Hi guys, just curious'
im leaving for 13 weeks in Europe soon , airfares, rail passes etc
already paid for , my budget is $300AUD per day-180euro (for both me and my boyfriend)we are not experienced travellers and i can be somewhat frugal but i do enjoy the good life, im planning on spending 60 euro per night accom so that leaves us with 120 euro total per day. in your opinions will this be enough for food, sights and whatever else? please bear in mind we are not experienced and b/fast is included in 90% of places , lunch will just grab something cheap and have a cheap dinner at cafe etc, i want to also see the sights obviously, and drink , go out prob 3-4 nights per week, most of my time will be spent in western europe
im just curious on what people have spent on their trips and maybe some tips'
in your opinions what type of trip will this money buy me?with htis money do you think ill have to watch every last cent, will i have enough for a comfortable trip?
all but the last 3 weeks of my trip accom is booked
and on average is 60-70 euro per night (in total)
my b/f thinks that $300 AUD per day is plenty ($100 per day for accom, then $100AUD per day each) to be honest i think he has no idea, $100 AUD per day aint much when converted to Euro, and that has to cover local transport, buses etc, food and sights. but then again we arent always staying in the big cities. what u think?
thanks you all
Posted by
OP
melbourne, australia
35 posts
Also this is where im going
London 6 nights
UK- 2 nights- not sure yet where
Amsterdam-3
Brugge -2
Paris-5
Bayeux -2
Mont St Michel-1
Madrid-5
Cordoba-1
Seville-2
Granada-2
Barcelona-4
Nice-4
Florence-4
Rome-4
Sorrento-3
all the above accom is booked
after this im planning on going to
venice
slovenia
prague/cesky krumlov
some of austria and germany
Posted by
Sacramento, CA, USA
64 posts
I think in some of the countries your money could go a long way (Czech republic), and in others you may be tight in other places (ie London). It really depends on what kind of food, sights, etc, that you want to eat, see and do. As far as the "quality" of your trip, you can still have an amazing trip without spending a lot of money. I would try to do a lot of research now and figure out when some museums or sites may be free, how to get a discount (are you and your boyfriend students?), etc, to try to get the most out of the cash you want to spend. Also, don't forget to set aside an "emergency" fund in case you lose your passport (or get it stolen in Italy like my best friend) or get stuck in a jam.
I just got back from a month-long trip and ended up dipping into my "emergency" fund towards the end. If you're good at budgeting (really budgeting) I think you'll be okay. If you're like me, I think you might want to try to save a little more :)
Posted by
Boston, MA, United States
1806 posts
Estimate a budget for incidentals. When travelling for an extended period, you need cash for things like toiletries you are bound to run out of, coin-op laundry, buying time at an internet cafe, etc. Even budget for an emerency-I got really sick in New Zealand and dropped over $100 USD at a health clinic to see a doctor and get medicine. Know your preferences. Are you the kind of person who will only drink bottled water or needs a cup of takeaway coffee every 4 hours? That stuff adds up.
Think carefully about what it costs to go drinking 3-4 nights a week in Melbourne, add another 25 to 35% on top of that to reflect Euros not AUD. In Europe, a Coca Cola might cost as much as beer or wine, but if you go to a club and each of you drink 3 beers, that can add up. If the club has an entry fee, that makes your night out costly. Daily expenses fluctuate. Some days I spent as little as 30 USD, others well over 100 USD (can't eat ramen noodle soup everyday!).
Posted by
Anchorage
157 posts
You mention that rail passes are paid for, be sure to budget for seat and reservation fees. As other posters have noted, transportation costs can be a bit, if you have to connect from airport to city center, for instance. During a recent four weeks, we found that local and regional transportation costs averaged about 50 euro per day, but we were doing a lot of travelling. If you sit still , this could be reduced. Admissions can also be expensive.
You can save on food, but probably not going out 3-4 nights per week (unless 6 euro for the hole-in-wall ethnic cuisine - veggies over rice), If you spend 20-30 per person at dinner, that is a pretty big hit. You can buy a 3 euro bottle of wine at store, or 10 euro per glass at cafe.
Having said all that, yes, you can absolutely meet that budget, but you will need to be careful and plan for what things you really want to see/pay for.
Just having the opportunity to travel for 13 weeks is just great - just be sure to have emergency fund