the time for Traveling in Europe has finished. ... - 20 years you could travel a round Europe on a budget, but NOT now ....as the countries have developed - their prices now seem absolutely crazy. - with many more people travelling - the experience is dominished ..you are not a person to be interested in, but rather another object to profit from - and simple budget options have disappeared as the style is pushed up for bigger profits - Before getting around by bus and train was easy, but now as everyone has got a car services have been cut and prices risen to cover the cost of all the empty sests. - Last year I found that Albania was the last European country where budget travel is possible, but soon it will be like the rest of Europe. - In Tunisia, Egypt, Indonesia, most of the undeveloped world you can get transport to most small towns several times a day, for less than $10, and when you arrive you can find a simple hotel room for less than $6 often for $2. - In Europe you'll have difficulty finding transport when you do it will be tens of Euros, then when you arrive in a town the only option will be a fancy double room ...€50 seems a pretty regular price in Italy even Hostels are €20 plus for a dorm bed. Even then instead of the 1 to 1 experience of meeting the locals you'll found the town square full of German tour buses. - It is a strange phenomenon that as developed countries have got richer, we are now actually poorer, in many aspects our standard of living in many things has fallen whereas developing countries continue to enjoy the good old days. In the 1960s when British people were complaining and desperate to move into a technological future the Primeminster Harold McMillan said "but you've never had it so good". Now most older people in the UK will tell you he was right and the standard of living was lower then. You could finish work at 5.30pm get a bus to one of the train stations then a ticket to the beach would cost 30 mins salary. You could then have a night out with food and drinks costing 2 hours salary and get the train back at 11.30pm or midnight or midnight 30pm. And now guess what ? Everyone has a car so buses run mostly empty so most services have been cut and ticket prices are phenomenal to pay for all the empty seats. Same for the train mosts services and stations have been cut.. You might be able to get a train back at 9pm for the price of 2 hours salary. Ah well everyone can drive straight from home. Yes fine in theory, but when people try it like at the time of Bank Holidays., the roads to the beach are gridlocked and parking is impossible to find.

TIME OF CAMPING VAN TRAVEL - Cars - going fancy - 1. Be a couple or group - you can't be a single person cos of the lack of single rooms or hostels - 2. Forget public transport - you need your own wheels. - 3. Likewise forget hotels. The only budget way to travel around now is to car camp. Even 10 years ago most of the kids at UK festivals were doing this. - With a van or big car fitted out for sleeping, there is no worrying about bus schedules or costs, nor hotels. People are pretty accepting of people sleeping in a vehicle for 1 night almost anywhere. You'd only have to use proper campsites every few days for showers and clothes washing etc. Food costs would be low cos you can lcarry picnic food easily. - The system I adapted from long distance walking of carry my bags and hammock is similar, but inconvenient : I have to carry my baggage all the time, and people don't like you camping in a place even though if you slept in a car nearby they would accept that. - But there are huge negatives in car camping : - initial cost - I'd have at least €1500 tied up in cost, insurance, road tax. If everything goes well you can sell the vehicle, and get back €500 or something like €10/week. €1.50/day - running cost, petrol maintenance - Look what can you expect ? 10Km or 1L of petrol, That's €16 of petrol to do 100Km a conservative daily distance. So it's not realistic for 1 person. You'd have to add in the extra costs of parking and maintenance say €180 over 6 months say €10/day - So that's €17.50/day for 2 people assuming nothing major went wrong. - then every so often something big would go wrong.. say €1000 every half year ..that's €2.50 per person. We are upto €20/day plus campsites, plus food plus entries.. Looking more like €30-40/per day per person On pretty conservative calculation. Road tolls. - And then something else - meeting people on the budget travel circuit you meet people all the time in hotels and on transport. Car camping, puts you in an isolated bubble. What I spend travelling 2 weeks in Tunisia is the same that I spend one week in Italy and what I spend in 1 week in Tunisia is what I spend in 2 weeks in India. FREE CAMPING AND WALKING TRAVEL is best - Just met Jirga from Czech Republic yesterday I met another Polish man and they are both travelling like me. Saying "Italy is so expensive, walking and freecamping is the way to go". This is so refreshing to see people confirming what I think after speaking to Italians who don't seem to understand travel and think the only way to go is by spending a lot of money. - ( I actually got stopped by the carabinieri on Wednesday as I walked the Appian Way trousers covered in mud and carrying my wet boots .. they were OK once they saw my photos and realised I was a "mad foreigner")