burnstock

My wife and I are planning for 2 weeks in France and Italy during late September and early October. We would like to start in Paris for 4-5 nights then on to the Alps for a stay somewhere for a night or 2, then on to Venice, Florence, and finally Rome. Is a budget of $10,000 doable?

kybourbon

The budget seems doable, but I'm not sure about the time. Two weeks often translates to only 12 days on the ground. If you spend 4-5 days in Paris, that only leaves 7 days for your other four locations which isn't enough.

Christina

I know sometimes one wants to plan that way as they are trying to figure out if they can afford it or something, but I think it isn't very useful to throw out one big figure, you need to break it down by parts and of course, it depends what you intend to do and what level of hotels and meals you want (not to mention local transportation).

First, does that include your airfare RT to get to Europe from somewhere else, like the US? I just wonder as it is such a large figure, it must be.

Because you are asking if $5000 a week or about $700 a day is a big enough budget to travel in Europe, basically (okay, more expensive cities and countries, but still). Are you kidding? How could you spend $700 a day? Because if you really think you need that much, I think there is a hidden agenda here you aren't disclosing, such as you want 5* hotels and expensive restaurants or something.

annhig

i have to agree with ky, burnstock, 2 weeks is very tight for, say 4 nights in Paris, then Switzerland, AND Venice, Florence and Rome.

Paris, Switzerland, Venice, might be doable, Paris, Venice, Florence, Rome at a pinch.

remember that every time you move, you lose at least 1/2 a day - which in a trip of 14 days is a lot -move 4 times you lose 2 days of your trip.

assuming your budget of U$10K is for everything except flights, if you were to say even U$200 per night for accommodation making roughly $3K in total [not lavish, but ok] you would still have $7K for travel within europe, sightseeing, food etc, which should be ample. another way of looking at it would be that it gives you $700+ per day - again, more than ample, even for Switzerland which is a pricey place.

good luck with your planning and your trip.

StCirq

You're putting the cart before the horse. First you look at airfares, then figure in hotel costs, then transportation costs, then sightseeing costs, then meal costs, then incidentals. Add it all up and see how much it comes to. Very simple and logical.

We have no idea of your tastes in hotels, meals, etc., or what you want to see and do, so $10,000 at this point is meaningless. It might be way too much, or way too little, depending on your plans.

So get to planning! And yes, three countries in two weeks could be pushing it.

burnstock

Thank you for the replies everyone. We would be in Europe for a total of 14 days. Meaning we will need accommodations for 14 nights. Our flights from the East Coast of the United States are included in our budget. I understand the itinerary may be a little tight and as such this plan is not set in stone. We are open to any suggestions like hotels, flats, trains, cities, etc. that might help us decide. We are by no means 5* hotel people. The $10,000 budget is what we can afford as a max. More interested in the experience than the accommodations. Mainly just want safe and affordable. Cleanliness and location are a close second. We are not planning on renting a car at this time.

Peter_S_Aus

Just a suggestion. Allocate part of your USD 10,000 to airfares. Maybe that’s say USD 2000 (I actually have no idea, as I’m an Aussie), leaving USD 8000 for expenses in Europe.

USD 8000 is about 6000 euro – and then start thinking in euro. It makes it easier for posters on the board, who may work in other currencies, to answer questions. For instance, you can get a decent hotel room for about 200 euro a night, maybe less. Train costs are listed in euro.

When you look at hotel booking sites like www.venere.com, you’ll find prices quoted in euro.

I do think that you are planning to stay in five places in two weeks does mean moving around a lot.

Peter_S_Aus

Sorry, the OP indicated on his other thread that he'll have USD 7000 for on the ground costs in Europe, so that's about 5000 euro. My wife and I would spend between us about about 200 euro a day in Italy, not including hotels or travel fares.

StCirq

Peter, he's said he's allocating US$3000 for airfare, so he's got US$7000 left. And yes, we've asked for better descriptors for hotel prices than "safe, decent."

november_moon

Your $10K max is totally doable. If you plan well and are budget travellers, you might even be able to take 2 trips for that

For our last few trips to europe, not including airfare, DH and I have spent between 250-300 euro per day all in. We are reasonably frugal, but don't pinch pennies or anything. We stay in reasonably nice accomodation in central locations - maybe not right in the city center or town center, but close to it - no commuting in from far-flung places We mostly eat out with some picnics here and there. Some meals are basic - shwarma or a gyro - some more fancy.

nukesafe

First, welcome to Fodors, burnstock.

