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Post by bubbletoes on Aug 14, 2005 2:14:11 GMT -5
Hi.
I am spending a total of about 9 days in London, 24 days in Western Europe on a Contiki Tour (so some meals are included) and another 7 days at a friends place in Switzerland. Including meals, snacks and alcohol (for a light drinker) what is a realistic budget for food per day? I am willing to eat cheaply, but i do not want to miss out on some nice places and local foods.
Thankyou!
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Post by MuvverRussia on Aug 14, 2005 5:03:12 GMT -5
For London and Switzerland I'd argue that you'd need at least £25/day if you were to eat out (cheap restaurants/pubs) and for alcohol. More (£30+) is definitely good though.
You can cut your budget by skipping the booze, getting sandwiches on the go etc. If you were to do that then you could possibly get by with as little as £15/day. It wouldn't be much fun though.
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Post by Libby on Aug 14, 2005 11:45:11 GMT -5
I did exactly what MuvverRussia said and was able to keep to my budget. Once and a while I grabbed a pub lunch or maybe grab some Chinese, but I most of what I ate came from grocery stores like Tesco or from Marks and Spencers Simply Food. Also, in the smaller towns I took advantage of the great bakeries (never did see any in London) where I picked up sausage rolls, sandwiches and other pasties. My daily budget went something like this (and I kept a full record of what I spent each day) Breakfast: At at the hostel (free) or grabbed a roll/pastry from a bakery for around .60p to 1 pound. Lunch: Depended on where I was, but a sausage roll for 1.20 or maybe a sandwich for 1.70 (A bit more in London). KFC had some great 2 piece meals for 2.99. Take away baked potatoes 3.50 (with salad). Pub lunches ran from 3.99 (soup/sandwich) to 7.99. Supper/Dinner: Almost all my suppers were from grocery stores. Sandwiche, pasta salad and rice pudding was my favorite It cost me around 4.99 with a pop.
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Post by eurolien on Aug 18, 2005 6:58:45 GMT -5
Hey
"getting sandwiches on the go " is expensive, buy your own bread and garnish. Cheese, jam, chocolate pasta, sausage...
The difference between the UK and the "continent" (other Europe) is that there are other brands then Tesco, Saintbury etc You have Carrefour, Auchan (france), Delhaize (belgium), Lidl, Aldi (really cheap but good) and ofcourse a lot of smaller shops like GB (belgium), and in Holland "Albert Heijn" Lunch is even greater if you prepare it youself. I'm not going to spend 15 euro to a macaroni which I can make for 1/3 of the money.
Booze? Drinking local beer does help. Drink Stella or Jupiler in Belgium, Grolch in Holland, Bite in Germany and Magners/Bulmers in Ireland. Cheaper lager in Uk/Ireland: Carling! Great to go with a nice sandwich and still only 1.49 euro for a pint (56cl).
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Post by me on Aug 26, 2005 15:17:25 GMT -5
as restaurants are part of the culture one is in europe to experience, it's a shame to miss out on them.
when i travel, i often eat in restaurants for lunch, when the prices are lower, and "self cater" (eat food i buy at a grocery and prepare at the hostel) for dinner.
edit: i'd intended to add that, after a "self cater" dinner, i'd often go to a pub - for the atmosphere. also, others often eat at the hostel, going out afterward. we then make an evening of it!
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Post by MrsDarcy on Aug 26, 2005 16:01:58 GMT -5
Agree David. I liberally used groceries and bakeries, but included 'restaurant' eating in my daily budget...or at the minimum every other day for sure. And likewise often ate an 'early dinner/late lunch' but some of my best times were sitting in a lovely cafe or pub, enjoying the locals, food and conversation. Eating 'alone' at all times on the go would seem a waste. Food is a big part of any budget.....but ignoring a nice meal now and then is ignoring a big part of the travel experience.
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