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

Our flights were also really cheap. Booked a couple of weeks before on a whim and they were less than £500 each with Lufthansa.

So after flights, you’ll have £7000 which is roughly $10,000 for 10 nights.

You will not need $1,000 a day!

As I said, we were in San Fran over Easter 2 adults and 2 hungry teens. San Fran is more expensive than Boston, we were eating out every day, doing lots of tourist things and even we didn’t average $1,000 a day. More like $600-700 on average.

This is true. Flights originating from the UK on UK-based airlines I've always found to be considerably cheaper than the other way around

Interesting. I live on the east coast, south of Boston, so this is news to me because fares to eg Heathrow originating here are way, way higher. These days we feel lucky if we can tip just under $1000pp. BA code shares with American Airlines, which is one of the cheapest (and shoddiest, beaten only be South Western imo) US airlines. So those fares make sense.

Don't go . I am desperate to visit my friend who lives in Florida but don't want to contribute a bean to the U.S. economy while the orange monster is still in charge

Obviously up to you but I really think you have to tip minimum 20%. It's just how it works here. When in Rome...

@pinotnow
I spent around £7k last year for 3 people for 2 weeks including flights, accommodation and car hire. We did mainly self-catering though with some meals out

How much did you spend per night on accommodation and how did you find it? And car hire?

There are 3 of us - we'd love to go to the East Coast and I like your budget!

And I won't be tipping more than 15%.

I agree with that poster. I travel regularly to the U.S. for periods of between 4 and 28 days and outside of flights & accommodation I probably spend about $1600 every ten days so that’s like $160 a day spent on Ubers and food. I eat out twice a day but tend to drink coffee and eat fruit for breakfast at the hotel. I tend to go to museums, bookshops and like to hire bikes and sometimes join a city tour.

Forget morning Starbucks, have coffee and breakfast at home and save the eating out for dinner. For lunch you can even get sandwiches at somewhere that has counter service. Some nights you can buy groceries and cook for everyone. Buy some snacks and water from Walmart or target.

If there are 5 of you I don’t think your costs would be necessarily be 5 times my daily cost - I travel solo within America usually so all my road travel costs while I’m there would be the same if i was with other people. So basically yeah I think 7K is enough. But I’m not the type to visit every over-priced tourist attraction going.

I enjoy strolling around the city. Doing sightseeing which is often free and sitting in parks - also free. The main things I pay for are museums and galleries.

I think you’ll be fine we did an east coast trip last year 2 adults two kids for 2 full weeks (only three days we stayed with family) and it came to about £11k.

BA have flights to the US from now till end of year on average around 560-700 per person. Premium economy was around 1400 per person so definitely doable.

one thing to note is they now no longer include hold luggage & you have to add that

if the OP looks at some of the American airlines they might get flights a bit cheaper

2k per person isn’t that much for long haul these days. Even holidaying in Europe on a budget you won’t have much change from 1.5k per person, once food and entertainment has been covered on top of flights and accommodation. This is why people are moaning. Costs have risen much faster than wages!

Am not sure talking to people who have been in the past will help you.
The prices and fuel impact is volatile.
So what is happening now is what you will need to consider.

But Florida is a lot cheaper than Boston!

I get it. Eating out is big here and I'm always shocked how much my friends pay to eat out - we do it very sporadically... I love coming home to the UK where the prices to eat out aren't so crippling.

But I reckon if they are good friends they will understand and you can come to a happy compromise (and when you do spend $500 on one single meal out don't let it annoy you!)

Supermarket prices are insane too. HOWEVER you can definitely make it work, you just need to balance things. If we fancy a take out we get one very large pizza ($50) and wings ($20) to share, which is way cheaper than a Chinese for four, which could be double that.

You will have a fab holiday with a little planning. There is so much to enjoy here in the summer. A day at the beach can cost as little as $30 for parking plus a picnic lunch.

If you use food halls, get a weekly travel pass, get a go city tourist pass these will all reduce costs. Stick to drinking free water that you will be offered with every meal, take water bottles with you.
Food is expensive in the USA and Boston is an expensive area. 20% tips are the norm for table service but not needed for quick service.

We were out last night - four of us - in the North End, to a good but not highly priced Italian. Two shared starters, mains for all, two shared puds. Only two drinkers but soft drinks for the kids. Didn't hold back but didn't splurge. $400+ tip = $500.

I know the area well and travel to the US every summer. I think you can definitely do your trip on your budget.

Here's what I do to keep costs down:

1. Go to the supermarket on my first day and buy food for breakfast and packed lunch. I wasn't shocked by supermarket prices last year - I didn't think they were hugely different to the UK.
2. Take my reusable water bottle and a couple of small tupperware containers with me - this means I can pack snacks like nuts and fruit to carry around during the day and never have to spend money on drinks.
3. When eating out in the evenings, the portion sizes are so large you can easily share courses or take home leftovers for lunch the next day. Keep alcoholic drinks to a minimum
4. Eat at home on at least three nights and buy wine etc to enjoy at home.
5. When out and about in the city, Whole Foods supermarket is a great place to grab a cheap and healthy lunch. They have hot fresh pizza slices and a hot and cold buffet you pick and choose from to fill a take away salad container. You can get a whole box full of healthy and freshly made salad, pasta etc for about $12 and this can easily feed two people.
6. Get public transport where you can rather than taxis - the trains and metro/bus system in Boston and its suburbs are very good.

Definitely go to Salem - it's amazing and the witch museum is so fun! - and Cape Cod beaches are a must. There are also loads of lovely small towns and villages in MA to wander around in and explore for the day if you have a car - you don't have to spend money on attractions when you can just enjoy exploring new places. Many towns in the US have amazing outdoor swimming facilities as well, and you can go and spend all morning/afternoon at one for very little money, sunbathing and swimming.

There are loads of amazing things to see in Boston, many of which are free, and just walking around and enjoying the views of the water, the beautiful old buildings, and the Common etc is an entertainment in itself. Museums/galleries are expensive, so choose just one or two of the ones that most take your fancy and check online when their free/reduced price days are - many US museums have a day a month when they're free. From memory the Boston Public Library used to do some really good free stuff for kids in the summer as well.

Have a fantastic time!

Sorry, it's not, if eating out x 2/3 meals and maybe doing an activity. I live here.

I was just thinking the same although haven't been abroad for a few years so I'm probably out of touch !

OP I asked Gemini out of interest and it’s said £7500-£9500 for flights, food and entertainment. Might be worth having a play around with it yourself.

I lived in Boston for work (in the 1990's) and have been back a few times over the years.

Went most recently a couple of years ago and was absolutely shocked at how expensive everything had become.

DH and I had lunch on Newbury St and it was a nice but fairly basic restaurant-(not fancy) for lunch-think we shared a starter and had a glass of wine/beer each and I think it was well over £100!!!!! For lunch. think I had a caesar salad. It felt a lot.

Are you staying in self catering?
Could you have breakfast at your accommodation?
Stick to cheap and cheerful sandwiches on the go for lunch?

I think if that is what you can spend then you will have to manage/compromise and make it work, just beware!!!