Dori has a firm A$17k cap. Andy is flexible β pick the comfort tier that fits, see exactly what it costs, and use the tracker below to log expenses as they happen.
Click a tier to see exactly what it includes. Selection saves automatically.
These costs are the same no matter which tier you pick.
| Category | Andy's share | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Andy's own items | ||
| π« Eurail Global Pass | A$1,020 | 15-day, 2nd class |
| π₯ Travel insurance | A$500 | With winter sports cover |
| π ETIAS | A$15 | β¬7 official site |
| π His attractions/tickets | A$850 | Vatican, Eiffel, SchΓΆnbrunn, etc. |
| π His souvenirs | A$450 | One small thing per city |
| Half of joint costs | ||
| π½ Food (50/50) | A$2,160 | A$160/day couple budget |
| πΏ Ski Dolomites (50/50) | A$575 | Gear + lift + lesson |
| π Jungfraujoch (50/50) | A$420 | Top of Europe |
| π Christmas Day gala (50/50) | A$250 | Grindelwald hotel dinner |
| π NYE Paris (50/50) | A$250 | Le Petit Cler + Bateaux Mouches |
| π¬ ParisβVenice flight (50/50) | A$215 | ITA Airways |
| π VeniceβOrtisei shuttle (50/50) | A$132 | Cortina Express |
| π Italy Frecciarossa (50/50) | A$193 | Bolzano β Florence β Rome |
| π Local transit (50/50) | A$325 | 12 city day-passes |
| π Airport transfers (50/50) | A$130 | Munich + Rome + misc |
| πΆ Hallstatt day trip (50/50) | A$100 | Train + ferry + lunch + mine |
| π± eSIM (split) | A$20 | One Airalo plan shared |
| Andy gifts Dori π | ||
| π Birthday surprise + dinner | A$600 | Salzburg Dec 22 β Andy covers full |
| SUBTOTAL β locked in | A$8,205 | Same at every tier |
The flights, the 3 anchor hotels, and the buffer scale by tier.
| Variable cost | π’ Baseline | π‘ Comfortable | π Premium | π΄ Splurge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| β MEL β EU flight | Econ Β· A$2,400 | Econ Β· A$2,400 | Premium econ Β· A$3,200 | Premium econ Β· A$3,200 |
| π¨ Hotels (his half) | Mid-range Β· A$4,150 | + 3 upgrades Β· A$6,650 | + 3 upgrades Β· A$6,650 | + 3 upgrades Β· A$6,650 |
| Salzburg birthday | H+ Hotel | Sacher | Sacher | Sacher |
| Grindelwald Christmas | Sunstar | Belvedere | Belvedere | Belvedere |
| Paris NYE | Holiday Inn | Pullman | Pullman | Pullman |
| π± Extra dining (above food share) | A$0 | A$300 | A$800 | A$2,000 (more Michelin) |
| π Spa + extras | A$0 | A$200 | A$600 | A$1,500 |
| π Singapore stopover (return) | Skip | Skip | Skip | A$1,200 (2N) |
| π° Quiet help for Dori's gaps | A$0 | A$0 | A$500 (cover a few meals/transfers) | A$1,000 (meaningful subsidy) |
| π Buffer / yes-budget | A$745 | A$745 | A$1,545 | A$2,945 |
| VARIABLE SUBTOTAL | A$7,295 | A$10,295 | A$13,295 | A$17,295 |
| + LOCKED A$8,205 | A$15,500 | A$18,500 | A$21,500 | A$25,500 |
Same joint trip (28 days, her half of joint costs) + her solo 14 days after Jan 9.
Her share. Andy covers the birthday treats (Dec 22).
| Flights MEL β EU (econ) | A$2,400 |
| Eurail Pass | A$1,020 |
| Travel insurance | A$500 |
| ETIAS + admin | A$15 |
| Her tickets + souvenirs | A$1,300 |
| Half of joint costs (food/hotels/transport/ski/etc.) | A$8,920 |
| Buffer 5% | A$745 |
| Subtotal | A$14,900 |
Her A$2,100 covers food + transport + activities. Accommodation cheapest with friends.
| Scenario | Total |
|---|---|
| β Mostly with friends | ~A$1,300 β |
| Mix (some hostels) | ~A$1,800 β |
| All paid accommodation | ~A$2,300 β οΈ |
Tight if she pays for all accommodation. Worth confirming the friends plan before flights.
At the Premium or Splurge tier, Andy's budget already includes A$500β1,000 for "quiet help" β covering a few meals or transfers without expecting reimbursement. Dori never sees a bill, Andy absorbs the cost. That's how the comfortable buffer for her solo time works.
Beyond the tier β things that aren't in any budget but might be worth doing on the day.
Already in budget: A$600 (Salzburg dinner + surprise). Optional extra: +A$300 for Salzburger Festspiele tickets or a private Mozart concert.
If you don't want to upgrade all 3 Salzburg nights, just book Sacher for Dec 22 (her actual birthday). One iconic night.
60 min with a Flytographer pro on the lakefront. The keep-forever shot. Schedule for Dec 21 day-trip.
Already in budget. Optional: champagne bar (non-alc available) at the top instead of straight back down.
