So. I'm at home in Sydney.
I'm calculating my finances for the 5 month trip I took from the 1st of June to 14th of November.
I thought it would be interesting for those interested in budgeting for long term travelling to know.
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There are different travel styles.
My travel style would be under the flash-packing category.
Ie. Not budget backpacking, but not luxury. Somewhere in between
I save where I can save and spend when I want to spend.
TRAVEL
I took economy flights on budget airlines if short distance and on flag carrier if long distances.
I only took flights when I needed to, when I saw the time was worth the flight.
Else, I took buses, overnight buses, trains and overnight trains. (also because I was booking last minute, you can find many plane tickets much cheaper than the buses sometimes if you book early enough. However do note the cost to travel between the city and the airport - the time and money there could not be worth it at times)
I took a total of 8 flights
Thai Airways - I always make the layover a stopover to get an extra country on the trip
Sydney - Bangkok
Bangkok - Moscow
713AUD
Ryan Air - had a deadline so took the budget airline
Copenhagen - London
81AUD
Ural Airlines - budget airline that I would not have been able to book had I not use a friend's Russian card
Moscow - Kazan
50AUD
S7 Airlines - the biggest Russian budget airline
Kazan - Moscow
81AUD
Aeroflot - Russia's flag carrier
Moscow - Hong Kong
380AUD
Air Asia - Malaysia's budget airlines
Hong Kong - Kuala Lumpur
158AUD
Malaysian Air - Malaysia's flag carrier
Kuala Lumpur - Sydney
332AUD
Trains and buses averaged 20 Euros a trip with the cheapest being 5 Euros from Krakow to Warsaw and the most expensive being 40-50 Euros 12 hour overnight bus rides between Strasbourg and Munich, Munich and Krakow, London and Amsterdam, and Latvia and Moscow.
ACCOMMODATION
As a solo traveler I'm out to make new friends and meet new people, so generally I went with hostels to make friends.
Another goal of mine was to meet locals in every city.
You don't know the true experience until you know how the locals live in their city.
So where do you meet locals who want to meet you?
One of those options other than meetups was to use Couch Surfing.
Not only was it free, but I got to meet a local who wanted to hang out and share their knowledge and experience.
(Having said that, do exercise caution and be picky when it comes to picking a host. Check all references and go with your gut feeling)
Whilst many people opt for couch surfing purely because it is free, I only went for this option when I found a host that I was willing to spend time with as well.
You won't get along with everyone in the world and if you got hosted by someone you were not comfortable with, it could end up being an awkward few days. Plus, you deny yourself the opportunities to meet other travelers or locals, had you stayed at a hostel.
Cheap cities I could pay hostels for even 2 Euros a night, however, my priority is not cheap first, it is cleanliness, comfort and social atmosphere.
The cheapest hostels I stayed at hovered around 5 Euros a night, whilst the most expensive being in Paris was 43 euros per night.
I'd say I averaged 20 Euros a night over the course of the 5 months.
I managed to Couch Surf a total of 6 times.
Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Stockholm, Strasbourg, Munich x 2.
Each time was positive due to the research I did beforehand, and not just looking for a free place. However in a few of those cities, it did save me hundreds of dollars with some places looking at 200 euros a night had I not found another option.
There are also the option of Korean Minbak guesthouses (I believe they are not legal, but they operate almost everywhere in the world.) They usually provide you breakfast and dinner as well. In Paris, they saved me from paying 100+ euros a night to only paying 30.
FOOD
I love eating. However, as a solo traveler I found this one of the hardest.
1. I don't know where the local food is
Often you'll find there are a lot of tourist traps.
"Local cuisine" is basically telling people they are targeting tourists. Often overpriced and not very high quality.
However there are some cities, where even food aimed for tourists are generally still quite tasty (eg. Japan)
2. Wanting to eat local food and not other international cuisines.
I go to the city to eat the food that is produced there. Too often, I found when I asked locals where to eat, they would reply with
"I know a good Italian place" or "a good burger place"
This is not their fault, for most people eat the local food straight from their mother's cooking at home and they would not pay money at a restaurant for that kind of food.
3. Overcrowded, sold out or closed
I found myself in this situation quite often too.
I'd travel to a restaurant only to realise it required booking, or that it was closed for some reason.
This was quite frustrating as I ended up starving a bit
4. Portions for more than 1
Some cultures it maybe strange to dine by yourself, or in some cases impossible.
