Bargains in Europe

My friend Paul,who has been travelling in Eastern and Southern Europe has not been reporting much, but did recently post some information from a lunch he enjoyed somewhere in Crete. It showed a large toasted sandwich with a glass of wine. The price list that accompanied the lunch indicated that a sandwich cost two euros, while a glass of wine was one euro for a total of 3 euros, or about $3.50.

I couldn't help comparing this with the cost of a similar lunch I had recently at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in New York at a restaurant called Crust. The cheapest toasted sandwich on the menu was $11, and a glass of wine cost $9 for a total of $20.

This isn't a totally fair comparison--airports almost always charge higher than normal prices, and New York is one of the most expensive cities in the world. But it does underline the fact that if you have any interest in visiting Europe, this is a good time to do it. Provided, that is, you avoid expensive cities such as London, Paris and Zurich, and costly regions such as Scandinavia.

Stick to places in Southern and Eastern Europe, and you can explore to your heart's content at moderate cost. Even Russia is a bargain destination at the moment. Europe may cost more in air fare if you are travelling from North America, but once on the ground you can make up for it in lower prices for lodging and meals.