Flotilla Holiday Spending Money

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Redbeard

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I'm off on my first flotilla holiday in the Aegean (out of Athens) in July. I have never been to Greece or anywhere like this before. With all the uncertainty there's going to be with GBP/EUR rates over the next few weeks I locked in a chunk of Euros in cash a while ago. I'm now wondering whether I've got enough.

Can anyone suggest how much I'd need per day for provisions for lunches, dinner out, grog etc? I know plenty on here have been on this type of holiday before. I won't be going mad, nor scrimping. Family of 5 - three teenagers.
 
In my experience the answer is so dependent upon how much you eat out and how much you spend at supermarkets for eating/drinking on board.

I would suggest E50 a day if you are not that keen to eat out and E100 a day if you intend to eat/drink out at least once a day.

Don't forget your credit cards and then you can't run out although rates are clearly not so good at the moment.

Everyone else will disagree! :)

Richard
 
RichardS said:
In my experience the answer is so dependent upon how much you eat out and how much you spend at supermarkets for eating/drinking on board.

I would suggest E50 a day if you are not that keen to eat out and E100 a day if you intend to eat/drink out at least once a day.

Don't forget your credit cards and then you can't run out although rates are clearly not so good at the moment.

Everyone else will disagree! :)

Richard
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I don't... :D ...the missus and I (so two "adults".... roughly.... :) ) budget about 50 euro a day - we eat out on that, with a bit left over for lunch/beers and etc
 
Taverna meals will cost about €10-15 a head, beers will be about €2.50 a piece, house wine about €3.50 per half litre, coke/soft drinks on a par with beer. So £50-100 per day should get you by if you eat mainly in tavernas for evening meals and perhaps breakfasts but buy the makings for lunches.

Most, if not all, tavernas and shops will have trouble with cards of any type. Away from Athens Greece is still very much a cash economy. However, because of their reliance on cash, ATMs are pretty thick on the ground and you can find one in most villages. Check with the flotilla leaders where they can be found as they will be able to warn you if the place you're heading for doesn't have one so you can stock up on cash if required.
 
Brilliant, thanks, that's the info I need. I was factoring about GBP 100 per day and have that plus some spare in cash. I've got a couple of euro credit cards so I can load them up on the internet if I have to. I was worried when I read somewhere that people got taken to restaurants with no menu and it ended up v. expensive. Wasn't sure if the staff got kickbacks...
 
The estimates seem optimistic to me.

Our family of two adults and two teens spent about 200 Euros per evening for meals plus extra through the day for snacks, bottled water and tat. That was in the Ionian 3 years ago without going to top end establishments, most of the cost was on food not drink. Not all restaurants take cards and some of the smaller harbours didn't have cash points so it's worth going prepared.
 
Baddox said:
The estimates seem optimistic to me.

Our family of two adults and two teens spent about 200 Euros per evening for meals plus extra through the day for snacks, bottled water and tat. That was in the Ionian 3 years ago without going to top end establishments, most of the cost was on food not drink. Not all restaurants take cards and some of the smaller harbours didn't have cash points so it's worth going prepared.
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Sounds like you've got teens similar to my daughter when she was one, and her friends - gravitate straight to the lobster/whatever else is the dearest thing on the menu, without fail.. And please don't even mention the cocktails. I should have thought €200 a day is more realistic, and even that will require a certain amount of restraint/self catering.

Daughter hasn't changed her habits btw., just got a bit older.
 
I am out there fairly regular and for a family your size I would budget 150 Euros per day. This will cover the Tavernas in the evening ( ave 15 euro per head ) generally you will buy simple stuff to do light lunches onboard similarly the local bakery for breakfast croissants or similar.
 
Baddox said:
The estimates seem optimistic to me.

Our family of two adults and two teens spent about 200 Euros per evening for meals plus extra through the day for snacks, bottled water and tat. That was in the Ionian 3 years ago without going to top end establishments, most of the cost was on food not drink. Not all restaurants take cards and some of the smaller harbours didn't have cash points so it's worth going prepared.
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We be very happy to crew for you if you feed us that well , 200 a night , COOL ,
You must have plenty of dosh , we spend around 15 euros a head , with drinks and an ice cream.
I think they may have seen you coming .
 
Nooka said:
Sounds like you've got teens similar to my daughter when she was one, and her friends - gravitate straight to the lobster/whatever else is the dearest thing on the menu, without fail.. And please don't even mention the cocktails. I should have thought €200 a day is more realistic, and even that will require a certain amount of restraint/self catering.

Daughter hasn't changed her habits btw., just got a bit older.
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I bet you be glad when she leave home , if nothing else you be a lot richer :)
 
RichardS said:
In my experience the answer is so dependent upon how much you eat out and how much you spend at supermarkets for eating/drinking on board.

I would suggest E50 a day if you are not that keen to eat out and E100 a day if you intend to eat/drink out at least once a day.

Don't forget your credit cards and then you can't run out although rates are clearly not so good at the moment.

Everyone else will disagree! :)

Richard
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You somewhere near the mark Richard for them on holiday ,
Reading what some say that they spend no wonder restaurant want to keep the quay free for charters boats ,
Two of us and a cat and we get though about 600 euros a month on our food supply that include a meal out one a week but plenty of vino .
To see what tips people leave is unbelievable , at time more then the meal it self .
I watch some one the other day leave an five Euro tip for two beers which was five Euros , talk about (hey look at ) .
 
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As has been so rightly said, it depends very much on what you eat and where. We occasionally have a 'pita gyros' at €2 each, marvelling at how any establishment can make a profit selling these, that contain pork or chicken, salad, chips, pita bread and Tzatsiki. Strange when the beer at €2.50 per (nearly) a pint costs more than the meal. Last night we had a Greek salad starter, main meals for two and half a kilo of red wine for just under €30. In the more up-market restaurants the same would be €50.
 
