Travel Expenses and Experiences in Europe: A Month-Long Journey
This article recounts a self-media enthusiast's experiences and observations regarding travel expenses in Europe, specifically focusing on Southern Europe. The author shares insights into budgeting, challenges encountered, and overall impressions of the cost of living and traveling in the region.
Unexpectedly Affordable Travel in Southern Europe
The author initially anticipated high travel costs in Europe, given the exchange rate between RMB and EUR. However, after spending over a month primarily in Southern Europe, the actual expenses were surprisingly manageable. Excluding the UK, where reliance on friends' recommendations and accommodations helped avoid high costs, the author found prices for housing, food, and general living to be reasonable.
Breakdown of Monthly Expenses
A review of credit card statements revealed weekly expenses averaging around 500 euros, including pre-booked hotels in the UK. This translates to a monthly expenditure of approximately 2,000 euros, or less than 20,000 RMB. The author attributes this lower-than-expected cost to being primarily in Southern Europe, where prices are generally lower. Compared to Southeast Asia, the author estimates expenses in Europe to be two to three times higher.
Lifestyle Choices and Spending Habits
The author emphasizes that their spending is based on a more frugal approach, avoiding luxury services like massages and limiting purchases of non-essential items. Opting for walking and manual services over public transportation and salon treatments contributes to lower costs. However, indulging in tourist activities and attractions would likely increase expenses to four to five times that of Southeast Asia.
Financial Concerns and Income Instability
Despite finding Europe relatively affordable, the author expresses concerns about the sustainability of this lifestyle due to fluctuating income from online content creation. The disparity between earning in dollars and spending in euros or pounds, coupled with declining revenue for online content creators, creates a sense of financial pressure. This partially explains the popularity of Southeast Asia as a destination for digital nomads, where expenses align more favorably with earnings.
Reasons for Choosing Europe
The decision to travel to Europe stems from a desire to escape a perceived "depressed" environment, challenge personal boundaries, and explore the unknown. Additionally, the author aims to provide firsthand insights to viewers interested in European travel, particularly regarding visas and overall experiences. The author highlights Spain and Portugal as relatively cost-effective choices within Europe.
Troubles Encountered During the Trip
The author details several challenges faced during their European travels:
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SIM Card Issues: Difficulty using a SIM card upon arrival in Europe, due to the lack of eSIM support in Chinese and Hong Kong mobile phones (a deliberate measure to restrict international card usage). The author is looking for recommendations for devices or solutions that can simulate eSIM functionality.
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Travel Insurance Complications: Difficulties in purchasing comprehensive travel insurance due to the lack of a fixed itinerary and the limitations of domestic insurance policies. The author shares their current insurance choice and searches for long-term overseas travel insurance options.
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Credit Card Fraud: A Chinese credit card was compromised, and the author encountered cumbersome procedures when reporting the incident, including the need for a local police report, which was difficult to obtain. This contrasts with the author's understanding of simpler fraud reporting procedures for foreign credit cards.
Seville Hotel and Overall Cost of Accommodation
The author shares details about the cost of their hotel room in Seville: an Ibis near the airport. The room typically costs around 50 euros, potentially reaching 70 euros during peak season, with an average nightly rate of 60 euros (approximately 500 RMB). Factoring in transportation to the city center and entrance fees to various attractions, the author estimates daily accommodation expenses ranging from 700 to 1,000 RMB. This reinforces the prior estimate of overall monthly expenses for a traveller in Spain being between 20,000 and 30,000 RMB.
Final Thoughts and Conclusion
The author concludes by acknowledging that individual spending habits vary, and those living in Southern Europe might be able to further reduce costs by avoiding tourist-related expenses. The author asks viewers if they find the monthly spending of 20,000 to 30,000 RMB high or low, and states that living in Southern Europe may be challenging. The author ends with a recommendation for the pizza in the area, and thanks the audience for watching.
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