Europe 4 weeks $30,000 budget

If your $30,000 is US dollars, you don't need a budget that large to have a memorable, sensuous honeymoon, but if you want to spend $1,000 a day, you easily can if you load up on luxury accommodations, fancy dinners, shopping sprees and taxis everywhere. (I don't know the exchange rate of Australian dollars.) But definitely buy first class air tickets. Between London and Paris, I would take the train and splurge on quality tickets.

As for hotels, if you are looking for luxury, you should read current reviews on Tripadvisor and booking.com for five star and luxury hotels, because reviewers in that price category tend to be very picky and you'll get a good idea if you are likely to get your money's worth. London can be extremely pricey in the luxury category with a poor record of delivering the goods. Boutique hotels can be the better choice (and they aren't cheap either.)

Both Spain and Germany are huge places, and without knowing what time of year you are honeymooning and what you and your bride-go-be like to do, it is impossible to suggest destinations inside those countries that would make any sense.

All that said, there are some beautiful, historically fascinating and delicious destinations in Spain that would be among my honeymoon picks: The Alhambra above all, and San Sebastian except for winter.

Friends are staying right now at the Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel in London on the border between Knightsbridge and Belgravia. They LOVE it.
http://www.jumeirah.com/en/hotels-and-resorts/destinations/london/jumeirah-lowndes-hotel/The-Hotel/

You can have a very comfortable holiday for under $30,000 if you want to. If possible, with that much of a budget, you could stay longer! Two years ago we spent a month in Europe on our honeymoon, it was fantastic, and we only spent about $9,000.

Spain and Germany are huge countries and each could easily take up your whole month.

Based off of purely logistics, I personally would do either Spain, Paris, and end in London or Germany, Paris, and end in London. I would spend a week in London and a week in Paris and then 2 weeks in the other country. The time of year might determine if Spain or Germany is a better option.

Um - first class air tickets could use half your budget and IMHO are not worth it.

Also, top class hotels in major cities can easily be upwards of US $700 or $800 per night. So if you want to go luxury this budget is definitely not too high. (And it won't allow for shopping spress - since it could be the budget for a shoping spree alone.)

That said - you can have a very nice honeymoon without spending that much - if you shop carefully - getting centrally located 4* hotels at discounts where possible (unless you really want to stay at the most expensive place in town).

Don't know the US$ to OZ $ conversion rate - but for major cities we figure $400-500 US for a nice (not basic) room in a central 4* hotel and dinner at about $300, incluidng wine, for a splurge dinner. For regular dinners we figure more in the region of $100 to $150 for 2. And we do casuale lunches that are usually around $25 each.

Taxis are fine - but in some major cities yuo are beter off n tube or metro to avoid traffic at it's worst.

In 30 days I would do no more than 5 or 6 cities (not countries) - if you want to really get a feel for them

I'm assuming that as you Australian that you are talking about Aussie dollars....although thinking about it, there isn't much difference right now!

A disgusting amount of money to expend in wherever's dollars.
Essentially look to guide books, now that you can afford them, and do not rely on the erratic and eccentric responses on forums like this.

sorry for asking, but why Germany?
There are so many great countries ( especially for honeymooners) such as Italy or Greece or France .... ( not only Paris)

Aussie bucks and USD are at about 1-1 ratio now, so his 30K is the same as an American's 30K.

Blowing 30K in four weeks is a pretty high burn rate -- that's $1000/day. Even if the flights are $2k each, that's 26K in 30 days. You can blow that money at NY traveler's rate, but why do it? I think business class seats could be worth the money if you're determined to just burn cash because travel from Australia to Europe SUCKS, but not first class -- that's another layer of money on top.

Comfortable hotels in London and Paris abound and can be secured for 200 of the local currency per night or less (about 330 USD for London, 290 USD for Paris). Spending $400-500 is unnecessary. And you can easily eat well for far less than $50 per lunch and $300(!) for dinner -- those are high-end prices.

All that said, there is seriously no good reason to blow $30k on your trip. You could do it for 1/3 of that and have a fine time without anything resembling a backpacker adventure.

Matt,
If you are looking for a comfortable trip, not high end, 30K is more than enough, and you could even bring money home. You can save money without forgoing comfort if you are careful - look at apartments versus hotels - often cheaper for much nicer quality ..... leaving money for some nice meals out. Look at websites like skyscanner if you plan to fly from country to country - you can get some amazing deals. Trawl this website for accomodation suggestions in various cities - people are generous in sharing some great places. Enjoy the planning ..... and it sounds like the honeymoon is definately doable!

An interesting screen name to use, considering another Matthew Newton went to London with his girlfriend and beat her up.