Whether it be the portion of the food is at least served for 2 (Eating things like king crab, or Ddakgalgi[chicken on hot pan] in Korea)
This limits your options as a solo traveler.
There are now apps for those who want to find other people to dine with, quite handy. I haven't tried them myself but I have been advised to.
So generally I found myself starving and getting food from the convenience store or fast food, then splurging on food at a fine dining setting. This was an unhealthy pattern of eating that I could not avoid.
In some of the cheaper cities like Bangkok I could get a Pad Thai for 50 Baht (2 AUD), or Hong Kong a bowl of Beef Brisket Noodles for 19 HKD (3 AUD)
Meal in Hong Kong
And the cheapest in Europe region I had was probably in Poland or Lithuania where I could have a meal for roughly 3-4 Euros (6-7 AUD)
Meal in Vilnius, Lithuania
Russia was another country where I could get a meal for 200-300 rubles (4-6AUD) Moscow being slightly more expensive however.
The priciest being in Scandanavia where I had standard meals for about 45AUD or 300 Swedish Krona, Denmark and Norway were no different. Paris I found to be quite similar in price as well hovering around 25-30 Euro mark (40-47AUD)
Meal in Stockholm, Sweden
I do recall Switzerland to be quite similar as well, but I often opted for the most basic Rostii dish which still set me back 35AUD or 25 Swiss Francs.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
This really depends on you.
Some people love to go to museums, some of which can really set you back a lot of money with entrance fees of up to 20 euros I've seen.
Castles and Palaces also tend to have entrance fees, but if you do research, you'll find some museums have free days and some are just free all together(most of the museums in London).
If you've seen a few Palaces already, you might opt to see the gardens or fountains instead (I did that for Peterhof Palace)
Some places you'll realise that the price to pay is worth the experience because chances are you'll never go back again.
For example I went to the 148th floor of the Burj Khalifa during peak time (Sunset) for a hefty 500AED or (187AUD) even though the cheapest option was 135AED (50AUD) for the 124/125th floor in off-peak time
I figured it was worth going to the highest man made point in the world.
I gotta say that is when you really feel like you're on top of the world!
Sunset 148 floors in the sky
Having said that, some of the best tourist attractions are free. Picnic under the Eiffel Tower, having a drink next to the Tower Bridge, chilling on the Citadel overlooking Budapest, there are so many and I can vouch that they were the best times of travelling.
Picnic under the Eiffel Tower
SHOPPING
When you travel for a short period of time, perhaps you want to do some shopping.
Souvenirs for friends or something for yourself.
For long term traveling, you want to carry lightweight. So I did not shop until my final 2 destinations where I just bought simple consumables and some t-shirts. Anything that is small and light are generally good.
Don't make the mistake of buying something then having to lug it around all of your travels if you don't need to.
The best souvenir for me are my memories, and I solidify them by taking videos and photos.
===============
So after all that.
How much was this trip?
5 months
18 countries
28 cities
It all costed me roughly 11000AUD all up including flights.
I actually budgeted it would cost around 12000AUD but I was willing to spend more for whatever I needed.
But for those who have followed my adventures, you'll know I ran into problems with my bank HSBC and also other theft issues, which forced me to stay in some countries longer than I had anticipated.
So if I had followed my plan, perhaps I would've spent my 12-13k as I expected.
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So there you go.
You don't need a fortune to travel.
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For 2 months travelling in Japan alone I spent around 4900AUD haha
No regrets
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You don't need a fortune? People are working full time and living for far less than your "average month spent on this trip" all over the world.
It's a nice thing that you traveled all around the globe, but saying that it is not costly is just plain ignorant.
@svemirac It is all relative to how much you earn. If you look at the context and the numbers you'll know that I'm speaking to the privileged who grow up in the first world countries in this post.
I know people who travel for 2 weeks and spent 10000. My point being you don't need to spent that much.
And... of course you'd spend less monthly if you're living locally. You're stating the obvious. No one compared travelling to living in ones country. I also stated my purpose isn't to travel as cheap as i can. I've met backpackers who spent 15 euros in over a week. That's cheap.
This post isn't bragging about travelling nor rubbing it in the faces of those who can't. I've personally met people who can't. Those are the ones who hold restricted passports from war torn countries, the single mothers who are barely supporting their own lives, the ones who are supporting their parents gambling addictions. I personally visited my sponsor child in a part of poverty stricken Philippines. I know.
