trvlgirlmq

We did it! Put down a deposit on an apartment in Paris for next July. We did slightly change our plans. We will fly into CDG, pick up a car and go to Normandy for 4 nights. We have been in contact with an owner through Homeaway for an apartment in Vierville-sur-Mer. Then it will be back to Paris for 7 nights at a Vacation in Paris apartment: http://vacationinparis.com/apts/id_18.htm. We went with the costlier place with washer/dryer in the location we really desired.

Our plan is to eat our normal breakfast at the apartment (cereal, oatmeal, fruit, milk), pack picnic lunches (sandwiches, fruit, dessert or treat), and cook in for dinner (spaghetti, pick up a chicken with sides, salads). At this point to keep the budget down we do not plan any restaurant meals. We would like to try crepes and my mom definitely wants falafel. I have Googled, searched Fodors and TripAdvisor but can't get a clear picture of what our costs would be. If we are doing our food shopping at grocery stores and other food markets what type of budget should be set? I thought I had once read that whatever you spend in dollars for a week of groceries you should convert to local currency ($100 for 1 week = €100 for one week). Any truth to this?

Any help is appreciated as we set our budget.

sassy_cat

This type of budget question is very difficult to answer accurately but your rough estimation $100 = 100 euro would fluctuate with the exchange rate of course.

I think the easier comparison would be groceries in expensive cities (like NYC, Honolulu, London, Paris) cost more than elsewhere. So compare what you'd spend at home with what you'd spend in such a location that you know.

How big is your family? Last time we were in Paris (April 2008) we tended to eat out (in restaurants/ cafes ) once a day and the rest of the time ate in our apartment. There were 3 of us most of the time but my DS and friend joined us for 2 nights.

We spent about the same amount on groceries as we would normally at home in Massachusetts plus about extra 50 euros per day (this roughly covered one meal out not including alcohol).
We bought more bread, cheese, pate, ham, yogurt etc than usual.

If we hadn't been eating out I guess we'd have spent our normal grocery bill plus 25 euros per day.

PatrickLondon

You could try combining some budget forecasting with some language practice on the online supermarket sites:

Monoprix:
http://courses.monoprix.fr/magasin/listeExpress.jsp

Franprix:
http://www.coursengo.com/supermarche/accueil.html

Ed:
http://www.magasins-ed.com

ira

Hi t,

>whatever you spend in dollars for a week of groceries you should convert to local currency ($100 for 1 week = €100 for one week). Any truth to this?<

It is what I would have advised you.

Thus, if the Euro is $1.35 and you would pay $100 for your provisions, your 100E would cost $135.

Ackislander

Okay, there is a Monoprix at 71 Rue St Antoine which looks to be nearest to your apartment.

The grocery department is in the basement (clothing etc upstairs), and they have a pretty good selection of what you are likely to need. Some things will be unfamiliar. You weigh your own product and put the price sticker from the scale on your bag; they don't weigh it at checkout.

The store is quite crowded because they have a lot of merchandise in the space. Things that are low use in the neighborhood (oatmeal, for example) may be on a very high or very low shelf. They have a reasonable selection of prepared foods, and there are a number of traiteurs (delis) nearby with chickens roasting away, prepared foods, etc.

There is a Paul [chain] bakery within a block IIRC, and while Paul isn't great, it is a reliable source of bread and sub-like sandwiches. There is a REALLY WONDERFUL bakery about three blocks up rue de Turenne from St Antoine, well worth a visit for pastries and bread. They are even open early in the morning on Sundays and holidays.

You should love this neighborhood.

trvlgirlmq

We are 2 adults, 1 teen boy and 2 kiddies (7,8).

Thanks for the replies. I can't wait to stay in this neighborhood. Would anyone know what time the boulangeries on Rue des Rosiers close on Friday? We want to pick up a challah for Shabbat dinner when we arrive on Friday.

I also found a Franprix at 135 rue St Antoine. Would prices be any better than the Monoprix?

We have already purchased a French language book. We are doing a word/phrase of the day. My youngest woke up this morning and ran out of his room to ask what today's word was. Hopefully he will keep up the enthusiasm as we move past the Greeting People chapter of the book!

adrienne

You'll definitely spend more for groceries in Paris than you would spend at home; with five people I would put it at 50% more. The large Monoprix stores have more of a selection than the Franprix. You'll have to look at both to see the selection and the prices. Spend some time in the stores and see the different varieties of foods. I like to try the unusual varieties of potato chips such as balsamic vinegar and mustard. Since you're going to cook pasta I recommend the Barilla sauce in the jar, specifically the bolognaise. The flavor is so much better than what we have in the US, even in the Barilla brand.

trvlgirlmq

It looks like the Monoprix is directly across the street so in the interests of time we will probably pick up supplies there for the first couple days.

Patrick - the sites are very interesting and I will check them out a bit more this weekend.

adrienne - I use Barilla at home when I am too lazy to maky my own. We'll put it on the list.

Cathinjoetown

Pretty obvious but before you purchase groceries, check to see how well the kitchen is equipped and the size of the fridge.

Part of the fun of grocery shopping is getting in fresh things every day, so you shouldn't have any problems. Check out the box wines--some are A.O.C. and great value.

