7-10 day trip under $5,000

Good question; I'll edit my post to add clarify that it includes air.

Jordan, That's an easy budget as you actually have $3000.00 for hotel and spending. 10 days at $150.00 PP is easy ($300.00 per day). But the less you spend on the room, the more daily spending money you have. I'd say shoot for $100.00 rooms if you feel tight. Anywhere in Europe would be fine. This even means you can go up to 150.00 for hotel room, and 150.00 for daily spending money. I'd pick one or two cities and stay put. I'd be under this amount with my H, and we don't really scrimp on entertainment. I can't say where you should go as I have no idea where you have been and what you'd want to see. I avoid summer travel at all costs…too many tourists. Have fun. Wray

Either London and surrounding area or Florence/Rome if you love Renaissance art. If going to Rome stay in convent to save money. Both choices are easy transportation(except getting around Rome), but flights are probably cheaper to London. Both would be ok in winter except it gets dark really early in London. Paris ok but my favorite experiences in Paris area(Chartres and Chenenceux) involved a rental car. You will have a great time wherever you go!

Generally, the further east/south you go, the cheaper it gets! Consider Prague or Budapest. These places are a bargain compared to much of the rest of Europe and the sights are equally as grand. Spain, southwestern France, and Italy are relatively cheap as well when compared to the rest of Europe. If you don't splurge on accommodation, which in my opinion is where you should never put your money, you should have plenty of cash to last 7-10 days. It is SO much cheaper to fly to Europe in the shoulder season...check fares on Norweigian Airlines. Shoulder season fares are nearly 1/2 the price of spring and summer if you choose the right dates/times. The more flexible you are with your dates the better fares you will find.

Flights are likely cheapest to London or Amsterdam, but, if on a budget , go south, I can and have gotten great hotel rooms on southern Spain and on greek island of Naxos for under 75 euros per nigh t per couple, and I could have gone much lower but we like ac and beach front... So get a cheap flight somewhere else ( i am seeing flights for 100 euros or less to Athens or Santorini( then catch a cheap ferry) from London or Amsterdam!

So for a cheaper vacation look south!

Hi. This is my first post. Been reading for a couple months though. Jordan, what country, airlines and month are you planning on traveling in order to get tickets for $1,000 per person? You are talking round trip? I have been looking up prices to travel to Munich from Newark round trip in late August to middle of September next year with plans on taking Alpine My Way Tour. Cheapest I could find were $1619.04 with one stop and economy plus, and I have been looking for a while now. Thanks.

Hi Jordan,
I also live near Seattle and am happy if our airline tickets are $1500 each. Be sure to check actual prices since that's a major ticket item. If you were handing me $5000, I would go to some of the smaller towns of Italy or Germany where the local train transportation is inexpensive (Italian trains - if you buy on-line a few months ahead of time).

If you give us more info about what type of trip you like, we can give you a much better idea of destinations that would interest you.

First, cross Switzerland off the list. Then Norway, Sweden and Denmark. UK and Amsterdam are pricey.
France, Germany, and Italy are surprisingly reasonable. Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary are screaming bargains.
You might need some "alternative airlines" like Icelandair, Norwegian to get your $1000 round trip. Also check prices out of Vancouver.

If you're willing to go off-season or shoulder season then a $5K budget for 2 people is really pretty generous.
Research sites like Travelocity and others to check airfares to destinations that may interest you, and widen your search to include a variety of different dates to decide on a price that works for you. Icelandair does have some great off-season fares from Seattle to Europe...connecting in Reykjavik. It's usually quicker by a few hours than connecting on the east coast, too.
A good way to keep costs down would be to book an off-season apartment somewhere (anywhere really) and use it as a base for exploring a particular city and its surrounding area. With only 7-10 days to work with you probably wouldn't want to try to combine 2 or more stops unless they're in close proximity - keep the travel days to a minimum.
Can find some real off-season bargains on apartment rentals at places like VRBO and Homeaway. We've found that prepping most of our own meals in a rental apartment (or house for that matter) saves a lot of money versus dining out all the time, and the money saved can be used for the occasional splurge on a fine dining experience when you want to go out for a special evening.
Basing in one of the major European cities and using public transport to get around will save over having to get a car as well.
As others have mentioned, heading further east to someplace like Krakow will be cheaper than the major cities of Western Europe.

I'm sort of biased. I would fly to Budapest in late September or Early October To be fair, i think the airfare will cost you closer to $1,200 so you have $2,600 left.

For a 10 day trip you spend day 1 traveling and half of day 2 traveling and all of day 10 traveling so you have 7.5 days on the ground and you need accommodation for 8 nights.

