Welcome to my June 2012 month-to-month journey spending report.
As I journey world wide with my bicycle I wish to hold observe of the cash I spend and share my whole journey prices right here on the web site – what I spent my cash on, how a lot it value, which objects value essentially the most, which objects value the least, and a lot extra!
I wish to share this monetary info for 2 fundamental causes:
Initially, I share my journey bills as a result of it’s good to know the way a lot it prices to go to a sure a part of the world. As a seasoned traveler, I do know that having the ability to take a look at how a lot cash one other particular person spent in a rustic I plan to go to sooner or later may also help immensely when planning my very own travels in that very same a part of the world. My hope is that you just be taught a bit of one thing about touring in varied components of the world by studying these month-to-month expense stories.
Secondly, I share this info as a result of I wish to show to you that bicycle touring and world journey doesn’t should be costly. Actually, as you will notice on this month’s expense report, journey in even a few of the costliest international locations on this planet will be downright low cost!
With that mentioned, let’s get began and check out how I used to be capable of journey for a whole month by England, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and western Germany and spend lower than €700 Euros alongside the way in which…
Meals – €201.44
Meals was by far my largest expense this month. Touring by myself, I needed to put together nearly all of my very own meals. And since I’m not touring with a camp range in the mean time, most of my meals have been chilly. I did, nonetheless, eat out at fairly just a few eating places this month and I used to be served a sizzling meal each on occasion when staying the night time with both a good friend or stranger. More often than not, nonetheless, my meals have been bought from a grocery store (thus decreasing my meals prices) and eaten picnic type.
Lodging – €99.00
Lodging, as you may guess, was my second largest journey costly after meals. However as you’ll discover, the sum of money I spent on lodging this month was truly very small.
“How was I capable of get my lodging bills down so low?,” you ask.
Properly, I used to be capable of cut back my lodging bills to nearly nothing by doing two fundamental issues.
Initially, I spent a whole lot of my time this month staying the night time with mates, mates of my household, or new mates I met whereas on the street. Staying the night time without spending a dime with a good friend or stranger is an unimaginable option to drastically cut back your journey bills whereas on the similar time having memorable journey experiences with individuals from all world wide.
Secondly, I used to be capable of hold my lodging bills low by tenting and/or stealth tenting throughout the nights when I didn’t have prearranged locations to stick with mates, household mates, or strangers. The typical campground this month value about €10.
Bicycle Tires & Tubes – €88.00
After solely 34 days of biking on my model new Co-Movement Pangea touring bicycle, I used to be shocked to find that I had fully worn by a brand new set of tires.
I used to be biking alongside in southern Holland when hastily a felt the bike start to wobble up and down. As a result of I’ve been biking for fairly a while, I knew immediately that I had an issue with my tires. And certain sufficient, the tires have been certainly the offender.
I’ll speak about precisely what occurred and why the tires wore by so shortly in my future overview of the Co-Movement Pangea, however for now, simply know that I needed to dish out an additional €88 Euros this month for 2 new tires (back and front) and three new tubes.
Private Gadgets – €78.37
I additionally purchased fairly just a few random objects this month. I purchased three new pairs of socks, a brand new set of earphones, a small electrical adapter I wanted to cost the batteries for my SLR digicam, a hat (to exchange the one I misplaced in London), and a few random artwork provides. All of those little issues add up, nonetheless, and by month’s finish I had spent €78.37 on miscellaneous private objects.
Prepare Rides – €63.50
I additionally traveled on just a few trains this month. I took the practice 4 totally different instances in England and one different time whereas in western Germany. Three of those practice rides have been with my bicycle (and subsequently value a bit of bit extra) and two of them have been with out the bike in tow.
Whereas I did should pay a small charge every time I traveled with my bicycle, I didn’t have any downside taking my bicycle instantly on the practice with out eradicating my panniers or fully disassembling my bike. As a substitute, I merely pushed the bicycle on the practice and stood with it in the principle loading space whereas the practice was in movement. Upon arrival at my vacation spot, I merely pushed the bike out the practice doorways and continued on my means.
Whereas standing on a shifting practice and balancing a fully-loaded touring bicycle isn’t essentially straightforward, it may be accomplished – even in crowded international locations like England and Germany.
Journey Tip: Most (however not all) of the trains in England and Germany will let you take your bicycle on board. You could, nonetheless, be restricted to touring throughout off-peak hours (throughout instances when individuals are not commuting to and from work) and you’ll doubtless should pay an additional charge to journey together with your bike.
