Spending money

Old Nov 22nd, 2013, 03:38 AM
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Spending money

Hi,

My partner and I are travelling to Spain (Malaga, Madrid and Barcelona), London and Paris on Christmas day for 4 weeks ... How much spending money should is budget for?

We have everything paid for - accom and all our flights - just looking at food, drinks, site seeing and a lol shopping.

Any feedback is appreciated

Thanks

Kayla
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Old Nov 22nd, 2013, 03:38 AM
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I*
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Old Nov 22nd, 2013, 04:11 AM
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Minimum 100 Euro per day. You won't spend that much in Spain but you'll spend that in London for sure.
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Old Nov 22nd, 2013, 04:16 AM
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I'd feel more comfortable on 200 Euro per day.
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Old Nov 22nd, 2013, 05:07 AM
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It is almost impossible to tell you how much you will need. Are you staying in apartments and cooking for yourselves or do you want to eat in Michelin starred restaurants or something in between; do you plan to visit bars and clubs in the evening for your drinks; do you plan to go to the opera or to other cultural events; do you shop in street markets or Louis Vuitton? Consider the huge variables and give us a little more information to work with.
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Old Nov 22nd, 2013, 05:09 AM
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First determine what sights you will see and check their web sites for pricing. Barcelona is expensive - Sagrada Familia (with a tour) is E20. Food is also expensive in Barcelona.

Depending on how much you'll shop and drink, I would budget E150 per person, per day, but allow for much more. Money can disappear quickly if you stop for ice cream, wines, coffees several times per day. And the shopping will definitely use up your budget.
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Old Nov 22nd, 2013, 05:12 AM
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Money can disappear quickly if you stop for ice cream, wines, coffees several times per day.

Ain't that the truth.
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Old Nov 22nd, 2013, 06:43 AM
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There is a huge range possible. If you give us more info - esp about shopping - people can give better answers. Just be aware that prices in europe are NOT bargains at the moment.
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Old Nov 22nd, 2013, 06:56 AM
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What is your travel style? I could manage (and have done so) on $50 a day and could very easily (and have done so) spend $500+ a day. Depending on the type of shopping, the types of restaurants, the tours/sites/events you take.
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Old Nov 22nd, 2013, 07:08 AM
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Forget trying to get us to tell you a budget for shopping, that is solely your decision as to what you buy and what you spend, we can't predict. Some people blow thousands on designers handbags, for example. I buy a few souvenirs or some earrings (in Spain, I did buy some as their silver is good), that's all. Sometimes I rarely spend anything in a place as I don't travel in order to shop.

Otherwise, for food and drinks and sightseeing, I'd budget 75 euro per person per day.
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Old Nov 22nd, 2013, 07:17 AM
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I'm not as sure about Spain but as far as London and Paris are concerned, many if not most places take creditcards. Assuing you're from the USA, get a credit card, such as the Bank of America travel rewards card without a foreign transaction fee and use them wherever and whenever they are taken which, as I said, in London and Paris is almost everywhere. Since it is a long trip, you mightwish to set up an automatic payment system with Bank of America or knowing the closing date of your account make provisions to check your account status via on line bankig evey so often. Using credit cards everywhere for everything, no matter how large or small, your need for local cash (and incidentally in London they do not use the euro but rather pounds sterling) will be minimized. For those occasions, if you don't have one, open upan iternet bank account with a bank that issues an ATM or debit card that does not charge for ATM withdrawls, does not charge a foreign tansaction fee does not charge monthly service fees into which you can transfer money asneeded fom your main account. Charles Schwab Bank is an examle.

The caveat is that I am assuming you are from the United States where I know these things exist. If not from the United States, these things, at least on the low or no fee end may not exist in as favorable a way as they do in the USA but certainly credit cards and ATM cards will be but uually with fees; it's just that I know the banks in the USA to use. Others might have ideas of enlightened banks, if they exist, elsewhere.
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Old Nov 22nd, 2013, 08:44 AM
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If you can't tell us what "a lot of shopping" means, very specifically, we can't begin to guess what kind of spending money you'll need.
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Old Nov 22nd, 2013, 08:47 AM
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"How much spending money should is budget for?"

Don't most people budget according to how much they actually have? Your question makes no sense to me. If I was going on a trip, I would look at my finances and say "okay, I can spend this much each day."

Not that I would ever waste time "lol" shopping on vacation.
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Old Nov 25th, 2013, 08:29 PM
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My experience in Paris regarding money was like holding my hands open under a running faucet - that is how fast the money ran through! And I did very little shopping for the two weeks I was there except for groceries (I ate breakfast and most diners in my apartment). I spent as little as 10E and and much as 30E for lunch. The five dinners out cost between 35 and 50 euros. Coffee at a cafe cost between 1.50E and 5E - and another 5E or so for a snack to go with it. I bought a 4-day museum pass for 60E, 2 weeks of Navigo for metro/bus was about 70E, taxi from CDG into central Paris was 50E each way, and I used taxis two other times for about 9E each time. A baguette is 1E - you can get half of a baguette (Demi baguette) for .50; a good bottle of wine is a bargain at less than 5E at a grocery - or of course you can pay more. Tipping is not expected in Paris, so you pay what is listed on the menu or taxi meter, though you can round-up for extraordinary service, and this makes budgeting easier. I knew it would be expensive, so was prepared. My suggestion is to have more money than you think you'll need - it's okay to have money left over when you get home. I managed to come home with about $250, but only 1.65 in euros. Try to manage your euros so you don't have a lot to exchange when you get home, as it is expensive to change them back to dollars. Have a wonderful trip.
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