But I'm speaking to the volumes of people from first world countries like me who are hating their jobs or want a break but don't realise that travelling is doable.
So many people say to me that they don't know how i could afford this etc etc, but for them it's most likely not a money issue but security, stability and responsibility. I get that. I'm not ignorant.
Travel is not just for fun. It can be for learning, but only if you let it be.
If you know me or read any of my posts you'll know I'm not as ignorant as you claimed.
I think you missed the entire point of this post.
Also if you do some calculations. That's roughly 65Aud a day. That's some people's accommodation cost alone.
Wow, five months of travel! Very interesting topic! I love traveling and though it may not be to the same destinations that you have taken and not as long as you did, your tips will come very handy next time. Thank you for sharing them.
High expenses for Japan travel is not a surprise. We spent juat few days there and I can say I shelled out significant amount already. Though a traveler may be conscious of planning and budgeting for the expenses, there are countries that will really be of high cost.
Of all photos that you may have taken, you chose food photos on this post. So which of those can you say is your top pick?
@macoolette
Haha I didn't want to post photos of planes and hostels I guess. And you can tell I love food haha!
Top pick food? Or country?
My favourite food comes from Japan hands down. Thai and Malay come in close. Also really enjoyed Russian/Polish.
And for country, I think it's dependant on your experiences there. Personally I enjoyed Russia a lot and Poland was fun, it helped that they are cheap countries and I enjoyed the food!
You could have posted photos of the nice tourist spots in every country. Or maybe selfie while enjoying your favorite food, and more... But yes, there are people like you who prefer posting food photos than theirs. 😊
So what's your favorite food from Japan?
Wow, it looks like you are completing a world tour! Where to next?
Haha my favourite would be hard to decide... I love good ramen but also good sushi...and good tonkatsu...i don't know. I did a foodie trip in Japan for 2 months so it's hard to pick.
Next is to settle a bit in Sydney and see. Though I'd like to go to Latin America sometime too!
That is the good thing about having many options. You can't decide! 😀
You got itchy feet! You are blessed to be able to keep traveling that way. 😊
18 countries, 28 cities in 5 months? Wow! That's a lot! It's nice to see that you were able to stick to your budget oh, went even below it. If I were on that trip, I probably will go way beyond my budget, sticking with a budget isn't always the easiest things for me to do, especially when I have the money at hand. That shopping stuff might end up getting me, and I will end up stuck with huge stuff to carry. Lol!
Your budget might not necessarily work for some people but I think it does help give some sort of a guide even for people that want to go a bit higher or lower. Its all about finding what works for one really. And oh you really are great for being able to keep a tab of all your spending, I wouldn't have...
The food up there looks appetizing! One of the great ways to get a taste of one's culture while traveling is definitely to get a taste of their local cuisine, thanks for pointing out the fact that some places tagged "local cuisine" might not really be local. One gotta do some extra digging....
Great post!
@audreybits Yes definitely it is up to your own travel style, that's why I briefly explained mine at the start.
At the beginning I roughly kept tabs on how much I was spending. But to calculate the total cost, I just looked at my bank statements haha.
I'd say the labelled "local cuisines" might not necessarily be bad, but you know they are definitely targeting tourists if they've written that down.
Oh yeah... Looking at the bank statement makes calculating a whole lot easier.... No wonder yours is so detailed!
And it may be way too expensive. Lol!
Amazing trip! It’s great to see what this kind of trip actually looks like laid out in budget form. I liked also that it was not super cheap and not super luxury 😀
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@alexabsolute Yeh, I think every trip should be budgeted to ones needs. Since i'm naturally inclined to save because of my Asian cultural roots hahaha. I need to learn how to spend and not just hoard.
Lol yeah you’re right. I can show you how to spend with total disregard of what you might need to save if you like, it’s like a hobby of mine 😂😂😂
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What a wonderful trip you made, @wayso . It is worth the experience, and the pictures show spectacular places. So if you have the money, traveling is an excellent way to spend it, because it is a gift you give to yourself and the memories last for a lifetime , specially the way you did it, knowing new people, living and eating the way they do in each new country you visited. I hope you can make a new trip soon!
@leilanyarevalo Thanks! Yeh I don't want to just travel and see a city through the lens of a tourist, it's like window shopping and not knowing what it's really like inside. I liked to engage with everyday people and see what they disliked about their city or their country and what they adored. It's an awesome growing experience that travel brings!
