I, also, found 4000€ to be a huge amount to spend. Last year, I did not go to the congress, but I did make a financial plan to see if I could and the number was like less than a quarter of that, including travel and all. This year I've spent 275€ on it so far(travel+accommodation+registration) and I have about 500€ to use for the entire 2 weeks for food and whatever expenses(partaayhh, woo!) there happen to be.. Guess some people just choose to live a bit more extravagantly.

I voted cash price, never had much care for cups and such. I know I won(or placed 2nd, whatever), what do I need a cup for?

So what? Comparing how people spend when traveling is pointless. I spent >10000 in less than 3 weeks in NZ. Does that make NZ expensive?

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So nothing.
Just wondering if this is the normal price of Congress attendance or of Alex's personal choices, that's all.

Just for you:
If congress 'requires' that much money to attend, I find it extravagant.
If it was Alex's choice to spend so much, great, I'm glad he had a good time, but then the comparison to Congress prizes is misplaced.

I am not sure how to make the point clearer.
But feel free to IM me I will try to explain more.

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- Bantari
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WARNING: This post might contain Opinions!!

Last year's congress hotel was not the usual student block of flats but also not terribly expensive. The two weeks in hotel plus modest supermarket food amount to ca. EUR 530 ~ 550. Add to that travel cost to the Netherlands.

So you need not spend Alexander's EUR 2.000 per person.

Accommodation was somewhat expensive for the average congress player and the organization / city made it hard to pay less unless you would camp afar. I looked for alternative regular accommodation but could have saved less than EUR 5 per night, most of which (or even more?) would have been lost on bike renting and hours of wasting time. Hardly attractive alternatives.

Of course, if you ate food at the hotel restaurant and drank 10 beers a day bought there, you might already have spent much more. Add expensive flight tickets, visas(?), congress holiday trips, restaurents every evening and we approach EUR 1.500, I'd guess. But 2.000? Needs also a bit of luxary or tickets bought in the last second:)

Robert, for some reason, I found this post by you to be very refreshing. Thank you. Nevertheless, 10 beers a day at a hotel bar is way under per-diem in my book. Are you sure you're German?

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"This is a game that rewards patience and balance. You must think like a man of action and act like a man of thought."
-Jonas Skarssen

I stayed at the campsite - a 30 minute walk from the congress venue. It was 8.5 euros per night which for 15 nights comes to 127.5
Add to this 5 euros per day for bicycle hire and we are at 200 euros. The bicycle gave additional mobility and made trips into the town pleasant rather than a chore.

It was hard to avoid spending some money in the hotel. Coffees and beers were each 2 euros as was the smallest of snacks - so one each of these per day adds another 90 euros.

I bought a lot of my food from a supermarket that was within walking distance. A litre of yoghurt was a bargain at about 65 euro cents and for dinner I cooked noodles, fish, green beans and a tomato on my solid fuel camping stove - thus I was living at a price I might pay at home.

It was pleasant to stay at the campsite where there were other go players but neither it, nor the hotel were what a party animal would desire.

It is no fun if one doesn't socialise to some extent so, I guess that 30 euros went on a dinner with other British Go players in a restaurant.

Rock bottom price then 320 euros plus travel plus the tournament entry fee.

Much cheaper was the Prague tournament where one could eat and quaff beer or Slivovitch without pausing to consider the price and I felt able to take my wife and 2 kids - both of whom played in the tournament.

365 days to go, I can't wait to show up at Bordeaux ! It would be interesting to hear the report of those organising it.

Regardless of money prizes I would like to see standardizad cups (or medals, diplomas or whatever) for all championships (European Champion, European Team Champions, European Pair Champions,0 European Youth etc), which look the same from year to year. It's the tradition and continuity that lends prestige to the titles IMO.

best regards,
Henric

Oh my, €4000! I spent 0 euros for accommodation as I lived 2½ weeks in tent enjoying excellent Finnish weather and warm water of Lake Näsijärvi. It was really suffering as I spent 16.80 euros in fine restaurant but luckily I earned some 30 euros from empty cans and bottles, so it covered some of the money that was spent to the luxus. I think that people just have too much money!

By the way I HATE book prizes and good money is that talks. As due to tournament system, only top players are able to fight for top 10 prizes and the rest are excluded. Thus at least 40 % of the total prize money pool should be distributed to those who got good GoR improvements by playing well in Congress.

Cups are better to make from plastic, because plastic burns better than metal in incineration plant.