Budget Planning France

The most helpful trip cost budget numbers I've seen are the ones given in the front of Rick's France or Paris guidebooks.

You need a guidebook anyway, you can get the e-version instantly or buy the hard copy.
Rick's numbers are the most helpful to you because they are averages. Budget numbers from other people's trips, while useful, reflect the particulars of their trip and travel style, which may or may not be applicable to the "average" trip or to your trip.

5555,

In this day and age you can "guestimate" but why when you have the www at your fingertips and can google just about anything.

All it takes is some of your time to do so. You can use excel to keep tabs of approximate costs for attractions, transportation and lodging. On that spreadsheet you can also add travel times and stops.

I fly solo, so my "guestimate" will not be the same as a pair or a clan. I also travel during Sept and try to miss the tourist season. Sometimes that can affect the costs too. If it means anything to you, my last 2 trips i have been averaging about ~200 USD ish per day. But that includes ALL transportation (train, plane and puddle jumpers and any day trains), Lodging (for single ensuite rooms, no hostels) and attractions (city passes - if any, museums, attractions, horseback riding) and souvenirs (HRC shirts/tumblers, chocolate and such that i know of). Also, that ~200 USD per day is high for me since i shoot for 100~150 ish. But what i have learned is that some places are more expensive and the way i travel is to do more hops than to plant myself and do multiple day trips. I also try to do one city per country and move on. its not the best and least expensive way to see the world, but its MY way. But i realize that by doing more hopping, its going to cost more. One other issue is that I have to fly from the west coast, so my cost will be more than someone flying from the east coast.

I like museums since they can bring the cool things under one roof. Sometime you just have to go there and see the real thing, like the St. Peters, Vatican, or the Pantheon. Some people dont care for museums. Also some places charge for them, some dont. So that will affect your cost/budge/guesstimate. I know where I'm going to do/see things so for me, adding a cost to my spreadsheet is easy and doesnt take a lot of time. in some places the cost for my attractions has been substantial and come close to my lodging expenses.

as mentioned you can get Ricks book on France. It has a lot of info as to cost for attractions and lodging. There is also info as to "connections" and the times for travel between some cities/towns. things like flying from your location to wherever you want to land is something you will need to do your homework.

you have over 1 year to do some preliminary homework. good luck.

happy trails.

2 years ago I traveled around France for 1 month (July 2012). Exclusive of international airfare I averaged about $150/day for hotels/meals/transportation (rental cars and trains)/sightseeing,etc.

It will depend to some extent on the $/€ exchange rate at the time you go, and your choice of hotels. I stayed in budget accommodations (all were nice but quite inexpensive) but spent more on rental cars (tolls/gas/parking) than you're likely to spend just using public transportation.

You don't say if you're traveling alone or with someone - I traveled as a solo so did not split costs with anyone. Also note that the cost for train fares can vary greatly depending on when you buy your tickets, cheaper bought ahead of time but those are non-changeable and non-refundable. Hope this gives you some idea.

See this recent thread on the same topic: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/cost-to-follow-rick-s-whirlwind-tour-of-france.