Don’t Overeconomize

Those are the numbers. They may not be exact, but they do represent a realistic estimate of what a trip to Europe will cost. Remember that some of the expenses listed, such as food, would also have to be paid for if you stayed home. If you consider that you may not be paying rent while you travel, nor driving your car if you have one, the cost picture may look a lot better. Subletting or moving out of your apartment can obviously save a great deal of money and can mean the difference between going and staying for many people, especially students. I recommend subletting, but this is difficult in most university towns, so try to arrange it as early as possible.

At the risk of driving you into debt, here’s my philosophy on spending on a European trip. If this is going to be the trip of a lifetime, spend a bit more and have the kind of trip you want. Students, trust me, USD 300 buys a lot more happiness at 20 than at 30, even if you could afford to take the whole summer off to go travel at that age. Since many students are graduating with a pretty hefty debt anyway, a few hundred bucks on top of that pile is not going to seem like much, especially when viewed from the distance of a couple of years. For both students and non-students, if you have the money, there are few better places to spend it than in Florence, Dublin, Barcelona, or Prague.