Alright so here’s how I actually pulled off that Armenia and Georgia trip without blowing through my savings. Started like anyone else – planning phase. Grabbed my phone and laptop, dove into flight search engines. Realized skipping direct flights saved me nearly half the cash right away. Ended up booking a funky route: cheap flight to Kyiv first (this was before… y’know), then a budget airline hop to Yerevan. Total? Under €300 return from Berlin. Score.
Getting Around Like a Local
Once boots on the ground, rule number one: forget private taxis unless you’re truly desperate or splitting with buddies. In both countries, the marshrutkas (basically crowded minivans) are THE budget lifeline. Rolled into the bus station in Yerevan, feeling kinda lost. Asked around – folks pointed me to the right van heading to Tbilisi. Paid maybe 8000 AMD (that’s like… €18?) for a 5-hour ride through crazy mountain scenery. Cheap travel = more snacks. Win.
Tips for the vans:
- Show up early – they leave when full, sometimes before the scheduled time. Saw one guy miss it cause he was buying cigarettes.
- Keep small local cash – drivers ain’t got time for big bills or card nonsense.
- Embrace the squeeze – might share your seat with grandma’s shopping bags. It’s part of the charm… or something.
Sleeping Cheap (Without the Creepy)
Hostels? Fine. But honestly, guesthouses owned by locals were my goldmine. Found a tiny place in Yerevan’s Kond district via an app. Knocked on the door, got greeted by a granny who barely spoke English. Room was basic, clean, had a shared bathroom. Cost? Less than $10 a night. Used the same app in Georgia, landed a room steps away from Tbilisi’s sulfur baths for maybe $12. Beats generic hotel prices any day.
Eating & Drinking (Like a King on Peasant Coins)
Biggest budget killer often? Food. My strategy:
- Street food is life. Khachapuri (cheesy bread) in Georgia? Huge, filling, cost like 5 GEL (€1.50ish). Found one stall and basically became a regular. Armenian lahmajun? Pennies.
- Local bakeries & supermarkets for breakfast/lunch basics. Bought fresh fruit, bread, cheese – made my own picnics. Spent maybe €3-4 a day on non-dinner meals.
- Tap water – perfectly drinkable in both countries. Filled up my bottle everywhere. Saved a fortune.
- Skipped tourist trap restaurants. Wandered side streets away from Freedom Square or Republic Square. Found little family-run spots where a huge khinkali (dumpling) feast plus local wine barely touched €10.
Doing Stuff (For Free, Mostly)
Sightseeing doesn’t need tickets plastered everywhere.
- Walked everywhere possible. Both Tbilisi and Yerevan are super walkable. Discovered hidden courtyards, street art, stumbled upon cafes just by getting lost.
- Parks & Nature. Hiked to the Cascade viewpoints in Yerevan (free). Wandered Tbilisi Botanical Garden for pennies. Took a public bus to the edge of the city in Yerevan to hike around Garni Gorge without paying entry for the temple itself.
- Free city tours. Took advantage of them! Usually tipped €5 max cause they were actually fun.
The ATM Drama (& What I Learned)
Here’s the big oops moment. First ATM withdrawal in Armenia. Machine offered “conversion.” Seemed easy, accepted it. Mistake! My own bank’s rate later proved they totally fleeced me on the conversion fee. Like, an extra €15 vanished compared to letting my own bank handle it. Lesson screamed at me: ALWAYS DECLINE DYNAMIC CURRENCY CONVERSION (DCC). ALWAYS. Every single time after that? Selected “Without Conversion” or just cancelled the transaction and found a different bank’s ATM (VTB and HSBC didn’t try those tricks).
So yeah. Flew cheap. Slept cheap. Ate insanely well and cheap. Got around for pennies. Saw amazing stuff mostly free. Had one ATM disaster that turned into a lesson. Overall? Two incredible weeks, two countries, and kept the budget way under €700 all-in. Was it luxury? Nope. Was it an adventure full of local flavour? Hell yeah. Doable if you ditch the fancy stuff and just… go.