A poster advised that a good general rule of thumb for estimating the cost of a European vacation for a family of 4 staying at 4 star places in early June is $100 per day per person plus airfare. Would everyone generally agree? Any further major comments or considerations?

xxx<BR>Staying at a four star hotel is about <BR>$250.00 a night per room. Add to that your meals, transportation, admission fees etc...Do the math, I don't think $100/day will do it.

My last trip to France staying in 2 star accomodations in June for 60 people days. (family of 4 for 15 days) was less than $100 per day including airfare.

As indicated, a 4 star hotel is going to be well upwards of $250 per double room in most countries and in large cities like Paris or London you will seldom get a 4-star room at that price.<BR><BR>However, if you are interested in keeping costs down to $100 per person per day, you can do it with advance research and the right resources.<BR>The Rick Steves books usually have lots of recommendations for economy-minded hotels and restaurants, though keeping in mind that many are bare bones.<BR>The books by Gustafson Great Sleeps in... and Great Eats in... are also reliable sources.

IMO, there are lots of wonderful hotels all over Europe that are not 4 stars; going to 3 star would save lots of $$. That would certainly be the way I would go if I wanted to stay w/in the $100 day/person budget, and you definitely would not be staying in &quot;inferior&quot; properties, if you do your homework. I'd run some searches here to get some ideas of nice, even great hotels that are not 4 stars.

I wish it WERE possible to do Europe on $100 per day per person -- or anywhere! IMO, that figure is at least double if you truly include all expenses, down to things like cabs, souvenirs, icecream, wines with dinner, entrance fees, etc. That is also based on two hotel rooms. (4 people). Most European hotel rooms have a bed that sleeps two, or two twin beds, not 2 double beds as found in most US hotels these days. Now since you want a four star hotel, I think that ups your daily total to $250-300 per person, all included. And this total does not take into account splurges, like a great bottle of vintage wine, a leather coat, a Michelin star restaurant, etc. I would count on $1000 per day for your family plus airfare plus 10% of that total to account for splurges, shopping, etc. I base this on travelling around the world extensively for 8 years and living in Europe for an additional 5 years and Latin American for an additional 3 years.

Maybe I am overestimating the stars necessary. 3 stars may be just right. I don't want an economy/budget place, but do want pvt bath, Euro vs. American style,charming, quaint, w/ ambience and atmosphere. A splurge here and there to upgrade to a &quot;must-do&quot; is fine. However, lots of extra frills and luxuries not necessary.

It can be done, but you'd have to budget money carefully and watch how much you spend on food, sights, etc (and that takes away some fun &amp; spontaneity. I prefer to go the 3 star route and free up extra spending money (I'd still avoid fancy dinners every night). In the off season your budget would work well, since hotel rates drop.

How much, can you share your itinerary with us? It makes a big difference when and where.

Hi<BR> Does it have to be 4* hotels? If you take two hotel rooms at $100/nite, of which there are many nice places, that leaves you $50/day per person.<BR> This is certainly doable if you won't be travelling a lot, eg, a week in Paris.<BR> Perhaps you should be budgeting $100/day per person + transportation costs.<BR>

I have said several times on this forum how I have gone to Europe on 100 a day plus airfair. We do not stay in 4 star hotels. We generally rent a apt. This really cuts down on cost. Buying food at a grocery store and preparing meals ourself takes a huge chunk out of the daily money. We do not stay anywhere where it is over 50-60 dollars a day for lodging. In Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, and Venice we have had no trouble finding apartments in our price range. We even rented a drive yourself boat in the south of France. That was 54 dollars a day per person.<BR>We dont buy alot of expensive things. We buy local wines and we eat alot of Gelato in Italy I always have money for some nice souveniers. We are in no way roughing it. <BR>If you ar careful and dont eat out at restaurants everyday you will find that it is easy to make it on 100 dollars a day in Europe. <BR>I have already started saving for our trip in Sept. I CANT WAIT !!

I am surmising that 3 stars is budget enough without losing the charm. Plans are VERY preliminary but sure. Italy, France (Paris +), maybe Germany. Of course, not all in one trip. No fancy dinners for us. I can spend whatever is necessary for a quality trip. IMO, nothing can mare an otherwise spectacular experience than having to pinch pennies the entire way, but nothing more disdainful than shelling out more $ than is necessary for a reasonable and fulfilling trip. To obtain this goal, research necessary from experienced ones like you all. I've read an awful lot of posts, and it seems the cost of things such as transportation inside of round trip, gondola rides, climbing the Eiffel Tower, etc. are major variables. Some may prefer to suggest a bottom-line cost (outside of round trip airfare) for trip for 4 to Italy, say 2 weeks. As for Rick Steve's hotel &amp; food choices based on the consensus I've read, are not for me. TOO budget for me and sound very distasteful. I want places that I would be pleasantly surprised upon arrival without going over the top. Thanks for all your comments. All of you are wonderful for offering.

ttt for how much

Remember that in most of Europe, the number of stars does not indicate how nice the hotel is, only the amenities that it has. We've stayed in wonderful 2 star hotels that we preferred over many a 4 star. But we don't require bars, restaurants, gyms, stores, concierge, pools, etc. in our hotels. As long as we have a clean room, private bath, A/C if it's summer, and helpful desk clerks, that's all we need. And many 2 stars fit the bill in most locations.

Bill, that's a good point about the stars not being universal. Also, your right, you do pay for all those things you and I don't need. Your criteria is precisely mine, but I also want the quaint, charming, romantic, as much as possible too. Would you say I would likely need the 3 stars or still plenty of 2's to get your list plus my additional wishes? Isn't a reputable guide book somewhat reliable for star consistency? As long as someone else is giving the stars besides the property itself?