Two Month Budget

Day to day will vary wildly because the prices in these cities vary wildly. I'll try to give you a rough estimate for the cities I've been to. All prices in Euros, and these prices are for adults. Berlin: If you plan on visiting more than 3 museums, the Museum pass will save you money, it's 19 per person for 3 days. A day ticket for the transit network is 6.30 - 6.80 depending on where you're going. With the exception of the DDR museum which isn't covered, that pass is gonna cover most things you'd be spending admission fees for. You can easily get by on food in Berlin for 25 per person per day, a little more if you're gonna hit the bars. So I'd say budget about 40 per person per day in Berlin. Vienna:
It's really hard to project an estimated cost per day in Vienna because it really depends on what you're going to do. The horse thing? The opera? Those are pricey. There's no comprehensive museum card. Better for you to figure out your itinerary there and add up the costs. A 3 day transit pass is about 14. Doesn't include the ring tram. Food is more expensive. I'd say budget at least 40 per person per day for meals, cake, coffee, maybe more. Cheap (and good!) restaurants are easier found just outside "the ring". Also the Naschmarkt is a cheap place to eat. Overall I'd budget at least 60 per person per day in Vienna. Salzburg: I'd estimate about the same food prices as Vienna, maybe a little less. Not as many paid attractions here, but if you're taking a tour to go to Obersalzburg or seeing a concert, that will add a lot to your daily expense. cont.

Munich: Back in cheap ol' Germany. Bavarian food is hearty and generally inexpensive. To further save money consider splitting plates (inform the server first). I think 30 is reasonable per person per day eating cheaply. Eating somewhere like the Hofbrauhaus will eat up that entire budget, though. If your party are drinkers, go ahead and add an extra 10-15 for beer, though. A 3 day group pass (up to 5 people) for the transit network is 22.80. Since you're spending 4 days I'm going to assume you're going to museums, palaces, possibly Dachau? Or Neuschwanstein? It's really impossible to give you a general idea of attraction costs, you're better off looking into the pricing of the places you want to go. Keep in mind that at most traditional biergartens in Munich you can bring your own food. The Viktualienmarkt is a cheap place to eat. Overall 50 per person per day in Munich seems reasonable, more if you're going to some of the pricier attractions. Paris: IS EXPENSIVE. It is possible to eat cheaply there, but not as easy in other places. Picnicing, getting sandwiches at bakeries, that sort of thing will keep costs down. I'd go ahead and budget at least 40 pp but maybe 50? The museum pass is a good deal if you can hit 3-4 big museums in 2 days. It's 39 for 2 days. I'd get 2 days and do attractions not included in museum pass other days. 10 rides on the metro costs 12.50 I would budget AT LEAST 80 per person per day for food, transit, sightseeing. Maybe up to 100. I bet your head is swimming even more. Anyway these are estimates are definitely "budget" minded, you could do everything cheaper if you're really trying, but it's better to assume you'll be spending a little more than a little less, it gives you more wiggle room. Hope this helps, maybe other people can weigh in on your other locations.

I think you could manage a food budget of around 30€/day based on what you've said. You're staying in places that feed you breakfast, right? Sightseeing: Sorry, but YOU must do that math. As anyone will tell you, it depends on what sights you see. Add 'em up. You have an OUTSTANDING itinerary, by the way. If I could live the rest of my life repeating those 40 days over and over again, back to back, I'd die a happy man.

Just got a flyer yesterday in our mailbox for our local doner kebap shop that has a doner and a can of soda for 4Euro any time. Their pizzas are also great, just 3.50Euro. Suggest you ask the locals where to go in each place. Butcher shops and bakeries will have daily specials including a meat or sandwich and a side for 3-5 Euros.

50 to 75 Euro per day. Plan on 75 and you might come with some change in your pocket.

why are the other responses to this post acting as if costs are the same in berlin as they are in paris? this isn't good advice, guys. there is no set daily amount you can go by that covers this entire trip, costs of everything in these places vary hugely. 75 euro is far more than he needs to budget for germany and far less than he needs to budget for paris, switzerland, and the north.

I agree with Sarah that the costs for eating for example will not be the same throughout Europe! I checked Rick's 2012 books for France, Paris and Germany under the Planning section, Trip Costs. For eating, Rick's suggestions allow $40 for Germany, $75 for France but $70 for Paris. These are all guesstimates since he doesn't know how often a person will splurge or how dedicated one is to keeping costs down. Welcome to the RS Idaho Group, Matthew! Too bad we all can't meet monthly like some of the other area groups! EDIT: Sorry about that...I overlooked the Dublin connection and was thinking you were making a Schengen connection.

Sarah, Darcy: I don't think anyone ever said that food costs are "the same" everywhere. I think each poster has provided his estimate for an AVERAGE cost - whether for food or for food+sightseeing. In the OP's case, food costs are actually likely to be somewhat closer to each other from country to country because his plan is to patronize street vendors. He's not going to be spending more than $50/day anywhere (OK, maybe in Switzerland) for sausages or blintzes or sandwiches and a beer or two, and Rick's estimates just don't apply. Any estimates that include "attractions" are pretty groundless. That depends on what Matthew chooses to see and do.

I see the comment that the OP is going to be eating at street vendors. For 40 days? I don't think so. I certainly hope not. For a few days, fine. For the occasional bite, great. But not day in and day out. It would be bad for OP nutritionally, probably. How many Nutella crepes and frickadellas and bratwurst in simmel can one person eat? You need vegetables and fruit, less fat. Don't forget, ketchup or mustard are not vegetables. Better, from time to time, to get to a market for fresh fruit and veg. End of lecture.. climbing back down off soapbox...

Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to this thread. I have been busy with homework. First of all, Nigel, I said we don't have a problem with eating at street vendors. I did not say we would ONLY eat at street vendors. Obviously, we would hit grocery stores and other places as well. I will do the math for sightseeing, so that just leaves food. Can you really not get by for less the $70/day in Paris? The hotels that I'm looking at have breakfast included. I can't see paying $35 for lunch and another $35 for dinner if we are doing cheap vendors and grocery stores. I have been to most major cities in the US and I have never been anywhere that you couldn't get by for less than $10/meal if you use your head. I know Paris is the culinary center of the World, but $35/meal? I may have to rethink my itinerary if that is at all accurate. My group is all under 25, we can handle eating less than fantastic food while we see the sights in Europe. Would an AVERAGE of $50/day per person be sufficient if all hotels included breakfast? Germany - 10 days Italy - 9 days Austria - 5 days Switzerland - 4 days France - 4 days Czech Republic - 3 days Netherlands - 3 days
Belgium - 2 days

Good point. Maybe I should be addressing some of the younger backpacking crowd on some other forums...

Matthew, First of all, there is no way that Berlin is as expensive as Paris. Stay in a hostel or a small hotel/Pension and you'll see the big difference in price in both these cities. I stay for 39 Euro in a Pension in Berlin-Charlottenburg and pay 75 Euro, min. for a two star hotel in Paris Gare du Nord. Both Munich and Vienna are more expensive than Berlin, still less than Paris. When I am in Paris, I expect my costs will go up. Aside from staying in hostels or small hotels, try the university dorms in Vienna and Berlin, also another place for cheap good food...the university cafeteria at Technische Uni on Hardenbergstrasse in Berlin and also in Tech Uni in Vienna, esp. at lunch. Most likely, you won't see any American tourists having lunch there. The food courts at the train stations in Munich and Berlin, not just Hbf also Bahnhof Friedrichstrasse, (forget Berlin Ostbahnhof and Bahnhof Zoo) are inexpensive and offer various cuisines. Have dinner at the HI hostels in Berlin and Vienna ...a full meal for under 6 Euro. Depending on where you stay in each city is most important for figuring out expenses.

Good to know, Fred. I think I have most of my accommodations figured out. There are four of us traveling, so the quad rooms at many hotels/hostels are quite inexpensive when split four ways. All of the places I have found have free breakfast included. The info on cheap food at the train stations is much appreciated. I am having trouble finding a place in Paris to stay for cheap that won't cost me the difference in transportation to the city center. Any suggestions on that would be wonderful. The price of hotels and food there makes me want to cut it out altogether and spend an extra four days in Germany or the Czech Republic. The other members of my party are really hoping to go to Paris, though...

Matthew, you asked for per diem costs for everything except trains and hotels. So if someone says €70, that is for lunch, dinner, 2-3 attractions and local transportation. And then there are toiletries (or are you going to take a 6-week supply with you?) and laundry costs and other sundries no one has thought about. Maybe €70 is on the high side, if you are really dedicated to saving money. . . eschewing sidewalk cafes, pub crawls, and such. And certainly in some places you will spend less, but, as you said, you may want to splurge here and there. There are lots of ways to save if you spend more time planning and looking for the discounts. Many of your destinations have museum passes and transportation passes. Berlin - eat lunch and/or dinner at Va Piano. It's a small chain of really good, fresh Italian food and cheap. Venice - http://www.veniceconnected.com/ for savings on museum passes and vaporetto passes Paris - the museum pass will save you both time and (a little) money if you plan to see a lot of the sights.

Matthew, try the forums on Bootsnall.com. I haven't gotten much help from them (being in my 60's and not in my 20's). They seem to be mostly younger travellers back-packing it all over the world and living on the cheap while doing it. They might be able to help you.
Good luck and have a great trip!

Matt, As for a place in Paris, I can suggest Vintage Hostel at Gare du Nord, actually about a 15 min walk from the station. I've not stayed there but did check it out since it's not far from my 2 star hotel right across from the station as an alternative. Even though it's a 2 star, I'm paying more than double than I do in Berlin, and sometimes I stay more than week in Paris, ie., it adds up. Vintage Hostel is located in the 9th district, right on the line of the 10th. (Gare du Nord is in the 10th from which you using for Brugge) There are plenty of cheaper eateries in Vienna when you get out of the Ring area and go into the non-tourist areas, ie., the 9th district...the Nußdorferstraße area. The price drops 2-3 Euro for the same dish you would pay in the city center. The same applies to Berlin, east of Mitte, (where several of the hostels are located), between Alexanderplatz and Jannowitzbrücke...all types of food, Turkish, Chinese, Greek, German, Italian, etc.

Hi, ...forgot to add to the above: Eating dinner at a HI hostel does not mean that you have to be a guest there. I've done that a few times without being a guest there...no problems. But, in all probability, you'll be at the only American at dinner. Whether it was at the HI in Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, Dresden, (the best food), Vienna, etc., I never saw any other American guests.

Matthew, look at hostels in Paris, I just took a quick look and it seems many are in the Montmarte section, which means a metro ride but buy a carnet of tickets (10), cheaper than individual tickets and it makes it doable. You'll just have to do more walking once you get to the "touristy"areas to make it up. Have you looked at daily transportation costs? As you won't be able to walk everywhere you want to go.... As for food, as youv'e seen there are lots of different opinions. I would definitely plan on 50 EUROS/day minimum, and if you don't spend it you have it for someplace else. You will end up with some unanticipated costs you know. And since breakfast is included, that will help, eat like PIGS and you can get buy on a snack and meal for the rest of the day...hopefully. If you have room in yor bags, take granola bars, which is what I do in London, my big breakfast at the B&B, a granola bar and a real meal does it for me, you guys may need 2 bars tho... Have fun, this looks like a great trip!