My name is Karn Vijra and I was born in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh in the year 1997 to a middle-class yet beautiful and a happy family. I currently work at Kalzoom Advisors, a management consultancy firm in Pune, as a Product Manager. Throughout my childhood I was close to sports: initially having an affair with cricket and finally falling in love with football and following it religiously. Apart from playing football and supporting Manchester United, I enjoy reading books and spending a lot of good time with my friends and close ones. Fortunately, when I was 14, my dad took us for our first international trip – to Thailand. I believe seeing the world outside India for the first time at what was considered back then a tender age to travel abroad for a kid in a middle-class family, really paved the way to ignite the fire in me for travelling and discovering newer places in this world. Talking about travel, have you wondered about the perfect Europe itinerary on a budget? If you have, then I travelled to 4 countries in Europe for 24 days in ₹1.3 Lakhs.
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My Travel Tales
Now, having traveled 14 different countries at the age of 22, I believe I’m drawn towards newer experiences like a Spanish bull is to a red flag. It’s addictive, fun and on top of everything else – the best learning experience one can get. It means so much to me that I don’t accept gifts from my parents but instead ask them to invest that money in my travels. This Girl Lost Her Passport In Europe And Still Completed Her Trip With A Temporary One.
I’ve travelled to a host of countries – Thailand, Egypt, Italy, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, France, Switzerland, Greece, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Turkey and The Netherlands. Most of these have been with my family where we’ve had nice, cosy family vacations – staying in hotels and having the ‘touristy’ experiences. The one in Greece, the Netherlands and a combined 24-day trip to Germany, Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic were different. These were essentially me travelling alone and experiencing these countries in a different way than a normal tourist. This Indian Boy Has Been Stuck In The Middle Of The Sea For 33 Days Now Thanks To COVID-19.
These were typical backpacking trips on a cutthroat budget, where the only essential was to tap these countries, their people and whatever it has to offer as raw as possible – to literally live, breathe and speak their nation. I’ve always been fascinated by the various elements the Western world has to offer that we Indians don’t have access to which is why I love going to Europe.
Domestically, I’ve been fortunate enough to cover almost 80% of our nation and see the beauty it beholds. My father is highly inclined to exploring new places and I owe him vastly for inducing this in me. He made sure as a family we travelled a lot and had a lot of vacations and that was where my travel bug started flirting with me. Apart from the North East, J&K, and a couple of other states, I’ve been to every state in our country and have really got a taste of what it feels to be a local. Spanish Woman Stranded In Karnataka’s Udupi Amid COVID-19 Learns Farming & Local Dialect.
Why Europe?
This was in the summer of 2017, I distinctly remember. In 2016, we’d been to Italy as a family and we were discussing which country we’d fancy this year. Due to a host of reasons, my parents were not inclined on any vacation this year. I was still in college, had my fair share of summer vacations and was recently bitten by the ‘travel bug’. It was absolutely impossible for me to not travel and explore this year. I knew once done with college, I won’t get these chances again and I had to grab them by its neck.
Initially, I was scared. How do I ask my parents? What would their reaction be? I was very confident in my ability to plan this trip out and execute it too, but my parents’ approval and reaction tensed me. To my surprise and amazement, my parents didn’t utter a word. They supported me and lo – that’s where I had all clearances to go for a solo vacation. Without a doubt and any delay, my mind was struck with the idea of a solo backpacking trip across Europe – something that I really wanted to do! Bangalore To Get Colour-Coded Cycling Lanes Like Europe
That’s how I decided on Europe. The next factor to include was familiar faces and see if I had any friends or mutual friends in any European countries as that would help me. I had 24 days of holidays and I wanted to make the most of it – spend all of them in Europe! I mapped out and found a few distant relatives and connections in Germany and hence decided to visit Germany and neighbouring countries. I saw the Czech Republic and had heard of Prague – that it was a beautiful city, a perfect blend of culture and modern-day Europe and it was a no brainer to visit Prague. Without any hesitation, I booked my tickets on a Lufthansa airline (it was the cheapest) from Mumbai – Frankfurt and a return from Prague – Mumbai for 24 days later.
