How much does touring in Europe and the UK cost?

[Ticktockmy]

I've never been able to calculate a cost per day. It's fairly easy to calculate how much has been spent between departure and arrival back home, but when I try to break it down.....I feel I have better things to do with my time.
Money gets spent on entertainment along the way, entry tickets to places of interest etc. rail and ferry fares.The weather can influence the number of nights I spend in tent, hostel or hotel. The cost of camping gear would be spread over how many days of camping? I choose to eat and drink out a lot more than I would at home, and spend more, but that is a part of the enjoyment of travel.

Likewise, however I tend to budget £50 per day s just in case something exciting happens, but I have rarely had to get anywhere to spending that.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

You lot are making me look like a cheap skate at £600 for 2 people for 2 weeks all in and that was being extravagant and going to see some tourist sites!

Even on my own, I still only managed the same expenditure!

 

[xilios]

You lot are making me look like a cheap skate at £600 for 2 people for 2 weeks all in and that was being extravagant and going to see some tourist sites!

Your not cheap at €58 a day, we always budget for around €50 a day when touring and do quite well. Except some countries like Switzerland or Italy where the camping's are very expansive (+/-€30).

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Your not cheap at €58 a day, we always budget for around €50 a day when touring and do quite well. Except some countries like Switzerland or Italy where the camping's are very expansive (+/-€30).

Most people seem to be coming back at £50 per person per day...
We are coming in at £21 per person per day... It was also said in jest. It was our summer holiday after all.

 

[andym]

Your not cheap at €58 a day, we always budget for around €50 a day when touring and do quite well. Except some countries like Switzerland or Italy where the camping's are very expansive (+/-€30).

In Switzerland you could easily spend 30€, but IME (and I've stayed at literally hundreds of sites) the going rate in Italy for one person per night is 12-15 euros and two people around 20€. Prices do vary depending on location and season. I did on one occasion pay 25€ for one person but that was very much the exception to the rule.

Going rate for a bed in a hostel is 20€, and you can easily get a decent hotel/B&B room for less than 50€/night.

I budget 50 euros a day and that includes dinner in restaurants, breakfast and maybe lunch in a bar, and lots of coffee/ice cream stops.

Camping in Italy may be a bit more expensive than say France, but that's more than offset by the cost of meals etc.

 

[ThompsonCrowley]

Reading replies to the likes of “I’m thinking of touring – suggestions please” at least 50% will mention the relative costs of this, that or the other – comments of cost or implied cost viz a viz camping or B&B, the value of good stuff, the expedience of buying cheap, the relative costs of various European countries.

How much do you spend on cycle touring in Europe and the UK? – either camping or B&B – is there value in camping?

Ive always camped around - 650 nights in 20years and around 65000km – a fag packet style calculation would seem to indicate that the all in cost is about £50/day (element of initial capital costs and annual maintenance, travel to from and day to day costs)– sounds a lot when put like that – but makes a three week tour about £1200 – good value for a holiday

We spent three months cycling in Europe last summer, (me, my wife and dog). We camped and cooked all our own food. We found Holland the most expensive, sometimes up to 20 euro a night for campsites, and the supermarkets were expensive too. Belgium was cheaper. France was really cheap. Some of the municipal campsites were like 3 euro a night for all three of us. The food was a little cheaper too, and the wine, really cheap! All in all we managed to make 1000 pounds last us a month, along with a little bit earned from busking (and some nice free meals from busking!). We didn't go into any touristy places because of the dog, just walked and indulged ourselves on the wonderful countryside. It could be done cheaper, if one were to wild camp.

 

[tournut]

You lot are making me look like a cheap skate at £600 for 2 people for 2 weeks all in and that was being extravagant and going to see some tourist sites!

Even on my own, I still only managed the same expenditure!

I dont understand these people who spend 50 a day, touring on a budget. I spend average 30. But you have to do your own cooking. I have 5grand to do south america for six months if i run out i find work. Thats touring. Every body to there own.

 

[andym]

I dont understand these people who spend 50 a day, touring on a budget. I spend average 30. But you have to do your own cooking. I have 5grand to do south america for six months if i run out i find work. Thats touring. Every body to there own.

Each to your own as you say: 'touring' means all sorts of different things - but what we all have in common is going from place to place under our own steam*. Whether you have a support van, travel in a group, stay in 5-star hotels, or couchsurf is really pretty irrelevant.

Some people have family commitments which mean that they have to cram their touring into a week or two - they are still touring.

For me eating in local restaurants and eating things I'd never get to try at home is part of the travel experience.

[*Edit: sorry, didn't mean to exclude campervanners and caravanners, but anyway you get my drift]

 

[Ticktockmy]

I dont understand these people who spend 50 a day, touring on a budget. I spend average 30. But you have to do your own cooking. I have 5grand to do south america for six months if i run out i find work. Thats touring. Every body to there own.

I always over budget, and find £50 a day is just right to suit my reasoning, but if I can get away with spending £10 pounds a day I will. For an example why I think like I do, back in 1996 I was cycling from Singapore to Hong Kong, I got to the Border of Vietnam and was refused entry, because they were shipping the Boat people out of HK back to Vietnam against there wishes and they worried I might get attacked because of my British connections. my solution was to return to Phom Penn and fly back to Singapore and re-plan, it was an expense that was not in the budget, but because I had over budgeted the extra expense was covered by my underspend.

 

[doog]

a tenner a day abroad for supermarket food and camping, more over here as I get magically drawn towards public houses

 

[Crankarm]

£50 a day! Wow. Some people's budgets are clearly larger than others. Can't see it myself. More like £10-15 a day if that. I mean if you are touring fully self supported i.e. tent and cooking equipment, say in France you aren't going to spend a lot if you camp at municipal sites or wild camp. Food is the biggest cost and of course cycling you need a lot of it. Cook your own or eat at a supermarket e.g. Flunch is going to be very cheap, and with the latter and you don't have to cook. Some countries are more expensive than others, the cost of laying your head for a night and filling your belly will be considerably more e.g. UK although I have toured a few times in Wales very cheaply £5 a day no problem wild camping and cooking.

 

[andym]

Ist Yorkshireman: £10-15 a day? Luxury. We used t'ut dream of £10-15 a day. We used to use the same tea bag day after day ....

2nd Yorkshireman; Tea? Luxury.

etc