Slovenia- Lake Bled
Nikon D5300 35mm F/11 1/500s ISO200
How to nail a Europe trip in $2000
Devang Sethi
E
urope is stereotyped as an expensive
destination by most of the people and I
wanted to bust that myth. Booking a tour with
some agency was never in my mind because I
wanted to do it my way and within my budget.
I had a couple of must visit places in my mind
and I stitched my itinerary around them. I
booked my tickets, got my visa and was all set
with my backpacks.
I realized that the most costly part of the
trip would be finding the accommodation. I
turned to CouchSurfing and hostels instead
of hotels. In addition to the financial aid, this
decision made my trip a lot better as I stayed
with locals in 3 cities and I got to know a
lot about their culture, food, and routines. I
got to experience what life would be like if I
were to live in those countries rather than the
superficiality of being a tourist. In the places
where I was unable to find a local host, I made
some good friends in hostels. The good thing
about hostels is that you meet like-minded
people who are young, carefree, broke and up
for anything.
Europe
offers
amazing
landscapes,
magnificent architecture, rich history,
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Vol 5
buzzing nightlife and crazy adventures. Being
a trekker and nature lover, I had two national
parks, a blooming tulip garden and the Alps
on my list. I visited the Keukenhof gardens in
Netherlands, Saxon Switzerland National Park
in Germany and Plitvice Lakes National Park
in Croatia. For the Alps, I ditched Switzerland
for Slovenia and I am glad that I did. I learned
more about the WWII history while visiting
the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp
and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of
Europe in Berlin. I witnessed the architecture
of Prague and Budapest, did Sea Kayaking
in Dubrovnik and enjoyed the nightlife of