My Europe Trip
I departed from Mumbai airport on the 1st of June – 04:35 am. That’s where my journey started, the exciting and nerve-wracking trip was on! Fortunately, since I’d been to Italy earlier, I knew a bit about Europe and how it functioned and wasn’t too scared. Plus, I knew I was going to meet a few friends, a few mutual ones and some that I’d never met in person before and with the nervy excitement in me, I knew I was ready. I flew alone but was joined in Frankfurt and in part of my trip with a friend of mine – Hemal. Hemal has been my buddy since I was 11 and we’ve been through the same school.
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Apart from a few days with Hemal, my trip was largely solo – meeting new people as and when I reached a new city. My planning was fairly simple. I had a total of 24 days and decided to divide them into 3 countries – Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic. There was no travel agent but Hostelworld ( the online hostel booking platform ) and offline Google Maps were my best buddies. My budget was very limited for this trip.
I’d set out to finish this trip in ₹1.5 Lakhs including all my expenses – from my VISA to my airfare and even my cab from Pune to Mumbai airport! The idea was trivial – to experience these places in its rawest essence. I’d set myself to stay in hostels and also wanted to limit my connection with my friends back in India. That’s exactly why I never bought a SIM card during my entire trip. I used the public Wi-Fi (which is pretty accessible throughout Europe) and let my family know where I was and kept sending them a few pictures and voice notes! The 4 Countries I visited were Germany, Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
1st Country – Germany
I landed in Frankfurt in the morning and took the metro from the airport to my hostel. With a huge backpack and one smaller one, I embarked on what would be the best 24 days of my life. I met my friend Hemal and we checked in our Hostel dormitory. Post dropping our bags, we immediately set out to have some breakfast and explore the city. Roaming through the beautiful main market, the typical European cobbled streets and enjoying German Beer, we spent the entire day walking through the city and trying new foods and different beers.
We went to the old town in Frankfurt, where the architecture is very trivial and one can observe a stark difference in this part. Smaller, flatter houses instead of high rising buildings and cobbled streets instead of paved ones dominate the old town. We called it a day by midnight since we were tired and rested in our dormitory.
The next day, I was to take an early morning bus to Dortmund – the home to the largest football stadium in Germany and as a football fan, I couldn’t have been more excited. Dortmund is a brilliant football team with a rich history and although the town is fairly small than other German towns, the football culture is visual throughout the town. The bars and pubs are all painted in black and yellow – the home colours of the Dortmund football team.
I hopped on the bus and met Jonas – a local from Dortmund who gave me a few tips on what to do after my stadium visit was done. My visit to the Signal Iduna Park – the stadium of Dortmund was nothing less than magical. The stadium tour, through the tunnel onto the pitch, the dugout and the trophy cabinet were something of a dream come true for a football fan. The stadium is massive and is an architectural masterpiece in its own.
I got free by 1 PM and then had basically nothing to do till night – when I had an overnight bus for Munich. I was wandering around the city centre when I went and sat in the park with a snack and a drink. I distinctly remember this moment – there were 3 people skateboarding and I was fascinated. I approached them and after some time, they asked if I wanted to explore the city with them. I was thrilled. I met Lenny, Skippy and Scoot and they were the best hosts I could have asked for! They took me to the art museum of the university – where students had installed their art and it was magnificent. Later we went around the town, met their other friends, and also had some local beer. They were so sweet that they came all the way to drop me to my bus by the time it was the night! In fact -they’re all added on Facebook and Instagram and we sometimes talk to each other. 10 Underrated European Destinations That Need To Be On Every Travellers List.