Here's my hotel thread for Paris:
www.fodors/com/community/europe/paris-hotels-left-bank-thread.cfm. The Right Bank thread is linked to it and vice versa. Happy Travels!

I agree with some of the other posters, don't blow it on first class tickets (or even business class IMO) - what a waste of money. Maybe think about Premium Economy instead.

If the 30,000 is Aussie dollars, remember you will still lose about 20% on the exchange rate for the Euro.

You can have a wonderful time on a lot less money. There are some really nice places to stay in the 3 and 4 star category, but as its your honeymoon, why not stay in some 5 stars here and there, but not every night, mix it up with some cheaper accommodation, so you are not blowing all the money away.

A friend of mine went first class on the Eurostar from London to Paris as a special treat and apparently that was fantastic.

One Australian dollar buys about 0.7 Euro, once you factor in the exchange rate and exchange fees.

First of all, if you can afford luxury, by all means go for it, especially on your honeymoon. Business Class air can make a difference with long international flights. Here are some hotel suggestions:

Paris — Le Meurice (some surprisingly affordable rates for a 5* palace hotel - and a guaranteed upgrade at booking through a Virtuoso travel consultant

Spain — Consider the Ritz and the Westin Palace in Madrid, the Mandarin Oriental in Barcelona

London — my favorite hotel is the Dorchester, but lots of very nice upscale choices including the newly renovated Four Seasons

Free breakfasts and upgrades at all of these, and you can definitely have a luxurious honeymoon within your budget!

"If the 30,000 is Aussie dollars, remember you will still lose about 20% on the exchange rate for the Euro."

That statement makes no sense.

Matt_Newton: Are you and your fiance very well off and you normally spend thousands on vacations and fly in first? Or is it that you think AUS$30,000 is how much you need to spend to go posh/high quality?

Because Business class + pretty upscale accommodations (not the Ritz maybe but high 4 star and even some 5 star properties) could easily be done for $20k. give or take. And if you just want comfortable/moderately upscale - much less than that

I think you should spend the money and I know a personal guide who will come from the States and help you use it.
_______________________
I remember our honeymoon trip to Europe in 1972, six months for $3,000 plus airfare.

The hotel rate depends on what you're looking for. We don;t like mini-rooms but always go for an upgrade so it's a larger room with a comfy sofa/seating area - not just a room barely larger than the bed. We also like a good concierge, 24 room service, breakfast in bed etc. Certainly you can stay for less than that - but not a comfortably.

And I said $300 is a splurge - we usually do only once per city. Other nights are more like $100 to $0 - with the dollar rate - similar to what we would pay at home. And $25 for lunch isn;t a luxury - just a basic sit down dish with a glass of wine and a coffee. (Yes, you can picnic if you like - we don't.)

If these people want to really splurge and enjoy their honeymoon - there's nothing wrong with that. (I wish we could do the same - but just can;t get the time.)

If you think you need to spend 30K for your honeymoon to have a great one, you could of course do it for less.

But unless you are being irresponsible ( i.e.: putting it on a credit card that will be paid off, but paid off way too slowly) and you have allocated this money, free and clear, spend it the way you want to.

We travel luxury all the time and so your 30K while very generous it's not shocking. It's your money, have fun with it as you please.

You can really enjoy some very upscale hotels, shopping, dining, depending on what you like to do. Congrats and have a wonderful time.

I would however spend the time leisurely perhaps only 3 countries.

I'd do Paris ( you could work in one day trip perhaps to Reims: champagne country, very romantic)and perhaps rent a high end apartment like Paris Perfect and have a view of the Eiffel Tower; always romantic. Stay a week there and enjoy the romance!

Stay in a high end hotel in London like Browns, Claridges, Mandarin Oriental, Dorchester or one of the many really nice boutique hotels.

For Spain I would visit the south perhaps in Seville, Cordoba, etc.

Remember getting from country to country eats up time, so even if you have 4 weeks, you really have less to spend time and relax. And its your honeymoon!

And having just visited your country; I know the flight is a toughie. So remember that you will probably need a few days to just unwind. Don't plan on any major sights for a day or two and no huge splurge dinners for 1-2 nights until you settle in; you won't appreciate a fab over the top meal when your head wants to fall in it!

topping to mark for later comment!

Matt - look at some of the interesting fares Qantas have ex Perth - we used one that gave us economy to Singapore, business to London (or Frankfurt) and then the same on the return.
That way we were able to sleep well on the long haul night flight - and the cost was about half a full business ticket.
Otherwise look for some of the business specials from Singapore or Malaysian Airlines if you want to have a restful flight.
These fares do take up a big chunk of budget but for a special trip enjoy it!
Maybe for a honeymoon you might spend a night or two on a stopover in each direction?

