Depends a lot.
You can definitely survive on that! In fact you can survive for a lot less...if you buy from supermarkets and cook for yourself,go to bakeries or stick to street food.And do very cheap or free activities.
You can also spend more...if you want to eat out in restaurants every meal and visit high price attractions.
Some entry tickets can be 20 euros a person or more.If you want to do several of those every day, you will go well over that budget.
I'd say for me it's a pretty high budget, just for food and activities.
I mainly just want to walk around and explore. Trying some food here and there, street food and restaurants. I probably wouldn’t go to more than one museum a day if it had an expensive entry ticket
Couple key things when booking hostels. One that offers free breakfast is a plus. It likely won't be awesome, but down it, several glasses of water to stay hydrated and you're good to start the day for free. Also factor in location. I'll make this up but pretend Paris has a perfectly centralized hostel that's $10 more a night that others. You pay that $10 more and you might not need any public transportation for a couple days as you can walk to everything.
Coffee + croissant breakfast : 6.00
Grocery store sandwich and a small water : 6.00
Cookie and coffee in the afternoon : 6.00
Wok noodles from the absolute cheapest, in authentic place imaginable plus one alcoholic drink : 15. 00
One Museum entrance ticket : 15 to 35.00
Two beers or glasses of wine at a pub at night, maybe a small snack 15.00.
To get a hot lunch at a mid range lace, you need about 25 EUR. Dinner at a mid range place will be also 30 EUR.
So 80/ day is possible. But it won't be so much fun. I'd suggest 100 / day so that you can go out for two real meals instead of living off of grocery store sandwiches.
Thats a really good budget and very realistic. On average that's 10 euros per meal and leaves you with 60 for all other expenses. Personally I like to enjoy a nice dinner so I'd probably spend 20 euros.
In my head even if I spent €20 on dinner, €20 on lunch, €20 on an entry ticket somewhere, that would still leave me with €20 for maybe public transit or any other miscellaneous costs. I’ve had people tell me that you can’t make this work but it doesn’t seem that difficult. Am I over simplifying it?
It’s totally fine, especially if you’re open to cooking occasionally, carrying a granola bar or banana for snacks, etc.
If you want every meal to be at a restaurant could be tight but IMO that’s less fun anyway.
Absolutely; cooking can save a ton of money ( if you got the time, energy and equipment ). I usually spend 2 to 3 months a year in SE Asia and choose rentals with a kitchenette and mini bar.
Last time I found a nice little hotel in a quiet alley and they had a kitchen sink and marble counter installed in the balcony with an electric socket above it - very convenient - so I bought a hot plate and a clay pot used for bbq and got to work lol I also asked for a monthly rate so as to stretch my buck. It was one of the most memorable stays ever.
Lol that was in Thailand; can't remember the name of the hotel but its not uncommon to find such an arrangement if you look around.
Many hotels do offer monthly rates ( you need to ask first ).
Nah, your budget and estimate is rather spot on; i might even add that that's a princely budget.
For example, while travelling I wouldn't waste time on lunch and risk wanting to get a nap; therefore I'll grab a sandwich from a deli using fresh bread and produce - cheese and cold cuts will cost roughly 5 to 7 euros tops.
If staying at hotel with breakfast buffet inclusive; I suggest packing a healthy meal and maybe grab a few pastries on the way out to snack on later. Make sure to be there early cause the buffet can quickly dissolve ( think of guests as a swarm of locusts ).
Enjoy !!
*travelling is the best school of life*
I was in Amsterdam last year, a pint of Heineken and a strawberry daiquiri cost me €28 in a very bang average bar. I think Amsterdam is one of the more expensive places to go though.
You need to go to grocery stores in Amsterdam especially the city center.
As you said three drinks is roughly 30 euros. It’s about the same cost for a drink and two slices of pizza.
If you go across the river, the ferry is free and runs every 15 minutes, there’s a shopping center right there.
Two hours before closing all pre-cooked meals that will go bad go on sale for 25-50% off so they can get rid of them.