The next day, I arrived in Munich and reconvened with Hemal. A mutual friend of Hemal and I, Dani, who is German, had invited us to a small town of Chiemsee for a traditional German wedding. One of her friends was getting married and there we were – 2 Indian boys knowing absolutely nothing of what needs to be done. A little bit about Chiemsee – it is a small village where practically nobody speaks English. It is an hour away from Munich In the Bavaria region of Deutschland. There is a huge lake nearby and it is absolutely pristine. There are many hills nearby where one can trek and relax.
Chiemsee was one of the most relaxing places I’ve been to. We spent a couple of days there, living in the house of a German lady who made homemade jams and vegetables with local produce – which she grew in her backyard. We had a beautiful trek on one day and then relaxed near the lake having Radlers, fresh meat and local dishes.
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The night before the wedding, we were all on the porch, under the uncountable stars having Gin and Tonic and that was one of the most peaceful I’ve felt in a long while – completely in sync with the nature and everything around me. It was perfect. If you want to more about Germany then here’s The Ultimate 5 Day Guide To Traveling To Germany
Post my trip to Chiemsee, I went ahead to Nuremberg to visit a friend of mine, Ani, who is from Pune but was in Nuremberg at that time. Ani and Thomas were waiting for me in Nuremberg and I spent a day there – meeting Ani after ages and Thomas for the first time. We explored the castle, went through the old town, explored new places to eat and finally had a nice dinner in a restaurant called Barcelona by the river. I retreated in a hostel near the bus station in Nuremberg for the night after a beautiful day with both of them.
The following day, I took a bus to Munich and I was ready for one of the most awaited things of my entire trip – the COLDPLAY LIVE CONCERT. I’m a huge Coldplay fan and this was one of my dreams so my adrenaline levels were through the roof. So rolling back a bit, how I got the ticket for this concert is in itself a beautiful story. I joined a Facebook group which had people from across the world. I saw Mihaela, from Bulgaria who couldn’t attend the concert and wanted to sell the ticket. I connected with her and she was super sweet. She told me that she’s in Sofia, Bulgaria and will send the ticket through her mum to Munich. My aunt who stayed in Munich collected the ticket for me and then on reaching Munich, I collected the same from my aunt. The ticket cost me 110€ ( ₹8634 approx) but it was probably an ‘adventure of a lifetime’.
I stood outside the stadium where the concert was to take place at 1 PM. Coldplay were slated to take stage at 8 PM. That was bloody 7 hours before they’d come. To my amazement, there were already a hundred-odd people waiting there. A group of Italians were belting out songs of Coldplay, cheering and having a jolly time. They had travelled all the way from Milan for this and were having a ball. I joined in and sat down outside the gates at 2 PM. I met a woman from Tbilisi, Georgia and she was kind enough to share a drink with me to keep me warm in the ever-increasing cold. Finally, around 5 PM they opened the gates and we all ran through. I ran for my life as I was hell-bent on being there in the front row to witness Chris Martin and the entire band play their beautiful music. Finally, I made it and waited and waited and waited.
It started to rain, and grew super cold and there was a point when I was wondering if this was worth putting myself through so much trouble. But I waited. And finally, the moment came. When I saw Chris Martin live, I was floored. The concert took off and it was one of the best moments of my life. I cried, laughed and went through every possible emotion in those 1.5 hours. Chris Martin was literally 10 feet apart and I was in absolute awe of him and the performance. My favourite part was when he sang my favourite song – Yellow. They had given us XyloBands – bands which have LED lights on them which are synced to the music and being centrally controlled. The entire Olympic Stadium in Munich was Yellow. It was indeed, all yellow! I made many friends from all over the world who had come for this. It was truly one of the most fulfilling moment of my life. Post the concert, I remember meeting Hemal and Dani at the AirBnB we had booked for ourselves and not being able to sleep till almost 4 In the night because that’s how shook I was.
