Although it’s true that all good things must come to an end, better to go out with a bang than a whimper. While it may seem like traveling through much of Italy and Austria is enough of an adventure in itself, the fact remains that with a little more time and some clever budgeting tactics, there may just be enough left in the wallet to end a month of traveling by visiting…oh… let’s say Budapest, Prague and why not Paris as well?
If you’re like me and hungry to travel to new and exotic places then head over to Budapest, Hungary, which is just a two-and-a-half hour train ride from Vienna with tickets as low as 23 euro. Budapest is arguably one of the most colorful and diverse cities in all of Europe with its unique blend of Renaissance, Gothic and Romantic architecture styles. As a result, many recent Hollywood movies have been filmed on-location in Budapest, are currently being filmed there or will be soon. I actually wandered onto the set of the movie “Inferno,” starring Tom Hanks, which was being filmed next to the Hungarian State Opera House.
Budapest has a diverse mix of delicious exotic goods from all around the world and even several burger joints that made Five Guys Burgers taste like a soggy Big Mac from McDonald’s. Like everything else in Budapest, food is cheap, and so is the alcohol, for those of you who enjoy getting plastered when you travel. Best of all, quality lodging is cheap as well. I stayed at the Maverick City Lodge, which was a beautiful and clean hostel with beds as little 16 euro a night. If you’re able to shake off your hangover, there are many beautiful buildings to explore and admire like the Hungarian Parliament Building and the Matthias Church.
It would be a shame to experience the wonder of Budapest without also visiting Prague, which is like Budapest on steroids. The train ride from Budapest to Prague takes about 8 hours and can cost $111 even for a second-class ticket. However if you plan in advance and book through www.kayak.com you might get as lucky as I did and find a one-way plane ticket on Czech Airlines for $92 that gets you to Prague in two hours. Prague also has great hotel deals, as I found a private room at the Alton for 42 euro a night using www.booking.com. Food is even cheaper in Prague then it is in Budapest and you can find a steakhouse grilling up 400-gram Argentine steaks for as little as $17 a plate, which will make the steaks at Texas Roadhouse seem like road kill. For those of you who like to guzzle freshly brewed beer you can drink till you explode because a pint is the same price as a Coke.
Prague is a city of bridges and buildings built in the Baroque style and they still retain that old world charm. Once you experience the unique beauty of Old Town Square, which has remained largely untouched since the 10th century, you will never want to leave. But that’s before you decide to walk across the famous St. Charles Bridge that will lead you up a hill to the gorgeous Prague Castle, one of the biggest palace complexes in the world.
Why not end your European adventure on a high note by going to Paris? The city of lights may be a tourist trap but there is a reason for that, as the city truly lives up to its name. Once again, if you book a flight early you could find a one-way ticket that will get you from Prague to Paris in two hours and for only $80. Paris has hordes of affordable hostels to stay in and more things to see and do than there is time in the world, which could end up being rather expensive. Try going to www.parispass.com where you can buy a two-day Paris Pass for as low as 122 euro. The pass offers unlimited metro use and admission to just about every major site and museum in Paris.
With that comes the end of our month-long adventures as we bid a fond farewell to the diverse beauty of Europe. But as it is with those who are adventurous at heart, the end of one journey is just an excuse to start another one, and now that you are a pro in finding ways to travel the world on a budget, go ahead and close your eyes, spin a globe and plan on traveling wherever your finger lands. When you plan ahead and use a few clever tricks, the world can be your oyster; even on a budget.
