My fiance and I are are getting hitched in the Perth registry office then going on our dream honeymoon to Europe. We are flying into London, taking a whirlwind organised tour for 21 days through France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands then back to London. The tour supplies all accomodation, breakfasts and 10 dinners. Hopefully we can then get a cheap flight (through Ryanair perhaps)to Ireland for a few days, making our trip 34 days long.
Unfortunately we are going to have to max out our credit cards for this trip, which will give us around A$4,300.
Are we being realistic with a budget of A$125 per day for the two of us?
We don't mind staying in hostels and eating supermarket food after our tour.

Sorry - have no clue what the A$ is worth vs the euro or pound.

Suggest you do a search above for hostels and Ireland - will give some info perhaps.

Also - don;t know what you men by max credit card -including the tour - or besides the tour?

You should not do this. Call me a grumpy dad of three daughters your age, but I repeat: you should not do this.

Thw whirlwind organized trip is too long, and probably over your budget, and may be a bad bargain.

Extending it an additional 13 days which you cannot afford is a bad idea.

Maxing out your credit cards is a bad way to start out a marriage.

A honeymoon of two countries, ten days (Ireland and France, maybe?) or even better - - stay in Australia until you have SOME savings and THEN plan a trip to Europe - - would be a far better idea.

Whatever your decision, I hope you're able to concentrate on your plan for this, the next.. and best thing... your new life in marriage... and...

Best wishes,

Rex

I did at least take a look at the AUD exchange rate $125 AUD = about 77 euro.

It all depends, how much you spend on transportation. A$125 for two won`t be much, but no problem since food is cheap and hostels aren`t expensive either. Maybe you should plan ahead where you will be going, how much you spend on transport and how much will be left afterwards. A$125 per day is a LOT of money, if you spend it well. No problem living on that amount per day for 2, if transport is arranged...

I don't think your budget of 77 euros/day for two people is enough. I would count for 100 euros as a very very minimum. And, 21 days with so many countries look more like a nightmare than a "dream honeymoon".
Anyway, it's just my opinion. Good Luck with the trip and your marriage

Think about it: 500g Pasta 0.40 Euro, Bread, loaf 1kg = 1-1.5€, Cheese 200g = 1€, Milk 1Liter = 0.70€, Magnum IceCream = 1€ to 1.50€, etc. it adds up, but shouldn`t be a problem. Hostel max 15€ per person. Train 100km = 25€....

nytraveler, Why did you bother to respond to this post since you had nothing of value to add to it?

I'd say the tour is fine, but concentrate on one area for the days after - that way you'll have down time to enjoy each other, as well as minimize the amount you will spend on travel (whether that's inter-EU flights, bus, or train). Though Rex does sound like the grumpy dad on this one ))I think he has some valid suggestions.

I think some of the more harsh posters don't realize that when you're coming from so far away Aussies try to maximize what they see, as the trip is so far and $$$. Best of luck, with enough research you'll pull it off wonderfully! Trav

OK - do you want honest feedback or do you just want us to congratulate you on your marriage and say go for it?

I personally think it is nuts to:

1) take an organized bus tour for a honeymoon. You will have almost no down time, no privacy, no time to lay late in bed and relax -- must get up and on to the coach by 8 a.m..

2) extend a trip for 13 more days to another country when you are already stretced too thin money wise

3) touring 6 countries in 21 days (that is w/i Ireland and the extra 13 days)

4) expect to survive on €75 per day for the two of you

5) Max out your credit cards for any reason - but especially for a vacation.

Is the organized tour already booked/paid for? If not, you could easily do a 10-14 day 1 or 2 country trip for a LOT less money.

I would either - delay the honeymoon until I could save more money, or cancel the tour and forget about 34 days and start over planning a reasonable trip I could afford now.

oops - typo. Should read >> 3) touring 6 countries in 21 days (that is w/o Ireland and the extra 13 days) <<

BTW - I know you are traveling a loooooong way and want to maximize things. But you will really have a better time and spend less money if you pick a couple of countries at MOST and take it a bit easier.

I agree completely with Janis.

You will be so exhausted and stressed out from the wedding, I can't imagine you'll have the will and/or stamina to enjoy all this driving around with a busload of strangers.

Wouldn't it be so much nicer to spend 10-14 days in say, Tuscany? Or Provence? Rent a little villa or apartment--heck, do both! A week in Tuscany, a week in Provence, or better yet, Paris. Eat cheap, sleep in (trust me, you'll want to sleep in ), and just enjoy each other. Your honeymoon should not be such a challenge, but a time to get to know each other in a relaxed, romantic setting. What you currently have planned is far from relaxed, romantic, or dare I say, responsible?

75€ / day for two isn`t a problem thousands are doing it each and every year (mostly after finishing high school or university). You will receive a warm welcome almost everywhere, everybody has been doing it and they still know how it was. The greatest time!! "Just married" is even better

I just reread the thread and I didn't mean to ignore Rex, who also suggests ditching the organized tour. I agree completely with Rex, also.

Agreed, Jocelyn P,
its only halve the fun with an organized tour, and too expensive as well.

half

I agree that they can make it on 75 euro per day, staying in hostels.

I think they cannor affors to start out their marriage with a debt this large for 34 days of ill-planned travel.

Fighting over money - - and they are trying to ensure money problems for the first several years - - is one of the leading causes of failed marriage.

I, too, agree wholeheartedly with janis and rex on this one. This is a terrible way to begin a marriage.

Don't you want to spend time alone with your betrothed? A honeymoon on a "whirlwind" organized 21-day (God help you!) tour seems like guaranteed hell to me. If money's an issue, cut the trip back by a week and plan it yourself, and as someone else said rent yourself a beautiful villa in some charming spot.

Once the trip is over and the dust settles, you'll be facing a small mountain of debt - a horrible way to begin a marriage.

I don't understand what you're saying about maxing out your credit cards, but whatever it is, don't do it. Skip Ireland if you have to and spend the money elsewhere.

You really need to go back to Square One with this one to save your sanity and your marriage.

A$4,300 is not a fortune, maybe a weeks salary 5 years from now... (out of experience ;-)

I too am confused about the figures. Can you tell us how much per day the tour is costing? Since it doesn't include airfare, we might be better able to advise you if this tour sounds like a financially logical thing to do at all. I mean if you are OK with hostels and cheap meals, perhaps you're blowing what could be a really good trip by spending far too much on the package tour part. You could probably do better doing the whole thing yourselves.
I agree with some of the other posters that the whole thing really sounds like a bad idea -- too much, too financially draining, too whirlwind, and too unexciting.