Pick one tasting menu β Septime in Paris, LokΓ‘l at Steirereck in Vienna, or Esszimmer in Salzburg.
Day pass at Aman Spa Lucerne (CHF 180pp) or Therme Vals if you detour. Both incredible after 2 weeks of walking.
Land in Singapore Jan 10β11. Marina Bay Sands + hawker food + Gardens by the Bay. Lands you in MEL refreshed.
Pre-pay 7 nights of her solo accommodation (~A$50/n hostel) so she's not stressed. Total: ~A$350.
Beyond the A$450 baseline β a leather bag from Florence, a Lindor box from Lucerne, real Mozartkugeln from Salzburg.
Andy A$18,500 + Dori A$17,000
This is what the two of you spend in total to take the trip. Dori is firm at A$17k; the variable is what Andy chooses.
Every confirmation in one place. Hotels, flights, restaurants, tickets β add them as you book, view them during the trip, never lose a confirmation number again.
Bookings save automatically to your browser. Pop in confirmation numbers + booking-page links so you can flash them at check-in or pull up the confirmation email's source. Each entry gets a π Maps link to the venue. Upcoming bookings sort first (chronological). Past bookings drop to the bottom (helpful as a trip log).
Log expenses as they happen on the trip. The tracker auto-converts to AUD using live rates, splits between you, and tells you who owes who. Saves in your browser.
One-tap entries for common items. Edit the amount before saving if needed.
Tap a button β it fills the form below. Hit "Add expense" to save (or change the amount/city/who-paid first).
No expenses logged yet. Add your first one above β
"Paid by" = whose card came out. "Split" = how the cost should be shared in the end. Example: Andy pays the β¬110 dinner (Paid by: Andy), split 50/50 β Dori owes Andy β¬55. If Andy treats Dori (gift), choose split = "Andy bears it" and Dori owes nothing.
Food + transit + 1 paid attraction. Accommodation is separate (see Stays).
| City | Daily (couple) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Munich | β¬115 β A$190 | Standard German bier-hall + transit |
| Nuremberg | β¬100 β A$165 | Smaller city, lower prices |
| Prague | CZK 1,800 β A$158 | π Cheapest city |
| Vienna | β¬135 β A$223 | CafΓ© culture adds up |
| Salzburg π | β¬145 β A$240 | Birthday-day separate budget |
| Lucerne | CHF 180 β A$315 | Swiss prices begin |
| Grindelwald π | CHF 230 β A$403 | β Priciest day |
| Strasbourg | β¬120 β A$198 | Alsatian wine country |
| Paris π | β¬175 β A$289 | NYE premium baked in |
| Dolomites | β¬135 β A$223 | Excluding ski day |
| Florence | β¬135 β A$223 | Renaissance + Tuscan food |
| Rome | β¬125 β A$206 | Final stop |
Food + small stuff. Under-spend cheap cities, over-spend Paris/Switzerland, average out.
Airbnb kitchen (eggs + bread + fruit ~β¬8 for both) or cafΓ© (croissant + coffee Γ 2 = β¬15). Skip the β¬38 hotel buffet unless it's included.
Bakery / sandwich / standing-at-bar β¬15ββ¬20. Sit-down trattoria mains β¬25ββ¬30. Christmas market food β¬20 for both.
2 mains + starter + mocktail each β¬40ββ¬60. Save for splurge nights (birthday, Christmas, NYE).
Pick ONE A$110+ meal per city. Cover with cheaper meals around it. Example Salzburg: hotel breakfast + cafΓ© lunch + Esszimmer birthday dinner. Compensate next day with Christmas market food + a light dinner.
1. Wise (primary). Multi-currency, hold EUR + CHF + CZK at mid-market rate.
2. Revolut (backup). Use if Wise gets declined.
3. No-FX-fee credit card (28 Degrees / ING / Macquarie). For chargeback protection on big bookings.
Always split cards between you β never both Wise cards in the same wallet.
Most of Europe is tap-to-pay. Cash matters for:
Target: β¬100 + CZK 1,000 split between you.
Card terminals ask "Pay in EUR or AUD?" β ALWAYS pick local currency. Wise does conversion at the real rate. Same with ATMs: choose "withdraw without conversion".
Spend β¬50+ in a single store as tourist β claim back ~12β15% VAT (net of fees). Ask for "Tax Free" form at till, present at airport Global Blue/Planet with goods + passport, get customs stamp, refund onto Wise.
Use over physical card β higher contactless limits, can't be left in a terminal. MΓ©tro Paris + S-Bahn Munich accept phone tap as a ticket.
The expense tracker above splits between you automatically. Export CSV at trip-end. Useful for the next trip's planning.
Lucerne 2N + Grindelwald 4N + Jungfraujoch β A$4,000. Pizza is A$28. Coffee is A$10. The Eurail pass is worth its weight here.
Grindelwald 4N + Paris 3N = A$3,230 of A$8,160 hotel total. Both are unavoidable trip anchors. Saving here would mean swapping the magic.
A$160/day food budget = strict but doable. The killer is "while we're here" moments: extra hot chocolate, extra gelato, Florentine olive oil. Log each one in the tracker.