Looking for a Travel Budget Calculator to help plan your trip to France?

If you’re dreaming of planning a ‘once in a lifetime‘ vacation to France but need some help managing your trip budget, you’re in the right place.

Introducing my FREE Travel Budget Calculator: the only tool you need to help you estimate, track and manage your vacation budget.

Planning a trip is fun, but it can also be stressful if you don’t budget accordingly. 

Accidentally forgetting to include something can later hit you hard in your vacation fund.

I’ve travelled extensively through France and I now live there, so this calculator has been designed using my experiences, along with the budget I allocated to allow myself to have a great vacation without breaking the bank.

Having my trip expenses on post-it notes or scribbled sums on scraps of paper became a nightmare to manage. So I turned my chaos into calm and created this Travel Budget Calculator to help keep me on track.

Why do you need a Travel Budget Calculator?

It’s so easy to get carried away when you’re in France as there is so much to see and do, and you want to see and do it all.

Trust me, I’ve been there and then spent a year paying off my trip.

Being able to estimate your daily expenses in France, helps you to have that trip of a lifetime without paying for it for a lifetime.

The calculator includes big-ticket items such as flights, accommodation and food and then looks at the smaller things like trips, tours and attractions.

France is full of amazing places, from historic villages and chateaux to wineries and beautiful beaches, and to craft the perfect French experience, you’ll want to tailor your trip to include the must-see attractions on your list.

And let’s not forget about the fabulous French food. Your budget absolutely should include plenty of pastries, cheese and wine as well.

What categories are included in a Travel Budget Calculator?

1. Transport 

This category covers all expenses related to getting you to and from France. It includes the costs of flights, train tickets, bus fares, or car rentals. Don’t forget to factor in additional expenses like baggage fees, seat reservations, or airport transfers. 

Transport costs can vary significantly depending on which part of France you’re going to and how you’ll be travelling, so make sure you do your research thoroughly to get accurate estimates.

To find cheap flights, I recommend OMIO as I always get discounted flights.

2. Accommodation

Your home away from home in France. Accommodation expenses encompass the cost of where you’ll stay during your trip. This can include hotels, chambres en d’hôtes (B&B), vacation rentals such as gites, camp sites, or apartments. 

And remember to account for taxes, resort fees, and any additional charges, like parking or Wi-Fi, that your accommodation might charge as extra.

Accommodation prices can fluctuate depending on the season and location, so again do your research to get a realistic estimate.

I got a 20% discount on a chateau hotel near Bordeaux with this hotel booking tool​ >>>

3. Food & Drink

This category involves all expenses related to food and drinks while traveling. It covers meals at restaurants, street food, groceries, snacks, and beverages.

Try and take into account your eating habits and preferences—do you plan to eat out frequently or cook your own meals?

Also, factor in the cost of dining in touristy areas versus more local, budget-friendly options.

4. Activities & Tours

It’s time to have some fun and allocate part of your budget to those ‘must-experience’ things on the list. This category includes entrance fees to attractions, guided tours, outdoor adventures, museum tickets, wine-tasting and any activities or excursions you’ve been dreaming of. 

Once again, do your research, prioritize your must-do activities and allocate your budget accordingly, to ensure you make the most of your travel experiences.

Viator is my favourite platform to find Day Trips and Wine Tours in France at the best price and with great reviews.

5. Local Travel

Local transportation costs are an important part of your budget, especially if you plan to move around within your destination. People often forget about these but they do add up. They include expenses for things like the metro in Paris, bus fares, trams, taxi or rideshare rides, ferry trips, or even bicycle rentals, if applicable. 

Think about how often you’ll use these services and whether you’ll need multi-day or weekly passes to save on transportation costs

. The cheapest train tickets are always on this App​

6. Shopping

We all love shopping when we’re on vacation, and often, when you do tours and visit attractions, the only way out is through the gift shop. They know how to get you and before you know it, you’ve spent €100 on souvenirs and mementos. 

Allocate a portion of your budget for shopping, souvenirs and gifts.

It’s easy to get carried away though, so set a limit to ensure you stay within your overall budget.

7. Emergency Funds

Life is unpredictable, and it’s wise to have a safety net in case of unexpected situations. This category acts as a financial cushion for emergencies like medical expenses, lost or stolen belongings, or any unforeseen circumstances that may arise during your trip.

It’s better to have extra funds set aside for peace of mind.

8. Insurance

Travel insurance is essential to protect yourself from various unexpected events such as trip cancellations, medical emergencies, or lost luggage.

You never think things like lost luggage will happen to you, but they do so remember to

include the cost of insurance in your budget to ensure you’re adequately covered during your travels.

I always protect my trips with Safety Wing as they have the best price and coverage.

9. Tipping

Tipping customs vary worldwide and in France, tipping is not like in the US. But it’s still advisable to allocate a budget for tips to waitstaff, tour guides, drivers, or other service providers.

This article will give you the tipping guidelines for France to ensure you’re never stuck when it comes to tipping during your vacation.

By thoroughly understanding and allocating your budget to these categories, you’ll have a clear and comprehensive financial plan for your travels, making your journey not only enjoyable but also financially stress-free.

FREE Travel Budget Calculator With Instructions

Define Your Vacation Budget

Before you do anything else, you need to decide on the overall budget for your vacation. To do this, I’d make a list of all the things you need to include and how much money you have available for your trip.

You don’t want to overstretch yourself, and you also don’t want to be left with any budget surprises.

This is where you think about all the things you’ll need to pay for before and during your trip, like flights, accommodation, food, activities, insurance etc. 

Knowing the total amount you have available will help you in the planning process and allow you to know what you can allocate when you use the calculator.

Do Your Research

The calculator is only as good as the information you give it, so you need to do your homework. 

There are the obvious things, such as how many days, the number of people and flight costs, and then the things that take a bit more research, such as day trips and tours. The more accurate you are with the information you input into the calculator, the more accurate your results will be.

 Plus, having all this information beforehand will save so much time and stress when you’re on holiday.

And don’t forget, all the little miscellaneous expenses such as daily food allowance and travel insurance add up so you must account for those too.

To help you do your research here is a list of my ‘go-to‘ resources for when I’m planning my trips both domestic and international.

Add Your Details

Enter all the information you’ve gathered into the appropriate fields of the calculator. Remember, the more accurate you are, the more accurate your results will be.

Click the Calculate ButtonOnce you’ve finished inputting all your information into the categories, click the ‘calculate’ button and get your results.

Review Your Results

You’ll now have a comprehensive breakdown of all your vacation costs for your trip to France.

It includes your total estimated budget, the difference between the estimated and actual cost of your trip, and what the cost will be per day and per person.

Refine Your Budget

Now you’ve got your results, you can now make any adjustments you need to. Take your time to analyze it and manipulate it, so it reflects exactly what you want to do and how much you want to spend.

This is a chance to reallocate your budget to the different categories if you need to. Maybe you’ve not allowed enough for your tours, but you’ve allowed too much for your daily food and drinks.

Either way, it will help you to save money, stay on track and make sensible decisions when you’re planning your vacation.