Cost: Is the Balkans a Budget Traveler's Dream?

We know that everyone spends differently, and a budget can be extremely variable; however, after leaving an area, we want to provide some perspective on the cost associated with staying there for anyone interested in doing a similar trip.  Our budget of $150/day (we started with a lower target range of $100 but we are obviously nowhere close to that!) is for 2 people and does not include the $10,000 round-the-world flights (plus trip insurance) already paid for.  The budget also does not account for the bills we are continuing to pay at home.  The bulk of our budget allows for low-to-mid-range lodging in hostels, budget hotels, or guesthouses for a target of $60/double; meals/drinks; use of public transportation; and cost to do some sightseeing and/or activities.  At $150/day, we have found we are not depriving ourselves from any experiences; except that, as foodies, we aren't as liberal with our budget on finding the best and trendiest restaurants (which we haven't missed at all).  An article titled, "Set Your Daily Number" by the veteran travel bloggers from Married With Luggage confirms that a daily average is a simple strategy for setting and meeting a budget.  We've got in the habit of taking a few minutes to record our daily expenditure so we can make small adjustments along the way.

23-DAYS IN THE BALKANS
The least researched part of our itinerary was the Balkans region.  We planned on just "winging it", once we got there.  Therefore, we had no idea what the cost would be to travel through this region.  With a strong Western European influence, we anticipated higher prices; but also hoped for lower costs since these are still emerging countries with less developed tourism. 

The reality?  Reasonable lodging costs, cheap food, bargain wines, and even cheaper beers.  So, we were shocked to discover that we were actually OVER-budget in the Balkans!!  How could that be?  We were so proud of having so many days where we spent less than $150, but apparently the few budget-busting days in Croatia put us over.  Regardless, at an average of $160/day, we fully experienced the Balkans without feeling like we skimped on anything, so it was worthwhile.  

We spent 7 days in Croatia; 4 days in Bosnia and Hercegovina; 3 days in Serbia; 7 days in Macedonia; and 2 days in Bulgaria.  If we were on a stricter budget, we would've limited our time in Croatia to just a couple of days since it was the most expensive place in the Balkans.  Instead, Macedonia was a cheap place to hang out, where we stayed in nice accommodations, ate good meals, and indulged in bottles of wine for hardly anything.  Even the most touristed Lake Ohrid was a steal.  

Overall, the Balkans can be done on a budget even less than ours, and is a great budget destination for an authentic experience in a less traveled region.  

Sofia, Bulgaria: Our Last Balkans Experience

Sofia, Bulgaria - our last Balkans stay before we head to Istanbul, Turkey!  23 days ago, we blindly crossed the Adriatric, not knowing what to expect.  We found a region less traveled where the past differences continues to influence their hopeful future; where the most serene landscapes are peppered with memories of war and churches of all faiths.  We came out knowing a lot more about this area of the world, and are glad to have met all the kind people who safely helped us across their homeland.

Sofia is the capital city of Bulgaria with all the modern services and finds of a large, cosmopolitan city.  We could tell there's a significant Turkish and Russian influence in this city.  We also hadn't run into too many foreign business people and expatriates for the past 3 weeks until we arrived in Sofia.  We had a nice conversation and several Kamenitza beers with a retired Norwegian expatriate who made his residence in Sofia about 5 years ago.  

The best part about Sofia?  The currency exchange office took our Argentine pesos that nobody else would take!!  They also exchanged our Serbian dinar that the other Balkan countries would not touch.  It felt like a Christmas bonus. 

Weirdest Bus Ride from Skopje to Sofia, Ever

On our next journey across the Balkans, we boarded a 5-hour bus ride to Sofia, Bulgaria.  The bus was nice enough, clean, and comfortable.  The scenery was cloudy and rainy across the beautiful landscapes of the Balkans countryside. 

However, by the looks of him, we think the bus driver was either very sick, very hungover, or still half-drunk.  This didn't seem too far fetched after we witnessed a group of bus personnel in uniform at the Ohrid bus station the other day, doing shots of brandy with their espressos at 7 in the morning!  We have no idea if they were off-duty (we hope) or not, but it didn't leave a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Back to our bus headed to Sofia...