Please rate the cities on expensiveness
May 16th, 2005, 09:19 PM
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Please rate the cities on expensiveness
How would you rate the following cities for expenses on restaurants, shopping, hotels, etc. on average? (Obviously, expenses can vary depending on how nice a restaurant or store is, but on average...)
Belfast
Dublin
Glasgow
London
Paris
Amsterdam
Prague
Edinburgh
Rome
Berlin
Munich
Barcelona
Madrid
Belfast
Dublin
Glasgow
London
Paris
Amsterdam
Prague
Edinburgh
Rome
Berlin
Munich
Barcelona
Madrid
May 16th, 2005, 10:01 PM
#2
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 12,188
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I don't think anyone can answer you without you saying what you like to do in a day. Roughly speaking London will be at the top, and probably then the other UK and Ireland cities, and Berlin and Madrid will be near the bottom.
But for example, Rome is not that expensive - but I found it extremely easy to spend money there, with one admission and guided tour after the other, and nice restaurant meals. In cities like London I don't even look at restaurants for the most part, because the prices are so high. So quite likely I end up spending the same in Rome or London anyway.
But for example, Rome is not that expensive - but I found it extremely easy to spend money there, with one admission and guided tour after the other, and nice restaurant meals. In cities like London I don't even look at restaurants for the most part, because the prices are so high. So quite likely I end up spending the same in Rome or London anyway.
May 17th, 2005, 04:50 AM
#3
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,749
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
London is way at the top of my list, not only just because it is expensive but because I also tend to do two pairs of theatre tickets almost daily -- that really racks up.
Paris is surprisingly nearest the low end of my list. Why? Because we love very inexpensive restaurants there -- as opposed to most other cities (such as Amsterdam or Madrid) where we seem to have to go to much more expensive places to get a really good meal. We find ourselves doing lots of "splurge" meals in most cities, but rarely do that in Paris. And we do practically nothing in Paris except walk -- which is free. We rarely spend any real money there for "entertainment" or admissions.
The others? Well, I agree with WillTravel that it mainly depends on what you do. I wouldn't see a great difference in general prices in any of those other cities.
Paris is surprisingly nearest the low end of my list. Why? Because we love very inexpensive restaurants there -- as opposed to most other cities (such as Amsterdam or Madrid) where we seem to have to go to much more expensive places to get a really good meal. We find ourselves doing lots of "splurge" meals in most cities, but rarely do that in Paris. And we do practically nothing in Paris except walk -- which is free. We rarely spend any real money there for "entertainment" or admissions.
The others? Well, I agree with WillTravel that it mainly depends on what you do. I wouldn't see a great difference in general prices in any of those other cities.
May 17th, 2005, 05:02 AM
#4
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 57,890
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I would put London at the top and Prague and Madrid near the bottom. Don;t know aobut Barcelona - haven;t been there in about 5 years. And have never been to Belfast.
Would put all the others in a middle/expensive category.
But - as you know - how you decide to travel is a much better barometer of spending than the actual cost of the cities.
Would put all the others in a middle/expensive category.
But - as you know - how you decide to travel is a much better barometer of spending than the actual cost of the cities.
May 17th, 2005, 06:48 AM
#5
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 74,699
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi MT,
Go to http://www.state.gov/m/a/als/prdm/
and check the per diem rates for travellers on US govt business.
Go to http://www.state.gov/m/a/als/prdm/
and check the per diem rates for travellers on US govt business.
May 17th, 2005, 07:04 AM
#6
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,942
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Interesting suggestion, Ira, but the rates don't reflect my experience. Florence, Paris and Rome are all higher perdiem than London and I have not found that to be the case. Venice, on the other hand, is much lower perdiem than any of the above and I have also not found that to be the case.
May 17th, 2005, 08:02 AM
#7
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 13,194
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
<<Venice, on the other hand, is much lower perdiem than any of the above and I have also not found that to be the case. >>
They must be cost-averaging in EVERY kind of "meal" - - like including those bags of seeds etc, that people can use to feed the pigeons!
Best wishes,
Rex
They must be cost-averaging in EVERY kind of "meal" - - like including those bags of seeds etc, that people can use to feed the pigeons!
Best wishes,
Rex
May 17th, 2005, 08:15 AM
#8
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,019
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Based on hotel rooms, London, Rome, Dublin, and Edinburgh are at the top of the list.
Munich is fairly cheap, so is Prague at the moment. I can get a good room for just over €105 at the Astoria in Munich.
Large room, very large in fact, when compared with other places like Paris.
Paris has such a huge range of prices that is hard to say.
the others fall in the middle.
Barcelona and Madrid are unknowns to me.
Why not check the Best Western roster of international hotels and see what the prices are? Usually the hotel room is my major expense, excluding the cost of getting there.
Munich is fairly cheap, so is Prague at the moment. I can get a good room for just over €105 at the Astoria in Munich.
Large room, very large in fact, when compared with other places like Paris.
Paris has such a huge range of prices that is hard to say.
the others fall in the middle.
Barcelona and Madrid are unknowns to me.
Why not check the Best Western roster of international hotels and see what the prices are? Usually the hotel room is my major expense, excluding the cost of getting there.
May 17th, 2005, 08:22 AM
#9
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,977
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Expensive is -- as expensive does. Your tastes and outlays are the main determinants of your costs.
We've found London, no matter how we skimped, to be outrageously expensive. We took friends who live in a London suburb to dinner at a less-than-lavish Chinese restaurant. The bill blew us away! Possibly double what we would pay in a modest American - Chinese eatery.
When I was on the expense account, our company auditor would grill me when I turned in my living costs on business trips to Europe. He had never traveled there and could not believe I was telling the truth when I turned in my hotel and meals bills. There was such a wide variation -- London at the top and Frankfurt and Amsterdam far below. Paris was about in the middle. Why? Who knows. That was several years ago, before I retired, but I imagine the same holds true today.
Later, in traveling on our own in recent years, we have found Oslo to be by far the most expensive capital city we have experienced.
Tokyo, thanks to tips from Japanese friends, can be quite reasonable if you don't go to watering-holes used by Japanses businessmen on the expense account. They really know how to run up the tab to stratospheric heights!
We've found London, no matter how we skimped, to be outrageously expensive. We took friends who live in a London suburb to dinner at a less-than-lavish Chinese restaurant. The bill blew us away! Possibly double what we would pay in a modest American - Chinese eatery.
When I was on the expense account, our company auditor would grill me when I turned in my living costs on business trips to Europe. He had never traveled there and could not believe I was telling the truth when I turned in my hotel and meals bills. There was such a wide variation -- London at the top and Frankfurt and Amsterdam far below. Paris was about in the middle. Why? Who knows. That was several years ago, before I retired, but I imagine the same holds true today.
Later, in traveling on our own in recent years, we have found Oslo to be by far the most expensive capital city we have experienced.
Tokyo, thanks to tips from Japanese friends, can be quite reasonable if you don't go to watering-holes used by Japanses businessmen on the expense account. They really know how to run up the tab to stratospheric heights!
May 17th, 2005, 08:32 AM
#10
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 74,699
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi mam,
>...the rates don't reflect my experience.<
Nor mine. I was checking my budgets and find that, for equivalent accomodations and meals, London, Paris, Rome, Florence and Venice all come aout within 15%.
I guess government travellers go through their agency travel offices.
>...the rates don't reflect my experience.<
Nor mine. I was checking my budgets and find that, for equivalent accomodations and meals, London, Paris, Rome, Florence and Venice all come aout within 15%.
I guess government travellers go through their agency travel offices.