I would get a nice apartment in the heart of the city for about $600 total (including the transfer to and from the airport). Now you have $2,000 left. A 7 day travel card so you can have unlimited access to the metro and those world class scenic tram rides will set you back less than $50 dollars for two including a few single tickets on the 8th day. Now you have $1,950 remaining. Since you don't spend a lot of money while in flights you have $1,950 for 8 days, or about $250 a day to play with in one of Europe's most beautiful and at the same time least expensive cities. Opera? Romantic Dinner Boat Rides? Neighboring Artist Villages, Wine Bars, Outrageously good food, Theater, How could you not want this?: http://1drv.ms/1MHEUeZ Geeeee..... i sound like a sleazy salesman. Sorry. France would be good too.

You certainly can make a 7-10 day trip for what you want to pay.
With time so short, I'd suggest flying Icelandic Air into London and spending 1/2 your time there. If you had another week, I'd tell you to fly Easyjet from Paris to Rome or take a fast train Paris-Barcelona.
Then take the Eurostar down to Paris for the remainder of your time.
I often go the last few days of March in order to get the Winter airfares.
If you had another week, I'd tell you to fly Easyjet from Paris to Rome or take a fast train Paris-Barcelona. These are all fabulous cities.

I tried a couple of destinations on Expedia and found some tickets to Europe for $1,050 each. I realize that it's not always possible to find such good deals on flights, so I'm not opposed to needing to spend more on flights if we can't fight a good deal on tickets and having a little less on spending if we are staying somewhere affordable.

We aren't picky on location or type of vacation. I've had several trips to Europe all of varying locations and styles - I've gone from one trip spending one month in the same location in Spain, to another trip spending 3 weeks moving around Central Europe and the Balkans every 1-4 nights. We are very flexible when it comes to location - we like it all! I was really just curious on what other folks' dream budget location would be to get some inspiration!

Whats up with American airline ticket prices. I booked my stepdaughter a ticket for Vancouver BC return.. leaving early May. returning at end of month.. economy.
900 dollars.
We are on same flight. but we booked premium economy for us .. 1500.. so how can a flight from Newark and all those other eastern places cost so much more .. mind blown.

For those close enough to consider flying out of Vancouver BC.. look at prices on Airtransat and WestJet( west jet have flown nationally here for years with great reputation,, just recently been adding overseas.. last year it was Dublin.. but next year.. starting in May they are flying into London.. and when they released tickets they were selling them for 4-500 dollars return on their website.. prices have gone up since then .. but still cheap.. and remember. you would be paying in Canadian dollars...

The numbers crunchers here can figure it out for a trip to Ireland on your budget. A car rental and stays at B&Bs may be affordable, and in Ireland B&Bs are plentiful. In ten days driving it would be possible to cover a lot of the island. I like the west coast and Dingle best.

With only 7-9 nights, I would buy the airline ticket directly from the airline, so if something goes wrong, they will care of it; a ticket from Travelocity, etc., will get you referred back to them for a remedy. A cancelled flight or missed connection could cost you a day, with the stress of fixing it yourselves.

Consider Belgium, lots of cities easily reached from one base city (or even two); or Italy, with two bases.

Let's see...$2000 for air leaves you with $3000. For 8 days on the ground, that's about $375 per day. That's doable.

My suggestions - avoid London as it is the most expensive (both because of it's actual cost and because of the Pound - exchange rate is worse than the Euro for Americans). Also avoid Switzerland (same reason). Unless, of course you really want these places and are willing to really squeeze or if you have some special circumstance like a friend lending you their mountain chalet or flat in Notting Hill :)

For 8 days on a budget I would pick either one city or two - too much moving around adds cost. A rental car would be pretty expensive, so stay in cities. If you want one city for 8 days, pick one of the biggies. Paris or Rome both have more than enough to do for a week and are iconic. Some other ideas - Prague (and Vienna or Budapest). Florence and Venice. Barcelona and Madrid.

Whats up with American airline ticket prices. I booked my stepdaughter a ticket for Vancouver BC return.. leaving early May. returning at end of month.. economy.
900 dollars.

I assume you mean flights originating in the United States, not just American Airlines. Because the airline business model is "The idiots will pay it and they have no other choice, so we all get together and decide that is what we will charge". I checked for someone the other day flying Detroit to Paris and the monopoly named Delta wanted $1400. But if they drove over the bridge to Windsor and flew a connection through Toronto, it was $800 US. Same reason we pay double for prescription drugs.

Could you stay within this budget on any RS tours?

Here's a thought for you to consider. Sometimes you get better fares if you fly out of Canada but that implies a 2+ hours drive.

Flying out of my convenient local airport always adds about $300 to the ticket price. l'll take a 3+ hour drive to Chicago any day. Didn't used to be that way, but it sure is now.

