How far can 10 grand get me in Europe?

[Tappy Tibbons]

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I sort of explained this in the OP but this trip isnt really to go clubbing or to dine on fine foods, its more spiritual than anything. A couple months ago, in the midst of having a nervous breakdown, I sat down and totally reevaluated what I wanted to get out of my life. I was about 9 months removed from almost making the biggest mistake of my life by marrying a girl who couldnt be faithful to a square of toilet paper let alone a man. It's much more complicated then that, obviously, but through lots of reflection, inebriation, and a little masturbation, I came to the conclusion that I knew nothing of the world besides the small California town in which i'd lived my whole life. So I came up with a plan to try and explore as much of the world as I could on my limited budget.

The plan is to really have no plan. I just want to go do it and figure it out along the way. I have no problem walking, biking, taking buses, sleeping next to the highway, eating tuna cans 3 days in a row etc.

Maybe this isnt the best forum to be asking these questions, i dunno. I'm an avid 2+2 troller and from what I can tell there are some smart people on here. I guess what I really want to know is is spending money unavoidable? I mean, can I buy a loaf of bread and some salame and live off it for a few days while im traveling to a new city? Is that even reasonable?

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I had a similar spiritual experience, and in 2005 spent about 5 months living in Budapest, Hungary. I figure the whole experience (including all travel to other countires while there) cost me about $20,000. This is a pretty high figure, becuase I when I started the trip, I was still in the mindset that "more $$$ = better," so I rented an apartment right on the Danube in the priciest district in Budapest. With that in mind, you could definitely do 4 or more months for 10K.

To make it work, you just have to be willing to immerse yourself in the culture of the country you're in. Open up to locals, find out where the non-touristy areas are, and eat and shop there. Part of my spiritual experience was getting out of the mentality of being a tourist, and learning about the everyday people there. While in Dubrovnik, Croatia (amazingly beautiful city, btw), I got there during the height of tourist season. The cheapest hotel room was about 400 euro a night. Many of the locals, however, will rent out spare rooms to tourists. For about 30 DOLLARS a night, I stayed with a family that had a beautiful house on the hill overlooking the sea. I had coffee with them as they told me stories about the war, and how they rebuilt the city afterwards. To me this was way more interesting than staying at some 5 star hotel with a bunch of snobby business travelers.

Definitely check out Eastern Europe - To many Americans never go further east than Vienna. In doing so, they're missing out on great cities like Budapest, Krakow, Lake Bled, and one of the most beautiful countries on the planet, Croatia. The biggest problem with Eastern Europe is the women - they're so hot that when(if) you get back to California, it will take you awhile to find American women attractive again.

You might want to become active on a sight like
hosptialityclub.org . Start talking to people there now, and you may be able to find people willing to let you stay with them for free during your entire trip. If you can do that, you could spend close to a year in Europe. You also might want to read Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to Long Term Travel . The author has made trips last for 2 years on low income as an ESL teacher.

Good luck with your journey.