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Oddly I didn't find London to be exceptionally expensive to visit. We stayed at a 4 star NH hotel in central London for about US$100 a night. You can't possibly do that in a comparable city - New York, where the price is at least double that. You probably can't even do that in Toronto, a much less prestigious city. The Underground is expensive, but not as expensive as Toronto with much fewer lines (2.5 to be exact). The westend shows have many good deals too, much better than in Toronto. I don't know why London deserves its reputation for being expensive (other than housing price of course).
Paris was OK as well, so are southern France. Hotel price is not cheap but considering it is Paris it is not bad at all. More like Chicago/LA price. Food is on the pricey side but you get what you pay for and there are plenty of cheaper options.
German cities are pretty affordable in general from Munich to Berlin.
Vienna was surprising inexpensive - I would thought it should be very expensive, but from lodging to food, it seems cheaper than Toronto. Salzburg was actually more expensive than Vienna, maybe because it is a smaller city therefore less choice?
I found Italy to be pretty expensive, even outside the major city centres. I don't know why. You would think it should be cheaper than the UK but it isn't. Venice in particular. Milan as well. We ate at a small restaurant outside Florence, nothing particularly fancy and no wine and ended up paying $30 each.
Prague is also inexpensive if you know where to eat. I had a fantastic meal just outside the tourist area for a great price. The next day, in the old city the value was extremely poor for the similar price, being only 20 minutes walking distance away. For $60 a night, you can stay at a great hotel with plenty of character.
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What about other countries?
I've heard Switzerland and Norway are the most expensive. I doubt I will visit them anytime soon.
What about Spain, I heard it is much cheaper than France.
What about Greece? Being a poor country it should be cheaper but it doesn't seem so.
Southern Italy? Portugal?
London is mostly very expensive with regard to property and renting - public transport in London is actually cheaper than it is in most other UK cities. Still, it's not as expensive to visit as a tourist since the pound was devalued - it's pretty expensive to actually live in.
London is mostly very expensive with regard to property and renting - public transport in London is actually cheaper than it is in most other UK cities. Still, it's not as expensive to visit as a tourist since the pound was devalued - it's pretty expensive to actually live in.
yes, that would be my understanding too. London is expensive to live in, but not that bad for visiting.
I am just curious how come London's hotels are so much more affordable than New York's? You would be hard pressed to find a 4 star hotel under $200 a night anywhere near Manhattan.
If you want affordable places in Europe, generally speaking, take to the country and avoid the big cities. Berlin is the least expensive of the large cities i have visited. That judgement is heavily weighted toward retail goods and food. Lodging can also be quite inexpensive/head 4-6 people rent a an old, refurbished East German flat in Pilkow (sp?).
Cheap food... lots of culture and beaches... and you get accomodation for really nice prices.
If you don't care to socialize hostels are a good way to stay. Portuguese hostels have created the concept of "luxurious hostels", with very nice designs, decor, terrific accomodations and services.
No wonder that the 10 best hostels in the world given by hostelword.com out of the 10, 8 or 9 are in Portugal.
It's Spain and Portugal. East Germany is also pretty affordable, but not really 'cheap'. In fact, nothing in Western Europe should really qualify as being cheap. Visit Andalucia or other Southern states of Spain, those would be the closest - but also the least European-feeling.
Being from Canada, our dollar took a bit of a dip recently, making me have to think more about how I spend money when I'm in Europe. The first time I went in 2012, it was trading around 1.36$, now it's nearly 1.50. Still, Canada can be pretty expensive and I find food and accommodation still represents a greater value in most of Europe, barring Scandinavia and maybe a few other minority countries. Either way, I keep visiting further east, so it balances out.
It's Spain and Portugal. East Germany is also pretty affordable, but not really 'cheap'. In fact, nothing in Western Europe should really qualify as being cheap. Visit Andalucia or other Southern states of Spain, those would be the closest - but also the least European-feeling.
Being from Canada, our dollar took a bit of a dip recently, making me have to think more about how I spend money when I'm in Europe. The first time I went in 2012, it was trading around 1.36$, now it's nearly 1.50. Still, Canada can be pretty expensive and I find food and accommodation still represents a greater value in most of Europe, barring Scandinavia and maybe a few other minority countries. Either way, I keep visiting further east, so it balances out.
yep, exchange rate plays a role. I visited some Europe countries in 2011, and the exchange rate was a pleasant 1:1.25.
When I visited the UK, it was 1.65, now it is 1.85.
But I agree that the high Canadian prices make us kind of immune to the surprises of European prices often exhibited by Americans.
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