Leisure – €48.55
Bicycle touring isn’t all the time in regards to the time on the bike. Generally it’s about stopping to scent the roses alongside the way in which. And this month I spent a small sum of money to scent the roses at just a few museums, artwork reveals, and cinema homes. This month I walked by England’s Windsor Fortress, discovered how X-Rays have been developed at a museum in Germany, and noticed the movie Prometheus with certainly one of my hosts in England.
Ferry Rides – €31.44
In addition to the 5 practice rides I discussed earlier, I took two ferry rides with my bicycle as properly. The primary ferry journey was from Dover, England to Dunkirk, France and it accounts for almost all of this month’s ferry boat journey expense. Solely €1 was spent on my second ferry boat journey, which was a brief river crossing by boat simply exterior town of Utrecht, Netherlands.
Toiletries – €15.75
Retaining your self clear whereas touring will be tough, however it’s a obligatory a part of being on the street. Whereas my toiletries are restricted, I do should incessantly buy new merchandise for my travels. This month I spent €15.75 on cleaning soap, toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant, and some different lavatory necessities.
Items – €8.38
Similar to after I’m at house, I sometimes purchase a present for somebody I do know… and this month was no totally different. After talking with my good friend Payment throughout my go to along with her in western Germany, I purchased her a e book on Amazon.de that I assumed she may take pleasure in and had it shipped to her home after my departure. This one small reward set me again lower than 9 Euros.
Skype – €7.90
As a result of I’m touring abroad and am not carrying a cellphone with me (one other means I’m saving some huge cash), I do find yourself spending a small amount of money on Skype credit in order that at any time when I’ve a very good working Web connection I can name and communicate with my mates, household, and companies associates. Fortunately, worldwide Skype calls are extremely low cost and the €7.90 I spent this month ought to final me for fairly a while.
Web – €5.00
Whereas I often go to nice lengths to search out free Web connections, I’ll sometimes spend a bit of cash to entry the net and do some obligatory web site updates, emailing answering, and so on. Whereas I strongly consider that we must always not be pressured to pay for WiFi at eating places, cafes and libraries, I did dish out 5 entire Euros on Web entry this month.
Bus Rides – €3.50
I additionally spent a bit of cash touring by bus. The route I took from Belgium to the Netherlands required me to get on a bus and journey with my bicycle below an extended tunnel. Crossing the water by bike was merely not an possibility. This quick bus journey value €3.50.
Showers – €3.00
Lastly, I paid an additional €3.oo this month for showers at campgrounds. Whereas many campgrounds embrace the showers together with your campground charge, some campgrounds cost further for decent water showers. This month I paid for 3 sizzling showers – every one costing me a single Euro.
TOTAL COST: €653.83 Euros (or $827.91 USD)
After one week in England, a ferry journey from Dover to Dunkirk, every week in Belgium, every week within the Netherlands, and one other week in Germany, my whole journey prices for your entire month have been lower than €700 Euros!
In addition to saving cash within the methods talked about above (staying the night time with mates/strangers, not carrying a cellphone, consuming at supermarkets as an alternative of consuming out each night time), I used to be additionally capable of save some huge cash this month by not flying on an airplane.
Should you take a look at final month’s spending report from Iceland, you will notice that almost all of my journey prices have been for airfare. However as a result of I used to be already in Europe this month and didn’t want to purchase an airline ticket, I used to be capable of save a considerable sum of money.
This is likely one of the causes I like long-term journey. Once you solely have a brief period of time to spend in a specific location, your time is restricted and you find yourself paying extra for issues like air journey and transportation.
That’s why, as an alternative of going to Iceland for a month, for instance, after which flying house, and later flying again to Europe for an additional bicycle touring journey, I as an alternative plan my travels in order that they run again to again. By staying in Europe for months, fairly than days or even weeks, I can lower out pointless airfare prices and save large quantities of cash within the course of.
My huge lesson this month: Lengthy-term journey is likely one of the greatest methods to economize when in Europe or simply about anyplace else on this planet. The longer you journey, the much less cash you’re pressured to spend.
If in case you have any questions, be at liberty to go away a remark within the field beneath. And make sure to tune in once more subsequent month after I report on my journey bills for the month of July. How a lot do you assume biking by Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria and Italy goes to value me?