Last Updated: Nov. 26, 2008
More Tour and Travel Advice for the USA and Canada
How much spending money to budget for is a difficult question to answer as everyone has their own style and rate of travel spending. Some will go out and shop till they drop spending perhaps 100’s of dollars every day, other will party spending more in bars while again others will spend more money on museum entries and souvenirs, while others yet again will get though on the bare essentials.
Unlike many holiday and vacation operators Contiki includes many extras, sightseeing excursions, meals and highlights as part of the tour, however we do not fill every hour of every day and there is ample free time to enjoy the cities and countries you visit at your leisure.
As a rough guide we suggest budgeting at a bare minimum of US$25/35 per day for incidental expenses and lunches.
In order to budget more accurately you should take into account the optional excursions that you may wish to participate in during your tour.
If possible, it’s always better to over estimate how much you may spend and budget for that as if you come across an experience or something you really want to do or have you will have room in your budget, and if you don’t spend the money all the better at the end of the tour.
My first North American tour I had a budget of $80 per day plus money for the extra optionals. For my second and up-coming tour I have a budget of $100 per day plus extra optionals. Everyone is different like the article says I have increased my budget this time around because my tour is longer and I haven’t seen alot of the places I am going to.Like the article says it is better to over budget and see, do & buy everything you like then travel to the otherside of the world and not be able to do everything you want!
this article has helped, thanks!