The next day, the three of us set off to go to the Dachau concentration camps. Witnessing them really opened my eyes to a host of things and it was a sombre, chilling yet very eye-opening experience. The chills which ran through my spine when I heard the tales still get me. Europe Starts To Resume Public Life As Coronavirus Cases Decrease.
Then, I set off to visit Munich – visited the Allianz Arena ( the home of the world-famous football team – Bayern Munich).
I had lunch at the famous Hofbrauhaus, ate traditional German Schnitzels and Pretzels, met a couple of acquaintances.
And enjoyed my evening at a Biergarten ( Beer Garden) with my aunt and uncle – who even hosted me for the night! That was how my German trip was – full of experiences that I now have in my heart, locked and sealed, and moments that I will cherish for years to come.
2nd Country- Austria
I took a 6-hour long bus to Vienna from Munich the next afternoon. A friend of mine had introduced me to Andreas Langes (Andi)I’d never met Andi before, but he was going to host me during my trip in Vienna and also help show me around so I was looking forward to it. To my surprise on reaching Vienna, Andi was already waiting for me exactly where my bus stopped. I met Andi and he took me home on the metro. He had already bought a ticket for me! He was staying with 3 other friends in a 5-BHK in Landstrasse, Vienna. They had one room free which they usually rented out for travellers coming in via AirBnB but Andi was kind enough to let me occupy that room without any costs to it. My plan was to be in Vienna for a couple of days, three tops but you’d be surprised to hear what it turned out to be. After dropping my bags, Andi took me for a beer, and we explored the city a bit and finally called it a night.
The next day, was again a big one for me! I was going to enter the UN office in Vienna. Andi was attending an event related to SDGs in the UN office and he’d managed to get me a ticket too. The event was brilliant and deeply insightful, and it took our entire day.
To be inside the offices in the UN among a host of Austrian youth and discussing persisting issues in the world, trying to come up with solutions and ideas that could change the way we are, it was overwhelming and empowering at the same time. I felt like a true Global Citizen and it opened my eyes to a lot of different elements of life.
The next day, Andi took me out to visit Vienna. We first went to the Boulder bar – a place where people do rock climbing. Andi is an avid climber so he really enjoyed it. There was a competition going on that day and it was something very new for me. Later In the night, Andi managed to get me into a Dorm Party in his university. The 5 of us (Andi, I and his 3 other roommates) set out in the metro to the dorm, not knowing when we’d be back. Well, that was probably to one of the best parties I’ve been too. We came back home at 8 in the morning, so I think the party speaks for itself! You Will Soon Be Able To Experience Europe-Like Vibe In South Delhi With Open-Air Eateries.
As expected, we woke up in the evening and we planned to go to the Opera house. We bought the tickets which were the cheapest for 2€ (₹157 approx) which was incredibly cheap because the next cheapest tickets were for a 1000€ (₹78,499) There were people who were highly opulent, dressed in their tuxedos and women In their flawless gowns and hats and overcoats. Andi and I eventually got bored but enjoyed the building in itself. The opera house is an architectural marvel, and this is also where the movie Mission Impossible 4 was shot. Finally, we decide to spend the evening on the banks of the Danube having nice drinks and meeting a lot of other friends of Andi. When you’re in here, do check out the Alpine Roller Coaster In Austria
The next day, since Andi was busy, I went around to visit the Schonbrunn and other palatial castles and palaces in Vienna. There are some really beautiful Viennese architectures which blew away my mind.
I had the famous sachertorte from Vienna and it was absolutely delightful (and sinful in its own way) That night, Andi cooked dinner for me and we enjoyed it with a glass of wine. We had some Palatschinken – fresh pancakes and he even taught me how to make them.
By now, I had developed a huge likening for the city. I knew the maps fairly well and enjoyed every aspect of Vienna. It is a very student-friendly city owing to a huge number of students that come to Vienna for their studies. It has a perfect blend of historic and modern-day architecture. Plus, I absolutely loved hanging out with Andi since he was so nice and accommodating, it was like the cherry on the cake.
