Our trip begins on the 5th of May. Please stay tuned for future postings of our grand adventure.
For now, please review my random ramblings and my postings from my previous trip to Spain. :) :) :)
Friday, April 25, 2008
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Budgeting for the trip
Keeping a European adventure low is a very difficult task. I have read so many articles concerning long term travel and budgeting and they all have one common piece of advice: stay out of Europe.
I do have to side with with Rick Steves's approach to traveling on a budget: if you want to go to Ireland, then dont try to save a few dollars and go to Thailand. No matter what, make it work.
I have challenged myself to maintain living expenses and then have a side account for fun items such as bike rental, tours and museum entry fees. If I get cheap lodging, I reward myself with a nice dinner and if we are overall under budget, the money gets put aside to offset splurges and more expensive countries.
My goal was 75 dollars a person a day. I thought this was a good bet since Rick Steves prices 100 to include double accommodation split between two, breakfast out, a fancy picnic lunch and a dinner with drink. I figured we could stay in hostels now and then to save some money and cook in sometimes to avoid the restaurant bills. So 75 dollars it is and this was easily attainable in Spain.
I have been watching www.xe.com which shows me the price of the dollar. I regularly punch in the one five "O" to find out what my budget will be in euros. Just to get a feel for how much the dollar has fallen, one hundred fifty dollars on our december spain trip was 106 euros. Now its hovering around 94 euros.
I consider readjusting my budget to 90 dollars a person, but I hold out hope that the dollar will swing up eventually.
I do have to side with with Rick Steves's approach to traveling on a budget: if you want to go to Ireland, then dont try to save a few dollars and go to Thailand. No matter what, make it work.
I have challenged myself to maintain living expenses and then have a side account for fun items such as bike rental, tours and museum entry fees. If I get cheap lodging, I reward myself with a nice dinner and if we are overall under budget, the money gets put aside to offset splurges and more expensive countries.
My goal was 75 dollars a person a day. I thought this was a good bet since Rick Steves prices 100 to include double accommodation split between two, breakfast out, a fancy picnic lunch and a dinner with drink. I figured we could stay in hostels now and then to save some money and cook in sometimes to avoid the restaurant bills. So 75 dollars it is and this was easily attainable in Spain.
I have been watching www.xe.com which shows me the price of the dollar. I regularly punch in the one five "O" to find out what my budget will be in euros. Just to get a feel for how much the dollar has fallen, one hundred fifty dollars on our december spain trip was 106 euros. Now its hovering around 94 euros.
I consider readjusting my budget to 90 dollars a person, but I hold out hope that the dollar will swing up eventually.
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