Auf Wiedersehen Berlin - A Budget Travel Oasis

So after two turbulent and hedonistic months in Berlin it was time to throw on our backpacks once again and embark on a new adventure.

It was time to leave Berlin

 We felt that whilst Berlin was a wonderful (and relatively cheap) city to stay and play in, we were languishing in that lifestyle and I was yearning to replace the grunge bars and galleries and city cafes with some snow-capped mountains, turquoise-green rivers, alpine forests and a healthy dose of hiking...  

Fortunately, one country that ticks all of those boxes is picture-postcard Slovenia. Nestled between Austria, Hungary, Croatia and Italy it is indeed a little country; but punches well above its weight in terms of natural beauty and rustic charm.

The country's capital Ljubljana was (whilst small) perhaps one of the prettiest European cities I've seen, offering relaxation and culture and a wealth of sites and activities for a city of its size.

So for the next few weeks we'll be busy exploring the dramatic cliffside castles, serene lakes and tranquil mountain villages that Slovenia has to offer before flying to another party capital: good ol' London Town!

But, I digress - back to Berlin and the budget. How much did two months cost us, and how did we keep costs down?


For a little over two months (63 days to be precise) we spent approximately  AUD$4,309.66 in total for both of us for the whole period. Or more accurately: AUD$34.20 per day each. 

That's for all accommodation, food and drinks, sightseeing, shopping, activities, entertainment, clubbing/bar-hopping and public transport.

The reason I say approximately is because due to the credit card fraud I mentioned in an earlier post we had to use our back-up travel card, which incurred a small loading fee (to load money on to the card) and an ATM withdrawal fee each time we used it.

Watching the fireworks on New Years Eve

I could be pedantic and convert the €2.20 ATM withdrawal fees and loading fees to Australian dollars and deduct that from the total spent etc etc... but for the sake of simplicity, I've just included in the total above the full amount in Australian dollars that we actually put on to the card.

Considering all the fun we had (film festivals and screenings, art exhibitions, museums, Christmas markets, music gigs, live comedy shows...) in addition to all the food and booze we consumed over the festive season (not to mention the partying) - I'm amazed we were able to stick to budget!

A few things that helped keep costs down:

1. Securing our accommodation via Airbnb

Whilst our initial flatmate turned out to be less than ideal, our second room was brilliant and we nonetheless saved money by sharing rather than having our own place.

In total, we only spent €980 for the entire period on accommodation - or €15.55 per night on average for both of us. With most dorm beds costing between €5-10.00 each over winter (the average for November/December was €8.00, with prices skyrocketing over Christmas and New Years) and private double or twin rooms costing upwards of €14.00 each, to have our own double bedroom over the holidays at this price (and not be sharing a dorm/kitchen/bathroom with 10+ others) was a great deal.

I've explained how to get good deals on accommodation in an earlier post, but generally if you're considering staying in Berlin for a month or longer I'd suggest contacting hosts directly via Airbnb and negotiating a rate for the full period. Especially over the summer or the holiday season when all hostels and hotels increase their prices. 

2. Self-catering the majority of the time

Whilst there are definitely bargains to be found in Berlin when it comes to eating out, we didn't completely abandon our frugal lifestyle and instead made the best of the fantastic food markets for purchasing fresh produce that we then cooked ourselves.

Gozleme at the Turkish Market

Anything we couldn't find at the food markets could be found within one of the numerous supermarkets throughout the city and we were never too far from an Asian grocer either (which was a nice change after months of cooking eastern European food).

Breakfast was always self-catered, with the majority of our dinners self-catered too. When we did eat out, the multiple Asian restaurants in Berlin proved handy with many local Thai and Vietnamese places offering lunch specials (just forego the beer with your phở or Pad Thai as they're often 4 times the price of what you would pay in a supermarket).

Turkish food was in abundance (particularly around our place in Neukölln) and this proved a wonderfully cheap option - especially after a big night! Felafel, hummus, zucchini fritters, börek and gözleme provided us with many budget-friendly lunches with pizza and doner kebabs another cheap (albeit less healthy) option.

