Holiday Spending Money Calculator
Calculate how much spending money to budget for your holiday by destination, trip length, and travel style. Covers food, activities, transport, and a contingency buffer.
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Holiday Spending Money Guide
What do I need to know about Estimating Daily Spend?
Spending money needs vary enormously by destination and style. Rough daily per-person guides (food, local transport, activities — excluding accommodation): budget destinations + backpacker style: £20-40/day. Mid-range destination + moderate style: £50-90/day. Higher-cost destination + comfortable style: £100-180/day. Premium destination + luxury style: £200-400+/day. These are guidelines — your actual spend depends on choices. The biggest variables: eating out vs self-catering, and drinking alcohol regularly, which can add significantly to a daily budget, particularly in destinations where alcohol is heavily taxed or imported.
What's the key thing to understand about Breaking Down the Budget?
Typical spending money breakdown: food & drink: usually the biggest category (40-55% of spending money). Three meals plus drinks and snacks. Eating out vs self-catering makes a big difference. Activities & attractions: 15-30%. Museums, tours, excursions, entry fees. Adds up fast in cities with lots to see. Local transport: 5-15%. Buses, metro, taxis, car hire fuel. Higher if exploring widely. Shopping & souvenirs: 5-15%. Highly personal. Miscellaneous: 5-10%. Tips, sundries, unexpected costs. For a realistic overall picture, it helps to break the total budget down by category before travelling rather than guessing a single lump figure.
What do I need to know about Money-Saving Strategies?
Stretch your spending money further: eat where locals eat (away from tourist hotspots — better and cheaper). Mix self-catering with eating out (especially for breakfast). Lunch deals are often much cheaper than dinner for the same food. Free attractions: many museums, parks, walking tours are free or donation-based. City passes: can save money if you'll visit many paid attractions. Public transport over taxis. Tap water where safe (avoid buying bottled constantly). Travel off-season, since prices for accommodation and activities are cheaper even in popular destinations outside peak holiday periods.
What do I need to know about Practical Money Management?
Carrying and accessing money abroad: fee-free debit cards (Chase, Starling, Monzo, Wise) — closest to true exchange rates, free ATM withdrawals. Avoid airport bureaux de change (poor rates). Carry some local cash for arrival (small amount), withdraw more locally from bank ATMs. A backup payment method (second card, some cash) in case of loss or card issues. Notify your bank if using an older bank (modern app banks usually don't need notification). Setting a daily budget: divide your total spending money by the number of days, then track actual spend against this figure daily to avoid running out before the trip ends.