Prices in Paris

Rosie_apples

My Daughter is off to Paris next week with school. Having never been I have no idea what the prices will be like. They will be buying lunch every day and snacks and probably small gifts and souvenirs.

What sort of amounts are things likely to cost?

Thanks for any ideas :j

Mierot

When I went last month, the price of anything in Paris seemed to vary a lot, but I found things to be generally more expensive then they would've been in the UK. Having said that, I did manage to find a couple of Lidl's there, where lunchy/snacky-type things were pretty cheap. Restaurant menu's were also cheaper at midday than the evening (I highly recomend a place called 'Ice-cream Dream' tucked in by the side of the Pompidou; the owner speaks english and makes the most amazing ice cream! It's also pretty cheap and they even made me something veggetarian ^-^ ).
Just be careful of places right next to tourist attractions, even if the food is (relativly) cheap, the drinks are often 3 times the price.

Small gifts (like little eiffle towers and mini-posters) are around 2/3/4 euros.

Sorry I couldn't be more help with actual numbers

MancBrel

I'm surprised that the school haven't issued spending money advice/limits? They did in my day!

Paris is expensive at the best of times, the current weakness of sterling makes it even worse. I imagine lunch will be a baguette on the go (about £5 will be enough for that), otherwise a plait du jour for about £10. So maybe £20 a day should cover it? More perhaps for older children?

You can tell I don't have kids?

Rosie_apples

Thanks to both of you for your help.

School were not very helpful with a guide, at the meeting when pushed for an answer to how much they should take the teacher (who lived in Paris for 2 years!) said 50 euros should be enough for the food - this is for 5 lunches, snacks and 1 evening meal!! Not sure what planet she lives!!

I think 20 a day seems quite reasonable and I feel a little more at ease now - it's so difficult because I don't want to let her go with too much - being a teenager there'll be no change - but I don't want her to go without.

safetyelf

Don't forget to factor in breakfast (if they're not getting it at their hotel), it's the most important meal of the day afterall .

Pattiseries will do a couple of croissants (or danish) and a coffee for about 2.5 euros, but if you have breakfast in a cafe in a tourist spot, it can reach 10 euros.

Plate de jours were 10 - 15 euros in January at lunchtime, rising to 15 - 25 in an evening.

Souveniers were expensive too.

You might want to raise that to 25 a day? I know what teenagers are like!

Pee

I'd send her with one and a half times what you would send her with if she was going to London for the trip.

Hope she has a lovely time. It's a beautiful city.

omelette451

Rosie_apples wrote: »

I think 20 a day seems quite reasonable and I feel a little more at ease now - it's so difficult because I don't want to let her go with too much - being a teenager there'll be no change - but I don't want her to go without.

20 pounds a day? For a school trip? If there's no chance she'll be frugal and keep what she doesn't need I'd say even 20 euros is pushing it. Does the school expect all kids going to be rich? Some kids going with loads of money will undoubtedly put strain on parents who can't really afford to give that much, and frankly on a school trip it's unneccessary. And I speak as someone both of your daughter's generation and who has lived in Paris.

greenface

about the same as london

Rosie_apples

I feel she'll have plenty and if she wants to treat herself after paying for food that's fine as the condition on her going was that she saved all the spending/food money herself.

She's there now so I'll let you know how it goes.

Pee

omelette451 wrote: »

20 pounds a day? For a school trip? If there's no chance she'll be frugal and keep what she doesn't need I'd say even 20 euros is pushing it. Does the school expect all kids going to be rich? Some kids going with loads of money will undoubtedly put strain on parents who can't really afford to give that much, and frankly on a school trip it's unneccessary. And I speak as someone both of your daughter's generation and who has lived in Paris.

And the difference between 20 euros a day and 20 pounds a day would be...

omelette451

Pee wrote: »

And the difference between 20 euros a day and 20 pounds a day would be...

£1.50 at the moment, but it's more a symbolic thing than anything else!