Money

[WillTravel]

Paris was relatively expensive for me. But if you have some cheaper places in your trip, it will probably balance out. I wanted to go to certain classical music concerts that cost about 20-25 Euros. Museums add up (although getting a museum pass might help if you visit enough). I also went on 5 of the Paris Walks, at 10 Euros each. Also, I found I just couldn't manage to eat the cheapest food possible, so I had a lot of cafe meals. So maybe try for 75 Euros per day if you are going to be "extravagant" like I was ;-).

[Kim]

That will be fine, just keep an eye on your money.

Packing your lunch every day really will save you money. Just hit the grocery store for some buns, meats and fruit.

If your hostel has a kitchen, make sure to cook your dinner as a good number of hostels don't have them and you will be forced to eat out.

Kim

[debcsus]

Thank you! I'm sure I'll be able to work something out with money, I always manage to, but if I start thinking to much about it I tend to freak out.
I'll definately go for the cheap make it yourself lunch and maybe splurge on a nice dinner. (or two Are there any paris walks in particular that I should do? Unforunately we will only be there 3 nights, 2.5 days.

[WillTravel]

Every one of the walks I took was really good, so maybe just do what fits into your schedule.

ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pariswalking/

[me]

it'd probably be cheaper to reverse that. eat lunch out, and make/cook yourself a dinner. Restruants mostly up the prices significantly for dinner.

- d

debcsus said:

I'll definately go for the cheap make it yourself lunch and maybe splurge on a nice dinner. (or two

[jessica]

LovinEurope said:

Whats a Heritage Pass?

Heritage Passes are sold by English Heritage and give you free entry into historic properties owned by English Heritage. The Overseas Pass can be bought for up to a two week period, details here:

accessibility.english-heritage.org.uk/default.asp?wci=Node&wce=6646

If you plan to be stay for longer than two weeks or are just a big dorky Anglophile like me you may want to look into just buying an English Heritage membership, which last for a year and also give you free entry to English Heritage properties and half off CADW(Welsh historic society) and Scottish National Trust properties in your first year. After you renew your membership for the second year, you get into all the properties, English, Welsh, and Scottish, for free. Details here:

accessibility.english-heritage.org.uk/default.asp?WCI=Node&WCE=142

Hope this helps!--jessica

(Sorry for any typos, I'm getting used to a laptop keyboard!)

[LovinEurope]

Thanx Jessica.
Do other countries sell stuff like heritage passes because i'm a pretty big castle/museum person.

[jennifer]

Personally, I think you should be ok if you stay in inexpensive hostels, don't eat out too much at expensive restaurants and stick to a little grocery shopping, select the places you really want to go to as attractions can be expensive! I would say if you also walk around in cities and save on public transportation when you can, it's a major bonus!

P.S. Most cities have discount cards like the Heritage pass, you can try looking them up on the web on a search engine and then typing in for example Paris Card, Prague Card, Berlin Card. Most of the time you will find it! If not, go to the official site of the city and there will surely be a section about their discount card!

I'm sure you will be okay if your flight, insurance, railpass and stuff are not included in this amount!

xoxxo
Jen

[Nicstar]

as Jennifer said.....limite the paid attractions you actually go to. I find over a life time its best I visit a city/area twice (unless its really not got a lot of attractions.) The first time I go to a city, I tend to just walk around, get a feel for it, figure out my whereabouts, get a feel for the people and the culture, and will only go into an attraction if it is a "I will kick myself if i leave this place without going in there". The next time I go I include the attractions I wanted to see. It means I save money on my first trip there, and when I am going back I automatically budget in the museums or whatever it is I want to see.

Eg, my first time in Dublin, I spent two days just hanging about, walking around, getting a feel for the city. I came across various attractions, but the only one I considered a "kicky myself if I miss it" attraction was the Book of Kells. The second time I returned I knw there were other places I wanted to go into, and had budgeted for them in the couple of years between visits.

I guess, its not important to visit every paid attraction on your first trip there unless its something that keenly interests you and you've been wanting to go for a long time. Don't feel the pressure to spend money on this museum and that art gallery unless it is something youa re dead keen on. When I go to Paris for the first time, there will be a lot of things I won't be doing, others on this board may well say are a must. For me I figure I'm better off saving my money and spending it on the things that are "me". Its not that I don't want to see the other places, its that I am prioritising- it really does help to save money.


(I just wanted to add this, because I've seen friends waste huge amounts of money on art galleries and museums they didn't particulary like, and said afterwards they weren't really keen on to begin with they only went because everyone said they can't go to that city and NOT go there- same friends who were right into scenic things, were later kicking themselves on same trip when they couldn't afford a scenic 1/2 hour helicopter trip and wishing they'd not spent the money on the museums)

[jennifer]

Absolutely true! Anyways, when you are travelling for a little while, you tend to get sick of having museums throw out info at you! It seems that you get disgusted of art museums, history museums, and all of those.

Anyways, I did. That is why in Prague I did so many things on the first days of my trip, but then, all that I had planned to go to changed. I realized that if being somewhere made me sleepy or crabby, I didn't really want to see this place and it wasn't worth it, even if everyone said I should go.

Your trip is made to enjoy, so go where you want to go!

xoxo
Jen

[Libby]

The pass I'm buying is the Great British Heritage Pass, not the English Heritage Pass. The Great Brit Pass also includes Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

www3.visitbritain.com/world/heritagepass/

It's not a bad price. For $145 Canadian (60 pounds) I'm getting 1 month worth of free admissions (or discounts) to over 600 sites. Edinburgh Castle is what...9.50 pounds alone! I honestly think it's worth my money in that I'll limit my travel to sites covered by the pass and still be able to see the great ones.

The only one I've seen that wasn't included was York Minster.

[jennifer]

Well, yes, it is a great value if you are interested in the sites!

Wow, the 145=60 pounds things just go me choking, doesn't it hurt fellow canadians? hehehe

sorry, had to mention it!

[Libby]

Well..that's the price of travel right?

If you want to see it, you need to pay it.

[jennifer]

Can't be said any better!
It's so worth it though, but it would be fun to be equal too, especially giving the expensive prices in the U.K!
heheh

[Libby]

To put the Heritage Pass to the test I picked out a few of the places I will be visiting on my trip and how much each of them cost. These are on my "must see" list. All admission prices are in pounds.

Scotland
Edinburgh Castle - 9.50
Palace Holyroodhouse - 11.00
Bannuckburn (Stirling) - 2.00
Stirling Catle - 8.00

Wales
Cardiff Castle - 6.00
Catle Coch - 3.00
Conwy Castle - 3.75
Plas Mawr (Conwy) 4.50

England
Whitby Abby - 1.70
Shakespear's Birthplace/Anne's house, etc - 13.00
Warick Castle - 14.50
Chatsworth House - 9.00
Roman Baths - 9.00

Grand total of 94.45 GBP!

And that is only a few of the places I want to go on the list. There were others that I may end up visiting and to get in free would be a bonus. ;D