After the hit that a a lot of EU countries took with the finance crisis, has anybody on here noticed whether prices have dropped or increased? We are thinking of going to Greece and we would be interested in costs for everyday stuff like food, drink, buses etc etc.
I found that once the Euro came in, everything became so expensive. For example Spain, it used to be so cheap compared to everywhere else, but now not so much! Any Country with the Euro has likely seen price increases.
Well I can talk about how are prices, right now, in Portugal. Due to a lot of new policies and some tax increases, prices are slightly higher now, VAT has gone up to 23% and many other taxes have been put into practice, making prices effectively higher. I still think it's a cheap country to travel to and spend some days on holidays, the weather is very nice, the people are friendly and there are a lot of places to visit. Price wise it's one of the cheapest even though commerce in Algarve, the main touristic region, tend to overcharge to increase profits and I find that despicable.
The trick here is to not go to fancy restaurants when you travel. Ask the locals of restaurants that offer authentic local food but do not cater too much on tourists. Restaurants in Europe only gets to be expensive if they are considered as tourist destinations themselves. If tourists are most of the customers, it is their opportunity to profit from their visitors. There are lots of quaint restaurants in Europe that do not have high prices. That also is applicable to accommodation. YOu do not have to book in a luxurious hotel when you go there.
