How much spending money would you suggest??

In my last 52 days in Europe, mostly Germany, about 15% in Munich, I have spent €25 per person for meals, entrances, misc. You might want to budget more.

We just came home on Tuesday. Our breakfasts were included with our hotels/pensions and kept us satisfied until later in the afternoon. We would then make a sandwich with fixings from the store. Sometimes we would go to a cafe (Konditerei)in the afternoon for a cup of coffee and share a piece of cake (8 euros). For dinner, we would spend 20-25 euros which included drinks. In ref to souvenirs, that varies. Have fun on your trip.

I have a travel friend whose motto is, for an extra 10% on a vacation you get much more in memories. If I were in your place I would budget for a few splurges to make your and your daughter's time together that much more memorable

In Italy you can get good food at the local Salumeria (delicatessen). It will give you a chance to mingle with the locals, try some taste sensations and save some $$$.

"for an extra 10% on a vacation you get much more in memories". That motto sounds like a rationalization by someone who spends too much. Wisely spending an extra 10% might get you much more in memories, but wasting an extra 10% doesn't. Not on accommodations. Rick says, "As far as I'm concerned, spending more for your hotel just builds a bigger wall between you and what you traveled so far to see." I totally agree. When I traveled on business, the company always put us up in 4 and 5 star hotels. The cultural experience was bland. When I started traveling on my own dime, I sought out Privatzimmer and family run hotels. The experience is a lot better and the cost is less. Spending 50% LESS for accommodations gets you much more memories.

What about meals. I consistently average €20 per person per day for lunch, dinner, beverages, and tips. I eat well. I don't eat from the grocery store. I sometimes grab a sandwich at the Bahnhof kiosk if I am too rushed to find a real restaurant, but most of my meals are of the sit-down variety. I only travel in German speaking countries, and I understand the language well enough to read the menus. (Barnes & Noble sells Marling Menu Master in French, German, Italian, or Spanish for less than $10 ea.) The tastiest local specialities are often the least expensive. I love Schnitzel, but can't get it in local restaurants, so when I'm in Germany, I pig out on it. Schnitzel is usually one of the less expensive items on the menu. The value of the experience depends on the restaurant you pick, not on how much it costs. Transportation? I've traveled by train in both 1st and 2nd class. Personally, it doesn't make a bit of difference to me. Admissions: I wouldn't go to Füssen and not see the inside of the castles, so I guess here I have to agree with your friend. Spending €9 extra for the Neuschwanstein tour would get you better memories. Spending €35 just to be escorted to Hohenschwangau is a waste.

I don't see how you can enjoy a trip with the money drain wide open. I'm two days back from twenty days that hit mostly England and France with a bit of Belgium and Germany. Clean budget hotels, car (with channel crossings) the whole way, good suppers (with beer/wine), lunch and breakfast out of a grocery sack. Coffee or another beer during the day. We wormed in three nights in London and two in Paris - - the rest where pretty much in places not high on the usual list for most folks. There were a few pretty stiff entry fees for odd-ball museums. We (two guys) averaged just under seventy five bucks per person per day and had a ball. Wednesday starts a month in Portugal with my wife. She likes style - - I'm figuring on averaging a hundred bucks per person for this trip.

What's worked for me so far is to transfer a certain amount of money into my checking account (for ATM withdrawals) depending on the length of my trip. For a 2-3 week trip, I deposit an extra $1,000 into my account. This is to ensure that I have enough cash available for necessities, like meals and paying at hotels which don't accept credit cards, as well as fun things like museum tickets and souvenirs. Since your hotels and tours are paid for, you don't have to work those things into your cash budget.

I would not question some one else's plan . take how much you would spend at home . multiply by 1.3 might work.

It's interesting to read everyone's replies to this question. Of course every person is different, some people like to splurge on a great meal while others would rather spend more on souvenirs or admissions to the sights. I'm not going to suggest a spending amount but will say that for our upcoming trip in May I have made a budget itemizing all the expenses I can anticipate hotels, admissions, food, transportation so at least I know how much money we need to save before our trip. I have budgeted $75 per person for food which is most likely an over estimation. My husband is concerned about having enough for souvenirs so I've probably over budgeted for that also. Hopefully we will come back with a little extra but at least if something unanticipated comes up we will have the money available.

Hi Jonelle. We averaged less than 85 euros per day for food and beverage in Italy. A couple of coffees a day (just Italian caffe, not cappucino as a rule), a bottle of local wine every day, sometimes a more special bottle, occasional gelato, occasional deli meal, some B&Bs, some breakfasts on our own. In other words, we mixed it up. Pizza was cheap and we love it, but we ate some truly great meals too. Never spent more than 90 euros on our "best" dinner, and often spent far less to get that daily average down. We aren't big souvenir people, but somehow spent about $700 on gifts for family and friends (and ourselves!), including about 250 euros on leather goods in Tuscany. This was a 3 week trip, BTW. Our biggest out-of-pocket splurges were some guided tours, from private to small group (8-12 people). Many days we spent nothing beyond food because we self-guided, just walked around the town we were in and soaked up the culture and the scene. 60 mnutes in a sidewalk cafe over a carafe of wine watching the kids and commuters in a square, chatting with a policeman in Campo dei Fiori. these things are (almost) free.

Hi Jonelle - I've been to Europe as a broke college student who didn't have 1 penny to spare and just barely made it through and as an adult with funds to do pretty much what I wanted - the second is more fun. Not that my earlier experiences weren't, it's just that at my age now I don't want to scrimp and worry over everything I buy or even contemplate buying. Although I agree with Rick's travel philosophy on the whole, I do disagree with him when he says that staying in too expensive a place puts a wall up between you and the coulture of the country you are visiting. I think it is your attitude that can do that more than anything else. That said, I don't stay in fancy hotels, we prefer pensions but I do insist on ensuite rooms - I'm not sharing bathrooms with hallmates anymore!!! So, in answer to your questions, take what you can comfortably afford and just enjoy yourself.

I budget to average $400 Aud per day to cover accommodation, day trips, meals, entry fees souvenirs etc. (Air fares and first class rail pass not included). Obviously we were under budget for many days of our holiday, some days with expensive day tours we went over. We stay in Pensions, small intimate hotels etc. wherever possible. Personally, I don't like blowing money on fancy hotels. I too will not compromise on sharing a bathroom. Our accommodation averaged 120 euros per night. On returning from our recent trip to Europe, I had enough 'fat' left in the holiday budget to buy a 42 inch LED flat screen TV when we got home. Very happy!!