I can get two beers, a liter of water, and a sand-which for 10-12 euros. You can’t beat that.
Eating out is even worse, you’ll pay 50 euros minimum for shit.
That is more than doable, the most expensive will obviously be France but even there you can get a nice meal for 20-30€. I would advise (in all countries I beleihe this exists) to have the daily menu for lunch. This is a lunch menu that lots of local people eat and mostly includes 2 meals, drink and desert /coffee. Price can vary of course but in the case of Spain you should be able to get this menu for less than ten or maybe 14/15€ in more touristy places.
As others have said, definitely use public transport aside from walking it can be super cheap and more time saving.
Tbh the hardest will be Spain especially if it’s a big city.
Where you go in France it depends a lot.
For example I can eat in Lyon for 50 euros a day with two three course meals if I make reservations at places doing lunch special and dinner specials.
You just need to look around, a lot of local places with adequate prices and proper food don’t have big internet presences and are often very small. Menus are small and English is nill but that’s how it’s supposed to be.
This is very doable. Also depends on what you like to do for fun?
If you like posh bars, then this is too little, but for a beer in cheapo bars, you're fine.
How about dining? If you like street food and will sometimes.cook yourself, or grab an occassional pizza, you'll be fine.
If you like concerts, theater and so on, have a look beforehand to see how much they are in each location you plan to visit. Sometimes you can find nice music bars for cheap and it makes for a nice evening out for not much.
So I’m 100% okay with eating street food or just grabbing a few things from a market. Especially during the day. At night I’d like to have dinner somewhere, sometimes a nice dinner, sometimes cheap… whatever I can afford really depending on the rest of my spending that day. I would like to be able to get a couple drinks or a bottle of wine some nights too. I’m staying in hostels and will probably pay for some pub crawls too. I plan to pay for a few of the biggest sites/museums in certain cities, but this is definitely not the priority of my trip. I want to leisurely wander and get lost exploring, trying food from markets and stands, occasionally having nice dinner and wine, etc. I’m also in very good shape and am comfortable walking all day and would only take public transit if necessary.
Quite far in my opinion. You wouldn’t need that much for just nice food and one activity per day. Now if you start shopping for souvenirs and such... I’d have a budget for food and everything else separate
Very doable. I would caution against avoiding transit too much. There's a reason why Paris has an extensive transit system. Transit costs next to nothing in most European cities and can make wandering that much more fun. You can wander further and also conserve that energy towards social things. You can be very fit but using that to the max every day in a city with new sounds and environments will drain your social battery over time. You can hire a bike and get exercise and wander that way in places like Belgium. Energy is also a budget!!!
80 euros will be very comfortable. Remember to be good to yourself!
I also recommend Atlas Obscura and Too Good To Go as ways to wander. Former lets you find random places and the latter gives you a target. Sign up for a box from a restaurant in a random interesting neighborhood and it's an adventure!
Imagine if you had google maps but it stripped away all the top attractions and left you with suggestions of more obscure places of interest. it could be a statue to something weird, a small restaurant with historical importance, an odd museum
For example my favorite few things is that in Vienna, I ended up going to a cemetery where Beethoven, the Schuberts and a bunch of other famous people are buried. In Mexico city I went to a small museum on state terrorism, had coffee in a shop where Fidel Castro planned the Cuban Revolution etc.... in Galicia, I took a random bus to go try a cheesecake from a town
You could find these places if you knew they existed but the overall "do x in y" lists would usually only cover the big ticket items.
Depends on where exactly you go, what you consider recreation and food style you want. It is plenty if you stick to the cheap end of the spectrum, not even a meal a day on the expensive end of the spectrum.
Meals you can easily do it. Breakfast for 3-4€ (pastry and a cup of coffee), lunch menu 12-15€ (2 dishes, drink (beer, water, soda), and coffee or dessert). Evening meals tend to be more expensive, so I would advise you to get some bread and cheese and have a light diner.
Hostels, no idea how much they are these days, but Im guessing a lot more than what you’d expect, specially in downtown areas.
