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So my family and I may be going to a European destination on a big vacation this year or the next. I've never vacationed to Europe, so I figured I'd ask anyone who's been to the destinations below (hopefully with a family), so I can get a more accurate estimate of what I am possibly going to spend.
About us:
1. Family of four. My wife and I, our two daughters (currently 5 and 11)
2. Simple Needs. We're a middle class family. I definitely don't need pricey top of the line hotels, but then again, I don't want to stay in hostels. Affordable, and comfortable, yet not trashy, or run down/dangerous areas
3. I'm a foodie. Part of my joy of experiencing new places is the food. I don't want to blow a whole budget on food, but from time to time we may sit down and eat at restaurants, etc. Mostly we'll try to find a comfortable median between affordable local foods and sit down restaurants, for finer tastes.
4. Sights. We will be enjoying the common sites. So there's cost of museum entrances, access fees, bus/train in-city travel fees.
5. Souvenirs. Of course, we'll want some souvenirs, nothing too crazy or out of hand.
I'm not asking for an itemized breakdown, just a ballpark figure on what I'm looking to spend to have a comfortable, good time, while still keeping the cost down wherever I can. Maybe a rough estimate of what you and y our family spent when you went.
The destinations I'm looking at are:
1. London
2. Paris
3. Rome/Venice
4. Germany/Austria
5. Greece (I've always been a greek myth geek, so I would love to see all the temples, but in its current state, is Greece a viable, enjoyable destination still?)
Anyway, thanks to anyone in advance with any help they can offer.
Those are places right in the beaten path of millions...why don't you visit very interesting yet cheaper places? Portugal, Poland, Baltic countries, Bulgaria, Greece.
But why is that? Probably because those are the cities well represented in the media and by your colleagues and friends who have visited before, right? They seem familiar and you know stuff about them and that is likely to be why you would like to go there. I bet if you spent even just a little bit of time reading about other major European cities in less obvious countries, you would be just as fascinated and compelled to visit some place less beaten. I'm not telling you what to do, just that you have to work a little bit to have a unique experience. Also, the less popular cities are usually way cheaper, and it's simply not true that if somewhere isn't busy, that there's a negative reason.
Those cities/countries will be expensive, but the worst would be London and Paris. I'm not sure what budget advice to give you since I only travel solo and as a cheapskate so I just don't know how to estimate. A decent meal in a restaurant that is not a tourist trap (those with big pixelated photos of famous foods and a menu in every language) should be similarly priced as in North America. Depends what kind of meal you're looking for though.
What kind of accommodation are you looking for? You don't necessarily have to go for hotels, sometimes you can find large multi-bed rooms for rent. Apartments are also sometimes more economically sound if you stay for at least a week or so. Plus, you can cook at 'home' some nights and play around with the local ingredients, which you might enjoy as a foodie. Just check on local classified rent pages, and don't pay til you see the room or you can be scammed easily. Also, check out https://www.airbnb.en for a safe way to rent rooms in advance. The only thing that sucks is they charge a percentage of the renter's asking rates as a service fee. But still, you can search something in your price range so it's easy and cheap.
I figure if you are vacationing middle class-ish, you can do decent with around €60-100 euros per day per person (probably less than half if you are looking at kids) depending on how lodging works out for you. Typically museums and things like that are a couple of Euros anyways for kids, and usually around 10ish if you are a nonstudent/senior.
AND most important of all: don't rush through destination to destination. It's usually best to spend at least a couple of weeks overseas if you're going all the way to Europe and making the investment. Fewer places with longer, more relaxed stays is way easier on your psyche, body, kids, and enjoyment. 3-4 days a city with a population over a million is very wise, typically. Just take your time or you'll be seeing Europe through a window. 3-4 cities in two weeks is more rewarding than hustling every 1.5 days.
Last edited by Rozenn; 04-25-2014 at 05:24 PM..
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Because I don't know if this is the only time I'll ever get there and if it is I rather go to these places that have all the art and history I've admired most of my life. Why is it such a hassle? You guys experience and live life and travel as you wish, and I will do the same.
If someone asked me for advice on visiting portland Oregon I wouldn't ask them why they're going there of all places and then try to convince them to visit other cities. I would give them the info they asked for
Because I don't know if this is the only time I'll ever get there and if it is I rather go to these places that have all the art and history I've admired most of my life. Why is it such a hassle? You guys experience and live life and travel as you wish, and I will do the same.
If someone asked me for advice on visiting portland Oregon I wouldn't ask them why they're going there of all places and then try to convince them to visit other cities. I would give them the info they asked for
I gave you info that might benefit you and then extra. But I also don't know you or if you're aware of other nearby destinations in Europe, and maybe at some point someone (if not you) may take advice about looking in to other countries less visited but equally interesting in terms of culture, art, architecture, and food. So why should I not try to encourage that?
Difficult to choose but if you like good food the best of those places are Germany and Greece, Greece can be too hot in summer but swimming in the Aegean sea is wonderful, and Germany has great cities.
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