go from university travel agencies or STA travel (www.statravel.com). For those non-students who are under 26 there is the International Youth Travel Card (IYTC) which offers a similar, but not as extensive range of discounts. For more information on both of these cards, check out the International Student Travel Confederation (ISTC) who issues them, and can be found at www.isic.org. If you know that you want to pack your time in each city with sightseeing action, some of them such as London and Berlin have systems of ‘welcome cards’ that include transport tickets for 2 or 3 days, and discounted entry to museums and other attractions. However, sometime the museums you really want to see are not included, or you have no need of a 3 day transport ticket, and then you do not save money at all. Again, research will help, and the tourist offices in these cities will be able to give you the information on city discount cards. Buy food from supermarkets, for lunches or picnics, as eating in cafes or restaurants will eat like crazy into your budget. Don’t try and visit every museum and gallery. You can’t, physically and emotionally, and the entry fees will mount up and up. Also, in some countries such as England, many museums and galleries are free, and in others, like Germany, they have certain days that are free. Ask at your hostel, or look out for city listings guides. Meet some locals! Local knowledge will be able to bring you cheaper eats, cheaper drinks, hidden treasures that only locals will know, and the benefits that come with getting to know a city from a locals perspective rather than as just another tourist. So, make friends and save money!

Currencies + Exchange Rates
Life got infinitely simpler for backpackers after 2002 with the launch of the Euro, the European Unions single currency that is the legal tender throughout the twelve European countries that signed up for it. But there are still a multitude of currencies to get your head around, especially if much of your trip is further east. There are a number of websites that can give you up to date currency information, and some of them are; www.xe.com, www.oanda.com or www.x-rates.com.

Travellers Cheques
Travellers cheques are one of the most secure ways of transporting money, and if they are lost or stolen, can be replaced, which makes them a much better option than wandering around with piles of cash. You can get travellers cheques from banks or American express offices, and when you buy them you sign them once. The most popular are Visa (www.visa.com) and American Express (www.americanexpress.com). When you cash them, you need to sign them again and provide identification to prove that this is your travellers cheques. You can get them in US Dollars, British Sterling, or in Euros, and all three are accepted across Europe. Remember to cheap a note of the issue numbers separate from the cheques themselves in case of loss or theft.

Plastic Fantastic
It is increasingly easy to travel with plastic money in Europe, especially as a means of taking money out of your bank from home through ATMs, though credit card use is not as widespread as in the States, Australia or the UK, and in some places you will find it nearly impossible to buy things directly with a credit card. For cash cards that take out money directly from your account, the ATMs in most European towns will be linked to international networks such as Cirrus or Maestro. In the end, never rely entirely on plastic money, it is always good to have some travellers cheques as well to fall back on when a machine won’t take your card, or you snap it trying to break into the hostel with the 10.30pm curfew.