The next day, I decided to move out of Vienna and head towards Salzburg. Salzburg is a beautiful town in Austria, slightly higher in altitude than Vienna. I met Hemal in Salzburg and we were reunited for our next part of the trip.
During the day, we spent our day like typical tourists – visiting the castle, the birthplace of Mozart, the church and the famous palace in Salzburg. I had a beautiful Rindsgulasch for my lunch and paired it with a nice fresh beer. We also enjoyed a private opera show for 50 people inside the palace and it was very refreshing to hear the same. We knew Josie – a girl from Salzburg who was studying there, and she hosted us for the night! Pakistan ATC Tells Air India Pilots Taking Stranded Passengers To Europe: ‘We’re Proud Of You!’
We spent our night at Josie’s and also attended another university party in Salzburg. Hemal was sleepy and exhausted and decided to retire for the night but I went and socialized with Josie and her friends. We completed Salzburg in one day, and although it was very exhausting, it was pristine and beautiful!
The next day, Hemal and I started off to visit the beautiful small village of Halstatt – often touted as a picture-perfect postcard town. It was way up north, and it was raining cats and dogs by the time we got there. We really couldn’t do much on the first day so decided to stay in the hostel that we’d booked along with a few Chinese and British travellers. We spoke till late at night and then all of us fell asleep.
The following day, we were thankful to the Rain Gods as it stopped raining at around 11 AM. We left for Obertraun and Bad Goisern.
Since we couldn’t find any transport as we’d missed the bus, we hitchhiked our way to Halstatt and the ice caves. Halstatt is actually how they describe it as – picture-perfect. It is absolutely beautiful and the water there is crystal clear. We went to the ice cave post that – which was my first experience of being in a mammoth ice cave.
The next day, since I was so drawn towards Vienna and Andi, I went to meet Andi again for a few days. I’d already spent about 6 days in Vienna – much more than I’d planned for but I just couldn’t get enough of that city. There was one more reason for me coming back – the Vienna Pride was the following day.
The Pride is one day in Vienna when everything is shut and it is a holiday. LGBT community has processions all across the city and it is celebrated with a lot of fervour! I went back to Andi’s and we had a relaxing dinner and I dozed off, looking ahead to the Pride. The next morning was crazy. The entire town was in Rainbow colours, partying from 10 in the morning, absolutely wild and in a jolly mood. There were processions all around and people dancing, drinking and dressed (and not dressed) in all different sorts of attires. It was something I’d never witnessed till date.
That night, since I’d come back – We’d hosted a house party at Andi’s. We got around 10 people coming in and it was a lot of fun. There were some random people who were walking by and decided to stop by. One of them was a local butcher and he offered us free meat the next time we visited him too. We danced, did Karaoke, had a lot of food and a lot of fun in the process.
The next day was the wedding anniversary of my parents and I took Andi out for a fancy 5- course meal for lunch. The lunch was mouth-watering, and I couldn’t stop obsessing over how good it was. It was also my last day in Vienna and I was visibly sad. With a very heavy heart, I bade goodbye to Andi – a very difficult one indeed and set off for my next country – Slovakia. Although this wasn’t what I’d planned initially, I didn’t mind exploring it for a day since it was close to Vienna.
3rd Country- Slovakia
I reached Bratislava the next morning at roughly 11 AM and checked into my cosy hostel. Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia, a small yet beautiful city having a huge amount of history. Their castles are magnificent and colossal. They have these beautiful underground pubs that Bratislava is famous for. The idea was simple, to take an hours’ time and reach Bratislava, relax and finally chill and meet new people.
On my first day, I decided to stay indoors and relax in the hostel. The hostel had a beautiful backyard and I met some nice people from the USA, and we ended up speaking for around 2-3 hours. I left for a walk nearby in the cobbled and small streets, had some Halusky – a traditional Slav dish and a beer to go with it.