So it is not only a physical but spiritual trip. Awesome!
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@wayso, from the post could see that you really enjoy travel. And you have planned it very well. So when would be your next adventure.
Were you planned the itinerary before you start your journey? Hey in the list I saw you did stop by Malaysia. What food or places you like most in Malaysia? Hope you didn't miss some of the delicious local food like Roti Canai, Nasi Lemak, satay, Ice Kacang, Rojak etc.
The Hong Kong meal you posted? It was the best noddle i like and want to eat again :)
@oliviackl This was the one opportunity I saw myself having freedom of time and budget to travel. There were other complications like being solo meant costs were higher to do certain things, eg. no sharing costs of taxis or rentals. I am unsure when I'll have something like this again ever, but I'll definitely go on short trips here and there in the future!
I planned the duration roughly and I had a few countries I wanted to visit in mind, and general course. The rest I just decided whilst I went.
For eg, I knew I wanted to go to Russia, then so happened the World Cup was happening, then some friends contacted me to meet in London, so I had to plot my travel to London.
I definitely did try Naxi Lemak and Ice Kacang but I only had 3 days there and could not eat everything :(
My friend took me to some spots for local 7 ringgit meals! Awesome!
Beef brisket noodles is one of those local dishes that will remain a part of my childhood hahahhaha!
I really admire how you travel and enjoy your life. I hope I could do the same as well. But i was the type worried too much and need to plan in detail before started my trip, I easily get panic if something out of my plan happen ;( yah.. I know this is bad.. hahahha..
When you do have chance visit malaysia again, please stay for few days. Ask the local bring you enjoy all the delicious food.
Actually I'm the type to plan all the accommodation and transport in advance. So this was quite stressful because sometimes I had not decided accommodation upon arriving in a city haha!
Definitely will go back! Gotta visit Penang next time
Yes, you must visit penang. And remember tasted all the delicious food there beside go to beach, temple and side seeing. If possible, Melacca as well. Taste their local nyoya food.
I remember reading your post after @dipoabasch fetauring you in the pay it forward couple weeks ago and then your sister told u that you're in some condition not able to reply on the comments.
what makes your travel story a bit different from others are the way you write it and then not so many picture but always worth to read, including your interaction with other people (including the local and immigrant).. have you find what you looking for through this 5 months travelling? 11-12k a month, in 18 countries and 28 cities.. I think it was cheaper than staying at home, right?
@cicisaja Thanks! Well I guess I'm just documenting this for whoever's benefit haha
I calculate that I spent more when I lived in Korea including rent I spent about 2000AUD a month. So cheaper than that but not in Sydney since I live back at home now.
I definitely made the most of it but there's always more to learn, always new perspectives and everyone's story is different. I think that is what I find most fascinating. It's always new and exciting that way.
We never stop learning :)
you are right @wayso .. we never stop learning wherever we are and from whoever we met, so are you ready to start a new life after all those adventures? I learned from your post about how you coped with all troubles you face as a solo traveller in Europe too, though I didn't comment much on it.. but I enjoy it.
Exciting and daunting at the same time!
Reverse culture shock is going to suck since I lived abroad for 4 years before the trip!
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That must be exhausting to be on the road for 5 months, I can imagine that you have so much impressions form different cultures and people and airport/pass control stresses. I would not do that only because if I am in a new place, I would like to learn more about that place and stay there for few weeks and learn more, relax and enjoy the time.
It seems you have a good experience in planning and you already have everything calculated and have like we causally say Agenda. It is nice to see that you stayed within your budget. I can imagine how it might be difficult to want to taste the exotic dishes but not knowing if you like it. When I am in such situation, my best choice is Pizza, of course some of them have different toppings but then I prefer Pizza Margherita. Beautiful pictures very artistically done.
@stef1 Right, because I knew it would be exhausting, I made sure I wasn't filling my schedules with too much and had days where I just chilled by the river to rest. Some cities that were too quiet, I spent less time, the cities where I could meet people I tend to stay longer. I only had a few rough goals on this trip, so it was pretty much spontaneous destinations for the most part hahahaha
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If I ever got around to travelling, I'd do it your style. Not cheap nor expensive but picking safety, comfort and cleanliness. You seem to have had great fun.
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this was really excellent! I just realized that I upvoted you when it waas 24 days old heheheh but i really enjoyed this breakdown!!!