Europe Still Very Affordable, Author Says

The dollar has been taking a beating on some currency markets, but Europe is still very affordable for Americans, says guidebook author Rick Steves, a leading authority on transatlantic budget travel who has been practicing what he preaches for more than two decades.

And going on your own on the cheap doesn’t mean sacrificing comfort, safety or fun.

With the savvy of someone who rambles through Western Europe at least three months every year, Steves maintains that two people traveling together these days can find picturesque lodgings and dine quite nicely on about $50 per person a day - $25 each for a shared room, $5 each for a continental breakfast, $5 for a picnic lunch and $15 for a fully satisfying (and nutritious) dinner. Of course, getting by on this amount is easier in Portugal, one of the least expensive European countries, and somewhat trickier in Scandinavia, where prices are higher.

A month in Europe, including transatlantic air fare, a month’s rail pass or shared rental car, a shared room (double) and all other expenses should come to about $3,600, he says. On this, you can travel comfortably without sacrificing safety, reasonable cleanliness, sleep or nutrition.

While the dollar has tumbled substantially in the past year against the German mark, Swiss franc and other Northern European currencies, its losses by comparison have been modest against the currencies of Great Britain, Spain, Greece and Ireland, according to Ruesch International of Washington, a currency exchange firm. And the dollar has changed little against the Italian lira, because of Italy’s own currency problems.

Nevertheless, it pays to be something of a penny-pincher on the Continent nowadays. “Overall, most of today’s Europe is more expensive than the United States,” says Steves, “and the sloppy traveler can blow a small fortune in a hurry.”

Steves’s on-the-road philosophy, a sort of Puritan-ethic style of independent travel that he expounds in his popular “Europe Through the Back Door,” is that exploring Europe cheaply is actually a more rewarding experience than going lavishly. By using “local-style alternatives to expensive hotels and restaurants,” he contends, Americans are forced from the isolation of luxury lodgings to meet and communicate with ordinary Europeans. “Spending more money only builds a thicker wall between you and what you came to see.”

Steves’ “Back Door” guide, the first in a roster of 16 European travel titles he has authored or co-authored, is a compilation of budget strategies based on his extensive travels. To cut lodging costs, Steves often travels overnight by train. To save on food, he seeks out lower-priced neighborhood restaurants where the locals eat. “Ask your hotel receptionist, or even someone off the street, for a good place - not a good place for tourists but a place they’d take a local guest.” He also packs lightly, toting only a small backpack that can qualify as airplane carry-on luggage. This enables him to get to and from his hotel by bus or subway rather than in an expensive taxi.

And, generally, he travels without advance reservations. “I encourage people to do it. It’s a scary thing, but it’s realistic.” Without reservations, travelers can linger longer at a destination that appeals to them, or depart earlier if they have tired of a place. Sometimes, though, to make sure he gets a room in the hotel he wants - budget rooms can become scare in summer - he will call a few hours or a few days in advance when he’s ready to commit himself to a firm travel date.

To be sure, Steves’ $50 daily budget is far from bare bones. For advice on traveling on an absolute minimum budget, you might be better off consulting guidebooks aimed at penny-pinching students. Steves’s idea of life in Europe is a bit more cozy.