Budget...

[veronica]

Ok, so I'm going crazy trying to figure out my backpacking budget...
I don't want to have an $8,000 budget because I'll feel like I'll never be able to do it; however, I feel uncomfortable not 'overbudgeting.'

This is what I've come up with:

$55 for 69 days is $3900.
14 out of those 69 days we'll be traveling from city to city, so we probably won't spend $55. Is that too much, just about right, or not enough?

Also, other than airfare and eurorail pass, what else should I take into consideration when creating my budget?

When I went to Dublin I spent about 10 Euros on food. Ireland, well, let's just say they're not well-known for their cuisine, so it was easy to not spend a lot of money on food. Still, in Italy, Spain, and France this will change. Should my budget change as well?

I'm also trying to take into consideration that three of the countries I'm visiting are in Eastern Europe, so hostels and attractions will be cheaper.

My conclusive questions is, does all of this even itself out? Will the money saved in Vienna be enough to "frivolously" spend money on food in Rome? Will saving money on tourist attraction in London (most of their museums are free!) save me some cash to spend in Barcelona? I just want to know if my budget is alright...because I'm freaking out about it even if it's eight months away...

[Elizabeth]

5 key elements of a budget:

-food: eat once a day plus maybe a snack or 2 10-15 euro

for example if you hit a crepe stand for a simple nutella crepe thats gonna be 3 euro..plus a soda is 1...see how something that simple adds up quickly!!

-culture/sightseeing/shopping?: 10 - 20 EUR per day

-alcohol: average 5 euro per beer x how many you want to drink? (I get bought drinks all the time, YMMV)

-accommodation:

15-20 euro

-transport:

cost of airfaire plus Eurail pass

So excluding transport, and going on 2 beers a night, that adds up to 60 euros a day or $75 x 69 = $5175. I would shoot for $5200-$5500.

None of your places are particularly cheap, except Prague but prices are always going up...its not how it used to be. Thankfully you are traveling just before high season so you shouldn't get slapped too badly by jacked up prices. Also - since your friend is coming with you this will help, you can split the costs of supermarket, etc.!

[marc873]

The budget will balance out, as one day you will go over budget, realize it, and go way under budget the next couple of days to make up for it...
My BEST ADVICE: Street food and Supermarkets!!! Especially Supermarkets for beer....
And with 2 of you, cooking in the hostel is dirt cheap!!!
And you will be surprised how cheap you can eat on the street too, and it will be amazing food!!! A tip, watch where the locals eat street food... Look for lines at street food vendors... That way you know its good food...
Budgets seem to always go to shit.... The best thing you can do, is just track it daily and make adjustments where you can... Dont sweat it, leave with what you think is the right amount and then let it happen on the road!!!!
After my 8 months in Central America, I forgot just how fucking expensive Europe is... I was in and out of EU for 3 yrs and LOVED it... But I also LOVE my $3.50 dorm rates in Central America!!!!

[veronica]

Originally Posted by Elizabeth

5 key elements of a budget:

-food: eat once a day plus maybe a snack or 2 10-15 euro

for example if you hit a crepe stand for a simple nutella crepe thats gonna be 3 euro..plus a soda is 1...see how something that simple adds up quickly!!

-culture/sightseeing/shopping?: 10 - 20 EUR per day

-alcohol: average 5 euro per beer x how many you want to drink? (I get bought drinks all the time, YMMV)

-accommodation:

15-20 euro

-transport:

cost of airfaire plus Eurail pass

So excluding transport, and going on 2 beers a night, that adds up to 60 euros a day or $75 x 69 = $5175. I would shoot for $5200-$5500.

None of your places are particularly cheap, except Prague but prices are always going up...its not how it used to be. Thankfully you are traveling just before high season so you shouldn't get slapped too badly by jacked up prices. Also - since your friend is coming with you this will help, you can split the costs of supermarket, etc.!

I was aiming towards $6,000 (everything included), so if I get a "cheap" flight I think $6,000 would work, right? $6,500 maybe?

Also, my friend told me prices go down by 30% (don't ask me where she got this info) in September. Would it be best to do the trip during Fall? I know I'd miss out on the sunny weather, but is the monetary difference (in terms of hostels, attractions) a lot? The fact that we probably won't be making 2 hour lines for museums is enticing as well.

What do you think?

Thanks again. I know I'm asking way too many questions...

[Elizabeth]

I would rather travel mid September to mid November. Its HOT AS HELL in June and July and NO A/C! Plus you can hit Oktoberfest if you're interested...it has eluded me for a long time now...maybe in '11!!

$6500 - $5200 expenses - $700 for your pass = $600 for airfare

I got JFK - LHR during the summer season for $585 via studentuniverse so its doable. I think I was seeing regular adult airfare to Dublin for $650 but I don't remember exactly.

[travelpunk]

Traveling in Sept is perfect in my opinion. I don't like places crowded when I roll into town. You shouldn't miss much sunshine too. I just got back from 3 weeks of August travel (Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Prague) and it was pretty much cloudy/sprinkling the entire time with patches of sunshine.

So far, I think your planned budget sounds good, but do you plan on staying in shared dorms, privates, or hotels?

[veronica]

I found a ticket for $650 total, so I'm confident that I won't go too over budget. I also have half of my budget, so by May, unless I break a leg and can't work for a few months, I'll have at least $7000. If I don't, I must have a major spending problem.

I thought hard about traveling in September, but I'd have to miss a semester of college. I'm already missing one and I don't want to delay my studies any longer. Plus I'm a French major, so if I don't take the class during fall, I'll have to wait until next semester and that really delays me from graduation.

[Elizabeth]

$7000 sounds like a really good plan...either you can live it up or come home not totally broke...or maybe a little of both!

[travelpunk]

because I'm freaking out about it even if it's eight months away...

Silly me. I wasn't even doing the math and totally didn't calculate this to be around May. May-June and early July are great for traveling too, in my opinion. Summer rush won't happen until mid-late July and you should see lots of sunshine (though you may have A/C issues as Elizabeth mentioned).

September is also great for better pricing and cooler temp and you will avoid the main tourist stampede (but, hey, maybe you like being part of the stampede!), but I completely understand about the graduation issue.

7k sounds great for that timeframe.