Just to give you a very rough idea, my wife and I took a 16 day trip to Paris in October. That means 14 days actually in country, with a travel day at each end - 15 nights of lodging. I'll try to give you a feel for what our trip cost. Since you are figuring in Dollars, I'll do the conversion from the Euros in my notes.

Since we flew from Seattle, our airfare would probably be higher than yours from the East coast; ours was just over $1,000 each on Icelandic. We stayed in a basic but quite adequate apartment in the 11th the whole time for around $100 a night. We took day trips to a couple of places, such as Giverny, and one overnight trip to Besancon, up near the Swiss border, via TGV, booking ahead to get PREM fares. That extra hotel night raised our costs another hundred bucks. We got Navigo cards in Paris and used public transport exclusively.

We did not eat in any starred restaurants this trip, but did not scrimp on eating well and often. We bought very little in way of souvenirs (other than my Wife's blowout at a Drouot auction for some glass art, which I will not count).

We got cash at ATMs, and charged almost everything else on credit cards, so our costs were easy to retrieve once we got back. Total for the trip was just at $7,000 for everything.

You are planning on moving a lot, and that probably means hotels, which will cost you more than a longer term apartment. Transport between cities will raise your costs considerably, as well, but you can minimize that with an open-jaw ticket; into Paris and back from Rome, for example, and by using cheapo European commuter airlines.

Seems to me that your $10,000 budget is quite doable -- even a bit generous, if you don't plan to be extravagant.

You can look up my trip report to see the sorts of things we included in our adventures by putting my screen name into the search engine.

Have a great trip!

michele_d

It is very doable. Excluding airfare, but including everything else, we did 3 months for $25,000 and six weeks for $12,000. Our lodging is rarely over 100 euros a night and we picnic and do not spend a lot on meals out.

It all depends on what you want to achieve. We wanted to take longer trips and we did this by not spending a lot on lodging and meals. You might have difference preferences so you need to evaluate what is important to you and take it from there.

But yes, $10,000 is VERY doable IMO.

wanttogo

I agree that $10,000 is doable given your description of hotels that would be acceptable. I agree with the other posters, though, that your trip is too crammed. Since you mentioned so many places in Italy, why don't you just go to Venice, Florence and Rome with a few day trips by train.
Another idea is Paris, Loire Valley by car and Switzerland.
Another is Paris and Rome.You are really trying to do too much. By the way, DH and I love all of the places that you mentioned, so I know you will have a wonderful trip.

Pat

kybourbon

On the other thread, the OP says they are taking a tour and names the tour company. This thread doesn't make sense.

WillTravel

I wonder if the OP is trying to compare costs of going alone to going with a tour company.

Leely2

Yes, 10K is fine, but I think you have too many destinations for your time on the ground (and I'm not a slow traveler). Unless you're young and very energetic.

This is a great forum for planning an independent trip to Europe in your price range.

Robert2533

As someone in the business, your budget is fine as long as long as you don't expect too much, after all it only amounts to €535/day for two people (?), so you will have to watch where you plan on spending the night. Note that late September is still high season in most resort areas.

Dropping $2000/day/person during hight season isn't uncommon, depending on where you are staying and what you plan on doing, but you can get by on less.

michele_d

<Dropping $2000/day/person during hight season isn't uncommon, depending on where you are staying and what you plan on doing, but you can get by on less.>

$4000/day for two people...my three month trip would have been over in one week! Who has that kind of money to spend? Crazy.

Peter_S_Aus

Wow. We’re planning for two months in an apartment in Venice for late March to late May. Our total estimated cost, including air fares from Australia at $3,800 and rent for the apartment, is about $25,000.

That allows us 150 euro a day for bits and pieces, including a couple of nights in Florence, a couple in Verona, and a trip to Amalfi.

schnauzer

Gosh, after Robert's post I think I may have to redo my budget!!! Flipping heck, $2000 per person a day... you have to be kidding - or a film star perhaps???? I am paying 95E a night for a lovely B & B in Sarlat and around the same per night for a lovely apartment in Nice.

$10,000 - 2 weeks, definitely doable in my book.
Schnauzer