How much money do i need to travel around europe for a month?

Travel by freighter to Europe from Canada?

• Hi, I want to travel to Europe to visit a friend, and I don't have much money to do it. I live in Sault Ste Marie Ontario, and I don't know who to approach in order to board a cargo freighter and travel by sea to Europe. Do I need to go right to Nova Scotia to board a ship there? If not who do I approach here in Sault Ste Marie Ontario? Do I just walk up to a guy on the dock and say where I'm going and here is some cash? I have about $1,400 to work with. I already checked, it will cost about that for a round trip by air. I am having trouble getting a passport because I don't know anybody long enough. I might be able to have a passport, but might not have one. I don't care how long the trip is as long as I get there. I will work my **** off on the ship, I don't care. I just want to make this happen. I want to leave end of this month, because I think my friend is sick.

• Answer:

  You can't just board a ship and find a job. All merchant seamen need to be qualified, and the days when anyone could get a cheap trip to Europe on a ship by working their passage have long since gone. Ships captains need to account for all member of their crew, and need to show that all are fully qualified. Some merchant ships will take paying passengers, but it will still be expensive. And where in Europe is your friend? Can you get a freighter that goes from Canada to the country he's in. You seem to be very vague about the whole thing, and I wonder if you have any idea of just how big Europe is, how to travel to you friend once you get to his country, and how you're going to support yourself there. Also, just how will you get home again if you only have a small amount of money?? EDIT: The simple fact is that you cannot work your passage on a ship, it's illegal, and no ship's captain these days will risk taking on illegal workers. Whenever a merchant ship docks in a country, it's crews passports and work documents are thoroughly checked by Immigration officers of that country. As a Canadian passport holder you are allowed to stay in Austria for a maximum of 90 days without a visa. Austria is part of the Schengen Zone and abides by the Schengen Immigration rules. Therefore, you are required to have either a return or onward ticket when you enter the Schengen Zone, you are also expected to have enough money, or access to money, to support yourself during your stay in the area. If your friend agrees to support you that's fine, otherwise you need to have enough cash. So, you need cash for a return plane ticket - http://www.webjet.com is a great site to get flight comparisons on different airlines. Proof of some sort that you can support yourself in Europe. Money for a train ticket to your friend's house - it's not possible to put a figure on this because it depends on the length of the journey. And, it's really sensible to take out travel insurance to cover any unforeseen expenses such as medical/hospital, accident, lost baggage, flight cancellations etc.