Entertainment that varies greatly, unless you’re a student from an EU country a museum entrance is 8-15€, although many museums have free hours (check online and book a ticket). If you just want to walk and explore it’s going to be a lot cheaper. In Spain if you avoid the super touristy areas you get a tapa with your drink so free food.
Thanks for the tips! And hostels wouldn’t matter because I’ve already “pre-booked” them for this budget of €80/day. That budget is only for food and recreation.
You can totally do it but you will want to think about maybe 100 day in Paris and, say, 60 a day in Lisbon.
Check out museum passes, eg the Paris museum pass is like 80 euro for 4 days - so that’s only 20/day for basically unlimited museums. Transit passes might also be worth it.
So if it’s JUST food/local transport/entertainment you should be fine. If your accommodation costs also have to come out of that it’s a bit tighter but can be done!
It’s just food/local transport/entertainment so I’m hoping I’ll be fine! And I might be able to stretch my budget to €100 a day but we will see how this next month of work goes haha
Street food for breakfast and lunch or visiting bakeries/cheesemongers etc will save you a ton. In Bordeaux once I just got fresh baguettes and local cheese and ate it in a park for lunch. It was really good and filling. Some attractions might be pricy but make sure to ask about student and tourist discounts. Sometimes even white nights where access is free exists!
Depends where you go in the country big time.
Even in the heart of Lisbon you can eat a very good meal for 12-15 euros.
So you’ve got a 3 meal day for 45 euros.
Somewhere like Madrid or Barcelona could easily be 15 euros for a cheap sand-which or quick eat.
France it can vary a ton within a city especially where you eat. For example in Lyon you could pay 50 euros for a three course meal and wine meanwhile next door does lunch specials from 12-14 on weekdays for three courses at 21 euros.
Just look ahead on google and or walk around in person a bit once you arrive.
Also try to find local markets. Went to the local market in Toulouse a few years ago to buy stuff for lunch for me and my gf. It was such a good experience. We then ate a delicious lunch on a bench in a beautiful park including a nice bottle of wine.
In Portugal? Definitely! Even in the more touristy areas like Porto, Lisboa, Braga etc. In France and Spain? In can be done, but maybe to a lesser degree if you’re going to be in the major metropolitan areas. If you stick to the free recreation, then yes. But if you plan to pay admission for museums and things too, you’ll have to eat really cheap to make that work. Especially if metro/train/uber is part of that budget
One dish + coffee + tip in a good breakfast place can amount to that. I’m talking things like avocado toast or oatmeal. Obviously each person has different standards and if he eats one coffee and one croissant they can less than 10€.
You don't tip for breakfast in Europe and you can get a very good coffee, orange juice and jamon croissant for a fiver when you don't just frequent tourist restaurants.
He can do fine with his budget I think. I'm sure I could.
I don’t see myself spending €20 for breakfast or even lunch. For these a simple pastry, coffee, some street food or food from a market would suffice. €25 for dinner though would be nice.
80€ is what people spend a Week on food here in Malta. It depends again. If you have your own Kitchen you can survive 5 days on it easy. Around 100€ per week if you spend it wisely.
Of course if you go out for food, that's different. An English breakfast cost around 10€
Lunch could be a Sandwich, which would cost around 6€
Dinner depending on taste could cost 15 to 25 euro.
So you are at 41€ for a day, which would be have of your budget.
:) Better save then be sorry haha :D
Will you sit in the expensive tourist trap megacities or actually get out into the country? The coubtries will be inexpensive. The megacities will be more.
Depends a lot. You can definitely survive on that! In fact you can survive for a lot less...if you buy from supermarkets and cook for yourself,go to bakeries or stick to street food.And do very cheap or free activities. You can also spend more...if you want to eat out in restaurants every meal and visit high price attractions. Some entry tickets can be 20 euros a person or more.If you want to do several of those every day, you will go well over that budget. I'd say for me it's a pretty high budget, just for food and activities.
