jelsbells

I know this is a long shot however, Im wondering if someone can offer up any advice?

My friend and I will be in Europe for about 3 month's, the main places we are going are

Barcelona, Ibiza, Nice France, Florence Italy, Croatia (one week will be yacht week), Greece for 12 days (mykonos, los, santorini), Istanbul, Venice, Amsterdam and possibly a few more spots but thats all we have booked so far just to give you guys an idea.

Is 50 euros a day too little?

Sassafrass

For food, travel, lodging, museum tickets? What in particular? Per person?

janisj

>>Is 50 euros a day too little?<<

to cover what? Accommodations? Food? Transportation? Admissions?

janisj

we were posting at the same time ...

adrienne

E50 per day is way too little. How are you going to get from one place to another, have a place to sleep (even hostels), pay sightseeing admissions, and eat for that? You will not be able to do it.

You can figure out your hotel costs when you book the hotels. You say you've booked some places so you do know what their prices are. The same with transportation. If you're going on a yacht for a week presumably you'll know what that is costing.

Sightseeing admissions can be viewed on the venue web site.

I'd say a minimum of E300 per day for both of you or more if you eat in fancy places and drink anything but water. Especially with all that moving around.

jelsbells

So sorry i should have added i just meant budget for spending money... all of our flights and transportation and accomidation is taken care of

thursdaysd

For likely costs for budget travelers take a look at the destination guides at Lonely Planet (e.g. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/spain/pr...on/money-costs). 50 euro each is a possibility, but it will require constant vigilance and won't include long distance transport. 300 euro is for people looking for comforts and eating in sit-down restaurants.

And of course, some countries are cheaper than others: for instance, for Spain LP says:
"A backpacker sticking to youth hostels, lunchtime snacks and travelling slowly could scrape by on €40 to €50 a day."
Whereas for Turkey:
"Away from İstanbul, and the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, budget travellers can travel on as little as €25 to €35 per day."

thursdaysd

Ah, those LP costs include accomodation.

adrienne

Is the E50 per day for both of you or per person? It would not cover 2 people. It won't cover sightseeing in Barcelona where the major sights are E20 per person and food is expensive.

You need money for food, beverages, sightseeing, and local transportation.

Not nearly enough money for 2 people per day unless you eat almost nothing. You'll need more like E150 per day in some places but can get by with less in other cities. I'd say budget E200 per day to be safe and to cover any emergencies.

Think about what you'd spend at home if you ate out 3 meals a day.

Italy and France will be rather expensive; Croatia and Istanbul cheaper.

thursdaysd

"Ate out three meals a day"

If they stay in hostels they won't eat out.

If they're in B&B type places breakfast will be included in the room rate.

They can eat the local version of fast food, e.g. panini, pizza, tapas, crepes or buy picnic food in the markets.

Sure, 50 euro wouldn't be enough for sit-down restaurants, but there are other ways to eat. Budget travelers use them. Take a look at the LP estimates. And not everyone needs wine with their meals or sodas between them. Since the tap water is drinkable in most of Europe you can hydrate for free.

jelsbells

thanks guys!! 50 euro would be just per one person and strictly day to day spending not accomidations or transportations.

thanks so much for ur tips thursdaysd.. SOO appreciated <3

nytraveler

Suggest you have a look at the cost of entrance to some of the major sights - it can he half your daily budget. For 50 euros each you won;t starve but a lot of lunches will be a slice of water and a small bottle of water - or sandwiches on a park bench with bread and salami bought from a street market with dinner perhaps some pasta you boil up in your hostel kitchen.

Also, you will have to cut out most nightlife - a beer or glass of wine even in a student hangout is not free. (Hard liquor or mixed drinks are VERY expensive everywhere - as are soft drinks - very tiny and expensive.)

And unless you plan on walking everywhere in fairly large cities you will have to pay for local transport.

nytraveler

Sorry - that is 50 euros per day per person.

thursdaysd

"a small bottle of water"

As well as being ecologically unsound, that is a totally unnecessary expense. You just need one refillable bottle (either buy one bottle of water at the start of the trip or pick up something sturdier at REI) and you can drink tap water (or street fountain water in places like Paris) for free. I drink bottled water in Asia, but not in Europe. And what's wrong with sandwiches, or bread and cheese and veggies from the market (which lots of people count as sightseeing) eaten somewhere with a good view?

There is a big difference, in both outlook and spending habits, between someone with a two week vacation, wanting to live it up, and someone on the road for three months. Not to mention, quite often, someone in their fifties or sixties and someone in their teens or twenties (although I'm in my sixties and I do long trips on a budget).

adrienne

I didn't think that someone who takes a yacht cruise for a week would be the same person who stays in hostels and is on a strict budget.

Breakfast is not usually included with the room in France. In Italy it's mostly rolls and coffee.

I've already mentioned Barcelona admissions. I took a quick look at the Accademia in Florence and on line booking is E43 for 2. The Uffizi is E30 for 2. That's about 1/3 to 1/2 of the budget for the day.

adrienne

There are many ways to save money while traveling - I know all about that. But the OP isn't saying that they are on a strict budget or that they are students. The way I'm reading the post is they just want an idea of spending money.

jelsbells

thanks adrienne - you are right we are just looking for an idea of spending money as neither of us are that well travelled and havent been to any of the cities on here except in croatia.

for the record we are two female students in our early twenties. we are not on a hugely strict budget since weve both been saving for over a year for this however obviously want to be careful with our money. again just looking for a general idea on what to expect

jelsbells

and again thank you all for the advice - very very appreciated

adrienne

In France and Italy the cheapest way to eat is to stand at the bar or take away food. The next expensive is to sit at a table indoors; the most expensive is to eat at a table outside.

Bars are a good source of inexpensive food and drink rather than restaurants, especially in Italy.

In Barcelona, I found some inexpensive places on the right side off the Ramblas if you're going downhill toward the port. The expensive places where the tourists congregate are on the left. Or in the university area although there's not much sightseeing in that area.

Any place in Europe if you go a few blocks away from tourist sights you will find cheaper food. And there are lots of convenience stores where you can buy food - yogurt, ham, cheese, fruit, etc.

If your hotel only offers coffee and bread you can supplement your breakfast with food you bring in - fruit, yogurt - and eat it in the dining room.

In Nice, look for cafeterias called Flunch - they cater to good portions inexpensively.

Use ATM machines to get cash rather than exchanging money. You'll get a much better exchange rate that way. ATM machines in Europe do not charge a fee EXCEPT Caixa in Barcelona which charges a few Euros to use their machines. There are plenty of other banks with no fee machines.

janisj

>>not accomidations or transportations. <<

I'm still not clear on this - you say you've already accounted for transportation . . . BUT does that also include all your local transport? I assume you mean you've covered your train/air trips between countries. But how about local metro./subway/trams/buses?

€50 is certainly doable but isn't at all generous. As adrienne says - in some cities you'll spend that much just w/ admission charges and maybe a snack or two. If you plan on doing any major sightseeing at all and eating any restaurant meals you'll need more than an average €50 a day. Some days you may only spend €30 or €40, but some days/in some cities you'll spend €100+