People have been asking me on how much I spent on my recent travel to Europe. I’ll try my best to list all my expenses here as I’m a flexible traveler which means I don’t follow a strict travel budget. This is my first time to write about my travel expenses in detail. I’ll attach some screenshots ’cause I’m not really good with numbers LOL.
Flight to Manila (Free)
If you’re from Manila, lucky you. You don’t have to travel far to go to the Embassy. I was able to travel for free because I had enough GetGo points to pay for my ticket.
Visa (7,075php)
I applied to the Netherlands Embassy first but my papers were incomplete when they checked it so they gave me another chance to complete my papers. There was no available slot in the Embassy for the week I was there so they suggested I should apply in VFS. Which I had a really great experience. If you want to know how I got my visa, I wrote about my experience here: How I Got My Schengen Visa in The Netherlands Embassy.
I availed their VIP program because you can’t book an appointment via email if you’re going to pay the regular fee. I couldn’t book through their website so I didn’t have any choice. I’d have to say it’s worth it.
Note: When applying for a visa, you will need to pay more than the budget I put here as you have to buy travel insurance (depends on how many days you’re staying abroad), get a bank certificate (100 for BPI account holders) for booking hotels in some cases (I use Agoda and Booking.com, free of charge) and buying train/bus tickets (you can cancel them with a low fee).
Flight to Europe (948.29 US: 49,340.96php exchange rate might be different today but this how much I paid at the time I was booking)
My ticket was more expensive because I bought it a few weeks before I left. I booked my flight on December 9 and flew to Poland on December 28. If you want to save money from the ticket, booking ahead is one option you should consider. I booked with Lufthansa because it was the most affordable with the least travel time. Here’s my flight itinerary and the cost:
Travel Money (43,139.55php)
I brought 20k with me and exchanged 10k to Euro before I left. I had it exchanged to Polish Zloty when I arrived in Krakow. I kept the 10k until I went home to the Philippines and withdrew money in the ATM both in Poland and Czech Republic to avoid losing money from the exchange. All in all I cashed out 33,139.55php. I still have more than 100 zloty left and some Czech Koruna coins.
It was a birthday travel so I didn’t restrict myself. With this amount, I was able to eat at really nice restaurants, buy winter clothes and shoes, went shopping for pasalubong and a lot of chocolates! I didn’t eat out all the time as I stayed in an apartment most of the time I was in Krakow so I was able to cook my food. The best thing about Poland is they have stores literally in every block so buying foods to cook was easy.
Bus to Prague and Krakow (103.63 Polish Zloty: 1610.04php note: I paid one way (25 zloty) from my travel money)
I took the bus from Krakow to Wroclaw and from there I rode a bus to Prague. I wanted to go to Budapest but I didn’t have enough time. I loved Krakow so much I stayed there for almost two weeks! The bus ticket is so affordable and you get more than what you pay for. It’s comfy and has free wifi!
Accomodation
I wrote a separate post for all the hostels, hotels and apartment I stayed during my travel. You can check it out here: Hotels, Hostels and Apartment Budget & Reviews in Krakow and Prague.
I hope you will find this article useful and if you want to see my travel photos, check out my Instagram: