AIBU to think £10k is enough for 10 days in Boston?

Cape Cod is really pricey!! We were there 8 years ago so it’s probably even more now (relative to inflation).
Boston v easy to get around but you’ll need a car for Cape Cod.

I'll remember that menu for when people on here are whining about double carbs on some poor OP's dinner time suggestion

Interesting and someone above opened my eyes that if there is a NMW in one state then people recieving tips on top, are earning more than other people in NMW jobs who arent in jobs where they receive tips but are recieving them from the lower paid in the state. Thats not on.

@Babyboomtastic seriously the portions are HUGE and you get creamed wheat, fruit salad and cornbread in the price.

We didn't eat for the reat of the day and two of our party had run the Boston marathon the day before!

Good grief. I spent a week in NY with two children and we spent £1000 (almost exactly) on food, getting around once there, entrance fees and even some holiday shopping! We did lots of free/cheap things and a few more expensive thing and I was the only adult. Food was so expensive in restaurants (once you add tax and tip it was mind blowing for fairly average food!) so we ate in small cafes, got pizza slices and burritos, got picnics from whole food etc.

We had an AMAZING time and none of us felt that we skimped at all. Zero alcohol, lots of topping up on snacks from local stores etc.

If I gave you a list of where we visited you’d see that we made the absolute most of what was on offer. I understand it’s very hard to avoid eating out when you’re with friends though. But don’t stress too much - it’s possible to have an amazing time whatever your budget is!

Yes of course. I have travelled a lot on small budgets including to so-called expensive destinations. You just need to walk, take public transport, make packed lunches and research the best value for money museums etc.
I have been to Boston and it's not particularly a holiday destination though.

I'd missed that, but I've caught up now. With that in mind I'm even more surprised than people thought £10k was unrealistic. WTH is the OP going to spend £1000/day on that couldn't easily be swapped for a cheaper alternative?

Spring special menu.

Not cheap, but it's not going to cost $500 for brunch either...

Eat to fit your budget and you'll be fine. 7k for 10 days (so £700 a day) on food and trips is huge unless you're eating in very expensive restaurants constantly.

Just to get some ideas on prices, top rated pizza restaurant in Boston on TripAdvisor. Not because it's necessarily great, but just to get some idea. Pizzas were coming out at 15 to 20 dollars. £700 a day equates to $950 dollars. A big Mac was $6.72 a year ago (not sure now).

So do a mixture of decent restaurants, cheaper restaurants, the occasional bit of fast food and grabbing a few things for supermarket, and you'll be fine.

Get your friend to take you to the Neighborhood Reataurant in Somerville for brunch - you won't eat for tbe rest of the day!

Yes, sorry, we're talking at cross purposes but saying the same thing!

Enjoy your trip. The sun is out now after a verrrrrrrry long snowy winter.

The OP says there are no accommodation costs as they will stay with friends.

If flights are £3k and they have no accommodation costs, what do you think they would possibly spend £17k on in 10 days?

I'm surprised to find so many people saying a week in Boston for £10k is unrealistic. I picked a random week in the middle of August and can get direct flights from London Heathrow to Boston Logan for a family of five for around £2500 to £2800.*

In terms of accommodation, a suite at the Marriot Residence Inn with two queen-size beds and a sofa bed can be had for £3300 including breakfast. Alternatively there's a private apartment with two proper bedrooms (doubles) and a futon in the living room for £3000 without breakfast, right in the centre on Harrison Avenue.

That leaves £4000 for spending money, or £500 per day, which should cover food and some sightseeing without too much difficulty, especially if you're willing to forego a full-on restaurant meal on some days and eat in the apartment, maybe get pizzas and have a film night, etc.

Seems perfectly ok to me.

*I guessed at the children's ages, and put them down as 14, 10 and 6.

Sorry, Boston isn't cheaper (I wish it was).

I was in NYC three weeks ago and Broadway shows (unless I'm missing something, and I've lived here for ten years and go to NYC to the theater twice a year) are way more expensive than London.

But yes, you can do your trip for your money if you're super careful and don't eat out every day (and it won't ruin the trip). But be prepared, and please do tip properly!

That's totally fine - you don't have to engage with it at all. I really hate bargaining so tend to avoid places where that's expected. Just makes me super uncomfortable! Plenty of lovely places to visit in the world that can work for everyone's preferences.

Back to the OP's point though - please add in at least 20% for tips when you're working out usual costs. Everywhere will have menus online so just build up what you think your family would order, multiply by 2 for the other family and add 20% and you'll know what sort of costs you'll have if you go out for dinner several times. Portions will be bigger so you can think about sharing, doing appetisers only, etc.

I engage with tipping in the USA but I hate it and it puts me off visiting. Either it is compulsary so staff get a liveable wage - then factor it in to prices, or it's not - so stop whining if people don't pay a voluntary extra sum on top of advertised costs.

The whole stance of paying for service is voluntary but you are an awful human if you don't pay it feels childish and passive aggressive to Europeans.

I don't actually know how to answer this. The working situation in the states is hugely different to here, everything is different by state, it's at-will employment so no one is protected, there's rarely much accommodation for sick leave or holiday time or anything really. Working in the states made me very, very happy to immigrate.

But whatever you think about the wider picture, anyone refusing to engage in the actual culture of wherever they are visiting is punishing the wrong person.

We got really overwhelmed by tipping in India - we were never sure what the right amount with and never had the right sort of cash so we just tipped constantly and probably way too much. But we were in such a privileged situation to be able to travel at all so we just accepted it as part of our trip, and didn't feel uncomfortable about making someone's day a bit better unexpectedly.

I just can't wrap my head around moral stances on tipping meaning you make an actual person have a worse day than if you'd just gone somewhere else. If you are really struggling financially and being forced to travel, then buy food at the grocery store and have a picnic - no one needs you to tip for that.

It’s for 2027 things may change a lot.

But they have 23kg carry on

That's about right for flights. Showing Aug 26 here ( cheaper if you book earlier)

Oh and I used the Boston pass while I was there Saved money on attractions that was

https://gocity.com/en/boston

You do need to think about activities, we did the Boston Duck tour on a WW2 landing craft and it was great, looked and it’s £46 per head now. We did a self guided walking tour and also looked round a warship, it was free and still is apparently. We also went to a baseball game. We spent 5 days in Boston and do have relatives there but stayed in a hotel. We then went to Nantucket which was brilliant and stayed in a little boho bed and breakfast and did a whale watching boat trip. I just checked it’s $75 for an adult and $55 per child now. I would recommend the whale watching wholeheartedly. We also went to Salem. If the air fares are 3k then your 7k will be totally fine.