Traveling to Europe for 3 months, spending 742 million VND, the couple chose a 'slow' experience

22 countries, 53 cities, 90 days, 1.34 million steps, 110 thousand words from travel diary and 742 million VND are the numbers that Mr. Dang Hoang Binh and his wife, Ms. Vuong Thu Huyen, achieved after their dream trip to Europe.

This is not the first time Mr. Binh (currently living in Ho Chi Minh City) has been to Europe. About 20 years ago, he was an international student in this continent. Later, he also returned to work in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and Spain several times. However, in the past, he mainly went to Western Europe and "checked in" in big cities. This summer's 3-month trip helped him explore many other lands, beautiful natural landscapes and local cultures. "Going to many places in one trip will help me have a more comprehensive view of the 'old continent', and at the same time, the cost will be more economical than going once a year. The cost of getting a visa and buying a plane ticket from Vietnam to Europe is not cheap," he explained. “Honestly, in the first 2 months, my husband and I were very excited and healthy, happily visiting places every day. In the 3rd month, we started to get tired but not bored because we knew exactly what we would do in the 3rd month, which areas we would travel to, and how different it would be from the areas we had been to. And the truth has proven that when we arrive in a new land, we have new emotions. Those emotions motivate us to continue to be curious, to continue walking to 'check in'”. According to the GPS watch, in 90 days, he walked 1.34 million steps, equivalent to 1,028km, an average of 11.42km per day. There was only one day in the 90-day journey that he and his wife did nothing. That was the day the couple went to a friend's house on a rainy day, so all day they just ate and slept to regain their strength after a long journey. Europe is beautiful but not all pink Mr. Binh and his wife visited Oeschinen Lake, Switzerland. "Europe in my eyes is always a livable, beautiful place with many things to learn" - Mr. Binh commented. According to his observation, in addition to the well-maintained and preserved constructions such as churches and town halls in each city, Europe also has stunningly beautiful natural landscapes such as the fjords in Bergen (Norway), Plitvice National Park in Croatia, the longest cave in Europe Postojna in Slovenia, the Dolomite mountains in Italy, Interlaken in Switzerland in the movie Crash Landing on You, ... If before, he only knew Europe through a few modern and rich Western European countries with majestic and magnificent ancient buildings, then on this trip, he visited destinations with very beautiful natural scenery. Each land brought him its own feelings. “For example, Northern Europe is much colder and more expensive than other regions. Southern Europe such as Spain and Portugal are heavily influenced by Islam, so the landscape and architecture are completely different. People in the Baltic region are quite cold,...”. Mr. Binh said that the city he likes the most is Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy. “Not many Vietnamese people come here because it is expensive and there are few buildings to take pictures. The nature here is beautiful, suitable for those who like to sightsee, relax or climb mountains”. During his time here, he climbed 3 different mountains: Tre Cime, Lake Sorapis and Cinque Torri. “It will be difficult to describe the beauty of this mountain area, but it is really different from the climbing routes I have taken in Vietnam”. Jungfrau Peak - known as the 'roof of Europe' with an altitude of over 4,000m However, for him, Europe is not all rosy. "The increasing number of homeless people, the high prices in some countries like Northern Europe or Switzerland, the theft in big cities like Barcelona (Spain), Rome (Italy), Paris (France) make Europe grayer than before. But in terms of safety, public transportation, architecture, natural beauty, Europe is still highly appreciated". 90 days for 53 cities 90 days for 53 cities - the number sounds big but Mr. Binh confidently believes that his and his wife's experience can be said to be profound, also known as "slow" travel. In big cities, he stays 3-4 nights to explore. In small cities, he spends 1 day and 1 night to visit. “Countries like Belgium, Switzerland, and the Netherlands are very small, the cities are very close together, and the means of transportation are convenient, so it is normal to take a train to visit 2-3 different cities in one day.” He shared that if you look at the itinerary and the number of nights he stayed in each city, this could be one of the slow travel experiences. “There are days when I only visit one place, for example: 3 days of mountain climbing in Dolomite, a day visiting the Auschwitz Nazi concentration camp, the Wieliczka salt mine in Poland, climbing to the top of the roof of Europe Jungfraujoch in Switzerland, Plitvice National Park in Croatia… Cinque Torri Mountain in Italy The cost of 742 million VND for 2 people in 3 months of traveling to Europe is considered by Mr. Binh to be average compared to the general level. This total cost includes: Visa, insurance 11 million; food 139 million; hotel 233 million; transportation 163 million; sightseeing 47 million and shopping 149 million. "My family usually stays in 3-4 star hotels, uses public transportation, eats at restaurants 3-4 times a week on average and takes photos of each other. I rate this cost as average and within expectations because I have a lot of experience traveling and planning the trip in detail." According to him, people traveling to Europe often have to have a little bit of economic conditions, so saving costs is not the most important issue with these tours. However, if you want to save, there are still many ways, for example, staying at a hostel and not eating at a restaurant. “You can go to the supermarket to buy food. The price of food in supermarkets in Europe is not more expensive than in Vietnam. In addition, you should use public transport instead of taxis, join free city tours, stay at friends' houses, travel from one city to another by bus... If you are traveling for a long time, you can buy a Eurail Pass with many options: 3 days, 7 days, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months”. In addition to the valuable experiences during the trip, Mr. Binh also shared an achievement that he is very proud of, which is writing 110,000 words - equivalent to a 250-page book - about the daily itinerary at the tourist attractions. “It would be impossible to list all the things I learned from this trip, but I really like a saying that can be applied to all travelers, which is 'keep going and you will get there'. I hope that those who are about to travel to Europe will have successful, healthy and safe trips like my family.”

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