Hey everyone!
I asked about budget on another thread, but I'm taking someone's suggestion and posting more specifics here.
I'm planning our honeymoon (which is still two years away, but I'm so excited!!!) We want to spend 1 week in Paris, and 1 week in Provence (St. Remy?) for $5000 if possible. We will be flying out of Des Moines, Kansas City, or Minneapolis, probably to and from Paris.
We don't want a ton of structured activities...we want to be able to relax and lounge around. After all, it is our honeymoon! We do want to see the countryside, and the charming small villages and such.
We will probably take the train from Paris to Avignon, then rent a car.
We also want to eat simply. Croissants for breakfast, picnic lunch, and maybe one or two splurge dinners.
I guess I would consider us budget travelers...we're kind of budget everything because we're college students trying to plan a wedding and fabulous honeymoon.
So here's what I'm budgeting...
Airfare: I think we can get it roundtrip for under $1000 together, if I watch the sales.
Hotel in Paris: $100/night = 700
Hotel (lodging...I"m not sure it will be a hotel) in Provence: $75/night = 525
Food: $75-100/day = 1050 - 1400
Rental car and gas $75/day for 7 days? = 525
So that totals up about $3800 - 4150 depending on food.
I don't know what the train fare will be, or what to estimate for museum passes, etc. hhhmmm....looks to me now like maybe $5000 will be cutting it close. Let me know what you guys (the experts) think and what I am forgetting. Thanks!
Katie and Bart

Katie,

I'm glad you posted this, because it will help you work it out. Of course exchange rates and inflation will change the total figure given it is two years away, but it's good to start ballparking the cost.

What time of year are you leaving? That low an airfare ($500 each) out of those cities sounds quite optimistic to me, and prices are probably going to rise.

What Paris hotels do you have in mind for $100/night? That is about 80 Euros, which is not really that much, although you do have a lot of options. But many people might want a nice hotel for a honeymoon. Same question about Provence - what hotels do you have in mind for the price you list, which is about 60 Euros per night?

I'm not sure what a car rental costs in total - maybe see if you can pin it down more precisely and figure out how many miles per day you are likely to drive.

The food budget will work if you want it to.

You can find out current train fares for Paris to Avignon.

I don't know how many museums or other paid attractions you would want to see. Maybe plan on two attractions per day at 10 Euros per person per visit. So that would be about $50 USD per day. You might want to see less, but it's a good number to keep in mind.

..just a few thoughts..re airfare..you can check the sales over the last year and you will have a fairly good idea.re hotel..i think for a central hotel in Paris i would est 100-120 euro..now you can do better on a last minute deal but i am not sure that i would want to risk that for my honeymoon..i am sure posters have used priceline and you might want to type in priceline paris to see if there are any comments..re Provence..can be expensive july and aug (remember this is a vacation area for many people from france..esp august!0 when are you going..can be a little cheaper may or april (except easter!)and the end of sept. is lovely..would suggest you get on venere and type in some dates for this year ..again you'll have a better guess. area just a bit west of provence is not as well know (though unfortunately it is becoming so)and it maybe a bit cheaper and imo is as interesting. re the car..you have overest that if you rent a small car (if you are 2 you do not need a medium sized) for one week..you can get one from (? eurocar) for significantly less providing you drive a standard..and you have 2 years to learn! i estimate 100/d each for food, sight seeing, metro and incidentals (which is a bit of an overest But this will also include trip to and from the airport)...gas will be about 60 euro if you dont do a lot of driving...your train fare can be est from sncf...you will get a discount for travelling together and i think for a week. you can try for a prem ticket but dont budget that way..reserve a seat but second class is fine..in summary, i did the math and i think you may need to budget about close to 1000 more but you can do the homework re the hotels...i am also factoring in some inflation esp increase in fuel which may change airfare.

This poster had quite a few details for his budget trip to Paris:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34491823

(Read his other threads too for helpful info.)

Why didn't my last post show up? I see it here (the reply page), but not on the main page...hhhmmm. Also, I heard that students (which we will both be) and under 26 (again, both of us) get discounts on some things - train fare for example.

JUNE! we're going in June..that post didn't show up for me..maybe it did for you, I don't know. but June it is.

You should be able to eat well at the lower end of your food range--if you don't expect Michelin rated restaurants and don't eat in tourist places.

I think hoping for a $500/ticket is definitely an underestimate for June, particularly given you will have little or no flexibility to choose your dates (since wedding dates are chosen well in advance of airfare sales).

You might get discounts, but I doubt it will add up to that much (maybe $100 or $200 if you are lucky).

I have a budget article at slowtrav.com under the planning section that may help.

I'm with the others on the airfare -- I doubt if you can get RT airfare from cities like that to Paris in June for $500. I wouldn't expect that airfare even from major East Coast international portals.

You can get hotels for that rate if you go rock bottom.

