Study Abroad - Summer in Paris

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So I'm a college student, and I'm thinking about going to Paris this summer for one month for a study abroad program. Including airfare, the actual program will cost about $5500 total. The only thing that I am not including in this number is personal expenses and meals. So, my question is, does anybody have an estimate of how much meals and personal expenses would cost in Paris for 1 month? I believe that some meals will be paid for, but the vast majority of meals will be up to us. I am guessing that I will need about $1,000, making the total cost for me $6,500, but I really don't know. I would really appreciate any help on a cost estimate, or any help or advice for a trip to Paris in general. Thanks!

You will need more than 1,000 because the USA dollar isn't worth and money. I have been there before and it's great. Everybody loves to shop there. You Will need maybe 3,000 or 5,000.

3,000 to 5,000 !?!? just for personal expenses and food for a month?? If that is the case then I cannot go. But I'm not a big shopper, so don't expect me to go out and buy 2,000 worth of stuff. I'm poor. I'm going with the help of financial aid. So, how 'bout this, how much do you think it would cost for just food?

NOT a cheap place at all unfortunately.. i read somewhere about $100 a day JUST for food :|

woah. If it really would cost 100 euros a day, that would definitely be way too much for me to afford. I can maybe afford 40 euros a day AT MOST. I would prefer to live off more like 25-30 euros a day though. Does anyone think that this is possible???

Well while I can't give you insight on the cost of living in Paris what I can do is give you insight as someone who gave up studying abroad. I was going to go to London for the summer, unfortunately it would have been around $6000 or $7000 to go, instead I took a summer job. Its honestly the only thing I regret in life. Whatever you do, find a way to go and make it happen. You can always pay the debt back later, but you shouldn't sacrifice the amount you may grow as a person by going.

Originally Posted By: stupid_man

Well while I can't give you insight on the cost of living in Paris what I can do is give you insight as someone who gave up studying abroad. I was going to go to London for the summer, unfortunately it would have been around $6000 or $7000 to go, instead I took a summer job. Its honestly the only thing I regret in life. Whatever you do, find a way to go and make it happen. You can always pay the debt back later, but you shouldn't sacrifice the amount you may grow as a person by going.

Yes, thank you for saying that. I'm not exactly getting much support on going from the family I live with (I live with my friend's family, but they've practically become a real 2nd family). They've been trying to convince me not to go, saying I need to concentrate on finishing college as soon as possible, and that it would make more sense to take a class over the summer for my major over here. They seem to think it costs too much, and gets in the way of getting ahead in my major. They tell me to go to paris on my own maybe after I graduate. But i just don't see that happening. I know that if I don't do this now, then it's never going to happen.

I went to Europe AFTER I finished college. We leased a car through a college program and traveled through Europe for 2 months with a friend and my cousin. We slept in tents and sleeping bags and ate by buying local foods in stores. No restaurants and hotels... It was hard to estimate our costs for 2 months so we were pretty frugal. Granted, this was back in '87 so I'm sure costs are much higher now.My son wanted to do a stint in Spain, but at $6000... that was just too much. I'm sure the experience would be great, but the cost was too much.

You don't say anything about your accommodation, but it is important. I assume it is going to be provided, because otherwise that would be a big expense - even the cheapest backpacker accommodation is expensive. You would be unlikely to find a very basic very dingy hotel room for less than 30 euro a night.Assuming accommodation is provided, the question is, will you have cooking facilities? If you don't and have to eat in cafés, it will certainly cost a lot more than if you buy food at markets or supermarkets and cook yourself. However, whoever said $100 a day must have expensive tastes - even eating out you should be able to do it for a lot less, if you are careful. When my wife and I were travelling there we lived on largely bread and cheese and local paté, boiling eggs and vegetables when we could, for less than $10 a day for the two of us (but this was 30 years ago). (We also were doing it after we finished college, before getting our first jobs.)Remember that while in the US junk food is cheap and fresh food is expensive, outside North America the opposite tends to hold.