The Slavs also make their own alcohol at home which is very strong and has a high concentration. Later in the night, I walked around the old town which is very walkable because it isn’t very big. I met a girl in a bar who was very kind to show me around the old town in the night. Her name was Marta and she told me a lot of unique things about Bratislava, Slovakia and about the culture of the Slavs.
The next day, I woke up late and enjoyed my sleep. I had connected with a couple of friends of Marta and they took me around the city the entire day. We grabbed some delicious ice creams and left for the castle, a huge colossal one which had a long and steep walk associated with it. We grabbed some lunch from a beautiful place from where you could see the entire of Bratislava, the Adams Lookout of this Slav nation!
Later, we hung around in a couple of the underground bunker bars that I mentioned earlier and walked around the city in its narrow and risky streets. The Slavs are usually loud and boisterous and this change in culture from Germany and Austria was very visible. One of Marta’s friends, Ema stayed with me till almost 3 AM that day which was very kind of her. Ema and I are still in touch and we often text and exchange memes. After a peaceful sleep that night, I was looking forward to my trip to Prague – the party city as I’d heard of it and also to experience the magical Charles Bridge. I took a train the next day from Bratislava to Prague and was off to the Czech Republic to have their world-famous beer and loiter around in my last country of the trip.
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4th Country- Czech Republic
I reached Prague by noon and immediately went to the hostel. After a long tiring 30-minute walk to the hostel, I got my room and freshened up. Hemal was going to reach Prague too the next day so we had planned our Prague trip accordingly. My hostel was quite far from the old town, so it was a bit of a hassle to commute. However, I walked a lot which helped me shed those extra kilos I’d put on in the last 20 days. Over the course of the next few days, we visited the Old Town, the castle, did the pub crawl, had various Pilsners and Dark Beers, had an amazing portion or duck near the river and spent a lot of quality time with Dani and Hemal. Here’s Your 6 Day Itinerary To Czech Republic
Another breathtaking experience was when I decided I will go skydiving for the first time in my life. I’d read Prague is one of the spots in Europe famous for Sky-Diving and I was thrilled at the idea of it. I wanted to not let this opportunity go and grabbed it by the cuff of its neck. I bought a pass online and they told me to wait in the City Centre. A minivan came to take us and it was a ride of about 45 minutes till we reached the outskirts of Praha. Once we were all suited up and ready to board the aircraft that would take us up, I was in awe. The aircraft took us to an altitude of roughly 15,000 feet and it was our time for the drop.
It was at that moment that I felt so small yet so powerful. That time when you decide to jump and put all your trust in someone else’s hand makes you feel vulnerable, but the adrenaline rush makes up for it. It makes your body go crazy in ways one has never felt before.
And then, I jumped. The first few seconds of the jump was a free fall. No parachutes, no nothing. Just gravity calling you closer. The earth wanting to engulf you in its belly. It was bliss. Terrific. Absolutely spectacular.
Post that, once the parachute is opened, it’s a crazy whirlwind. With your body going all around and you’re just screaming, enjoying and watching the beautiful lands of Praha from up above in the sky. Till date, one of the best adventures I’ve had in my life. Do You Know What’s Virat Kohli’s Favourite Travel Destination?
Another beautiful moment was when one day at 3 AM, I was walking back home. It was chilly, on a deserted yet scintillating and brightly lit Charles Bridge. There was nobody to be seen until your eyesight could go. The ever-crowded Charles bridge in the day was reduced to a single soul on it in the night. I sat on the bridge and just mulled. Personally, it was a very powerful moment because I reflected a lot and it gave me purpose for the rest of my year.I had all the traditional dishes in Praha – Svickova, Medovnik, the Tredlo, the Mulled Wine, bought a bottle of Becherovka and Slivovice each and also had my first bite of deer!
