Where to go for $4000?
 

My wife and I would like to go to Europe for Christmas and New Years. (We have to go at that time of year because of our jobs). We would like to spend no more than $4000 total for two weeks. (We can go for less time, but not longer than 2 weeks.) Is this a realitstic budget and where should we go? Is there a part of Europe that is less expensive? We would like to stay in decent hotels, not luxury, but not youth hostels either. Thanks for the advice!

Yup, i think you can go to Europe with that amount but i sugguest you go to the countires that are not as expensive. From my travels i have found Turkey, Portugal,Belguim, Spain and Prague to be cheaper than France, switzerland, England or Italy. Hope i was some help to you.

You could do Paris--it just wouldn't be two weeks, perhaps a week to ten days. It also depends on whether you are including the flight in your $4,000.

&lt;&lt;depends on whether you are including the flight in your $4,000.&gt;&gt;<BR><BR>and flying from where..<BR><BR>and what currency... CAD? AUD? or USD? or something else called "$" ?<BR><BR>Anyhow, I would think that warmer (more southern) might appeal more than Paris.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

That is an ample budget for Paris and France if you can get a pretty good airfare, stay in a 2* hotel, do some picnicking for lunch and cafes for breakfast--good places for dinner (or lunch). I think England would eat it up quick and probably Italy. France is still the bargain spot.

Sean, See my budget article at slowtrav.com It is for Italy, but would also apply to Spain and Portugal.<BR>Start with the airfare. If you find a deal for your dates for no more than $1300 for both then that will help.

$4000 should not be a problem as long as you stick to Spain, France, Portugal or Italy, including airfare. I recommend you look at go-today.com, untours and agritourism (for Italy). I am going to Tuscany during the same time as you and expect to spend only $3000, including a car for a week. Good luck.

topping, for Sean<BR><BR>

It's hard to say not knowing where you are flying from. As a wild budget say $1000 @ for a plane ticket to Paris, and $100 per night for a hotel = $3400USD. That only leaves $43USD per day spending money for 2 people. Not going to cut it.<BR><BR>To save on expenses maybe look into countryside villages, not cities. Don't move around alot, just pick one place. Target a less expensive country as others have mentioned above (i.e. Spain not Switzerland!).

Choose to stay in one country and stay in Belgium for this trip. Fly to Brussels. Stay in a hotel near the city center so you can stroll around the Grand Place several times. Walk to the train and train it out to Bruges and enjoy that town, stay overnight. Branch out from there, or train it to Paris for 3 days . . . You can do this.

This is a toughie! If I'm going somewhere for longer than a week (which is almost never) I try to think in terms of $1000/week - includes everything except shopping which I do little of. In 1999 I spent a month in England (one week in London) and spent $5000 including a rental car in May. Your flight will be much lower in winter unless the holidays offset it. Paris was much less expensive (spent a month there last year). I fly from the California so add $300 more for airfare to Europe. I also spent a month in southern Germany and probably spent about $3000-$4000 including a rental car. Of the three, Germany was the cheapest overall. And, I loved all of these places. If you like more info on any of this, please e-mail me directly. Have other ideas but Christmas in any of above sounds special to me.

do you want to stay put or wander? any sort of transportation once you get to where you are going, is gonna cost ya. <BR><BR>figure 100 bucks a night, average, for the hotel - 1400. figure at least a grand total for tickets (more expensive to fly over holidays, so if you are east coast maybe only 500 each). <BR><BR>right there is 2400 bucks and you have not gone anywhere or done anything. <BR><BR>you have a little over 100 bucks a day to wander around, for the two of you. you would likely be able to pay a little less for the hotel, but don't count on it - the euro has made things more expensive. <BR><BR>maybe cut it down to a 10 day trip? your money would go a little farther. you'd effectively have 200 bucks a day spending money, then. (1000 plane tix, 1000 for ten nights in a hotel).<BR><BR>another way to look at it - expect to spend at least 200-250 per day per person for EVERYTHING you do - plane tix, hotel, food, spending $$. This again makes 10 days look better...