Thank you all for the great input and great ideas, something I left out is that we will be flying over in early December.

In response to.

Matt_Newton: Are you and your fiance very well off and you normally spend thousands on vacations and fly in first? Or is it that you think AUS$30,000 is how much you need to spend to go posh/high quality?

We are comfortable now that we both work and can now afford to stay in some nicer places but we usually fly economy class, we where thinking about going premium economy maybe!
This is our honeymoon so I thought spending the $30000 would give us a few nice options to stay in some nice hotels and not have to worry about not being able to afford things when we are there.

In response to.

An interesting screen name to use, considering another Matthew Newton went to London with his girlfriend and beat her up.

No I'm not that Matt Newton ( the actor ), that guy is giving the good Matt Newton's a bad name.
Shame on him!!!

In response to.

Why Germany?

I thought it might be a nice place to visit in the winter but Spain, Greece, Italy and France are all options for sure!

Thanks again and please keep your options coming!

I would research the paradores in Spain. They are supposed to be lovely, and it sounds as though you are in a perfect situation to take advantage of them.

Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials!

With 30K and it being your honeymoon I would call a travel agent who specializes in that kind of trip.

What a beautiful puzzle!

Do you want to spend your money on the travel part (i.e., do you want to visit many countries?), or do you want to spend your money on the hotel/experience part? or both? I could imagine an itinerary that takes you through Spain, Italy, Paris, London - but that might require a lot of transfers, including air, which gets expensive.

Alternatively, you could fly to one big city (Rome?) and take trains from there to another big city (e.g., Rome, Naples, Florence, Venice, Munich, Paris, London), spending more money on hotels rather than flights, but maybe also spending more time on trains. Any thoughts on what kinds of experiences you want to have, and what your tolerance is for train travel?

In reply to.


What a beautiful puzzle!

Do you want to spend your money on the travel part (i.e., do you want to visit many countries?), or do you want to spend your money on the hotel/experience part? or both? I could imagine an itinerary that takes you through Spain, Italy, Paris, London - but that might require a lot of transfers, including air, which gets expensive.

Alternatively, you could fly to one big city (Rome?) and take trains from there to another big city (e.g., Rome, Naples, Florence, Venice, Munich, Paris, London), spending more money on hotels rather than flights, but maybe also spending more time on trains. Any thoughts on what kinds of experiences you want to have, and what your tolerance is for train travel?


Trains could be fun never been on one for a journey longer than 30 mins and I like the idea of Rome, Naples, Florence, Venice, Munich, Paris, London and also I like the idea of spending more money on nice hotels than flights.

Thanks for your input.

FoFoBT, I exhibit my watercolours at Ackermann Gallery, right in front of the Jumeirah Carlton (tho I dont lodge there!). have your friends cross and take a look.

They're taking a course but I will pass this on to them. (Yes, I do know the two Jumeirah hotels are very close to each other.)

I could imagine an itinerary that takes you through Spain, Italy, Paris, London - but that might require a lot of transfers, including air, which gets expensive.

You could so a lot of this my train, which would be pretty cool and rather romantic. Check out http://www.seat61.com/ for help and info

Matt - Getting to Europe (say CDG) is a 20+ hour trip for you. My trips back home are roughly the same and are unpleasant in economy to say the least. With this in mind, I would advise you to buy a better class of ticket than economy on your outbound and return.

Just doing the most basic search on Expedia shows an economy ticket around $1700, premium economy $3-4000 and business class $6-7,000. With your budget I would recommend moving to the prem economy or business class. The comfort level of business is far superior to coach class and since you've got a nice budget, this is where I'd splurge.

I realize this takes a big chunk of the budget on the front end, but I honestly belive you will appreciate it when you get off the plane and still feel partially alive. You'll probably still have major jet lag but after a day you should get into the swing of things.

A few suggestions for some quite spectacular places to stay in Spain.

Roughly North:
- Hotel Marqués de Riscal in the middle of the Rioja wine country. Designed by Frank Gehry (Guggenheim): http://www.starwoodhotels.com/luxury/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1539

- Hotel María Cristina in San Sebastián on the Atlantic coast, the food capital of Spain, if not all of Europe: http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/mariacristinawestin.en.html
About San Sebastián: http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/mariacristinawestin.en.html
"Is San Sebastián the best place to eat in Europe?"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2005/mar/13/foodanddrink.shopping2
Fabulous views from three Michelin star (several of them in town) Restaurante Akelarre: http://gastronomyblog.com/2010/06/04/akelarre-san-sebastian/