Have a grand time.

Jim_Tardio

Why do you want to do this? Sampling French cooking is one of the main reasons for going to France.

At least eat out half of the time.

cwhite3313

My husband & I just returned from 2 weeks in France. We did a mixture of breakfast in and out, usually a picnic for lunch, and always ate a decent dinner out. We don’t drink alcohol so there was no expense there, but we do drink coffee usually 3 cups per day. We averaged $37 per day per person.

trvlgirlmq

cathinjoetown - We know there is a 2 burner stove and under-counter fridge, no oven. I tried to get a list of pots/pans but the company doesn't supply one. We will definitely check out what is there so we can adjust our cooking accordingly. I did figure we could always stop at the markets on our way back from sightseeing to pick up dinner stuff each evening.

jim_tardino - Why? Well, budget is a factor. Local food is important but not the whole of the experience. We will be in an amazing city, seeing wonderful art & architecture and don't need 3 course meals everyday to fully appreciate it all. We plan to try to squeeze in as many baguettes and pastries as we can and will enjoy them I am sure.

cwhite3313 - We aren't wine people either and don't drink a lot of coffee but with 5 people even at $30 pp/day that would put our food budget at $1650. Way too much in my opinion.

The kids are used to "roughing" it on vacation in order for us to have wonderful experiences. We have been renting apt/houses since the oldest was a baby. We cook in and have a great time as a family. That's what it is really all about for us.

Jim_Tardio

No, local food is not the whole experience, but it is a big experience. No need to eat fancy or expensive meals. There are plenty of cheaper establishments that you can find with a little research.

You'll miss some of the best and freshest seafood there is in the Normandy area, as well as some fantastic salads.

It's great to eat in part of the time but you'll be selling your selves short if you don't partake fully of the experience at hand.

For breakfast and lunch you're fine but do splurge at least a few evenings.

suze

Yes I would plan on shopping daily, not stocking up for the week all at once. And definitely check the equipment provided before diving into trying to cook a pasta dinner for 5 people in a rental kitchen. I find 'picnic' meals a lot more practical than trying to actually 'cook' dinners in most apartment situations.

suze

Jim, While I appreciate your points, maybe this family can't afford to go to Europe AND eat out in restaurants.

Jim_Tardio

I understand, Suze, and I certainly don't mean to be pushy or contradictory.

For me, vacation time is usually so minimal and precious. Going out and shopping and cooking everyday seems like a "false economy" to me. I mean, you've spent big bucks to visit these places and you're going to use some of that precious time...which translates to money on vacation...to shop, cook & then clean the kitchen?

My apologies, Trvlgirlmq...I don't mean to argue with you or minimize your situation. I've been in your position. I just think that in the long run you'll be glad you sampled all you could from from your travel experience.

In any case, I hope you have a safe and enjoyable trip.

nytraveler

Food in the US - in the market - is the cheapest in the first world. Anyplace else I have been food bought in markets has been substantially more - esp meat and soft drinks.

And I live in NYC where food is NOT a bargain versus most places.

I would assume that food would cost probably 25% to 30% more - unless you now live in a large city with higher prices. Also, don;t forget you are biying more prepared foods versus raw ingredients.

trvlgirlmq

suze - Thanks for the support. Your info on Oahu helped us to plan and have 2 great trips!

jim_tardio - I appreciate your concern but it's not a problem for us. We have been doing it for years and you learn a lot through the grocery store. Also, I actually like to cook and it will be fun to try out the local foods. We are still in the early staqes of planning and as we book the other accommodation, car, etc we can readjust our food budget if there is some savings on these items.

My 7 year old wants to try snails and frog legs so I will definitely have to find somewhere for that.

Texastrips

We eat in a lot on trips too - budget and kids. (But not all the time - look for a few local cheap places for the break and experience.)

But - don't just shop at Monoprix! This is France, home of wonderful specialist food shops. French people don't do all their shopping at a Monoprix or Monorpix type store and I think you will really dilute your experience if you do that. Enjoy the varies, specialist local food stores and especially the local markets - where by the by you can often get excellent food to go inexpensively, especially on weekend mornings.
It does depress me to think of being in Paris and shop only at the Monoprix but I think you can have a budget conscious and great French experience shopping and eating as locals do.

In your planning, just be sure to note that the catering facilities in the apartment you have chosen are VERY minimal, especially for five people - two burners for five people and is more like camp cooking and an undercounter fridge = small. Plan accordingly. Lots of salad....

I think you can do the what you spend here is more or less (ie more) what you will spend there but that holds true I think for the long term - in a short stay, you always need to buy everything whereas when you are at home you already have lots of supplies in that only need to be purchased occasionally eg oil.

Enjoy!

LSky

Jim, while you make a good point for you, there are other factors.
There have been so many times, while going through a local market, that my husband and I regret not having an apartment so we can cook those foods. Eating out is just okay for us; sometimes we get busy and forget to eat and sitting around in a restuarant is okay a couple of times but every night would be boring for me.

I eat lots of fruit from local markets but would love to cook the veggies. It's part of the fun of an apt.