no spending money for holiday

[hotpink]

me and my husband go to salou in june and i'm worried we're not going to have enough money. i think we will have �400 saved by then and there's no chance we can save anymore. we have breakfast and evening meal included so we would only have to buy lunch, and we already have tickets for portaventura. should i only take out so much money a day with me? (we've never really been on holiday together, so i want it to go ok!)

[vehelpfulguy]

I have been to Port Aventura for the last 2 years (stayed at one of the Port Aventura hotels) so do have some experience.

You dont say how long you are going for.

If you are going for a week then �400 is about �50 a day (including days you arrive and leave), which should be OK if you dont go too mad.

Your main expenses will be lunch, drinks (it is very hot even in June so you get through a lot of liquid), and maybe taxis to Port Aventura from Salou.

(Port Aventura is slightly on the edge of Salou and it can take about 20 minutes to walk from the centre of Salou to the Park. If your hotel is at the west end of Salou then more like 30 minutes or more).

Walking through Salou can be very unpleasant on a hot day but taxis seem to be very cheap.

There are a number of local excursions, the most popular being to Barcelona, but if you did that it would eat up your �50 just for the coach (you can get the train from Salou to Barcelona).

How many days do you plan to go to Port Aventura ?

I have to say this is an AMAZING theme park, one of the best I have ever been in, and you can spend days in there and not see everything.

While all the rides and shows are free the food and drink can be fairly epensive, like most theme parks.

There are loads of supermarkets selling cheap booze (and food) in Salou (including water) so maybe buy your drink BEFORE you go in the park and carry it around on your back in a rucksack.

Having said that, drink gets hot VERY quickly and there is nothing like a nice ice-cold glass of Coke while walking round a theme park on a hot day.

Here is map of Salou. It does not show Port Aventura, as it is off the map. It is above those two roundabouts close together near the top centre of the map (to the right of the railway line).

08:44 Sun 06th May 2007

[vehelpfulguy]

One extra thing. To help people get around the council runs small land trains, they look like this.

http://p.vtourist.com/1/549582-This_train_brin gs_you_to_all-Salou.jpg

The LOOK like trains but actually run on the roads.

There seems to be three different circular routes they take, trains numbered L1, L2 and L3 I think (it is not clear as timetables are non-existent) but ALL THREE trains go to Port Aventura.

There are stops all over Salou where you can get on and off.

When I was there (last year) it was 2.50 euros EACH PER RIDE.

So you got on (you can stay on as long as you like), that is 2.50 Euros.

If you get off, then get on another train, that is another 2.50 Euros.

In fact if you want to see a bit of Salou it is worth getting on one of these trains and just stay on it till it gets back to where you started (as I said, they are all circular).

It only costs 5 euros for 2 of you, the total tour can last about 45 minutes, and the carriages are "open" (no windows) so it is a nice breeze on a hot day.

To be honest, if all you want to do is to get to Port Aventura quickly from Salou a taxi is best.

These trains take a slower more round-about route, but if you are in no hurry then they are great.

[vehelpfulguy]

Here is the map of Salou, which seemed to get chopped off the end of my first append.

http://www.hotel-costa-dorada.de/images/Map_Sa lou1-hcd-800.jpg

if you have not seen it, here is a map of the Port Aventuea complex showing the theme park, water park, and the three hotels.

The town of Salou is just off to the right (you can see the road in the bottom right that goes to Salou)

Note this map is NOT to scale and is a rather idealized view of the area.

http://www.themeparktravel.co.uk/pa.gif

[shineybomb]

Me and my other half are going to Corfu at the end of this week and we are takng �300 for the week and will be buying all meals with that as we have no meals included.

I don't think you need to take much as long as you don't have kids with you.

With that amound we usually have 3 meals a day, food in our self catering apartment, a few drinks in the evening and at least one excursion / day out somewhere

[driverdale1]

do what we did a couple of years back...stuff yourself at breakfast..that does you till evening..then get stuck in at dinner, keep your cash for drinkies..as previously stated by someone it gets hot and you tend to drink a lot...buy cans at supermarket..much much cheaper...stay away from the expensive trips, we prefer to hire a car..u get to see much more and its cheap...anyways dont worry..enjoy the holiday, and any euros you have left send them to me...hahahaha