Roughly South:
- The Parador inside the 13th century Moorish Alhambra Palace (Granada), the most famous sight in all of Spain. It's built on the premises of, and partly based on, the San Francisco convent where queen Isabel la Católica on her own wish initially were buried in a humble grave in December 1504. She and her husband Fernando were the conquerors of Granada (1492) which completed the unification of Spain. She was also the sponsor of Columbus first journey to the Américas, also in 1492, which led to the creation of the Spanish empire. Immediately after the conquest of Granada, she and king Fernando ordered the expulsion of the Jews and eventually the Moors from Spain. Few other monarchs have made such an imprint on the course of history.
http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/granada/parador-de-granada.en.html

- Casa 1800 Granada would be another great option, located in the center of the city: http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/casa-1800-granada.en-gb.html?label=gog235jc;sid=ccf18f5bd13e8279a44be40f3ac58544

- The Parador of Carmona in a 14th century Moorish fortress. Just outside Sevilla, the queen of the Andalusian cities. http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/carmona-se/parador-de-turismo-de-carmona.en.html

- Or stay inside Sevilla itself in Hotel Alfonso XIII. When it was built in the 1920's, it was set out to be the most luxcurious hotel in all of Europe: http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/sevilla/starwoodalfonso.en.html

- Casa 1800 would be another excellent option in Sevilla: http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/casa-1800.en-gb.html?label=gog235jc;sid=ccf18f5bd13e8279a44be40f3ac58544;srfid=813412d806098600fccdfab2976ce554X2

- Somewhat more remote, but the Parador de Jaén is among the most spectacular of them all: http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/jaen/parador-de-turismo-de-jaen.en.html
http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/sevilla/starwoodalfonso.en.html

On the Southern coast, I will recommend the Cádiz area. Great beaches, lots of history and not that crowded with tourists:
http://www.justspain.org/spain/cadiz/cadiz-beaches.asp
http://www.whatcadiz.com/cadiz-beach.html
The Cádiz state of mind: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33JUrGwZQLY

And I have a very soft spot for small Nerja (pop. 20 000), just east of fabulous Málaga city on the Costa del Sol. Stay at small Hotel Carabeo in the oldest street in town, right on the cliffs overlooking some of the nine small and large beaches. http://www.hotelcarabeo.com/
Photo of Nerja, Hotel Carabeo will be almost in the middle of this picture: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2622/3735908317_b3de6a8146_o.jpg

Overview of all the paradors: http://www.parador.es/es/portal.do?IDM=51&NM=1

Maribels guides give great suggestions for Madrid, Toledo, Segovia, Barcelona, San Sebastián, Hondarribia, Bilbao, Granada and Sevilla: http://maribelsguides.com/

Great transportation system in Spain, buses and trains are high quality and will take you to almost every little village. The high speed AVE train take you direct between major city centers in no time.

... the correct link to presentation of wonderful Donostia/San Sebastián: http://marshlands.blogstream.com/

Hey Matt Congrats got you on Oz

By the time u get to Europe from Perth

just do a Biz class RTW with stops

Asia Turkey/Egypt Europe/UK US/SA

(Galapagos,Machu Picchu,Iguazu)

back to Oz out of Buenos Aires.

airbrokers.com aietreks.com 2 good sites for this

DIY

Luxury Hotels Otel.com(5% cash back plus 10% Facebook DC)

Marriott.com

Intercontinental

spg.com

zicasso.com good agents who will bid this

Congrats!

Airasia.com Awesome values from Perth to Europe

Best way to get there for me via KL will save u a tonne.

Malaysian-based AirAsia is selling seats from Melbourne, the Gold Coast or Perth to Kuala Lumpur (KL) from $129. ... taken a major step towards low-cost flights to Europe ...

www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-news/airasia-offers-australia-to-london-for-378...

I think we should ask what you most value. $30k is a lot of money, but it isn't f-it money. You will have to make some compromises. How would you prioritize the following?

- 5-star Hotels
- High-End Wining and Dining
- Shopping
- Luxury Air Travel
- Tours/Experiences

I think you would be able to afford some combination of these, but not all in the same day. Business class airfare would likely chew up roughly half of your $30k. A meal at a top place in London or Paris would be (minimum) maybe $500 or so for two people, with wine.

Personally, I'd go with Spain, France, and London. Scrap Germany.

Bookmarking for kimhe's suggestions on spectacular places to stay in Spain. Thanks.

I love Germany - going back fro my third visit this summer I think it is a great choice.

Anyway, just to give you an idea of costs, my husband and I average about 250 euro/day for the 2 of us in Europe. This includes lodging, food, transportation, and activities. We are careful with our money on these trips, but definitely not backpacker level budgeting. We eat well and research hotels ahead of time to find good places at good prices.

