Spending money in Germany and Portugal
 

Looking for any bit of advice I can get!!

I am going on a twelve day trip with a friend from college to Berlin, Germany and lisbon, Portugal. We will be spending 5 days in Germany/7 days in Portugal (one of those nights being in Algarve). I am wondering what suggestions on spending money would be? I am not necessarily wanting to be "cheap" I want to experience these places to the best of my ability but in a money smart way. How much should I plan on spending each day? The trip is coming quickly and I have had some unexpected expenses come up so please feel free to give me any advice you may have!!

By the way, all airfare/hotels and some breakfasts have been paid for.

Lisbon is cheap. You can get dinner with half a bottle of wine for about E15 to E20, depending on the number of courses. You can check sightseeing prices on line. Bus/metro passes are also cheap (E5/E6) as are taxis. Taxi from central Lisbon to the airport is about E10 to E12.

Dinner portions in Portugal are very large. A half portion is enough for one person (sometimes more than enough). A portion will feed 2 people.

If you check out the Let's Go STudent Guide and the Thorn Tree section of the Loney PLanet web site you will find a lot of trips for budget travel.

The most basic figure seems to be about 50 euros per person per day (but that includes couchsurfing or camping or modest hostel) but won;t cover trains or flights between cities.

This may be enough to cover food if you have modest appetites - if you have larger ones sharing a meal won;t work - even if a restaurant would let you do it. Soft drinks are very small and very expensive - beer or wine is often cheaper. Hard liquor or mixed drinks can be shockingly expensive.

Portugal portions are NOT large compared to the US although they are larger than some other places in europe.

I would make sure you have access to way more than you plan on spending on your credit cards and in checking account via ATM card.

Sorry - you can go online and see the exact cost of major sights as well as check out that to some modest places to eat.

I asked for half portions in every restaurant in Portugal and got them. It was never a problem. It was a tip I learned on this board. There were a couple of restaurants where I couldn't finish a half portion - it would have easily fed two people. In Obidos I ordered a mixed salad that was so huge I had to cancel my pasta main course as I was full. Of course, there was room for gelato!

In Portugal you have to pay for the bread, cheese, and olives that are automatically put on your table. Just say no thanks to those as they will add substantially to your bill.

Wine is so cheap in the restaurants. A bottle will cost less than a glass in the US.

Meals in Germany were large. I haven't yet been to Berlin but I should think the portions will be about what they are in other German cities.

Not needing to tip will save money. You can round up the bill if you want to do that so you leave maybe a Euro on the table.

Berlin can also be cheap but don't wander into any strip joints ar you will be amazed at how much champagne you find on your bill

Wine, you will often find jug wine included in the meal of the day in Portugal and free tap water, but you will also find bottled water and fizzy drinks expensive. Also tap beer is way cheaper than bottled beer.

>>> We will be spending 5 days in Germany <<<

You can live very cheap in Germany. Public transportation is efficient and cheap. Usually you can buy day passes for an amount of something around € 5.

Food and drink is also inexpensive. You can buy prepared cold (and sometimes warm) food in grocery stores and softdrinks/beer/wine/liquor as well.

In Germany, it is perfectly acceptable to sit on a park bench and have a picnic including beverages of every kind including alcoholic beverages. I would suggest to bring plastic plates, cutlery, plastic glasses and bottle openers.

Also, in every German town you find lots of streetstands and fast-food eateries serving inexpensive food, e.g. sausages and chips, pizza, Turkish döner or Asian food. Especially in train stations, you find usally an array of eateries of all kinds.

The quality of food is often surprisingly good, e.g. fresh-squeezed juices or lobster sandwiches.

For € 3 to 6 you can get a filling meal.

In the town centres, many restaurants offer inexpensive lunch, too. The daily lunch goes usually at € 6 plus beverage (€ 2).

In sum, for € 20 a day, you will be able to go around and feed yourself. Add € 10 for museum entrance fees, and you will go.

Appetites differ a lot. at that age my brother could empty the refrigerator in a couple of hours - and once he and a friend came home from practice and had meat loaf sandwiches as a snack - but it was the entire large meat leaf that was supposed to be a dinner for 4 people. And he still had a full dinner 3 hours later.

Some people eat much more lightly.

Only the OP knows how much s/he and the friend will eat.

Many places in euorpe (Italy, France) have portions much smaller than in the US - since they tend to eat more courses Germany does tend to have largr portions (but NOT larger than the US). Have been to Portugal only twice - but never noticed any specially large amount of food - except for the ubiquitous olives.

"Many places in euorpe (Italy, France) have portions much smaller than in the US - since they tend to eat more courses"

Nothing to do with the fact that many German males get a large proportion of their nutrition from beer or that many Americans are pretty overweight. :-)

While the above may certainly be true - it has nothing to do with the size of portions in other places. And the OP should have a number of perspectives so they can make their own decisions.

If you are used to one size of portion - and are told another place has portions that are twice as big, which turns out not to actually be the case - it can adversely affect their ability to make informed budget decisions.

I'm not advocating people gorge themselves - and many times in the US I can't finish the entire meal but obviously many/most people do - and expect to see the same size portions other places. (I have heard american in Italian restaurant complain about small portion size, that multiple veggies don't come automatically with the main course, but must be ordered separately - so I think perspective can be very helpful.)

Been in Germany for a few weeks....I budget high and it's been cheap (I'm traveling with someone on a budget and am spending a lot less than I normally would).

Doner will save you a ton - 3.00 euros for a doner and it's super filling.
Sandwichs at cafes look to be running in the 4 euro range.
Soda/water will set you back about 2 euros (no free water here)
A bigger meal with meat/potatoes can run from 10-20 euros

<Doner will save you a ton - 3.00 euros for a doner and it's super filling> describes a typical "fuel stop", not a pleasant meal of good quality local cuisine.

But yes, you can actually dine inexpensively if you look around, but a decent meal of the day will be at least in the €20 range. Anything less will include a cheaper cut of meat or a lower quality seafood dish. It's the same everywhere in Europe.