Zoe makes a very good point that's often overlooked: use the various search engines (Travelocity, Expedia, etc.) as a research tool only - ie to cast a wide net to compare prices by plugging in different dates, alternative airports, etc., but once you've settled on a choice it's always a good idea to then go to the specific airline website and book directly with them...for the very reason she states.
Your profile indicates that you're already familiar with eastern Europe and the Balkans. That being the case I suspect that you already know how far the dollar will go in the different countries that may interest you. I'd second James E's recommendation about Budapest - really a beautiful place, along with Krakow if you've not been there. We think it's one of the most beautiful, yet largely undiscovered, cities in Europe.

Jordan, you leave a lot of open questions. What country, how much time in big cities, two people or more? Ten days is 43% longer than 7 days. Otherwise, 7-10 days is actually 6-9 24-hr periods (nights), and 10 "days" is 50% longer than 7 "days".

Assuming two people ($2000 air fare) and 9 nights, that's almost 300 euro per night. Two years ago, traveling in Germany and spending almost 80% of my time outside big cities, finding accommodations from town websites, 1/3 of my time in a vacation apartment, breakfast at my accommodations, at least one sit-down meal (beside breakfast) per day, using public transportation, I spent 139 euro (less than $160) per night for two people.

If you eat from dumpsters, sleep on railroad station benches, and hitch-hike, you should be able to get that down considerably.

Another destination that can be cheap is Spain. I was just in Madrid, Barcelona, and Toledo in September 2015. My hotel in Madrid (Hostal Acapulco) was €53 per night, in Toledo (Hotel Santa Isabel) €30 per night, and in Barcelona (Hostal Oliva) €55 per night. All were nice, centrally located, and had elevator and ensuite bath. Comparable places in Italy or the Netherlands would be double to triple the price.

But, while it's certainly true that some places are cheaper than others, I'd start by looking at where you are most interested in going, and seeing what it will cost to go there in the style you want. For instance, does staying at hostels works for you, or do you need a hotel? Can you make your own meals from the market, or will you want to go to restaurants? Etc. It's not a bargain to go someplace you don't want to be, just because it's "cheap."

Hi,

I would recommend Krakow, one reason, aside from the beauty and interest of the city, is that it has one of the best, most popular hostels in Europe, the city is a hub for numerous night trains or buses...Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Reduce the expenses by taking one of them, reserve a seat in a compartment, where you sit/sleep with 5/6 others. If you want a sleeper or couchette, you pay. I wouldn't. Krakow is also not an expensive city by any measurement.

It's not so difficult "keep it under budget." That mostly depends on what you are willing to sacrifice in terms of relative comfort and luxury, ie, what you can do without, or conversely not do without? If you stay at a Pension, do you mind if the WC/shower are "down the hall" or must they be in your room? The difference in price is usually 5-10 Euro.

Fred is very correct! Krakow is an amazing city, full of history and beauty and it is inexpensive! If you have the time, here is how to do it:
Book a transatlantic cruise this spring- 14 nights anywhere from $600-1,200 depending on what cabin. I booked mine for $479 this summer. Get off in Barcelona and either enjoy Spain or take a cheap flight to Rome. Then take a cheap flight to Krakow. You can eat very well for about $25 for two people and have a nice meal with wine. Hotels are very nice and you can find one for less than $100. Entrance fees are also modest. I had no idea how fantastic Poland was until I visited two years ago. It is now my favorite country and I've been to almost all the major European countries so that I can honestly compare.

BTW- the fare from Krakow to Seattle using Royal Caribbeans' air scheduling service is: $462.53 USD. That is for next May and is one way.

Donna, your itinerary sounds wonderful but if the OP only has 7-10 days it's not very practical advice.

Hello Jordan. Flying to London or to most countries in Europe, American Airlines has lower prices for airline tickets for travel between October 15 and May 15. It might be the same for other airlines flying from the Seattle - Takoma airport. For flights to an airport in Italy, from the U.S.A., the prices for airline tickets are likely to be higher after the month March.

Thank you for all the ideas! (And keep them coming!) We did a big road trip around the Balkans, Austria, and southern Germany last summer. But I've also vacationed in the more traditional European destinations (i.e. Spain, Paris, London, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland) as well. Mainstream or off the beaten path... we really are up for anything! That's why I wanted to keep the guidelines in my post regarding what we are up for relatively open-ended. I love hearing what others would do with the same amount of time and money. It sounds like Krakow is certainly a big hit!

As for accommodations, I don't need a 5 star luxury hotel, but I do like something clean and nice with privacy and in a nice location. During our last trip, we stayed at many of the nice bed and breakfasts recommended by RS and enjoyed them all.

Warsaw, Krakow, Budapest and Prague are your best bets in Europe for good value with food and accommodation. Warsaw (2nts) >> Krakow (2nts) >> Budapest (3nts) >> Prague (3nts).
$150 pp per day should be achievable for hotel ($50), meals ($60), transport ($20) and sightseeing ($20).