Later in the day, I visited the John Lennon Wall. If you don’t know about the John Lennon Wall, you should definitely read about it and have a chance to see it firsthand while it still exists. It is a huge wall where artists and pedestrians alike come with their cans of paints and spray paint all over the wall whatever they feel like. It is a beautiful piece of art with a very deep meaning to it! Finally, I went over to the John Lennon Café which is very close to the wall and had a great cup of coffee. Here’s how you can go Exploring Czech Republic: The Complete Playlist
That evening, since it was my last, we decided to spend our time under Charles bridge, sitting by the river with some food and drinks and having a merry time. It started pouring and we ran in the rain to get back home. By the time we were home, the 3 of us were drenched. I had to take the hairdryer and blow dry my clothes and shoes to make it warm as well!
Finally, at 3 in the morning, I went to the bus stop to take my bus to the airport. I was hit with a sudden feeling of sadness as I approached that place and It was a bit of an emotional moment as I’d spent 24 days in Europe and now it was time to bid goodbye! Early morning at 5, I boarded my Lufthansa flight for Mumbai and that was where my European Chapter of 2017 closed!
My Favourite Place Or Experience During This Trip
It would be very partial of me to choose a favourite place or experience because of its entirety, It was something that will always be etched in my memory. However, 2 of these stand out. The first would obviously be the Coldplay experience – front row, live, Chris Martin 10 feet from me, live video recording of the official music video of “Something Just Like This”. I couldn’t ask for anything more.
The second would be my time in Vienna. One because of the city but primarily because of my host, Andi. I believe he was the best host one could ask for. Another surprise I should be sharing here – Andi was with me in Pune at my house for 4 days recently! We went for the Nh7 Weekender together. Such a small world. When I’d left Vienna, I’d never thought that Andi would ever, like ever, come to Pune to meet me. But well, here he was and even after 2 and a half years, it feels like nothing is changed. Well, I believe there was a reason why Andi’s friends sometimes called me his Indian brother!
My Budget Breakup For This Europe Trip
Well, I still haven’t answered the Golden Question. Did my trip for 24 days with all these experiences cost more than my budget? I think you’d be surprised to learn that the entire trip cost me only, and when I mean only, only ₹1.36 Lakhs. I consider that as one of my greatest personal achievement to cover my entire trip in that amount! The learning it gave me in management was fantastic and I am better able to apply these learnings in my day to day life.
I spent around ₹37,000 for my flights to Europe and ₹7000 for my Visa. My total accommodation cost amounted to ₹18,000 approximately. My internal travel around Europe was about ₹15,000. My Coldplay ticket cost me around ₹8800, my skydiving ticket was about ₹10,500, Munich Stadium tour was about ₹1400 and the Dortmund Stadium tour cost ₹1000. The rest of the amount was spent on food, drinks, gifts and souvenirs. Run To These Budget Hostels In Himachal And Live In The Mountains Under ₹699
Tips For People Wanting To Visit Europe On A Budget
Here are a few valuable tips for those of you wanting to visit Europe on a tight budget.
- Well, it always helps if you have someone in the country you’re visiting. You can always look at Meetup or Couchsurfing and you’ll always find people who help.
- Don’t hesitate from talking to people and meeting them, they are super helpful and if you never try, you’ll never know.
- Stay in Hostels if you don’t find accommodation. Period.
- Do your fair bit of research about the city on the internet before you get there so you can plan your day well in advance and the entire proposed duration of stay.
- Get a forex card. Super important and necessary as cards are accepted almost everywhere in Europe!
- Travel Light. You’re going there for an experience and not to wear the best clothes you have (unless that’s your priority or you can manage both! )
- Learn common words in their languages, for example, You always prost in Germany and Austria and that’s something that gets an instant smile on people’s faces.
- Finally, be carefree and open for new things and newer ideas and more importantly, newer people.
At the end of the day, always keep the people at the centre of things and you’ll find everything else passing by as a breeze!
This article was contributed to Curly Tales by Karn Vijra. If you have an article or similar experience to share, do write to us on hey@curlytales.com