July 1, 2016
I always knew from the very beginning that traveling in Europe would be one of the most expensive parts of my trip. But I’m learning some interesting things from analyzing it.
First, some rankings: June was spent in the UK and Europe. June ranked as my #1 most expensive month for fuel cost, and my #4 most expensive month for food cost even though I bought groceries and cooked quite a bit, and (gratefully) had many meals provided by others.
Lodging tends to be one of the biggest daily expenses, so controlling this expense makes a big difference in extending my travel and having reserves for other things. Even though I spent the month in places where the lodging is the most expensive I have encountered, June was #7 on my expense rankings for lodging. This is due to camping and the generosity of others, as I had seven $0 nights, which really add up. I also had my first $0 day of the entire trip, thanks to Michau, Patricia and Lukasz, who provided food and lodging on a day that I didn’t ride so I didn’t buy any fuel.
On average, June ranked fifth in terms of daily average expense for food, fuel, and lodging at an average of $42.76 per day. Not bad for Europe. It could have been even better, but I spent a couple of nights in hotels, which quickly raises the overall average.
A set of tires in Scotland, the ferry to the Isle of Man, and the Channel Tunnel train added to my expenses in June.
Gas: $239.33 (Daily average: $7.98)
Food: $331.50 (Daily average: $11.43)
Lodging: $700.62 (Daily average: $23.35)
Bike maintenance: $206.76
Ferries, Channel Train: $256.14
Biggest lesson learned: accept the kindness of others, and you can afford to travel longer, or in more expensive places like Europe.
You continue to be my hero. Thank you so much for sharing the expense reports as that is a HUGE concern for me. Ride safe my friend and I love your blogs.
Everybody’s level of comfort and methods of travel are different, but I put the expense reports on here because I think others who may be planning a similar trip can get a feel for the costs, and adjust to their expectations accordingly. Not everyone will spend as much time in a tent, or be as “frugal” with their food expense, but then again some might find my lodging expenses excessive. It can definitely be done cheaper than I am doing it, and it can also be done for more money with more comfort. In other words, “your mileage may vary”.