jordan_wyvill

By the sounds of everything that has been said a €75 a day budget would be easier to manage.

jordan_wyvill

I'm actually going going to be overseas for 6 months of which I'll be spending 2 months in South America (Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina & Chile) and a month in Egypt and Israel - I've saved $18,000 AUD (ie $100 a day). I've been told by people I work with that most of the time in these areas I could get away with spending less than $50 AUD a day on food (I have 1-2 meals a day included) so I guess how much I have to spend in Europe depends on how careful I am in South America.

jordan_wyvill

I plan to try and save money by self catering where possible as I imagine is will be quite a bit cheaper

Ackislander

You seem to have your head on right, so you are going to be fine.

Suze, your answer is among the best I have ever read on a travel site.

jordan_wyvill

Well thanks everyone for taking the time to answer. I'll definitely have to get used to carrying water so I don't waste money on bottled drinks. I'll just have to be careful and utilise included meals with my day trips and so on and make do with what I have

Hez

If you haven't seen them, I really like the foldable water bottles like this - http://vapur.us/shop/shades/shades

kybourbon

I don't take a water bottle. I just buy a bottle of water there and refill it. In Italy, you will see fountains everywhere (including old, decorative fountains) and you can refill your bottle at those. There are signs telling you whether the water is ok to drink or not (non-potabile). I don't care for water (prefer tea) and I get tired of drinking it so I take some flavor crystals (similar to Crystal Light)in individual packets (one packet flavors a 16oz bottle).

JulieCallahan

Ackislander, you took the words out of my mouth.

Have a wonderful trip. You will be fine. Of course you can make 50 euro a day on average work. You will make choices that accommodate your budget.

I hope you keep a journal even if every night you write just one sentence. It is amazing what you forget... And equally amazing how you remember with just a word or two prompt.

jordan_wyvill

Thanks Julie, a friend of mine who is meeting up with me for 6 weeks has bought me a journal she said its important to keep a record (especially so I can remember where and what my photos are of) I'll just be careful worst case scenario my parents will send me some money I come back to Aus during uni break. Thanks everyone

Mainhattengirl

For me, 50 € per day would be plenty. I tend to have lunch at restaurants doing a special lunch price and never spend more than 10 € for a meal. Eat ethnic, and you can get by for about 5 €. It is a fallacy in my opinion that eating out in the city is always more expensive than eating out in the country. There is a wider choice here and if you move away from the tourist attractions you will find many local restaurants serving great meals.

Switzerland will knock your food budget out though. Austria is pretty pricey too. Save some extras in your other countries to use in these two. Berlin offers excellent prices though.

I think you can have great dinners for far less than some of the quotes I have seen on here. 250 € for a dinner? Wow, that just boggles my mind. That is so much more than I would ever, ever spend anywhere, anytime. There is no food on earth worth that kind of money in my opinion. Is that because of the wine? If one doesn't drink wine, then it is probably a huge savings.

German stores do not shut down on Saturdays. They may close early if you are in a small town like around 13:00-14:00, but in the cities, the stores are open until 21:00 and some grocery stores are open until midnight.

Ackislander

Thanks for the information on German shop hours.

PalenQ

German department stores IME have very reasonable cafe restaurants - usually cafeteria style - also in other countries like Holland and Switzerland (Mirgos and Coop department stores have prices much lower than regular restaurants - in Interlaken there is even a Migros with a rooftop cafe with a full view of the majestic Jungfrau Massif!

Ackislander

That is a great tip! The cafeteria at the top of El Corte Ingles in the center of Barcelona is a great place for coffee, a drink, or a meal at very reasonable prices, and the views are fabulous. BHV. has inexpensive meals at the top; sadly, the same thing can't be said about the pro temps or the Galeries Lafayette.

Christina

well, I disagree with that one, sorry, but I think the cafeteria on top of El Corte Ingles in Barcelona is pretty expensive and the food is not that great, either. The views are okay, of course. It isn't any cheaper than a lot of regular cafes on the street and the food is worse, I think. It's like vending machine quality practically.

Mathieu

Having travelled (and I still do) with a similar sensibility and rationale as you, I think 50 EUR a day for the kind of stuff you mention is very doable. You won't always need that much money in many places, which will leave you a bit more for spending in others where you might. But at any rate, you know you'll make it work for yourself - we always do.

Have a great trip !

sarge56

I agree with those above who say you can do it on €50 or 60/day. You are right on with preparing some of your own meals. This will save you quite a bit.

You sound like you are staying in several places for long enough that a loaf of bread and carton of milk will last and you won't have to toss it.

Look for generic boxes of cereal and other things that will help stretch your budget (pasta is very cheap and very filling!). C'mon- who hasn't had a bowl of cereal for dinner occasionally?

Cheese and bread, veggies. Really, you can eat on a low budget. I do it all the time. While I enjoy a nice meal out once in awhile, it is an exception, not a rule.

Last trip to Italy, I fixed dinner for my nephew and I for about 2 bucks each. Pasta with fresh tomatoes, garlic, evoo(which many apartments have on hand- ours did) and oregano. Garlic bread and fresh broccoli. Easy-paasy!

I am extremely jealous! Very few people get to tour so much of the world at one time. I sincerely hope you remember it all, and take the time to enjoy each city/country's food, culture, history and people.

The journal idea is good. But you can also use the "notes" function on your Iphone if you have one. Here is something I do that might work for you: When I get to a new place, the first day I buy about 10 postcards. Each night, I address one to my home address. And then I write on it the highlights of that day- while they'e fresh in my memory. They make for a great travel "souvenir" when you get home. I then mail them to myself.

It is lovely to get home and I have these postcards to relive my trip. "Today, we climbed to the top of the dome at St. Peter's. The views were incomparable. Had our first gelato and met a lovely couple from Turkey while we were on the Vatican tour."

One final note- in case you had not thought of it. You really should have trip insurance. At least check to make sure your health insurance will cover you while you're out of the country. If not, check out insuremytrip.com. It lets you compare hundreds of policies from different companies, side-by-side, so you can compare coverage and costs.

Have a wonderful trip! I am SO going to bounce back to your name to see your trip reports!

jordan_wyvill

I bought travel insurance (and insured expensive item for an agreed value) 12 months ago. A friend of my parents works for Medibank told me as soon as I had dates and spent a cent on my holiday to buy it as 'Resumption of Journey' begins from the time of purchase ie. trip is cancelled due to illness. I've also begun itemising everything I'm taking electronically with receipt photos on my ipad (which I'm taking instead of a laptop). I've also had all my vaccinations booked all my tours, flights, accommodation, and estimated the cost of rail (added up ticket costs at the current time + 10% in case they change). I'm pretty much just waiting to leave. I opted for a prepaid cash card which I copped a lot of flack for but my parents like them (as long as you know where the hidden costs are) and I like knowing exactly what I have to spend. OH! Random question ... I'm staying at all 2-4 star hotels or well reviewed self contained apartments - I'm told the usually will have a relevant adaptor for Australian travellers electrical appliance? If I should by one do the countries I'm visiting all use the same point ?

Hans

I agree with Mainhattengirl, 50 euro is plenty if you haven't got too great expectations.

Hooameye

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power_plugs_and_sockets

cathies

You need to provide your own adapters, there's absolutely no guarantee that your accommodation will supply them.