Photobear

I am looking at making my budget planning for our trip in October.

We are going to be in Paris for 12 nights, one day trip to Versailles, We are also going to tour northern France and Loire for 8 days. (Mont St. Michel, 2 castles, Honfleur, Vimi and Strasbourg ?)

I have the flights convered, the apartment in Paris for 12 nights is also covered, We will have a carte Orange (Zone 1-2. Does it get me to Pere Lachaise?) taken care of as well a L'Open Tour on our first day. I can also guess at Seine Cruise and 3 day museum pass.

I am looking at what to bring spending money wise for each day...

It needs to cover admission to attractions, a lite lunch (vendors? picnic? Crepes?) and a inexpensive evening meal (approx. 20-25 euros each without wine as we don't drink)and small purchases (postcards, small souvies) for 2 people.

We have a certain amount already put aside for a large purchase of a painting or other art item as a souvenir.

What kind of budget do you suggest that we have for each day.

I know that this is different for everyone but I will take your budget and estimate mine.

thanks for any and all help.

Photobear

Also, please I need as many of you to answer as possible as I really want to average it out!

THANKS

cigalechanta

You can walk all over Paris in twelve days and save on transportation.

travelbunny

I wouldn't buy a carte orange..use shoe leather and a "carnet". If you want to save $, you might consider the batobus rather than a Seine cruise. Breakfast your apt, a coffee mid morning (yes, consider this sightseeing) 2- 3 euro. Lunch..if you do the picnic thing or street food 5 euro OK. You will have no trouble finding places for an evening meal 20-25 euro if you take advantage of the menu..sites some are free others 5 euro average. Consider a museum pass but only after figuring what you want to do and the cost if you paid per item.

Photobear

I, of course, did not explain things well.

I want to know how much money to bring not how to save money.

This is not a BUDGET trip but I want to figure out what amount of $$$ I will need,
Sorry about the confussion.

travelbunny

Bear..re budget or as you said allocation of resources- my comment still holds re carte orange and museum past. Once you have paid for your hotel and transportation (when I stay centrally I never use more than 4 tickets per day on the metro- 10 tickets 11e), I usually have breakfast at my appt but if in a hotel 5e at a cafe, lunch 5, dinner 20-25 if no wine (but be careful, cokes can be as expensive), coffee 2-5 e.. Museums- some are free and some about 5 euro..again consider a museum pass but do the arrithetic first. Really not much else I spend money on except La Perla and Lejaby "unmentionables"..and don't bother to ask the cost!

cigalechanta

Don't by your painting in Montmartre, most are domne by numbers.

benitakaren

If you like to shop, then take as much as you can. Otherwise, maybe 150 euros per day.

Photobear

Not a huge shopper. I hate clothes shopping...$150 euros, is that each or the total for both of us?

Travelnut

I find the Carte Orange to be an excellent deal, at 13E approx for 7 days of bus and metro use. Walking is wonderful but judicious use of transportation (an experience in itself) actually can enhance your sightseeing experiences, save energy and time. It drives me nuts trying to keep up with all those loose tickets in a carnet, and making sure I don't accidently stick a used one back in that pocket, etc. The Carte Orange (zones 1-2) covers everything inside the 'ring road' (peripherique) and maybe a bit more, but all the usual places a tourist goes in Paris.

Postcards can run from .50E to 2E, depending on the quality and the vendor's location. Lunches, such as walk-up counters, crepe stands, etc. can be had for 5-6E per person, dinners at 20-25E w/o drinks is very doable. Note that cokes are just as expensive as alcohol. Most museums' fees are around 8E (some are free). I think the Eiffel 2nd fl. is around 11E but I didn't look it up. Tour Montparnasse's observation level is 8E. A Seine cruise is around 9-12E per person.

I don't buy much in the way of souvenirs - my photos and scrapbook supply most of that. I do buy some postcards to augment the photos, maybe some soaps (3-5E each), a long scarf (10-12E)...bought some fridge magnets a couple of times (2-4E)...floaty pen 5E..
Internet use by the hour runs 3-5E/hour. Movies are about 10E each.

The warning from Cigalechanta is to watch out for bogus artists who are just brushing over mass-produced 'paintings'. (unless you just want a 'fun' painting and don't require some authenticity).

cigalechanta

sorry for my typos, it takes me awhile to type correctly.

mkdiebold

Are you asking how much "cash" to bring along, or are you asking how much we think you'll spend each day? There is a HUGE difference. ATM's are everywhere! If your bank account is limitless, then what's the problem? Believe me, IMO Paris is expensive, but so is London, Rome and every other major city. But anyone can enjoy themselves without spending the kids inheritance. No one on this board would advise you to carry around tons of cash. Swipe your card as you are able and enjoy yourself!

Christina

I guess my simple answer, since you aren't concerned about budgets (but your meal plans suggest otherwise IMO), would be to have 75 euro per person for spending money per day to cover your very cheap meals (20 euro for a dinner will really limit you, even without wine) and some admissions and minor purchases. That should be enough so you don't have to worry about it.

All of central Paris would be covered by any metro ticket that covers zones 1-2, and that would include Pere Lachaise as it is in Paris proper. That kind of ticket/pass will cover any place in Paris itself which would be any place with an arrondisement number.

You might check out a map regarding your itinerary as Strasbourg is no where near the other places in Normandy and the Loire.

StCirq

I agree that 75 euro a day will get you pretty much everything you need apart from accommodation expenses if you watch what you spend and don't splurge.

Agree that you should watch where you buy your paintings - there are a number of venues in Paris (Montmartre, the Place Beaubourg, quais on the Seine) where you can be very handily cheated out of a lot of money for a paint-by-the-numbers "work of art."

Photobear

No, I do not plan to take all the money as cash...We will be using our bank card each day to take out 1-2 days worth of Euros.

We will now raise the price of evening meals to $30-35 euris a night or do a prix-fixe menu lunch and a light dinner.

I assume that $150 euros a day is for both of us but does not include big purchases.

I know that Strasbourg is no where near the Loire, that is where my husband wants to go, and I know I can take a train there and spend a few days. The other locations are my choices.

I just want to get an idea how much $$$ I need to have in my bank account for this trip.

Where do you suggest we go to get a real Painting as opposed to the paint by numbers...?

Photobear

Also, I did not say I had unlimited funds...I just want an idea of costs to an average tourist. I also did not know that I was not explainung myself well enough. I seem to do that a lot on this board.

We are not loaded but this is not a bottom of the barrel trip either. I am looking for the average. That's all.

lpurvis

I don't see how you can do paris on less than $75 euros a day, even if you're careful. Bread for breakfast from the local boulangerie, lemon crepes for lunch on the street, and a prix fixe dinner - great. Try the restaurants on Rue Mouffetard, especially the Ivy and the fondue place across the street and slightly up the hill from the Ivy. Cheap and very good. There are a lot of good bistros around there, as well as a wonderful market on the Place Monge for picnic stuff (another one is on the Rue Cler).
I have bought several paintings at the Galerie St Roch in the 1st. It's a small place, but she has lovely things. Her father is an artist and she has some of his stuff as well as other contemporary French folk. Really nice things, including many of the south of France. Most are in the 1000 - 2500 Euro range if you're in the mood to splurge.
Definitely the museum pass - Paris museums are expensive. and if you're going to do the Seine trip, it's magical at night.
The most beautiful city in the world...

Christina

I said 75 euro per person, and I think the others that said 150 meant for two.

Strasbourg is a nice city to visit, nothing wrong with going there as long as you know it's in the opposite direction as Mont St Michel, etc., so you are going to be taking up a day of your time just on the train for that (it's about four hours one-way from Paris). So, if you go there in the morning and spend the rest of that day and all the next there sightseeing, then leave by train the following AM and take half that day for the travel to somewhere, it's going to eat up three full days of that eight you have (daytime days).

Photobear

The 2-3 days for Strabourg is not included in the 7-8 days.

I will budget $150 euros a day and have an extra $500 or so euros as a buffer. i don't want to skim and have it impact my trip.

I also have 2 credit cards that are EMPTY, I would like to keep it that way but if I have to use them, I will. I want this to be a good trip.

eric502

I always use an average of $150.00 dollars a day. This does not include hotel or special meals.

hotel $120
breakfast $20
lunch $30
dinner $60 to $150
museum pass (check on price for three day pass)

misc $25-50 a day

usually two bottles of wine a day from wine store $25 a day.

Also we eat some meals in our room and in parks so we save money doing that.

I'm just writing stuff down, these are estimates.