affordable travel for Peace Corps volunteer

Well, Olga, have you thought about what you mean by saying you want to enjoy the holiday? Would you be going alone or with someone else? Could you meet with someone you already know and like? What country would you like to celebrate Christmas in and what traditions are dear to your heart? Do you just need to get away for a few days and want to be around people who remind you of home? Is religious observation of Christmas important to you? Christmas traditions vary quite a bit in some Western European countries. It is a very family oriented holiday, would that make you feel lonely? Do you have enough time to get there and back and still spend a few days? You didn't say how old you are....Maybe someone on this forum has some hostel information and has some idea what the Christmas season hostel scene would be like. Depending on what you're looking for, maybe you need look no further than Istanbul. For a real celebratory Christmas atmosphere, however, I'd suggest Vienna or Munich. You'd need to get there several days before Christmas, though, because the Christmas markets shut down on the 24th. There you'd find crowds, Christmas music and Christmas cookies. The churches will have midnight masses and perhaps daytime concerts. This is the website for a Munich hostel. Click on the little English flag upper right for an English version. They're open all year and have no age restrictions. http://www.the4you.de/
Best wishes and regards, Anna

Olga, you might look into "couchsurfing" or AirBnB. I do not have personal experience with either one, but the son of friends did 2 weeks in Germany couchsurfing before his senior year in college, and came back saying he will never travel any other way! Others on the board have mentioned AirBnB positively. Both are networks of hosts where you stay in someone's house/apartment, perhaps on a couch or airbed but perhaps on a real bed. That also connects you with residents who can give you good advice on things to do, where to eat cheaply, etc. I think the general rule is the farther south you go, the less expensive, so you might look at Spain, Portugal, or Italy to keep costs down.

The biggest challenge is where to get to from Jerewan airport at a low fare. There are not too many airlines flying to Jerewan. CSA connect Jerewan with Prague, Armavia fly to Berlin. Berlin is great for Xmas and has got one of the lowest price levels of all Western European cities.