Getting by on 50 Euros a day?
 

Hi,
I'm trying to do some budgetting for a trip - for meals in moderate restaurants + sites. I would only see 1 major site each day (eg I would go to Prado or Reina Sofia, but not 2 in the one day), across several cities (Madrid, Seville, Barcelona, Bilbao). Is 50 Euros per day reasonable? I plan to walk most places rather than getting bus/metro tickets. I guess the big question is how easy is it to blow 50 Euros on tapas and drinks? Am I being wildly optimistic?

Sorry, forgot to say all accommodation is paid for already.
Thanks.

I gather you are talking about Spain in particular? I had no problem spending 50 euro or less on meals plus sites in Madrid and Seville, and I wasn't even trying to hold costs down especially nor only eating in super-budget places. Entrance fees to sites don't cost much, so it's mainly how much you want to spend on meals. Spain is reasonable -- like any place, you can sort of spend whatever you want, really.

Christina - yes spanish cities only. Thanks for your reply - that's good to know. I used to know how much things cost pre-Euro..

Here's how I do it: Make the midday meal my principal one of the day; and dine at the kind of places that have a chalkboard outside advertising 'Menu del dia;' and dine around 3:00 PM (you get more generous portions as the end of dinner service approaches).

It may be 'false economy' to skimp on such things as Metros and City Buses - they are a good value even at 1.25 Euro, a heckuva lot better than taxis.

June, 2004: On a recent trip to Galicia (Santiago de Compostela) I stayed under 50 Euros a day including lodging (Hostals: private room w/bath, Phone & TV); but excluding transportation.

It would be easy to 'blow' 50 Euros in an evening on tapas & drinks, especially in Sevilla. Be very selective and limit your spending accordingly.

Depends how much you drink (seriously!). Restaurant meals and alcohol/wine can blow your budget way faster than the difference of a bus ticket vs. walking somewhere. Consider buying a bottle of wine and some snacks from a grocery to keep in your room. Good budget stretcher.

If you have a large breakfast then you don't need any lunch, or you could follow a "Des O'Connor diet" (and other celebrities - if he can be called one) which involves only eating once a day - resulting in quick and effective weight loss and of course fitting into your budget.

You can easily do 50EUR per day if you eat cheaply, and of course if you have lazy days you'll have extra money leftover for other days. Don't worry about being bang on 50EUR per day a little over a little under won't hurt.