On the other hand, your budget for car rental seems high to me. I rented a car in Provence in peak season, and even though it was AT with A/C, I didn't spend $75 a day.

We're budget travellers and just went to France this past June, plus we live in the same general vicinity. We ended up paying $700 out of MSP to Paris which is the most we have every paid for European airfare and we have travelled in peak season other times in the past. In the past we have never ever paid more than $600 a person, and usually more in the vicinity of $450 to $500 even in peak season. However, that takes into account some flexibility in travel dates and you probably won't have that. Your best bet might be a cheap airfare and hotel package with Gotoday. Our small standard transmission rental car was around $35 a day. We always eat simply and picnic a lot. There will be nothing fancy, but you can probably eat an evening meal that is something other than pizza for about $45 a couple including wine. We paid between E55 and E65 a night at some delightful chambres d'hotes (b & bs) in the Loire Valley. If you plan to stay in just one place in Provence you might want to consider renting a gite (house or cottage) for the week. You'll have lots of privacy and you can save money by doing some of your own cooking. Many of the larger suermarkets in France and most of the butcher shops have prepared food that all you need to do is heat up. Plus, shopping at the markets is always fun. How much time are you really going to spend in museums? the money could be minimal or expensive.

The one expense that I don't see is transportation to/from airport and within Paris. Obviously you wouldn't rent your car until you leave for Provence. You might want to factor some money in for using the metro, buses. I have also read not to skimp on sightseeing budget maybe $40 per day per person. Maybe that is a little high but that is the big part of your trip.

I don't know what the car rental and gas would be, but given the original poster and her spouse will be under 26, the rental surcharge for younger drivers (those under 25) that I have read about may be applicable.

Here's a reply to a few of your posts - flexibility with dates: We haven't set a wedding date yet because of planning this trip. Also, we are not opposed to leaving for our honeymoon a few days after the wedding...giving us some time to relax and recouperate before the big trip.
We are considering renting a gite, or some other type of apartment or house where we have access to a kitchen.
I know I was off base with some of my estimates, but that's why I asked you guys! Here's a somewhat edited version of the budget:
Airfare: 1200
Hotel in Paris: $120/night = 840
Hotel/gite) in Provence: $100/night= 700
Food: $75/day = 1050
Rental car and gas $50/day for 7 days = 350
Sightseeing $50/day = 700
Train travel (generous estimate) = 250
So that way, the total comes to: $3990 without metro tickets, etc. Another poster suggested $100/day/each for food, sightseeing, metro tickets, (maybe this should include car rental, too??) etc - which makes the total: $4740

I think we will take the metro to and from the airport...I'm pretty sure that's what we did when I was in high school.
Okay, so it looks to me like it will be close to $5000...maybe without spending money on the stupid things we might end up buying (gifts, souvenirs, etc)
As for time spent in museums, I think we would rather spend out time outside, either walking around Paris, or seeing the countryside...of course we want to go to some like musee d'orsay, but we won't be spending days in the louvre.
Thanks for all your help so far!
Katie

Don't be discouraged KatieScarlett...
where there is a will, there is a way and these folks will help! And in two years who knows what fortune will bring you?
Have you considered an apartment both in Paris and or lets say...Avignon or St. Remy or whereever? .You could go to romantic little markets... purchase romantic little meals...
have a lounge and about with champagny kisses..

There is definately a will!!! And your suggestion sounds like fun to me!!!! But the problem is that becuase most gites in Provence (St. Remy is where I want to headquarter) rent sat - sat, or sun - sun, so depending on what day we arrive in paris, we may break up our paris stay with a few days in the beginning and a few in the end, so I'm not sure an apartment is the best idea for paris.

Hi Katie,

$5000 is not a skimpy budget for young people.

Here are some links for getting better estimates of costs:

Air travel
https://www.1800flyeurope.com/
http://airtravelcenter.com/onetrav.htm

Trains
http://www.voyages-sncf.com/
You can get PREM fares Paris to Avignon for about 25E pp one way.

Car Rental
http://www.novarentacar.com/
http://www.autoeurope.com/

Hotels
www.venere.com
http://www.paris-france-hotels.net/paris-hotels.htm

http://www.france-hotel-guide.com/h75005monge.htm

http://www.france-hotel-guide.com/h75005henri.htm

http://www.hotel-grandes-ecoles.com/

Have a great honeymoon.

Yay! Thank you Ira!!! And all you fodorites!! You're making my dream come true! If you could all feel the joy I'm feeling right now...we will make it happen, and it will be heavenly, and then we will live happily ever after!

..katie you can do it but please budget for 6000..this will be 2 years from now..DONT assume a prem fare...(you cant always get it) or a very low airfare..it can happen but budget high and if you come in at less..great..you have 2 years if you each save a little..each just over 50 cents a day that is your extra 1000..if you do the gite route do it early to avoid disappointment (again hit venere..they have appts listed and you can start getting a ballpark figure).