People have approached us asking how we can afford to travel and how much our trips cost. We started this website with the goal to be completely transparent. In this article, we will break down our one month long trip around Europe and give you a rough outline on our expenses. Our primary costs are into transportation, accommodations, food, and entertainment.

We spent $2,523/person ($5,047 total). This figure includes all flights, trains, accommodations, food, museums, souvenirs and other miscellaneous items during the month.

We only planned and scheduled the first week of our trip. The rest of the time we closely monitored airfare/bus/ and train rates to decide what our next destination would be. This method allowed for more flexibility but also resulted in slightly higher ticket prices.

Planning and purchasing the tickets in advance is an excellent way to save money.

We decided to visit a combination of higher and lower cost cities. We went to Amsterdam, Barcelona, Dubrovnik, Mostar, Sarajevo, Zagreb, Vienna, Budapest and Belgium. Spending several days in each location.

• High-cost cities: Amsterdam, Dubrovnik, Vienna, Belgium
• Moderate-cost cities: Budapest, Barcelona, Zagreb
• Low-cost cities: Mostar, Sarajevo

Accommodations $733/person

The entire month we used Airbnb for accommodations. It is important for us to have a reliable place to work, cook, do laundry and sleep. For two people we found this method to be more economical. Hostels end up costing more for a couple that would otherwise end up splitting the bill anyway.

For accommodations, we spent $733/person for the entire month ($1,466 total), the average night costing $27.50/person, which was a little higher than our original goal of$20. It helps to be somewhat flexible for those last minute experiences you can not pass up. Otherwise, try to make a habit of staying within the budget.

Hostels are located in convenient areas, and since we stayed in Airbnb, it took some effort to find a home that was centrally located. We managed to find places that were located near the things we wanted to do. We are confident that with a little patience you will be able to do the same. Our bookings were entire apartments except for our last night in Amsterdam which was a private room in someone's home.

Excuse the mess! We took all these photos after we had settled into our temporary space.

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Here are average figures for two people renting an entire home on Airbnb. This number includes all the fees and taxes that are associated with Airbnb. We spent less than average and were very comfortable. Prices may differ season to season.

• Amsterdam- $136 average/night
• Barcelona- $124 average/night
• Dubrovnik- $89 average/night
• Mostar- $48 average/night
• Sarajevo- $48 average/night
• Zagreb- $53 average/night
• Vienna- $81 average/night
• Budapest- $52 average/night

We recommend Airbnb to anyone who does not need all the guaranteed amenities that hotels provide. Although in many cases the Airbnb we stayed in provided coffee makers, kitchens, washing machines, and homey features. Airbnb hosts benefit from providing exceptional service. All stays require reviews by the guests and are made publicly available. Many hosts take pride in their homes, so they are always available to make your stay the best. We use Airbnb a lot and have always had good experiences.

Solo travelers often get a lower rate when looking to book apartments on Airbnb.

Transportation $961/person

We increasingly rely on Scott's Cheap Flights for great promotions on international airfare. This service alerts us immediately when there are cheap flights from our area. In some cases, the prices are mistakes by the airline, in which case you would have to book immediately before it is corrected.

SCOTT'S CHEAP FLIGHTS

Google Flights is the best tool to use when looking for flights. We like to use the calendar view so we can see when the best times to fly are. Before Scott's Cheap Flights came out, we exclusively used Google to find cheap fares. Make sure you always book directly with the company, it is much easier to make changes to reservations if you do so.

Delta and their Dutch partner KLM have recently started flying from SLC to AMS direct and we were able to buy direct round-trip tickets for $606/person. Normally, these tickets cost$1,200/person, so this helped cut travel costs by $1,188! Finding good deals on tickets is so important and can help add money to the "fun" budget.

We spent $355/person ($710 total) on domestic trains, flights, and busses. We opted out of getting the Eurail pass because it did not go to eastern Europe. Also, the Eurail pass is only worth it if it saves money. We highly suggest doing some math ahead of time to see if it is worth it to you. In our case, it was better to purchase all of the tickets separately. You are typically paying a premium for the train, because of legroom, convenience, and ease of travel.

We purchased all of our tickets a few days in advance or day of. Planning a trip a whole month in advance could have been quite complicated but will definitely save money in the long-run.

We purchased all of our tickets a few days in advance or day of. Planning a trip a whole month in advance could have been quite complicated but will save money in the long-run.

Food $509/person

When we travel for extended periods of time we try to cook more than we eat out. It is hard to eat a huge meal and then walk 10 miles while exploring a new city. We love shopping at local stores and markets and our meals revolve around the fruits, veggies, and spices that are available to us.

When we do eat out we put a lot of thought into the restaurants and bars we visit. We want an authentic experience, quality food, and good service. Typically, we eat out once a day and cook the other meals at home or grab something light to go. Trying local beers, wines and liquors are also included in this budget.

We tie food, with culture and it is a big travel expense for us. This trip, we spent $509/person ($1,019 total) on food & drinks. Each person spent $311 ($623 total) at restaurants and $198 ($396 total) on groceries.

Adventures & souvenirs $292/person

Each of us spent $292 ($584 total) on tours, museums, and adventures. We typically do one to two museums and a tour of each city. We also try to do something unusual or different or something outdoors. When traveling, we try to stick to activities that are unique to the area.

Becoming a pro at spotting tourist traps is another great way to save money. A lot of attractions or tours are gimmicky and tend to be expensive. If it is not unique and can be done in other places then we suggest caution. Prices for these types of attractions are usually jacked up, be cautious, so you are not taken advantage of. We suggest asking locals what they enjoy doing. If you take a walking tour ask your guide for a list of tourist traps and how to avoid them. Do not forget to tip if the tour is free.

We hope you have found this rough summary useful when deciding how much moolah you will need for your adventure. We will regularly update this article as new information and tips come through. Subscribe to our newsletter and be alerted right away. Please leave any tips you have in the comments below, or ask and the community can help. We will do our best to answer your questions promptly.

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