At this rate, a month would run you about 7500 euro or $10,500. It would be easy to spend more, of course, but even with airfare, you would need to go pretty lux to spend $30K.

And if you go to Sevilla in Spain, a perfect honeymoon "pasatiempo" would perhaps be going to the Arab bath-house Aire de Sevilla. Open til 1.30 in the night, roof-top terrace with views of the Cathedral, all kinds of teas etc. A friend of mine went five times in a week...
http://www.airedesevilla.com/

Matt: your first instinct was better than most posters on this board. Stick with London/Paris and part of Spain. Don't go to Naples. Don't do too much city-to-city hopping, you're going in winter and will need the clothes for it, which means you'll pack heavier than if you were just traveling around the Red Centre for a couple of weeks back home at the same time of year.

With that type of budget strongly look at some kind of Eurailpass and first class as they all are if over 25 - a pass lets you in most, but not all countries, hop on any train anytime - even though in like Italy you must reserve a seat before boarding it is easily done IME - first class is in many ways much much more relaxed than 2nd class and a no brainer if budget is not an issue.

Something Matt hasn't pointed out on this thread, is that they will be traveling in December. He mentioned this on the Australian board.

At that time of year, a trip to an Austrian alpine village/town would be on my to do list

Some parts of Germany would be pretty wonderful to visit in December, Spain maybe not so much

But to an Aussie the weather in most of Spain in December will seem much more amenable than the typically IME dark dank gray coolish days endemic at that time of year in Germany.

From an Aussie - I agree with Geordie - a visit to an Austrian or Swiss Alpine region - including a train ride - would be special. I can still remember our first visit to Europe in January 1976 (!!) and our delight as we visited Innsbruck - and then later as rode the train form Lucerne to Interlaken for lunch - oh - and heading out from Munich as well.
I would also suggest considering one Christmas market for a first time December visit.
There is an engaging thread on this forum re Christmas and New Year in Austria - have a read.
To keep warm and have light luggage look at Icebreaker merino wear - fantastic - and this is from an Aussie who does not usually wear wool jumpers.
Happy planning.

In December you should be able to go skiing in Sierra Nevada close to Granada in Spain (World championship resort in 1996). In little more than one hour, you can be down at the Mediterranean coast having some fresh seafood on the beach or a cold swim in Almuñécar or Nerja.

About Sierra Nevada:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierra_Nevada_(Spain)
http://www.sierranevada.co.uk/

Go down from Granada to the Mediterranean coast along the scenic "Suspiro del Moro"-road (the Moor's Sigh). The name comes from the legenedary sigh of Boabdil, the last emir of Granada, when he at the mountain pass known as Puerto del Suspiro del Moro, for a last time had a look back upon the now lost city (1492). His mother shall then have said: "You cry like a woman over a city you couldn't defend as a man". http://www.holavalencia.net/2010/02/23/granada-el-suspiro-del-moro-and-almunecar/

For the average tourist who also likes winter sports you can do no better IMO than the Interlaken-Jungfrau (Berner Oberland) region - not just for skiing but a plethora of other things to see and do, including a myriad of tiny Alp-climbing trains, scintillating aerial cable cars, gondolas, ski lifts, hiking trails groomed in winter, etc.

GERMANY in December would be great for winter sports and all the Christmas markets. Munich is my favorite German city. Take the train south to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, about a 50 min train trip and you will be in a Winter wonderland. The food, drink, surrounding villages are beautiful. Fly to Brussels out of Munich, I love Belgium and it would be a shame to miss it and then on to France and London. I envy you, enjoy this time while you can!

I also love Munich (and Bavaria) in December - have great memories of sipping gluhwein while strolling the Christmas market. And if you like to ski . . . .

But I love Spain too and kimhe's recommendations are great ideas as well. Basically, you can't go wrong - you just have to choose and try not to do too much.

Also, LoveTravelAus, you and I are both huge fans of Icebreaker. Pretty soon my whole travel wardrobe will be smart wool.

I remember my first trip to Europe. I spent $1,000 including airfare for one month and 4 countries!

This year I'm flying to The Netherlands from the US. I'm taking British Airways Business Class for about $3,400. You get smaller pods than first class, but they do have a lie flat bed to sleep in, and a 10" video screen. I have heard that BA food isn't the greatest, but that doesn't really matter to me. Anyway, that will take up $7000 or so of your budget.

If you plan to stay at 4 star hotels, that will cost about 400 to 500 a night. There's another $15,000. However, if you don't need that hotel right in the middle of things, you will be able find nice hotels for $200 a night.

