13 Nov 2022 | 3 mins
Overview
  • It’s the sunrise hot air balloons in Turkey. The lined-up beach umbrellas in Italy. The towns on cliffs in Greece. Your insta feed is probably chockers with hot girl (/guy/everyone in-between or outside) Euro summer flicks.
  • It looks bangin’, doesn’t it?
  • Hm… I think it’s time we addressed the elephant in the room. See, Europe in summer is iconic.
  • But it’s also cooked. Here’s how.

1. It's the price of Jesus' tears 💸

🏢 Hostels copped being closed because of the big C (ew), and now they've raised their prices, capitalising on everyone flocking from left, right 'n centre to soak in the Europe sun. Gone are the days of a $15 stay and free brekkie.

(My advice would be to suss out cheaper destinations like Bosnia, Montenegro and Albania.)

🍔 I can count the amount of times I’ve dined out. For real. Meals are exxy here. Sure, you have to try a macaron in Paris or paella in Spain, but I’ve mostly been living on DIY wraps and sandwiches to save $.

🚌 A train from Newcastle to Sydney is about four bucks. That distance in Europe can cost forty bucks. Obvs, it depends where you’re headed, but eeeeek.

2. You have to plan ahead to save dosh 💰

I feel claustrophobic when I'm locked into plans and froth being able to wake up and say, "where do I feel like going next?".

That attitude has landed me up sh*t creek without a paddle out here. Hostel prices either skyrocket last minute, or are booked weeks, even months in advance. Same with transport options, sadly.

3. It's crowded out here 😱

I knew it’d be crowded over summer, but I wasn’t expecting this level. Just prepare yourself for stuffing around in lines, standing on buses, searching for a spare spot of sand on the beach or a table at a restaurant, sitting in jampacked airports for hours because your flight's delayed... You get the jist.

4. You might not feel very unique 🌺

Everyone and their dog is in Europe right now, kinda doing the same thing. Trust me, I was keen as a bean to do a Croatia sail and sunbake in Puglia, but when I flicked through my feed, I realised evvvveryone was doing the same.

That’s so exciting! We’re all out and sending it! Buuut, I realised I wanted to get off the beaten track a little too (especially since it’s cheaper and less crowded). My friend and I have made a balance of doing classic ‘hot girl Euro summer’ things, as well as things that are a tiny more obscure, like hiking in Albania or canyoning in Slovenia.

5. It's bloody hot 🔥

No for real. I dunno how you guys are getting such cute pics. In mine, I have sweat dripping down my face and I have to use a filter to hide my bright red cheeks. More like Sauna girl Euro summer.

Don’t get me wrong, Europe is a dream. An absolute dream. I’m having the time of my life and appreciate every second, even if that’s me standing on a cramped train with my backpack on, sweat dripping down my armpits. Don’t let this deter you, just let it shed a little reality from all the highlight reels you see. Let this be the lowlight reel.

But hey, hot girl Euro summer is still unreal.