It is definitely important to keep school in mind. Taking classes that actually will apply towards your graduation is a huge part of it. If you take a few classes and load up in your remaining semesters you can still graduate on time, if not early depending on your requirements. School needs to be the main priority and that trip to Paris needs to reflect your academic accomplishments. I know with my college I could have gone to Rome, Japan, Paris, and lots of places. I really wanted to go to one of those, but London had the program that would associate directly with my major so I had applied to that one (and as I mentioned earlier backed out of it). Your youth in this situation and decision is the one thing you really have going for you. Yes you can fall into debt, but even not going I'm sure you are full of debt, I know I am, my student loans are kicking my ass now that they are in repayment and still don't have the greatest job. (Graduated with my masters Aug. 2010) But you will have plenty of time to figure that out later, but plan responsibly. Unfortunately many say to wait and travel Europe after you graduate. For the majority of younger people this is an impossibility. Your loans will hit repayment, you don't have the funding in your accounts, and you are not eligible for any abroad programs once you have a degree. Back packing across Europe was a luxury that was lost for the majority of people a few decades ago. Its not responsible to pick up and go on a spirit quest. In the end, I believe, it would be more economical and responsible to go while you are still in school and can use loans to pay your way, so you can be safe while your there!

Accommodations are provided in the program. We are living in dorms, sharing with a roomate. And, yes, the accommodations have shared kitchen facilities. So I could save by going out to buy something to bring back and cook. And ya, I just don't see myself being able to go after I graduate. And if I can, it definitely would not be nearly as long. And I feel like I don't have to worry too much about expenses if I go now. I receive financial aid that almost completely pays for my education through state and federal grants. So I have had to take out very little in loans up to this point. I'm going to be ending my second year at college in June, and I will probably be about $3,000 in debt by the end of the second year, which was used mostly to buy a car. So, compared to most college students, I feel like I'm in pretty good shape financially. So I feel like I can afford to take out a $6,000 loan to go to Europe for a month (plus probably stay a few extra weeks if I can afford it). Then I can get a part-time job when I return and probably pay most of it off within a year.

Only you can decide if it is worth it. A lot depends on what the study will be like, since you could probably fly to Paris and live there for a month yourself for a good deal less. If you are studying French, it's a good way to get some immersion. If you are studying art, it is a chance to see the treasures of the Louvre (though I think the Uffizi in Florence is better).But if you just want the experience of travel, Third World countries are much cheaper to stay and travel and eat in and you get a lot more cultural differences.

Originally Posted By: IneligibleOnly you can decide if it is worth it. A lot depends on what the study will be like, since you could probably fly to Paris and live there for a month yourself for a good deal less. If you are studying French, it's a good way to get some immersion. If you are studying art, it is a chance to see the treasures of the Louvre (though I think the Uffizi in Florence is better).But if you just want the experience of travel, Third World countries are much cheaper to stay and travel and eat in and you get a lot more cultural differences. I agree with Pete. France is an expensive place and so is Switzerland. It depends on what course you are studying. In France the only things to learn would be, french cuisine, art or french language. If you are taking a course which doesn't have anything to do with these then I suggest you save your money and better look for another place to study. There are a lot of cheaper options out there. If you still wish to go to France then I suggest cooking for yourself as this will save some money. And...as tempting as it maybe try not to spend your money too much. You will need about $100 (US dollars) for a meal. It will cost around $200-250 for 3 meals per day. As for buying ingredients and cooking it, I don't have much idea. Though I am guessing it may cut the costs a bit.France is a beautiful place to visit though, such a tempting place who wouldn't want to go. Whatever choice you make,I hope you have a good time and best of luck. PS: The treasures of the Louvre... >.> cough tempt me a lot cough. I love art.

Ya, what I'm studying is the French language, so can't really go many other places to study that. And I've always wanted to go to France. It's always been near the top of the list of places I'd like to go to in the world

Its really a case of how you intend to live. You could survive on about $20 a day if you stick to just McDonalds meals. You could survive on $1000 - $1500 for the month, but you'd limiting yourself in terms of a social life. Not that it'll cut it out completely, but think of emergencies. Personally, I'd bring about E2000 with the intent to spend as little of it as possible. Just don't go to DinseyLand, its not worth the price.