There are so lucky people, which can have two honeymoons, each of them of 30000$! Matt was two days ago interested in Europe and yesterday, in Australia: http://www.fodors.com/community/australia-the-pacific/honeymoon-december-where-do-we-go-with-30000-budget.cfm

wow two honeymoons at 30,000 each

Probably he will be in honeymoon in Europe, while his wife in Australia!

Last three posters - a little green-eyed are we?

In 2008 the two of us spent 4/5ths of Matt's budget on a trip more than two times longer (70 days). We did England, France and Italy. In 2003, half of Matt's budget did us for 45 days in Germany, France and England. We stayed at good B&Bs or mid-range hotels, flew Emirates economy class from Brisbane Australia, and mainly self-drove when we were there.

What's the problem with Germany? We've been there twice and want to return one day. It's beautiful, fun-loving, and has tons of atmosphere.

Our next trip (soon, we hope) will be about 8-10 weeks and will cover more of England, France and Italy, plus Croatia and Slovenia. It won't cost us anything like $30,000.

Thanks for all the comments guys, we have an appointment with a travel agent on wednesday and now we have lots of ideas to put forward.

And in response to the following comments.

There are so lucky people, which can have two honeymoons, each of them of 30000$! Matt was two days ago interested in Europe and yesterday, in Australia: http://www.fodors.com/community/australia-the-pacific/honeymoon-december-where-do-we-go-with-30000-budget.cfm

Thanks for being jealous!
I can't wait very excited about this trip.

amelie on Jun 4, 11 at 9:59pm
wow two honeymoons at 30,000 each

Yes two is enough can't afford three!

Marighita on Jun 5, 11 at 4:56am
Probably he will be in honeymoon in Europe, while his wife in Australia!

Please don't post dream holidays I can't afford to do!

julia1 on Jun 5, 11 at 7:21am
Last three posters - a little green-eyed are we?

Thanks again to everyone that took the time and posted great information much appreciation.

Matt

Matt...You're going to have a great honeyoon trip however you choose to do it. But first, I don't know who your financial advisor is (parents, family members, a friend or?)...but fire him/her!

I am wondering if conspicuous consumption makes one a better person. It does indeed help the people encountered along the way, but I think that with a budget like that, I would donate half of it to charity and still have a great trip.

kerouac...great thought!!

I really don't understand all the disparaging comments here. He's planning his honeymoon and has a budget of 30K AUD, you have no idea of his other circumstances. Take into account, for instance, that because he's in Australia he probably doesn't have a mountain of student loan debt, doesn't have to worry about potentially falling ill and going bankrupt because they have socialized medicine, his employer is required by law to contribute 9% of his salary to his retirement fund, and he probably earns more than you think (the average wage in Australia is around 70K AUD which is currently around 75K USD whereas the average American wage is around 40K). So 30K might sound like a lot to you, but perhaps not so much to him.

@kerouac - I imagine some people who spend all of their holidays camping in America think those of us who go to Europe are wasteful too. I doubt that you would take kindly to their suggesting that you forgo your next European vacation and donate the difference to charity.

@Matt - Keep up updated, I can't wait to hear what the travel agent comes up with.

Hez, I already live in Paris and have foregone almost every vacation for the last 6 years so that I can look after my mother in her Alzheimer's nursing home, because her happiness is my priority, as much as I love to travel. I went to about 60 different countries and stayed in hotels ranging from 5-star luxury to guesthouses at $1.75 a night in Laos for about 25 years. When I realized that a more important matter deserved my attention, I gave it all up without a second thought.

So your snarky observations just roll off my back.

And who started the snark?...or kept it going?...plenty of green-eyed monsters, and blame, here to go around...

Kerouac, I'm not diminishing your sacrifice, but what you've done is NOT what you're telling the OP to do. You gave up travel for a close family member, not to donate money to a charity. Also, you're making a lot of assumptions about the OP with no evidence to back them up.

A few years ago, good friends of ours spent close to $20,000 on a trip to Paris and the Loire Valley. They flew business class, stayed in a suite at the Meurice, ate at Michelin starred restaurants every night, had private guides and drivers for their tour. It's not the travel style we would have picked, but this was THEIR trip, not ours.

They splashed out because one of them had just recovered from a very serious health scare and because it was their 20th anniversary. Some Fodorites would have looked down their judgmental noses and wagged their fingers about "conspicuous consumption" as they are doing here - without knowing ANYTHING about the countless hours and dollars this couple has donated to charity over the decades.

When new posters ask for travel advice, we are always telling them to give us their budget. The OP has. Either provide suggestions that fit with that budget or offer some ideas on how to get $30k quality for less. Hands-on-hips, shame-on-you lectures serve no useful purpose (unless you count spleen venting as one of your useful activities).

Ah fun! So many great suggestions.

