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

[1ladybird]

Family of 5. 2adults 3 kids. Is £10k enough for flights and meals out for 10 days in US summer 2027?

Staying with friends who like to eat out- Boston. Possibly need car hire.

I thought this would be plenty as flights available £3k and we can stay with our friends.

However, we visited NYC (just me and DH). SO SO expensive!!!

US vs Uk economy reminds me of how rich British ppl felt visiting Eastern Europe 20+ years ago..! Now we’re on the receiving end!! Our economy is so poo and London seemed so cheap after visiting NYC Nov ‘25 😬.

After advice from families who travel to US regularly/ recently. TIA xxx

Lots of people!

£2k each for a family of 5 is not outrageous. Plenty of people pay that for all types of holidays.

We go to US every year as we have family over there and add a separate holiday onto visiting. We often share meals as portions are large. A couple of large pizzas is a great way to feed everyone. A good way to save money is to just drink water with meals and then have sodas or whatever from the supermarket in the car. Meals are filling and we often end up only eating twice a day and don’t need to snack. Not intentionally but it’s the way it works out.

Research cheaper eats before you go and have a plan in your head so you don’t end up eating in more expensive places because you’re suddenly starving and don’t know what the options are.

If you book flights make sure you book car hire with it as it’s much cheaper to book as a package. You won’t need a car in Boston but will outside.

We find the North East significantly more expensive than the West (have family in both) for eating out.

Accommodation is hugely expensive in Boston but luckily that’s covered.

You also tend to have the benefit of it being deemed a package holiday when you book flights and car hire which gives more protection, welcome in these uncertain times!

Have you thought of going to Boston, Lincolnshire, in the East Midlands, as it will be so much cheaper?

You can probably get there by National Express coach, although due to the Iran War and everyone saying that fuel is going to go through the roof, £10K should be enough (I hope!).

https://boston-england.co.uk

I did NYC/Boston with my mum last September.

IIRC an evening meal for the two of us, with soft drinks and one course, was about $60. For a family of 5, perhaps adding alcohol and desserts... I'd budget $200, including tip.

I'd say that you could probably do the trip for $10k or less, assuming you're not mega-extravagant. Things like coffees and snacks out aren't any more expensive than here we didn't think. And if you've got access to a car, you can easily go to a supermarket for things like lunches/snacks/breakfasts.

@Charlize43 honestly it wouldn’t surprise me if a UK Boston holiday after eating out, accommodation and travel would cost more than the US 😂

I think you could do it with no accommodation costs. However, you’d need to treat your hosts to a few meals out.

10k is not loads, but it’s doable.

Depends what the expectations are on eating out - a few diner or Maccy D type meals would bring it down ‘a lot’ but if you are talking the kind of preppy people expecting 50 dollar mains every night it could be tight - drinking is particularly expensive - also are they expecting you to pay for them in exchange for accommodation - ? It’s very doable I think but not 300 dollar meals every night

@Justusethebloodyphone I agree with you ref sharing - we shared quite a lot of 40 dollar mains in us and added on an extra good salad , plus shared a starter or deser etc - no one batted an eyelid and to be fair I genuinely could not have eaten many of the mains to myself - one night ata place that was reasonable in Santa Barbara I had a prawn and garlic pasta to myself and it could easily have fed 3 generous portions.

Are you sure flights will be £3k? BA and Virgin for example haven’t released next summer’s flights yet. Car hire would be about £1000 for 10 days. That gives £6k left for 10 days. An average of £600 a day is easily doable if you don’t have accommodation costs. Bear in mind that excursions could be expensive though. For example whale watching might be around £250 for a family.

Boston is more expensive than NYC in my experience.

@sorrynotathomeI checked couldn’t find any less than just under £5k, but maybe she has done better. She also said she may need to hire a car - which will be about £1k for a big enough one.
I’ve just returned from Boston. I stayed with relatives and did not need a car. Three of us and if you are planning on going out at all it’s £££. Food shopping is about a third more than here, though restaurants are a bit cheaper. We went to a baseball game and that was $100 each for tickets, $60 to park and about $20/each for hotdogs and a drink. So for five: $660 for one afternoon! Of course one can do it for £10k. But it means budgeting carefully, and as we only go on holiday in e every other year I tend to spend more.

Flights are £3k

How much when you went and what’s your advise on prices then? How much would you say for 3 kids 2 adults? No accommodation costs. Flights are currently £3k return

The Boston Stump! Love seeing that.

What flights are you finding?

With no accommodation costs? I’m not saying you’re wrong but what I’m after is more of a breakdown/ guidance.

We’re not going for over a year so there’s time to add more to the holiday pot! Hence my post.

if you have any experience/ info to add that would be helpful. Thanks!

Yes absolutely and I’m sure we’ll eat in sometimes but then this would be counter balanced by offering to pay for them sometimes as they’re hosting. So just trying to go for a worse case scenario cost so I can still enjoy the hol and not worry about it when we’re there.

Thanks

You're asking if 700 pounds PER DAY with no accomodation costs is enough for a family in Boston?

It's like a different world on here sometimes. Of course it's enough. Honestly...

Thanks that’s helpful. We’re low maintenance and don’t normally do long haul. Special trip with the kids to see uni friends who visited us in UK the other year.

It’s just they are but more flash than us so I have to accept we won’t be picking all the meals/ dining options. They know we’re not as well off as them though and they are our friends. So will sound them out before that we’re not up for high end meals out every day so mix in some cheaper options!

As it’s not their holiday they will hopefully be quite chill. If we meet up and are both on hol they go to town on things more- which is fair enough! Just want to go with a realistic budget so we can relax and enjoy!

I would ask your hosts how much. I think $20,000 is over the top.

Well that’s why I’m asking! This is a big hol for us. We usually do UK one year and then every other a beach/ euro hol.

What was your recent experience of US prices?

I wasn’t concerned that this wouldn’t be enough until I saw prices in NYC few months back.

so I have a year to be prepared!

I hope/ think so too but I’m not an experienced traveler to US and never been with kids.

If it’s $20k it might have to go on hold for another year!

Yup I just priced a 10 day holiday to Florida - 2 adults two kids £14k - I'm not justifying that tbh. That's 4 months nett salary for me and I just think - did I work for 4 months to pay for 10 nights in Florida? No!

Anyway, this thread is interesting!

To visit our friends. They’ve come to Europe lots over the years and it’s way over our turn to go to US!

They’re US couple who lived in UK for a while and we want to stay friends and are keen to see them in their home town.