The Cost Per Day Of Travel And Holidays

Gervan said:

I travel alone (would love a companion if anyone's in the same boat). Eating alone is no pleasure and I'm not picky about food.

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You're right, eating alone is no fun really much as we like to say you can do anything on your own in theory! Not to mind the expense of travelling alone, single holidays are very expensive when you are paying same rate for the room as 2 people, again I understand the logic but it makes it not worth the money for me.

If I did a proper budget, I know I should, I’m sure I’d figure out what I could have another holiday or two and that’d be totally worth it.

Yeah I should get on to that

Brendan Burgess said:

I doubt that most people watch and track their spending to the extent that you do.
Most just look at their bank account to see how much they have left in it to spend.

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You could be right, I am a bit OCD when it comes to tracking my spending but I got the feeling that the majority of people who contributed to that thread were doing some sort of tracking and budgeting

Monbretia said:

Good question but of course depends on what your overall income is

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balders93 said:

This is entirely dependent on discretionary budget and priorities!

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Yes, of course it depends on your income/budget and when I was in fulltime employment I wouldn't have questioned the daily cost
But now that I'm retired I'm living off a fixed fund until I get to OAP age, so I have to question each and every purchase so to speak
From the other thread that Brendan referred to, we live on a average budget of €42k per year for the last 20 years and I got the feeling again from posters in that thread and other threads on here that in and round €40k is what other people are playing with when it comes to retirement income, some need more, some less just like some years I can live on less then €30k and other years close to €50k with this year breaking the €50k

balders93 said:

By the way it'd be easier to get a comparison if you were asking per person costs. Is 835 pp or for the two of you?

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Sorry that I didn't make that clear but figures are for both of us

misemoi said:

I'm more of the what holiday do I want to go on rather than here's my holiday budget what can I do for it

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I'm kind of the same, I decide where and when I want to go and then I go price it up and then decide if it's worth it
Like this year, I had been thinking about another American road trip specifically Route 66
It's 5K for 15 nights/16 days, add in €700 for the one way car rental drop then also factor in food, petrol and attraction fees for each day and you're probably close to €9k or more which to me is to expensive at this moment in time and will leave that trip for another year

Premos said:

Our budget has definitely increased over the years:

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+1, It's certainly not getting any cheaper

Buddyboy said:

"we have enough stuff - we are spending our money on experiences, not things "

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Totally agree and maybe that's part of the issue I'm having,
Both of us have travelled a lot over the last 30 years, nearly all of the bucket list has been ticked off
So maybe I'm just bored with traveling and should be looking at other experiences to enjoy

Gervan said:

I flew business class for the first time, and loved it, but now it doesn't make any sense. It's ten times the price of a night in a hotel to catch up on lost sleep.

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I've never paid for an upgrade never felt it was worth it or needed even on long haul flights, I'd rather add a day or two onto the holiday

Steven Barrett said:

I know people have different interests and find value in different things but this is a prime example of people sweating about the wrong things. How many times have we read "if you saved the cost of that daily cup of coffee, this is how much you'd have" and the answer is not very much and you'd deprive yourself of the little daily joys you get.

It is the big ticket items that you need to look out for, not the little ones.

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In isolation I totally agree with the point you're making but the point I was making was that I'm not afraid to drop big money on something if I feel it's worth it but at the other end I won't waste money on other things if I feel they don't offer me the value or enjoyment
Probably not the best example, a TV and a pizza but it was early in the morning when I posted

Premos said:

I don't think it is about cutting all of them but about realising what we are doing, making inform choices and focusing on what provide the most joy.

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+1 again!!

Leper said:

2 Cappucinos + 2 scones + 2 butters cost me €17.00 recently in a local cafe. Never again though.

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Where was my invite??

Annieindublin said:

A coffee break with an old friend… €17 .. totally worth it!

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Any sit down with Lep is worth the cost

Premos said:

I disagree with that. I find that budgeting is all about choices. I rarely take a cup of coffee out. While I enjoy my coffee, it costs a lot for what you get and I don't find it provides really much joy to me.

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That's not my point.

My point is don't be budgeting and not buying €4 coffees when you are paying €3,000 on a tv. If you buy a €1,000 tv, you can buy 500 cups of coffee!!!