My only recommendation is to think about what you'll remember in 40 years. Probably not the expensive upgrade to a biz class flight. But renting a wonderful apartment in Paris, the night at the parador at Alhambra or having a special meal somewhere - yeah, that's what might stand out.

Matt, parents Patty and Bert by any chance? Your parents are TV stars in NSW/Australia...mainly featuring on channel 9 progams?

I cannot even begin to imagine why anyone would want to fly from Down Under in any class other than Business or First. Even if you're the sort of person like me and Mrs F who can't see the point of honeymoons.

And, on proper airlines (ie any British or Asian ones), why anyone needs to fork out for First.

Ignore the siren voices telling you to slum it. It's a completely false economy. But put your energy into finding the best value for the flight.

Business class (or, if you're mad, First) between Oz and Europe minimises pain: it can do no more. But the few thousand you'll save by hunting deals for those two sets of 24 hours will buy you several extra of nights of real luxury in a decent hotel

kerouac's words strike home with me - I was 24-7 care giver for my Olod Timers' mom for several years and also hampered my travel style though thankfully my sister lived nearby so I could take my yearly sojourn to Europe. hats off to Kerouac and others sacrificing as their mums did once for them!

FoFoBT <a href='http://www.cool-smileys.com/clapping-smiley' title='Clapping Smiley'><img src='http://www.cool-smileys.com/images/207.gif' alt='Clapping Smiley' border='0'></a> agree completely

gia - what the H you on about? Translation plea!

my husband and i celebrated our 25th anniversary with a 31-day trip europe in 2009 - we visited a few more countries than you have named - however, there are a number of overlaps that make me want to encourage you about what we still value most about our experience:

i STRONGLY SUGGEST: visit less cities, stay longer in each, rent an apartment and include day-trips to the surrounding areas

perhaps the best experiences include:
-apartment in Paris (metro and train while in Paris)
-villa in Provence (rental car to visit surrounding area then drove Mediterranean coast to drop-off rental car in Nice)
-stay in Cinque Terre, Italy (train in to the National Park and walk or train between each of five cities carved into the rocky coast of the italian rivierra)
-villa in tuscan area (rental car, bus and/or train to visit surrounding area)
-apartment in Rome (mainly daily walking trips to all tourist spots)

eating out is expensive - we loved having the option to interact with the locals at the markets and cook meals inspired by the local fare (and having opportunities to pack picnics using the kitchens in our apartments/villas) additionally appreciated resting between day and evening excursions in the apartment -vs- the confines of a hotel room...

because it matters,
jayne

Hello again,

Just got back from my travel agent and have decided to go with a holiday with the following details.

Fly from Perth to K.L economy or Bangkok with Malaysia Airlines or Thai for 2 nights, then fly business class with Malaysia or Thai to Berlin for 4 to 5 days, train to Belgium, spend 3 to 4 days then train to Paris stay for 5 nights then off to London for 5 nights. Finally fly back to the best place in the world Australia.

If you guys have any comments about hotels, restaurants or anything that is a must see on our honeymoon please fill me in!

Check out car leasing (not rental) out of Paris. They have deals where you get a new car tax free with full insurance if your stay is over 17 days. There 3-5 different dealers that do this (it's called a TT car). We have done this in 2005 and are doing it again this year. The first time we worked with Renault Eurodrive. Just search on Paris TT Car lease and you'll get some hits. You can even lease luxury cars and convertibles (the latter is not recommended for December in Europe, however .

With that schedule there is no need for a car so I wouldnt bother looking into leasing one.

Sounds like a good plan.

What types of hotels are you looking for and how much do you want to spend a night? I know you have a good sized budget, but not sure from the above how much you want to spend on hotels etc...

Happy planning!

I vote for business/first or at least premium economy air tickets. It may not be the most memorable part of your trip, but you'll be able to enjoy the rest of your trip much more by arriving feeling pretty good.

I truly recommend hiring private guides for places where you haven't been and you have a particular interest such as history, art, architecture, music, wine, clubbing, etc. It's really worth it. Also, in London and Paris, if this interests you, check out these group walk companies--Paris Walks and London Walks. Their schedules are on line. Don't use the wannabe companies--they can't compare!

Now's the time to take this fabulous trip. My husband and I got married in 1965, and we couldn't afford any kind of a honeymoon, much less a European trip, until 1985. We enjoyed it as well as all of our subsequent trips, but it wasn't the same as a honeymoon when we were newy in love. Yes, I'm slightly jealous--not of the money you're able to spend, but of this moment in your lives that you're able to do this. Don't let it get away from you; cherish the trip and each other. Have a wonderful time!

PalenQ: it was supposed to be a clapping smilicon to FoFoBT, but, obviously, it didn't work. Oh well.