We are in Lefkas at the moment, a change from Kefalonia. We have eaten out every evening. as an example, last evening near Lygia, we had starters of fried Saganaki and courgettes, a main course of pork and Bream, a litre of red wine, they gave us free melon and strawberries for dessert, plus an Ouzo each, total cost 28 euro, we have not paid anymore than this price all week. prices can vary of course, but if you pay anything like 40 euro for similar you are being ripped off! Fiskardo can be a good example of rip the tourist off! try the cake my mother made says the smiling waiter, then adds 8 euro apiece to the bill:rolleyes: bastardos.
 
Redbeard said:
Brilliant, thanks, that's the info I need. I was factoring about GBP 100 per day and have that plus some spare in cash. I've got a couple of euro credit cards so I can load them up on the internet if I have to. I was worried when I read somewhere that people got taken to restaurants with no menu and it ended up v. expensive. Wasn't sure if the staff got kickbacks...
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Usually the nearest you will get to "no menu / no prices" is the fish choice. This is often priced as "per Kg" but be very careful as this gives some tavernas a blank cheque to play with. I have friends to have been presented with a bill for E100 for what they thought was a fish for two. :(

I'm told by my family that the fish is often very good (I'm not a fish eater!) but before you order it ask the waiter specifically what the price will be for the actual fish you are choosing and how many it will serve. Some places will actually present a selection of fish to you and ask you which one you prefer so ask the price of that specific fish.

Richard
 
I remember a lovely evening in Platerias a few years back. We'd met up with a guy who runs a sailing school and his current students plus another boat full of a couple of families. As we were sorting ourselves out, SWMBO suggested that the younger generation might like to sit together at one table, leaving the old foggies at the other one. A splendid evening followed. The youngsters disappeared at some point in search of loud music but we grownups sat on and carried on drinking and putting the world to rights.
Then the bills arrived. Thankfully already split into family bills...... The three families with the now disappeared teenagers were staggered by the quantity and type of alcohol their little darlings had got through. None of your litre or two of local plonk or beers but serious cocktails and spirits. Much wailing and gnashing of teeth followed. SWMBO and I slipped away into the night, having paid our modest bill, before anyone remembered whose wonderful plan it had been for the youngsters to sit together. Ho hum. We left early the next morning to escape any further discussions...

Then there was the time in Fiskardo. Bucketing it down with rain we took shelter in a bar. Two large beers and four Bacardi and cokes later, the bill came to €54. OK, generous measures for the spirits but €54? We now no longer drink ashore in Fiskardo, as all the bars seem to have outrageous prices. Ice creams are OK though. Edit: just read this through and it makes it sound as if SWMBO is something of a hoover for Bacardi and coke. Not so, there were four of us in the party.....

A couple of remarks on meals. Most Greek tavernas will serve rice or salad or chips with a main course. Some of the more tourist orientated places will serve veggies as well but not everywhere. Worth checking when ordering. Portion sizes tend towards the larger end of the spectrum, so we've found that for the most part we don't bother with a starter. Alternatively, we sometimes have three or four starters instead of a main course. Works well as you get several things to go at and most places will be happy to bring you another portion of something you particularly enjoyed. As other have said, most places will bring you a small dessert or fresh fruit which is included in the overall price of the meal. Some places will also serve you a glass of homemade ouzo or similar. Try to look as if you enjoyed it, as there's a good chance the waiter or his mother made it.
 
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Usually the nearest you will get to "no menu / no prices" is the fish choice. This is often priced as "per Kg" but be very careful as this gives some tavernas a blank cheque to play with. I have friends to have been presented with a bill for E100 for what they thought was a fish for two.

I'm told by my family that the fish is often very good (I'm not a fish eater!) but before you order it ask the waiter specifically what the price will be for the actual fish you are choosing and how many it will serve. Some places will actually present a selection of fish to you and ask you which one you prefer so ask the price of that specific fish.

Richard
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We knew of a similar incident regarding fish, this was at a bar not far from Fiskardo, the couple ordered Bass for two, the fish was priced per kilo, they were charged 86 euro! they would not have dared to charge this price to locals! an unfortunate tourist rip off tactic. the fish farms that you see mainly contain Bass and Bream, mainly Guilthead Bream, Reffered to as Sipoura. my wife loves fish, she would expect to pay up to 10 euros for both species, but no more. always best to ask first to avoid any embarrasment in the wallet department. fortunately most of the Taverna owners are extremely honest people who value your custom and wish you would return, they are also aware of internet reviews.
 
sailaboutvic said:
We be very happy to crew for you if you feed us that well , 200 a night , COOL ,
You must have plenty of dosh , we spend around 15 euros a head , with drinks and an ice cream.
I think they may have seen you coming .
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Thank you for your kind offer Vic. I'm beginning to think that you're right; perhaps there's a reason that the lead flotilla crews favour certain establishments.
 
Baddox said:
Thank you for your kind offer Vic. I'm beginning to think that you're right; perhaps there's a reason that the lead flotilla crews favour certain establishments.
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Someone had to cover the flotilla skipper and crew bill
Next time in Greece look me up and we take you to places where you can have a good meal each night , and at the end of your hoildays , we split the different that you saved , how that's :)
That's should keep up in food shopping for a month at less .
 
Most popular meal we had was pizza and beer. The pizza arrived by scooter and the beer came from the shop. very cheep and the kids loved it. Why not buy a few 'nibbles' to have with a beer or 2 before you go out to eat - eases the appetite and hopefully keeps the costs down. I find a lot of the restaurant menus very similar so a mix of eating options makes for a more enjoyable time. Perhaps a beach BBQ on one or 2 evenings would make for a change?

Yoda
 
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