I 100% agree with you on quality. Not only was the meal at our local expensive, it wasn't that good. If you are going to charge me high prices, at least make the food good. I can live with paying high prices for good food but not high prices for poor food. I won't be going back.

Steven Barrett said:

My point is don't be budgeting and not buying €4 coffees when you are paying €3,000 on a tv. If you buy a €1,000 tv, you can buy 500 cups of coffee!!!

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But they might enjoy more spending their time in front of the 3k tv than drinking a cup of coffee a day for a year and a half. They might be able to finance the tv or the coffees but not the both.

Cervelo said:

But there is another area that I starting to question the price to value/enjoyment ratio and that is travel and holidays
This year we're doing two trips, Japan in April and an Irish road trip in September
Japan was a bucket list trip that Mrs C had originally planned for 2020 but only got around to it this year at a daily cost of €835 for 17 days
The 15 day road trip I hoping will come in and around the €300 to €350 per day which is a lot cheaper but still I feel is getting quite expensive

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Using the wonders of AI, I asked Copilot, for day-to-day spending, in euro, which is the cheaper for a two week holiday, Japan or Ireland? Its response was:

“Here's a breakdown of day-to-day spending for someone whose functional currency is the euro, comparing a two-week holiday in Japan versus Ireland, excluding travel and accommodation:

Overall Cost Comparison

Key Insights

• Japan is significantly cheaper for eating out, public transport, and entertainment.
• Groceries are slightly more expensive in Japan, but this is offset by lower restaurant and café prices.
• Ireland’s costs are higher across most categories, especially dining and casual spending.

Two-Week Estimate (Per Person)​

• Japan: €700–€980
• Ireland: €1,120–€1,680

So, if you're watching your day-to-day spending, Japan is the more budget-friendly option, even with the yen-euro exchange rate taken into account.”

So whose to argue with AI? [I visited Japan, well Tokyo., some years ago and did not find day-to-day expenditure any more expensive than Ireland.

Interesting, but I think the exclusion of travel and accommodation makes the comparison of little practical use. These are a major component of the cost of most holidays.

Did you ask Co-Pilot to exclude them, or did it come up with the idea of excluding them all by its little self?

Cervelo said:

So maybe I'm just bored with traveling and should be looking at other experiences to enjoy

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There it is! That to me is the crux of this thread. It sounds like you've lost your mojo and are looking for something to do to regain it. It used to be holidays (I was always so jealous of your cycling holiday stories).
So, you're now in the doldrums trying to find what to do to get the va-va-voom back.
Good luck in your search. I'd love to offer help. What other activities do you enjoy? Are you mechanical, spiritual,ornithological,emotional,vegitable-loving?

(Or I could be completely wrong )

Crikey I'm well out of step with the TV, bought a new one couple of months ago, €270

I do like my cup of shop coffee (my local has a nice one) and a newspaper most days and willing to pay for that, I do not want to read papers online, I want a physical paper before anyone tells me where I can see them for free. This is worth it to me, a habit I developed during Covid for some sanity and to get out of the house in the mornings!

I think we're digressing from holiday cost per day to overall budgeting and financial savvy.

Personally, if I'm travelling up or down the country, I'll spend the €3 or €4 on a flat white etc. This is not an everyday habit though. Lunch with a friend, I'll spring for the €35 time about but not often!

Now - holidays! We use the Aer Lingus credit card for free flights and book a reasonable apartment in our preferred location. That's once a year. For a second trip, either a European city break or a cruise! Now, I'm something of a cruise nerd so it's become difficult to find a new itinerary that's worth the money and cruising has become even more expensive since the post covid restart. So, I have booked a cruise from Singapore to Tokyo with a few extra days at each end in Singapore and Tokyo. This trip with Premium Economy flights, extra hotel nights and the cruise will probably run to 13 or 14k. Ouch! However thats for 21 nights in that part of the world, 13 of those fed and watered. Have we got it? Yep but not so much that we can do this every year, so it's a 'trip of a lifetime' and that's how I justify it. After that, it's back to Ryanair and Aer Lingus to the usual destinations....well for now!

I don't calculate cost per day just overall price and is it worth doing...once!