Hello Gia, here is the Fodor's website which displays all the emoticons that work on the various Fodor's forums.

http://www.fodors.com/community/smileys/

Also, if you have your doubt whether an emoticon is typed properly just click on the Preview and you will see how your post will look when you click Submit.

I understand the appeal of apartments, but on your honeymoon? I just don't see the appeal.

Matt

Ignore most of the piffle above.

Your meagre budget will just about get you 5 days on one of the worlds great sailing boats.

http://www.charterworld.com/index.html?sub=yacht-charter&charter=classic-yacht-windrose-1260

Try to beg or borrow a little more and you could make the full week. I believe you can design your own sailing passages which would allow you to throw nightly parties in Portofino, Porto Cervo, Monaco, Palma and Barcelona. Could even invite most of us, which would of course be the decent thing.

I think that with such a budget, a travel agent is the wisest solution. One of my best friends is one, and she knows how to put together the perfect trip for people with means after interviewing them about their interests.

She usually trims down the distance they cover because too many people think they can go "everywhere" which makes them exhausted and cranky -- probably not the best condition on a honeymoon.

Thank you LoveItaly!

travelgourmet - Why not an apartment on a honeymoon?

travelgourmet - Why not an apartment on a honeymoon?

I would think the average honeymooner wants daily housekeeping and the services offered by a hotel. I also don't think they are overly interested in cooking a quick dinner to save $20 if their budget is $30k for a month. I suspect they are looking to escape from reality, not play house in a foreign country.

Like I said, I understand the appeal of an apartment, just not for a honeymoon.

I'm all for apartments. I love having our own little space to come back to at the end of a long day of sightseeing. My husband loves to cook so this was the perfect way to finish off the day, shop at the local market and whip up something simple and easy for dinner.

I agree with travelgourmet - apartments are great but for me honeymoon = room service, daily maids and not doing dishes!

You are planning to visit at least three of the world's greatest (and largest) cities, which is fabulous. But food for thought: consider building in some time in the countryside. If it were me, I would skip Belgium in favor of some time in the Alsace and/or Burgundy regions. Christmas is pretty special, especially in the Alsace.

And I agree about splurging on private guides here and there. It can really enhance your visit.

Enjoy!!

Hi Matt,
Looks like a great plan. Hope you have a fabulous honeymoon.
Congratulations to you both.

What about an apartment-hotel like Citadines? Best of both worlds.

30K is a very generous budget. a website i found helpful was www.europeandestinations.com. Even if you book nothing with them, they'll still lead you to the best hotels, give you itineraries, etc.

Matt, how was your honeymoon?
What you visited, how were the hotels, how was the weather?
I hope that you had a pleasant trip and enjoyed Europe.

It will be nice if you will share your impressions with us.

marighita: The OP hasn't been back on Fodors since early July.

I agree with Marighita. Even though the OP has not been seen since early June [8th], it would be nice to know how the honeymoon went. He certainly had a lot of suggestions. Good questions, Marighita.

"Even though the OP has not been seen since early June [8th],"

He posted several times on July 3 on a thread he started about his stag party. My point was he has never been back so semi-doubtful he planned on posting a trip report or anything.

Maybe he finally decided not to follow any recommendation at all, and stay "in the best place in the world, Australia"...

Very common on these threads..OP asks, receives answers and suggestions, then poof, never posts again. Pet peeve of many of us. I suppose we can call that.."bad-side cyber-manners".

>>>I suppose we can call that.."bad-side cyber-manners".<<<

True, but being told such things as "A disgusting amount of money to expend in wherever's (sic) dollars." and "We spent twice as long on 4/5ths the money..." is not exactly good manners either.
Or in the least bit helpful.

I hope the OP and his new wife had an excellent time.

Bravo, ParisAmsterdam.

Another vote for providing assistance rather than a good scolding or mocking.

Another vote here. I figure that if Fodorites don't like the question, they just shouldn't answer it.

Yes, agreed. We're always advising people to tell us their budget when they ask for travel suggestions. And when they do so and it's not a small budget, then the judgmental, finger-wagging, holier-than-thou crowd pops up to hector the OP even though they know NOTHING about the person making the post.

I just read all previous threads, and I am very puzzled by the fact that OP didn't really mentioned his interests or some must-sees, and people tried to help giving recommendations based on their own interests and just *assuming* what might be of interest to the OP,based on budget and a very general question... Some other people were just judgemental/critical.
Some interesting info provided, not sure if they were relevant or not though, and not sure why the OP made the question, if he had no some set ideas on mind for his honeymoon... Maybe he wasn't very seriously decided on really making this trip?
If he finaly made it,and he is reading this thread, I'd be interested to hear back from him at any case...