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Rough budget: Europe per day? Rough budget: Europe per day?
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Europe Topics specific to Western and Eastern Europe, from UK to the Russian border, and south-east to Turkey.
Photo by Marc Gibaud, Clouds on Tres Cerros and Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia

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Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia



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  #1  
Old 21 Feb 2010
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You may be right... in 2007. when heading to India, we did travel quickly from Germany to Greece, stayed in 4-5 places on the way there (we went through Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Macedonia).... and payed maybe around 40-50 euros per night. And this was mostly in eastern Europe, and it was in mid-October, so definitely not high-season any more!

Maybe I´ll try to look up a place to stay a little longer in Sardinia or Sicily beforehand, it would be nice to stay put for a while, and could also help with the costs a little...

One thing I´d totally forgotten: road tolls. The Italian Autostrada still as expensive as it used to be? Think it cost nearly the same that I had to spend on fuel, when riding an Africa Twin in the past, so I usually tried to avoid using them.... (and BTW, does Switzerland still obligate to buy the sticker for the whole year, even if you only pass by once?)
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Old 21 Feb 2010
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I 'think' you only need to buy the swiss vignette if you use the Motorways. My advice, and my own planned route is to cross from Southern German in the vicinity of Munich (Munchen) over Austria in the vicinity of Innsbruck to north Italy. (I will be going the other way. You can buy a daily vignette for Austria for well under 9 euros, again I think not needed if you do not use motorways.
If you stay off the Toll roads you will just about save enough to pay for cheap accommodation.
If you intend to stay a while at any of the islands, It might pay you to take your basic cooking gear and buy a very cheap tent when you get there. My tent from Le Clerc supermarket is now six years old and cost 15 euros. So it paid for itself the first night I used it. Budget 40-50 euros a night for a room. The really cheap places are usually on the outskirts of cities or major towns.
At that time of year I would go down as far east as you intend and return later by the more western route, as the winter cold comes later in the west. (but not the rain).
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Old 21 Feb 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pecha72 View Post
and BTW, does Switzerland still obligate to buy the sticker for the whole year, even if you only pass by once?
Yes they do. However, you only need a vignette if you need to use the motorways, all other roads are toll-free. Same for Austria - stay away from the motorways and you're good.

I can't help you with your budgeting plans since our way to travel is very different from yours. It also depends on the country you're in - Europe is very heterogene and some countries (Germany, France, the UK, Scandinavia) are more than twice or even three times as much as others (eastern Europe, southern Italy, southern Spain, Greece). We managed to average ~10€ per day in Western Europe without gas by buying food in supermarkets, cooking ourselves and camping wild. A few bucks more if you stay on campsites, and a lot more if you stay in hotels or hostels. Of course you can easily average 100€ per day without gas, too.
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Old 22 Feb 2010
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Yep, surely I´m aware, that the vignette in Switzerland is only needed, if you use the motorways. I´ve often traveled through the country by smaller roads, and especially in the Alps, if the weather is good, it´s actually much better that way - even though it takes a lot more time!

10€ per day in Western Europe... wow you´ve managed to do it cheap! But that cannot include the costs of any transportation, am I right? If we are planning to travel ~300kms each day (naturally we wont travel EVERY day, but as an average), then I think we need to take those costs into calculation, too.
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Old 22 Feb 2010
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Pecha72- The Swiss Vignette is now (since 2009) mandatory irrespective whether you say you will or will not use motorways- no matter how much you point to your gps and tell them you will use minor roads. The Swiss are adamant about this now.
BTW , it is worth noting that the Swiss can check your gps and if they find a radar database on it for their country... they will confiscate your gps until you return the same way and leave.
Average campsite between €20 and €30 a night.
Many now opt for the formula 'so much for the tent and so much for the bike'- In France it is mosty cheaper to use the Formule 1 motel chain - or camp wild if you can/want to.
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Old 22 Feb 2010
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Hi, during my last bike tour (summer 09) we took in the Dolomites and the Alps and were therfore travelling in the countries mentioned. We normally camped in Campsites and ate out in the evenings; our daily costs inc fuel were about 60 Euros. We were in and out of Switzerland 3 times and never bought a Vignette; maybe we got lucky. Andy B
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Old 22 Feb 2010
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I should have said December 09.
It is now in force but as with any administrative proceedure- what one border office does, maybe another a bit further along does not- you could get lucky - or not!
Update for MJ & Pecha
Non Swiss Nationals crossing a border with a powered vehicle will be asked to buy a Vignette - You could get through without either being asked and get lucky. You will still be liable to a fine if you are found to be using a motorway without the Vignette. Police often check on side roads to motorways where you had to use the motorway to get to.
Just think of it as a tourist tax- cheap at the price for the fabulous wild camping you can get to enjoy in that country.
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Last edited by Bertrand; 23 Feb 2010 at 09:17. Reason: added info
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Old 22 Feb 2010
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Wait, does that mean that one needs a vignette even if one stays on small backcountry roads? Are there no toll free roads left in Switzerland anymore?
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