Tips: How to Save Money While Traveling in Europe and Turkey

Every backpacker’s journey needs three things:

1. Health (Energy) and Guts
2. Free Time
3. Money

Don’t believe me? Try it yourself. You need at least these three things. Everything else is just a bonus, and each backpacker’s goals are different. Here’s how I managed to save and stay on budget:

1. Initial Budget: I planned a 30-day trip across Western Europe and Turkey, visiting Paris, Amsterdam, Hanover, Berlin, Munich, Zurich, Geneva, Lausanne, Interlaken, Zermatt, Bern (6 days in Switzerland), Milan, Venice, Istanbul, Pamukkale, Cappadocia, Ankara, Sakarya, and finally back to Indonesia via Singapore for 6 days before heading to Jakarta. My budget was IDR 40 million per person. This number came from comparing the cost of traveling with a tour agency (around IDR 35 million for Western Europe plus IDR 22 million for Turkey) and knocking off 40% to fit my budget. Where did the 40% come from? Just made it up according to my means, haha!
2. Budget Breakdown: Traveling involves costs you can and can’t save on. I broke down my expenses into:
   • Transportation
   • Accommodation
   • Food & Drink
   • Tour Tickets
   Each category needs careful selection. This was my first trip to Europe; previously, the farthest I traveled was Japan, where I lived for three years in my youth. So, I was familiar with Japan, but Europe was a new ball game.
3. Information is Key: I did a lot of research in backpacker groups and reached out to friends living in Europe. They gave me useful tips like:
   • Most shops are closed on Sundays.
   • Unlike Japan, where convenience stores are open 24/7, this is not the case in Europe, except in busy areas like central stations.
   • Street food isn’t as common as in Thailand, Japan, or Korea.
   • Summer (July to August) is the peak season with high prices and crowds because of school holidays.

Because I applied for my visa in July, I hit the peak season. Everything was indeed more expensive and crowded, as Europeans also enjoy their summer vacation for two months.

Preparing for the Trip:

Health and Money Correlation: When I decided to travel abroad, I needed to be healthy. At that time, I weighed 90 kg with 33% body fat and 22% visceral fat. I couldn’t walk far and relied on a driver for transportation—living in Indonesia is comfortable, right? But I knew from backpacker groups that being fit is crucial as most traveling involves a lot of walking and climbing stairs. My goal was to lose weight and be able to walk 10,000 steps daily.

I adopted a new lifestyle to lose weight:

1. Intermittent fasting: 16 hours fasting, 8 hours eating.
2. OMAD (One Meal A Day): Sometimes eating every 2-3 days but still drinking fluids.
3. Avoiding simple carbs like white rice.
4. Avoiding processed foods and baked goods.
5. Avoiding fried foods.
6. Avoiding sugar and sugary products—black coffee, plain tea only.
7. Avoiding packaged and processed foods.
8. Eating order: Vegetables first, fruits, protein, then carbs.
9. Drinking at least 3 liters of water (though I found it difficult in Europe because finding and paying for restrooms was a hassle).
10. Practicing mindfulness and gratitude to handle unexpected challenges.
11. Regular exercise: running one day, gym the next, with running at least 7 km in an hour and resting 1-2 days.
12. DNA testing to determine the best diet and exercise routine for my body and whether morning or evening workouts are more effective.

Don’t Let Walking Be a Struggle and Avoid Getting Sick Abroad

Using a tour agency might make things easier with less worry about handling sickness, though it’s still a cost you bear. Especially for someone like me traveling with just my foster child, staying healthy is crucial.

Training in Indonesia

Before deciding to travel to Europe, I managed to get my weight down to 78 kg, with 24% body fat and 18% visceral fat. It’s important to train and get fit before such a trip. During my time in Europe, I mostly followed OMAD and sometimes long fasting. If you haven’t trained back home, don’t push it; you might end up sick.

Eating in Europe:

1. Salad for meals.
2. Affordable fruits like cherries.
3. Doner kebabs.
4. Boiled eggs.
5. Sometimes just enjoying a salad at a restaurant while soaking in the atmosphere.
6. After long fasts, eating more substantial meals.

I can’t wait to return to Indonesia and see if my weight and health have improved after this 30-day European trip. Is there a goal for coming back healthier from backpacking?

I stopped in Singapore to indulge in Musang King durian, a favorite of mine. I could eat 4-8 kg in one sitting, so staying healthy is a must.

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