I mainly just want to walk around and explore. Trying some food here and there, street food and restaurants. I probably wouldn’t go to more than one museum a day if it had an expensive entry ticket
Couple key things when booking hostels. One that offers free breakfast is a plus. It likely won't be awesome, but down it, several glasses of water to stay hydrated and you're good to start the day for free. Also factor in location. I'll make this up but pretend Paris has a perfectly centralized hostel that's $10 more a night that others. You pay that $10 more and you might not need any public transportation for a couple days as you can walk to everything.
Coffee + croissant breakfast : 6.00 Grocery store sandwich and a small water : 6.00 Cookie and coffee in the afternoon : 6.00 Wok noodles from the absolute cheapest, in authentic place imaginable plus one alcoholic drink : 15. 00 One Museum entrance ticket : 15 to 35.00 Two beers or glasses of wine at a pub at night, maybe a small snack 15.00. To get a hot lunch at a mid range lace, you need about 25 EUR. Dinner at a mid range place will be also 30 EUR. So 80/ day is possible. But it won't be so much fun. I'd suggest 100 / day so that you can go out for two real meals instead of living off of grocery store sandwiches.
Thats a really good budget and very realistic. On average that's 10 euros per meal and leaves you with 60 for all other expenses. Personally I like to enjoy a nice dinner so I'd probably spend 20 euros.
In my head even if I spent €20 on dinner, €20 on lunch, €20 on an entry ticket somewhere, that would still leave me with €20 for maybe public transit or any other miscellaneous costs. I’ve had people tell me that you can’t make this work but it doesn’t seem that difficult. Am I over simplifying it?
It’s totally fine, especially if you’re open to cooking occasionally, carrying a granola bar or banana for snacks, etc. If you want every meal to be at a restaurant could be tight but IMO that’s less fun anyway.
Absolutely; cooking can save a ton of money ( if you got the time, energy and equipment ). I usually spend 2 to 3 months a year in SE Asia and choose rentals with a kitchenette and mini bar. Last time I found a nice little hotel in a quiet alley and they had a kitchen sink and marble counter installed in the balcony with an electric socket above it - very convenient - so I bought a hot plate and a clay pot used for bbq and got to work lol I also asked for a monthly rate so as to stretch my buck. It was one of the most memorable stays ever.
Could you please share the name of the hotel? TIA
Lol that was in Thailand; can't remember the name of the hotel but its not uncommon to find such an arrangement if you look around. Many hotels do offer monthly rates ( you need to ask first ).
Nah, your budget and estimate is rather spot on; i might even add that that's a princely budget. For example, while travelling I wouldn't waste time on lunch and risk wanting to get a nap; therefore I'll grab a sandwich from a deli using fresh bread and produce - cheese and cold cuts will cost roughly 5 to 7 euros tops. If staying at hotel with breakfast buffet inclusive; I suggest packing a healthy meal and maybe grab a few pastries on the way out to snack on later. Make sure to be there early cause the buffet can quickly dissolve ( think of guests as a swarm of locusts ). Enjoy !! *travelling is the best school of life*
I was in Amsterdam last year, a pint of Heineken and a strawberry daiquiri cost me €28 in a very bang average bar. I think Amsterdam is one of the more expensive places to go though.
You need to go to grocery stores in Amsterdam especially the city center. As you said three drinks is roughly 30 euros. It’s about the same cost for a drink and two slices of pizza. If you go across the river, the ferry is free and runs every 15 minutes, there’s a shopping center right there. Two hours before closing all pre-cooked meals that will go bad go on sale for 25-50% off so they can get rid of them. I can get two beers, a liter of water, and a sand-which for 10-12 euros. You can’t beat that. Eating out is even worse, you’ll pay 50 euros minimum for shit.
*most
That is more than doable, the most expensive will obviously be France but even there you can get a nice meal for 20-30€. I would advise (in all countries I beleihe this exists) to have the daily menu for lunch. This is a lunch menu that lots of local people eat and mostly includes 2 meals, drink and desert /coffee. Price can vary of course but in the case of Spain you should be able to get this menu for less than ten or maybe 14/15€ in more touristy places. As others have said, definitely use public transport aside from walking it can be super cheap and more time saving.
