Travel in the US and Canada is now very expensive
The last 12 years have been a time when traveling in the Continental US and Canada has gotten very pricey. It has not always been like that. In the 80s, 90s and right up to 2012, doing a road trip in North America was very affordable. You could stay in a hotel or motel for $60 a night (Airbnbs were even less) and there was room enough for 2. Gasoline for your car steadily increased ever since 2002. Rental car prices also increased substantially since 2015. Add increased food and campsite costs and you have a recipe for disaster. Last time I did a 10 day road trip in the USA in 2012, my brother and I spent under $2,000 (USD) for the whole thing. If you try the same thing now you are looking at well over $4,500.00 for 2 people.
Where is travel still affordable?
The quick answer is Europe if you are looking for a similar experience. Of course, if you go to a third world country you will have it even cheaper but then you need to speak the local language to get most of deals. So European countries like Germany, Spain, etc. remain affordable for traveling and give you tons of options even without speaking the language. Food is generally 30% less and lodging in Airbnbs costs about half or even less when compared to North America. Car rentals can be cheaper but are usually the same as in the US or Canada. Gasoline is a bit more but that usually evens itself out because your engine size is less in Europe. And you often don’t need a car since most things can be walked or biked to. Combine that with affordable trains that run regularly, you are currently looking at about 50% less travel costs in Europe versus North America. To return to my example above, a 10 day trip in Germany for example will still cost you about $2,000 (USD).
Final Thoughts on Traveling in North America vs. Europe
It is sad that the US and Canada are so expensive these days. There are many nice places in North America and I used to enjoy the big portions you used to get in US restaurants for comparatively very little money. But those days are now gone. I can now go to Europe for 4 weeks and spend less overall than when I (who lives in Canada) rent a car and drive through the Rockies for the same amount of time. But I see that as a good thing. It gets me out into new worlds and languages and if the US and Canada should ever get cheap again like in the old days, I will start exploring North America again.
Author of: Creston Photography – beautiful places in the Rocky Mountains.