3. Making the most of discounts and free activities

Much like at home, cinema screenings are cheaper during the day time or on Monday nights. Tuesdays are also often cheap, with prices at their highest Wednesday to Sunday. Whilst most travellers probably aren't planning on going to the movies much, this can nonetheless provide a relatively cheap form of entertainment on a rainy day. Just bring your own snacks!

Get a Museum Pass for better value

Similarly if you're planning to attend any film, music or art festivals consider purchasing any passes they have on offer, as they're often better value for money.

We made the most of Berlin's Museum Pass, which for just €24.00 each allowed us to visit various museums and art galleries throughout the city over three consecutive days. Most of the major museums and galleries cost between €8-12.00 each (excluding some temporary exhibitions) so by purchasing the pass we were able to visit twice as many, averaging two per day.

There's also the Berlin Welcome Card which is valid for 48 hours, 72 hours or 5 days and can give you free travel via public transport during the period; discounts at more than 200 tourist attractions and restaurants and includes tips on where to go and suggested tours.

Keep your eyes peeled for additional 'free' (i.e. tip based, pay what you want) walking tours such as those offered by Alternative Berlin. They depart twice a day at 11am and 1pm and take you beyond the usual fare offered by the guidebooks such as artist squats, urban art projects and alternative entertainment facilities (although to be honest, it's not hard to find those things on your own!)

5. Don't pay for entry to clubs

I know, I know - Berlin is a clubbing utopia and is world-renowned for its nightclubs. I'm not saying forfeit them altogether (unless you're simply not the clubbing type of course), just do your homework.

Nightclubs aren't the only place to dance

Websites such as Resident Advisor will list everything happening in Berlin as far as clubs are concerned on any given night, so if you spend some time scouring their website for the less infamous establishments you may find many of them have free entry.

Even some of the more popular nightclubs will have free entry before midnight. Just be warned - Berliners don't usually set foot inside clubs until laaaate so you may find yourself alone on the dance floor nursing that Pilsner.

There's also plenty of regular bars hosting DJ's so you needn't venture into a nightclub for your techno or house music fix. For those (like us) who prefer hip hop, DnB, funk, soul etc we found the majority of the über-clubs didn't cater to those tastes anyway, but we found plenty of bars that did.

Furthermore - there's loads of free live/indie music gigs happening throughout the city, particularly on weeknights. Keep an eye out for gig posters and flyers or browse websites such as Blitz Gigs and Time Out for listings (or at least the names of venues, which you can then Google yourself to see what's on).

4. BYO booze (or drink on the street)

Before you say "but nothing screams cheapskate/backpacker/unemployed/hobo like hanging out in a park drinking" - hear me out.

Walking around with a can of Berliner Pilsner is not illegal in Berlin as it is in Australia. So it's not uncommon to see people strolling around with a beer after work, or whilst walking their dog, or whilst relaxing in the park...

Enjoying a beer overlooking The Spree

Although most commonly you will see young folks throughout Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg enjoying a bevvy or two as they walk to/from their venue of choice at night.

The majority of kiosks and convenience stores have tables and chairs out the front, where groups will congregate and enjoy their €0.70 beers before paying upwards of €2.50 for a beer in a bar or club.

Often we would sit out front of such kiosks and enjoy a beer whilst serenely people watching. Or walk along The Spree and sit with a beer and watch the sunset. You don't always need to go bar-hopping to enjoy a beer in Berlin, with the majority of fast-food restaurants and cafes also licensed.

Yet unlike in Australia with its binge-drinking problem, we saw little of the public drunkenness and fighting that one would expect from a city so liberal with its alcohol consumption.

A final note...

No doubt it would be cheaper if you were actually living in Berlin for an extended period, as you could save further on accommodation by securing a local flatshare and doing less sightseeing and partying than we did (or of course you could actually WORK).

Nonetheless, Berlin provided the perfect destination for us to stay put over the festive season without breaking the budget. Admittedly, we didn't get as much 'culture' or reading/writing/designing done as we'd hoped...

But I blame all the enticing distractions!

Until next time...