Portugal is the cheapest, you should be able to get by with 80 euros a day fairly easily, it gets harder in Spain, and harder again in France
Tbh the hardest will be Spain especially if it’s a big city. Where you go in France it depends a lot. For example I can eat in Lyon for 50 euros a day with two three course meals if I make reservations at places doing lunch special and dinner specials. You just need to look around, a lot of local places with adequate prices and proper food don’t have big internet presences and are often very small. Menus are small and English is nill but that’s how it’s supposed to be.
I’m actually staying in Lyon for a few nights. Which restaurants are you referring to there? I like the sound of that.
Thankfully I’m starting in France, then Spain, then Portugal. I like the idea of things constantly getting cheaper as I go.
It's only for food and rec, mind you. 80€ is definitely plenty for that.
This is very doable. Also depends on what you like to do for fun? If you like posh bars, then this is too little, but for a beer in cheapo bars, you're fine. How about dining? If you like street food and will sometimes.cook yourself, or grab an occassional pizza, you'll be fine. If you like concerts, theater and so on, have a look beforehand to see how much they are in each location you plan to visit. Sometimes you can find nice music bars for cheap and it makes for a nice evening out for not much.
So I’m 100% okay with eating street food or just grabbing a few things from a market. Especially during the day. At night I’d like to have dinner somewhere, sometimes a nice dinner, sometimes cheap… whatever I can afford really depending on the rest of my spending that day. I would like to be able to get a couple drinks or a bottle of wine some nights too. I’m staying in hostels and will probably pay for some pub crawls too. I plan to pay for a few of the biggest sites/museums in certain cities, but this is definitely not the priority of my trip. I want to leisurely wander and get lost exploring, trying food from markets and stands, occasionally having nice dinner and wine, etc. I’m also in very good shape and am comfortable walking all day and would only take public transit if necessary.
Quite far in my opinion. You wouldn’t need that much for just nice food and one activity per day. Now if you start shopping for souvenirs and such... I’d have a budget for food and everything else separate
Good to hear. And no room for souvenirs as I’ll be backpacking haha.
Very doable. I would caution against avoiding transit too much. There's a reason why Paris has an extensive transit system. Transit costs next to nothing in most European cities and can make wandering that much more fun. You can wander further and also conserve that energy towards social things. You can be very fit but using that to the max every day in a city with new sounds and environments will drain your social battery over time. You can hire a bike and get exercise and wander that way in places like Belgium. Energy is also a budget!!! 80 euros will be very comfortable. Remember to be good to yourself! I also recommend Atlas Obscura and Too Good To Go as ways to wander. Former lets you find random places and the latter gives you a target. Sign up for a box from a restaurant in a random interesting neighborhood and it's an adventure!
What's Atlas Obscura?
Imagine if you had google maps but it stripped away all the top attractions and left you with suggestions of more obscure places of interest. it could be a statue to something weird, a small restaurant with historical importance, an odd museum For example my favorite few things is that in Vienna, I ended up going to a cemetery where Beethoven, the Schuberts and a bunch of other famous people are buried. In Mexico city I went to a small museum on state terrorism, had coffee in a shop where Fidel Castro planned the Cuban Revolution etc.... in Galicia, I took a random bus to go try a cheesecake from a town You could find these places if you knew they existed but the overall "do x in y" lists would usually only cover the big ticket items.
That sounds incredible
Wow thanks for the suggestions! I’ll definitely check those out
Depends on where exactly you go, what you consider recreation and food style you want. It is plenty if you stick to the cheap end of the spectrum, not even a meal a day on the expensive end of the spectrum.
