4000$. Good enough for a 1 month trip?
What do you think? I'm planning to stay in budget hotels.
Paul
LA, California 10/10/09
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Hotels are only part of the expenses you will encounter, so that's not enough to go on to give you a good answer. What are you planning to do for meals, activities, sightseeing, nightlife, travel while you are there, etc.?
Is that just cash to spend in Europe, or does it include flights and pre-purchased things like rail passes?
You can probably get by with that much if you are staying in cheap places and grocery shopping, but if it includes your flights, it borderlines on impossible.
I think $4000 for a month is about what I spend, in England, France, or Italy. I don't spend much on food, but you may have other ways to economize. It does depend on how much you move around; train or plane travel can cut into your budget. I find that having an approximate budget to work with helps me keep my expenses reasonable. Shopping, newspapers, and internet cafes can add up. Eating dinner out can cost a lot. Sticking to the basics (lodging and food) and enjoying the place I'm in can be a pretty cheap way to have a great time in Europe.
One thing that will have a big effect on your expenses is the exchange rate. I spent a lot more, in Dollars, in 2007 and this year, with an exchange rate of $1.43/Euro than I did in 2008 at $1.28/Euro. Right now the Euro is close to $1.50 (a little more if you use a 3% ATM card, a little less with a 1% ATM card).
Start to think in Euro (or GBP). Currently, $4000 will get you €2667, €86/day for 31 days.
I just analyzed my expenses for the last three years (3 2-week trips). I find I spend about €20/day eating pretty well, but not gourmet. That's mostly sit down meals with some sandwiches at the train station on the go. Beverages will be an expense because drinking fountains are almost non-existent. Buying a bottle of water the first day and refilling it in you room each morning will save a few Euro.
I find that transportation costs me about €15 per day. I limit myself to short distances in a day and use a lot of regional trains and day passes. A 1 month youth (you didn't say how old you are) 2nd class Eurail pass is about $800 (€18/day) and doesn't include most urban area transportation, so a railpass won't help.
I spend about €6 for admissions and misc. That includes entrances, newspapers, Internet cafes, and pay toilets. However, most of what I come to see is free. In larger cities, going to museums, etc, could increase that average.
So food, transportation, admission, and misc, would be €41, leaving €45 for lodging. If you think you will spend more on admissions, cut back on your lodging budget. You need to identify where you might stay in specific towns you want to go to. Don't just go to towns and assume you will find budget hotels for €45 or less. Make a list. If you are finding you can't make a list of hotels for that price, you'll have to revise you budget.
And, keep your eye on the exchange rate. If that goes up or down significantly, it will have a big effect.
BTW, in those 6 weeks I spent 5 nights in Munich at a suburban, non-American hotel at €54/nt. The remainder of my nights were in B&B type accommodations in smaller towns, where I averaged €30/nt. So, staying out of big cities can make a big difference.
I spent $4500 on a 33 night trip to Europe that took me to Germany (9 nights-5 in Munich), Prague, Krakow, Budapest, Vienna and Transylvania (Romania). This included my airfare and I mostly stayed in hostels. Although the hotel I stayed in Budapest was cheaper than a hostel (easyhotel for 15 euros/night). I didn't scrimp on entries to museums, souveniers or food. THis doesn't include rail transportation as I won a free eurorail pass. However some of the places I were not included in the countries that I traveled to.
I could have done this for alot cheaper if I cut down on my going out lunch and dinners and beer, and souveniers....
Consider staying put in the same place for several days (or longer) at a time, and get a place with a kitchenette. This lets you save a lot of money by shopping at a local grocery store and doing your own cooking. I find that eating out in Europe can cost about as much as lodging!
Staying longer at the same place lets you cut down on food waste. Like if you buy a dozen eggs, a loaf of bread, a pound of butter, etc. but only say a couple of days, you'll waste a lot of uneaten food (hard to take it with you as ice and ice chests seem hard to find over there).
Of course, eating the local cuisine is one of the best parts of traveling, so don't avoid it entirely, and if you see toward the end of your trip that the money is doing fine, eat away!
I think you can do it. To save money, you can use cheaper regional trains (you don't say what itinerary you have in mind), stay in hostels and eat at grocery stores.
We went for a month starting in Amsterdam, through Southern Germany, Western Austria and down through Italy. We spent a lot less than $4,000 per person but you can travel more efficiently with a group (except it all came out of my pocket :( )
Should be generally ok but better if you are sharing with another for your lodging. And can stick to monitoring your expenses as you go. You did not say where in Europe? which can make a big diff. UK, Italy, Scandinavian countries are espec more costly.
Last fall, buddy and I, mostly France and Wales, 18 days, averaged $92/day per person including car, gas, etc, ( several nights in Paris and a couple in London) but not airfare. Included round trip channel crossing w/car.
Last spring, wife and I, Spain, France, Italy, 26 days, averged $101/day per person including car, gas, ect (several nights in Rome), but not airfare.
This fall, wife and I, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Lux, England, 25 days. averaged $85/day per person, including car, gas, etc. No big cities except A'dam. Included round trip channel crossing with car, but not airfare.
Go for it and send me what you have left over and I'll be a rich man.
At today's exchange rate that would be equal to 2,680 Euros. Divided by 30 days and that would be approximately 89 Euros per day.