Budget Update: W. Europe + Morocco

So much for budget travel. If you plan to quit your job and really need to stretch your dollar, I would recommend heading for Asia! But saving money wasn't my main objective and I planned for some expensive countries.

I am amazed that I managed to while away almost seven weeks in Western Europe, which wasn't really part of my original itinerary. I don't regret seeing friends old and new, traveling with my niece, and seeing some familiar places from a different angle. I breezed through seven countries in Western Europe: the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, France, Switzerland, and England. To simplify matters I will give you the overall damage: $6,210 over 46 days ($135/day).

The total includes six flights (don't ask) and one swank Eurostar train from Paris to London via the Chunnel ($90). In many cases, flying with a budget airline like easyJet was cheaper than the train. For example, I paid $120 for a side-trip by train from London to Central England whereas $105 flew me one-way from Zurich to London.

Switzerland is a different story: $300 bought me unlimited train, bus, and boat travel for eight days (plus entry to most museums), plus they are so kid-friendly that my niece came along for free! Also providing a boost to my bottom line were friends who let me stay with them in Amsterdam and London (thanks to the Dutch Vlessings and "karaoke Sue") and sharing some costs with David in Portugal.

To end on a positive note for cheapskates who love a good bargain (me!), Morocco was super-cheap at $37/day ($540 over 14 days).

Switzerland

After a few days each in Belgium and France, I picked up my niece Eliana in London and we took off for a weekend in Amsterdam plus a week in Switzerland. Our main goal was walking in the Swiss Alps: the Bernese Oberland near Interlaken. There we rode a train to the snowy "Top of Europe" at Jungfrau and hiked alongside grazing cows near Murren and Wengen.

The Swiss scenery is stunning and getting around is a breeze with the world's most efficient and punctual transportation system. I'm usually not into "sightseeing by train" but the views from the scenic trains really are wonderful. Other stops included Montreux (on Lake Geneva with cheese and chocolate factories nearby) and Luzern (charming old town). We also happened to catch two of Europe's big summer festivals on the weekends: the floating Gay Pride parade in Amsterdam and Zurich's techno-music Street Parade.

Getting my niece back home from Heathrow yesterday was tough with the terrorist scare, but she made it and now I'm in London visiting friends. In a week I head to Athens and the final leg of my trip: Eastern Europe.