A quick-reference summary of every place Ben and Claire have stayed on their European leg, what stood out about each, and what it cost them as a family of four. Figures exclude accommodation unless stated.
| Location | What stood out | Daily cost |
|---|---|---|
| Spain (San Pedro) | A full month decompressing, kitchen access, a favourite bike-and-beach routine | ~£126/day |
| Albania (Saranda) | Clear-water beaches, warm people, visible construction alongside real beauty | ~£87/day |
| Montenegro (Sutomore) | Cheap eating out, a hidden lake gem near Podgorica, a stunning drive out | ~£87/day |
| Croatia (Kvtat/Dubrovnik) | A week with grandparents, Dubrovnik’s old town at a real premium | ~£126/day (Dubrovnik higher) |
| Bosnia (Mostar/Sarajevo mountains) | Our cheapest, most recommended country, and the toboggan run | Our cheapest stretch by far |
| Serbia (Belgrade) | A floating river hotel, used mainly as a bridge stop | ~£85/day |
| Hungary (Budapest) | Pools, riverside walks, a Harry Potter themed restaurant | ~£93/day |
| Slovakia | An animation team keeping kids busy 9am-9pm, a cramped room lesson | ~£70/day |
| Poland (Zakopane/Krakow) | Our favourite country of the trip, mountains and history in one stop | ~£135/day |
| Austria (Mittersill) | A livable, self-catering base after a run of hostels, the best bed of the trip | ~£80/day |
| Italy (Florence/Rome) | Wine windows, the Colosseum, a personal family moment during our stay | ~£115/day (Rome) |
| France (French Riviera) | A birthday built entirely around our son’s wish-list | ~£95/day |
| Tunisia (Djerba) | A hard lesson in research and all-inclusive stays, cut short by a week | Fixed meal windows, all-inclusive |
| Switzerland (Engelberg) | A firm favourite, though pricier than almost anywhere else on the trip | Food/drink alone ~€70 for a takeaway meal for four |
A few notes on reading this table: Tunisia doesn’t have a clean daily figure like the others, since it was booked all-inclusive with fixed meal windows rather than the pay-as-you-go pattern we’ve used everywhere else, so it’s not a fair like-for-like comparison. Switzerland’s figure reflects just how expensive food and drink were there specifically, our actual daily average would need to include accommodation to tell the full story, but that single data point says a lot on its own.
What else is possible when you can see the whole route laid out in front of you, cost by cost?
FAQ
Which country has been the cheapest overall? Bosnia, by a clear margin, everything from food to activities came in noticeably lower than anywhere else on the route.
Which country has been the most expensive? Switzerland, based on food and drink costs alone, though our stay there was brief. Poland and Croatia (specifically Dubrovnik) were also among the pricier stretches.
Does having a kitchen always bring the daily cost down? It helps, but it’s not the whole story. Some of our cheapest stops (Bosnia, Slovakia) had no kitchen at all, while some kitchen-equipped stops (Poland) still came in relatively high due to paid activities.
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