Help needed to escape for a cheap summer | Travel on a shoestring - Lonely Planet Forum

ONLINE

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 16:59:39 +0000

Good evening everyone,

I was hoping someone might be able to help.

I know I am likely to be told that ask a general question and get a general answer, but that is what I want intially. I am just looking for peoples ideas/ opinions about whether I may be better off (in terms of money and happiness!) if I spend my summer somewhere abroad.

I am currently finishing my teacher training and therefore, have not been working for the past year. I will be starting a full time teaching position in September, so will need to come back to the UK for this.

Between the early part of July and the end of August I will have no job, and only the small amount of scholarship and loan money, I have been able to save. (This may amount to £800 - £1500)

I currently rent in the UK, paying £550 per month between my boyfriend and I plus all our bills etc. However, our contract comes to an end in July and I would be able to store my things at my mums.

I will have a period of 4-6 weeks to be out of the country.

I would love to spend some time exploring somewhere new. I have told myself that I can not afford to do this. But now, thinking about how much money I spend at home, I don't know if it may actually be feasable.

Long story short: I would like to know where you would suggest as a cheap destination? Where is cheap to fly to from the UK, but then has cheap accomodation/ living costs? Alternatively, where has good opportunities for short term work?
I am open to any suggestions and ideas at this point.

Thanks a lot,

A x

ONLINE

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 21:07:16 +0000

Short-term work where you actually earn any money is not so easy to find...and is illegal in most countries....you really can't rely on turning up in a country and finding a job for a month.

Unfortunately,the cheapest countries to stay in tend not to be cheap to reach.....India,Indonesia,Nepal......

Europe is considerably more expensive everywhere....your best bet might be Bulgaria or Romania.I guess you could stay in dorms in one of these places,eat local food,travel on local buses etc.for about £25-30 a day pp...so about £800-900 a month.

Alternatively you could probably fly to a less touristed part of Spain,Portugal or Greece and rent a small apartment for a month....shop,cook for yourself etc...at a similar price,or even less.

A compromise of cheap to live in and pretty cheap to reach would be Morocco or Egypt...only consider these if you love extreme heat and are happy to avoid the more touristy areas.