Freshman Trip Money and Valuables

Establishing a recommended budget for food and incidentals in Europe is actually one of the more complicated components of the trip. There is a great deal of variation between people. Some eat a lot, some very little. Some are happy with simple food, spot bargains, and enjoy cooking; others grab the first thing that looks good, oblivious of the price, and place importance on dining in quality restaurants. As a result, the total expenses for two students may end up being very different. To be safe, we are setting a budget on the upper end of the spectrum. But, we will also outline the process by which we arrived at the figure here, so that you can modify the numbers as you see fit.

First, here is an overview of meals already included in the trip cost:

Greece: April 3-6 - Breakfast included
Naples: April 7-10 - All meals included (including breakfast on the 11th)
Rome: April 11-14 - Breakfast included

Or, to put it another way, students will need money to buy the following things in the following places:

Greece: 3 lunches, 4 dinners, snacks (4 days)
Naples: Snacks (4 days)
Rome: 4 lunches, 4 dinners, snacks (4 days)

So, all told, students are responsible for 7 lunches, 8 dinners, and 12 days of snacks, excluding flight days. We are budgeting 7.50 euros/day for snacks. That is generous, of course. For some perspective, a bottle of Coke will run anywhere from 1 to 3 or 4 euros (supermarket vs. at the Colosseum). A gelato will run from 2 to 5 euros (though it's pretty easy to get a satisfying 2-3 euro gelato). A cappuccino costs 1-1.5 euros at the bar, more for a patio seat.

We are budgeting 10 euros/lunch. A burger/fries/coke generally falls in the 7-8 euro range. Pizzas start around 5-6 euros for a Margarita and increase in price as the toppings are added.

Finally, we are budgeting 15 euros/dinner. This meal has, perhaps, the greatest potential range. If a group decides to hit the supermarket and then cook dinner, a really satisfying meal can end up costing 3 euros. Some restaurants have a set menu (antipasto, pasta, contorno, beverage) in the 10-12 euro range. Others require you to order by the dish and this can become expensive quickly. A 15 euro average allows for some nicer meals mixed in with some cheaper ones.

Add it all up and you have a ballpark budget of around 300 euros for food. Are there any additional costs? Not necessarily. To call home, if your student doesn't have an international cell phone (which is certainly not required), the purchase of a phone card would be necessary (5-10 euros). We will have internet access in our accommodations, but if a student wanted more time online, a visit to an internet cafe would probably cost around 5 euros. And then, of course, there are souvenirs. We leave that to your discretion.

With the amount settled, the next issue to discuss is accessing it. We recommend two possible options. One approach is to provide your student with a debit card. Most major banks issue cards that work internationally (look for the Plus or Cirrus logo on the back). Make sure that your pin is only four digits. Finally, a week before departure, call the bank to inform them that the card will be used abroad; otherwise, their fraud prevention department will likely freeze the account. In addition to the card, it is advisable to provide your student with some cash, in case s/he has some problems with it early in the trip. $100 US could be easily exchanged at the airport en route to Italy, allowing for a smooth transition.

The other option is simply to bring all of the cash you will need for the trip. It would be quite unfortunate, of course, to lose 300 euros. However, given that the banks often zap each ATM withdrawal with a 2-5 euro service charge, it doesn't make sense to withdraw small amounts. So, regardless, you would probably be carrying 100-150 euros around at some point. Given the small gap between those figures, is the ATM card worth the hassle if your student doesn't have one already? Seems unlikely, but it's your call, of course. In either case, the student should have a money belt to allow for the secure stowage of that cash.

Finally, a word on valuables. We are not going to restrict students from bringing personal electronics, like iPods and handheld videogames. However, I strongly discourage it. Every trip I lead, one or two students leave their iPods behind as unintentional gifts to the locals; in Italy, prolific pickpockets add an extra layer of risk, beyond normal human forgetfulness. Beyond that, though, consider the extent to which those electronics will even be necessary. The students will always be around their friends, always have new things to talk about, and will have little time to just sit around and use the electronics. They'll have personal entertainment stations on the planes and bus rides are great opportunities for conversations. It's too easy to drop off into your own little world when you have those distractions available.