Monbretia said:

I do like my cup of shop coffee (my local has a nice one) and a newspaper most days and willing to pay for that, I do not want to read papers online

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I have 2 coffees a day now that I'm retired. It's more than just a coffee, it's watching and reflecting on the days ahead or past, a bargain.
Regarding holidays I get there and stay in the cheapest I can get for the luxury I want. I make sure I go somewhere I know is cheaper than Ireland (almost anywhere). At least that way I don't have to watch the money when there as long as I stay out of specific establishments like casinos etc.

PMU said:

I visited Japan, well Tokyo., some years ago and did not find day-to-day expenditure any more expensive than Ireland.

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Not sure about transport as that was all paid for by our tour guide but I generally found Japan very reasonable for food and drinks
Most meals were in the €10 mark per person, A wagyu beef burger with sides and drink about €15
I went out with one of the other travellers to a cocktail bar in Kyoto , 8 Sakura cocktails and €60 lighter, we wobbled our way back to the hotel
but everything else like electronics and clothes were in and around the same price as here.

Monbretia said:

Crikey I'm well out of step with the TV, bought a new one couple of months ago, €270

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Nah, it's just horses for courses, I use my TV a lot each day either for gaming or watching and I just want what I consider is the best for my needs

Slim said:

So, I have booked a cruise from Singapore to Tokyo with a few extra days at each end in Singapore and Tokyo.

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Enjoy, sounds great

Buddyboy said:

That to me is the crux of this thread

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I'm going to say no but I will say after 14 years of retirement your opinions and feelings about things do change
but that would be a discussion for another thread

Slim said:

I don't calculate cost per day just overall price and is it worth doing...once!

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This is what I'm asking, at what price would you have said no its to expensive €17K, €20K ??
Or is it a case of, I don't care what the price is this is the trip I want to do??

Gervan ,
Hello ,
I read in your post about travelling that you wouldn`t mind a travelling buddy..... I`m not sure if this might appeal to you but there`s a great group , based in Ireland, Rory`s Travel group , all mainly solo, friends or couples , who book to travel together. Rory sources the trips and it`s up to anyone interested , to book themselves in on it. There`s a great range of trips on offer and a very diverse age profile .
I travelled a lot with a company called Imaginative Travel , booked through Trailfinders. As a female traveller , I felt it was safer , especially going to far flung destinations. It is not an escorted tour as such , you have the freedom do arrange your own activities at each destination. The group dynamics were always fantastic, with a very diverse age and nationalty profile . If its something you would consider , definitely look into them as alternatives to travelling alone . You will be pleasantly surprised. !!

I think it's tricky to look at holiday spend on a per day basis. Most people tend to think they have 2k or whatever to spend on a holiday and that might be five days in a top five star hotel or it might be two weeks self-catering. Very different products, but the same overall cost.

I think looking at it on a per day basis, unless it's a very long term holiday, a month or longer, is a little bit meaningless and not really how most people plan holiday budgets.

I booked a 50 sqm 1-bedroom apartment in an aparthotel in central Birminghim on 2-August, to stay for three nights from 16th to 19th August.

£262 no-flex rate, £298 flexible rate.

That seems much better value than Ireland.

Under GBP 100 per night.

Leper said:

2 Cappucinos + 2 scones + 2 butters cost me €17.00 recently in a local cafe. Never again though.

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In Vigo in June, three coffees and two pastries outdoor area of a cafe €7

When on holiday I don’t budget food and drink, I just remind myself it’s still way cheaper than Ireland and better service and quality.
Worked a treat in Porto, Vigo and Oviedo recently, enjoy it better but will never pay stupid. If it looks expensive and empty we roll on, to where it’s packed and the food cost plays second fiddle.
Accommodation is the real hit and miss, expensive doesn’t mean you get the best, ferry is the preferred mode of transport.

@Cervelo ...I would have said 10k but we've upped the flights and added a few hotel nights. I would say it's worth 15k maximum but a year ago, when planning started, I would have said 10k or 11k. ‍

PMU said:

Two-Week Estimate (Per Person)​

• Japan: €700–€980
• Ireland: €1,120–€1,680

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Wow, says it all really. Budget in Ireland, don’t budget going abroad