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Is our budget of $150.00 a day ok for 2 in paris & italy?

Is our budget of $150.00 a day ok for 2 in paris & italy?

Old Apr 24th, 2005, 05:02 PM
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Is our budget of $150.00 a day ok for 2 in paris & italy?

my husband & i will be going to paris & italy in may for our honeymoon (we got married 2 months ago, but postponed our honeymoon to europe in hopes the weather would be better in may)...

we've set aside $150 (US dollars!) a day for both of us...this is supposed to cover:
1) our meals (i'm sure we'll be having breakfast from bakeries - croissants & coffee, lunch from creperie stands or sandwiches, & dinner in the most inexpensive places we can find, oh i forgot - gelato, macaroons & chocolate wherever we can find them).
2) museum/guided tours
3) bus/metro/vaporetto passes
4) wine/drinks here & there

this does not include:
plane ticket / hotels / car rental from city to city / shopping.

is $150.00 (US dollars!) a day for both of us ok? or am i delusional?


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Old Apr 24th, 2005, 05:12 PM
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More than enough. That's more than my husband and I spend a day.
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Old Apr 24th, 2005, 05:13 PM
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Hello psy_dr, in that you are referring to $150.00US for expenses excluding the plane tickets, the hotels, the car rental and shopping you should be fine with that budget.

Some here may say you are not but having read your post I would say you will be just fine. It sounds to me like to you know how to budget, so you will not be spending a fortune on dinners in the evening etc.

Think about keeping tabs regarding what you spend each day. If one day goes over the budget then the next day you can really pull back on what you spend.

And congratulations on your marriage. Have a beautiful honeymoon!
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Old Apr 24th, 2005, 05:14 PM
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You should be OK as long as you stick to modest and avoid the drinks (I assume you mean mixed drinks). Wine, water and soft drinks are fine but in europe any type of mixed drink tends to be very expensive.
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Old Apr 24th, 2005, 05:19 PM
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The prix fixe is a good way to enjoy eating in restaurants and maintaining a budget. Most cafes/restaurants will offer a small appetizer, main course and dessert for one fixed price. You are then to select a beverage at a seperate price. It is an excellent way to try what is often a specialty of the regions in which you dine without spending a large percentage of your budget.
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Old Apr 24th, 2005, 05:25 PM
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In Italy, the prix fixe is generally called the "menu turistico."
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Old Apr 24th, 2005, 05:25 PM
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Hi

Congrats to you both!

Your main cost is accommodation.

Here's a couple of good value choices.

10th District: Hotel Cambrai -http://www.hotel-cambrai.com 54E

7th district: Hotel Kensington
http://www.hotel-kensington.com 70E

Have fun
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Old Apr 24th, 2005, 05:28 PM
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It should be fine. You can use the "extra" not spent one day to justify a splurge on another day.

Consider impromptu picnics. I really looked forward to a picnic in Rodin's Garden in Paris but we ran out of time. Supposedly the sculpture garden is one of the lesser known highlight of the city.
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Old Apr 24th, 2005, 05:34 PM
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Rodin's Garden was superb for enjoying art and being outside.

We had a nice picnic in the gardens beside the Louvre - the Tuilleries. Pack your goodies and grab a drink from one of the vendors just before entering the park.


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Old Apr 24th, 2005, 05:37 PM
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You might also want to investigate museum passes in Paris - total the entry fees for the places you want to visit and then compare with using a pass; also consider which days have free admission; use public transportation - the paris metro is great and inexpensive. Many restaurants have wonderful lunches which could also be your main meal of the day. hotels also often include breakfast in their daily room rate.
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Old Apr 24th, 2005, 06:29 PM
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I don't know about Italy, but for Paris you can do that, but you will have to be watching your expenses carefully and really eating in very cheap places for dinner. It is certainly possible, though.

That would have been a lot easier a few years ago, but with the low value of the dollar today vs. euro, that's only about 100 euro total or 50 euro per person to cover everything in a day, all meals and other expenses. I'd say maybe 10 euro for admission and transportation, 5 euro for a drink or something here or there, which leaves 35 euro for all meals in a day. I think you can just do that okay if you watch your budget.
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Old Apr 24th, 2005, 06:31 PM
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You say you're planning to rent a car to get from city to city? The easiest and usually the cheapest way to get from point to point is the train. The money you save there could go towards your daily budget.

Congratulations and have a great honeymoon!
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Old Apr 24th, 2005, 06:42 PM
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In Italy breakfast is usually included with the hotel room so that's one meal you don't have to worry about.

You can certainly live on $150 per day for 2 people, although not lavishly.

There's lots of free things to do in both Paris and Italy - gardens, esp. in Paris and churches - fabulous churches in Italy. Notre Dame gives a free tour, that will give you a good idea of the significance of Gothic churches.

Tickets to the Louvre are discounted after 3:00 and the museum is open late Mondays and Wednesdays.

Congradulations on your recent marriage and have lots of fun on your honeymoon

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Old Apr 25th, 2005, 04:26 AM
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I think you can indeed do it...and if you both want a bit of splurge at a restaurant that has captured your fancy, eat there at lunch...then do the picnic "thing" at dinner, nighttime - a baguette, a nice wine, some cheese and fruit in your rooms...and honeymoon! <GRIN>
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Old Apr 25th, 2005, 05:06 AM
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If the buildings around it are still under construction/renovation, Rodin's Garden will be free. They charged no entrance fee in November, to encourage people to continue to visit through the construction. It may be finished now, though.
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Old Apr 25th, 2005, 05:38 AM
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thank you all for putting things into perspective...we'll definitely take a credit card for unexpected expenses & emergencies. i feel much more confident about my $150 US a day after reading all of your responses! thanks a million!
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Old Apr 25th, 2005, 05:46 AM
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I also think you will be fine and you can eat quite well. You might consider having a main meal at lunch at a nice place when the menu will be cheaper. We have breakfast in a cafe (Paris, this is)--it will be about 10E for 2. Lunch \can be a salad or baguette sandwich or something simple--15-20E. So now you have 70-90E for dinner and an afternoon
snack. There are NUMEROUS excellent restaurants that have 25-35E prix fixe menues. Your $150 is closer to 110-120E than 100E. As someone else suggested, this is a "budget/day". One day you may be under so you will have more another day. And just don't order Coke!!! Order water by the carafe, rather than buying.
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Old Apr 25th, 2005, 05:52 AM
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Gretchen- thanks...i am going to take your advice...when we do have "extra $" for good restaurants, we'll go for the big lunch & save on the cost...what a great idea! also, i'll keep track of how much we're spending & see if we have enough to at least do 1 nice dinner in each city. THANKS!
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Old Apr 25th, 2005, 06:45 AM
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Sounds right on to me. That would be about my style and budget (5 trips to Europe so far).

Pack a corkscrew or buy one upon arrival so you can get wine from a shop and have it in your hotel room. That's a nice treat and may save a little on your lunch or dinner bill later.


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Old Apr 25th, 2005, 07:54 AM
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I am really saying that the 25-35E dinners (every day if you want) are REALLY good meals. Search the boards for ideas or post for info.
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