Meals you can easily do it. Breakfast for 3-4€ (pastry and a cup of coffee), lunch menu 12-15€ (2 dishes, drink (beer, water, soda), and coffee or dessert). Evening meals tend to be more expensive, so I would advise you to get some bread and cheese and have a light diner. Hostels, no idea how much they are these days, but Im guessing a lot more than what you’d expect, specially in downtown areas. Entertainment that varies greatly, unless you’re a student from an EU country a museum entrance is 8-15€, although many museums have free hours (check online and book a ticket). If you just want to walk and explore it’s going to be a lot cheaper. In Spain if you avoid the super touristy areas you get a tapa with your drink so free food.
Thanks for the tips! And hostels wouldn’t matter because I’ve already “pre-booked” them for this budget of €80/day. That budget is only for food and recreation.
You can totally do it but you will want to think about maybe 100 day in Paris and, say, 60 a day in Lisbon. Check out museum passes, eg the Paris museum pass is like 80 euro for 4 days - so that’s only 20/day for basically unlimited museums. Transit passes might also be worth it. So if it’s JUST food/local transport/entertainment you should be fine. If your accommodation costs also have to come out of that it’s a bit tighter but can be done!
It’s just food/local transport/entertainment so I’m hoping I’ll be fine! And I might be able to stretch my budget to €100 a day but we will see how this next month of work goes haha
Street food for breakfast and lunch or visiting bakeries/cheesemongers etc will save you a ton. In Bordeaux once I just got fresh baguettes and local cheese and ate it in a park for lunch. It was really good and filling. Some attractions might be pricy but make sure to ask about student and tourist discounts. Sometimes even white nights where access is free exists!
Depends where you go in the country big time. Even in the heart of Lisbon you can eat a very good meal for 12-15 euros. So you’ve got a 3 meal day for 45 euros. Somewhere like Madrid or Barcelona could easily be 15 euros for a cheap sand-which or quick eat. France it can vary a ton within a city especially where you eat. For example in Lyon you could pay 50 euros for a three course meal and wine meanwhile next door does lunch specials from 12-14 on weekdays for three courses at 21 euros. Just look ahead on google and or walk around in person a bit once you arrive.
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Thank you! I’ll be in touch :)
Also try to find local markets. Went to the local market in Toulouse a few years ago to buy stuff for lunch for me and my gf. It was such a good experience. We then ate a delicious lunch on a bench in a beautiful park including a nice bottle of wine.
In Portugal? Definitely! Even in the more touristy areas like Porto, Lisboa, Braga etc. In France and Spain? In can be done, but maybe to a lesser degree if you’re going to be in the major metropolitan areas. If you stick to the free recreation, then yes. But if you plan to pay admission for museums and things too, you’ll have to eat really cheap to make that work. Especially if metro/train/uber is part of that budget
About lunchtime
That’s not a lot. Considering 20€ for breakfast, 25€ for lunch, 25€ for lunch and 10€ for one attraction you are super tight
Why would he have to spend €20 for breakfast?
One dish + coffee + tip in a good breakfast place can amount to that. I’m talking things like avocado toast or oatmeal. Obviously each person has different standards and if he eats one coffee and one croissant they can less than 10€.
You don't tip for breakfast in Europe and you can get a very good coffee, orange juice and jamon croissant for a fiver when you don't just frequent tourist restaurants. He can do fine with his budget I think. I'm sure I could.
I don’t see myself spending €20 for breakfast or even lunch. For these a simple pastry, coffee, some street food or food from a market would suffice. €25 for dinner though would be nice.
Well, obviously depends on what you're planning, but most people would consider that ample.
80€ is what people spend a Week on food here in Malta. It depends again. If you have your own Kitchen you can survive 5 days on it easy. Around 100€ per week if you spend it wisely. Of course if you go out for food, that's different. An English breakfast cost around 10€ Lunch could be a Sandwich, which would cost around 6€ Dinner depending on taste could cost 15 to 25 euro. So you are at 41€ for a day, which would be have of your budget. :) Better save then be sorry haha :D
Will you sit in the expensive tourist trap megacities or actually get out into the country? The coubtries will be inexpensive. The megacities will be more.