Traveling 5 Weeks in Europe
Hannah (Mrs. Arrow) has always liked to travel. (I, on the other hand, like to travel in my mind, where it's free, easy, and flexible.) Hannah was just finishing medical school and had yet to begin her career as a brain surgeon. I had free time until my appointment as ambassador to Spain started. As my uncle Max was fond of saying, "you either have time or money, but usually not both." We both had time to travel, but not necessarily the money. There are three major costs when planning a multi-week trip like this to explore and visit: lodging, transportation, and food, with lodging being usually being the most expensive. Here is how we were able to tour Europe on the cheap. The key features in saving money for our trip consisted of (1) consolidating all continental travel by a short-term car lease and (2) camping using our 2-person REI tent to save on lodging expenses.
The Places We Wanted to See
Major countries travelled:
- England
- France
- Switzerland
- Germany
- Italy
Lodging: Camping!
I thought the best campsite we stayed at was near Lucerne, Switzerland. To me, the bathrooms looked like they came out of a Four Seasons Hotel.
Transportation on the Continent:
Our Brand New 2004 Renault Scenic 1.9L Turbo Diesel
There are a few ways to get around the European continent: (1)rail pass (Eurail passes), (2) tour group, (3) airlines, (4) private car rental/lease.
We chose a ultra-short-term lease for our travels across the Continent for the flexibility, convenience, and cost. Meet our brand new 2004 Renault Scenic 1.9L 6-speed turbo diesel we short-term leased. We picked her up in Paris, France brand new from the factory.
This was one awesome car. A highway fuel economy of approaching 50mpg, capable of going 200 kph, and big enough to haul us, our camping gear, and knickknacks from Paris, France to Sorrento, Italy. I got to live every boy's fantasy of driving 200+ kph on the German autobahn. (The Scenic was a little dicey past 200 kph, though; I wouldn't want to push my luck on anything other than a clear, straight, stretch of German autobahn.)