Europe Trip Itinerary 2 Weeks: €300 Per Person Per Day in France, Italy, and Monaco

You dream about a Europe trip, but what if I told you the real cost of two weeks in France, Italy, and even Monaco was €300 per person per day, flights, hotels, food, trains, everything?

‍

My mom's lifelong dream was to stand in front of the Eiffel Tower, and when her face lit up as the lights began to sparkle, it made every euro worth it.

‍

Want to know how much does a Europe trip cost?

The Reality Check Nobody Prepared Me For

My mom had a brand new passport with zero European stamps. Just Mexico and Turkey from years ago.

‍

You can imagine how that looked when she tried to board her flight to Paris alone. I wrote her a letter explaining everything in French. I even included my bank statements to prove I could support her Europe trip.

‍

When they called her name at the counter her heart stopped, but that letter saved everything, the immigration officer just said, "Ah, okay, no problem" and let her through.

‍

Here's what we learned: when you're traveling with someone who's never done this before, you become responsible for absolutely everything.

‍

The tickets, the directions, the language barriers, making sure they eat, making sure they don't get lost. It's exhausting and beautiful at the same time.

Where We Went and What It Cost

Let me break down our exact Europe trip itinerary for 2 weeks and accommodation costs, because this is what you actually want to know, right?

Our Complete Europe Trip Breakdown:

‍

Paris, France (July 23-25)

• Hotel: Best Western Hôtel Opéra Drouot
• Cost: €274 for 2 nights
• Why this choice: Central location, walking distance to the Eiffel Tower metro line
• What we learned: Paris hotels are expensive, period. This wasn't even a luxury.

‍

Nice, France (July 25-29)

• Apartment: Sunshine Getaway - Stylish Studio
• Cost: €761.94 for 4 nights
• Why this choice: Kitchen access so we could cook, plus it was our most expensive stop
• What we learned: Nice in summer is brutal on your budget, but the apartment let us save on some meals

‍

Menton, France (July 29-31)

• Hotel: Best Western Hôtel Méditerranée
• Cost: €309 for 2 nights
• Why this choice: Perfect location for day trips to Monaco
• What we learned: This citrus town smells like lemons everywhere

‍

Bellano, Italy (July 31-August 3)

• Apartment: Valle dei Mulini
• Cost: €430 for 3 nights
• Why this choice: Right on Lake Como
• What we learned: Take the ferry between towns - it's part of the experience

‍

Florence, Italy (August 3-5)

• Hotel: Hotel The Social Hub Florence
• Cost: €304 for 2 nights
• Why this choice: Central location, modern facilities
• What we learned: Book cooking classes in advance - they're worth every euro

‍

Rome, Italy (August 5-7)

• Hotel: Corso Suite Style
• Cost: €265 for 2 nights
• Why this choice: Walking distance to the Colosseum
• What we learned: My mom refused to go inside the Colosseum because she believes in energies, and honestly, I get it

‍

Paris Airport Hotel (August 7-8)

• Hotel: Holiday Inn Express CDG Airport
• Cost: €124 for 1 night
• Why this choice: Early flight, didn't want to risk missing it
• What we learned: Airport hotels are overpriced but sometimes necessary

‍

Total Accommodation: €2,467.94 for two people

‍

But wait, there's more. You need to add flights, trains between cities, food, and all those little expenses that add up.

The Train Strategy That Worked - Train Trips in Europe

Here's a hack nobody tells you about train trips: buy day passes for the French Riviera.

‍

We stayed in Nice and used it as our base to visit Villefranche-sur-Mer, Antibes, and Monaco.

‍

Instead of moving hotels every day, we took day trips. You can hop off at any station, explore for a few hours, then catch the next train.

‍

My mom was terrified of the train bathrooms at first. "What if I get locked in? How will I get out?"

‍

But I taught her the most important travel skill: observe. Watch what other people do, copy them. You don't need to speak the language if you're paying attention.

The Glitz and Reality of Monaco

From Menton, we took a 30-minute train ride to Monaco because my mom wanted to see the casino.

‍

She had this whole James Bond fantasy in her head, and who was I to crush that dream? Monaco is tiny - you literally need only three hours to see everything, but the experience is worth it.

‍

The casino was exactly what you'd expect: glamorous, intimidating, and full of people dressed way better than us. My mom was so excited to be there, taking photos outside like a proper tourist. We didn't gamble much, but just being in that space where so many movies were filmed was magical for her.

‍

What surprised me about Monaco is how compact everything is. You can walk from the casino to the harbor in fifteen minutes, but every corner feels like a movie set. The cars, the yachts, the perfectly manicured gardens - it's almost too perfect, like someone designed it specifically for Instagram.

The Emotional Moments That Made It Worth Every Euro

You want to know the real highlight? It wasn't the Eiffel Tower or the Colosseum. It was that cooking class in Florence.

‍

We were supposed to have a class in the morning, but they moved us to an English one in the afternoon. I became my mom's official translator, and everyone in the class fell in love with her.

‍

The instructor kept asking her to stay and help because she was so good at making the ricotta pasta by hand. She was laughing the entire time, even though she didn't understand a word.

‍

We had unlimited wine included, and my mom kept drinking because she was nervous and excited.

‍

That's when I realized something: these trips aren't really about the places. They're about watching someone you love experience wonder for the first time.

‍

My mom kept saying everything looked "like in the movies," and she was right.

‍

But there was also this moment in Rome when we almost missed our train. I had both tickets and walked through the barrier first, assuming she was right behind me.

‍

When I turned around, she was gone. I found her studying the departure board, completely lost.

‍

She was nervous and thought I had left her behind. Travel can bring up fears we didn't even know were there.

What Nobody Tells You About the Real Costs - How Much Does a Europe Trip Cost

Let's talk numbers honestly. Our total accommodation was around €2,500. Add flights (€1,600), food and drinks (approximately €1,500 for two people), trains and local transport (around €200), and miscellaneous expenses, and we spent roughly €6,000 total.

‍

That breaks down to about €300 per person per day, which includes absolutely everything. Is that a lot? Depends on your perspective.

‍

For someone who's worked hard their whole life and finally gets to see Paris? It's worth every cent.

‍

Food was expensive, especially in Paris. A simple lunch cost €18-20 per person, and that wasn't anything fancy. We ended up eating a lot of kebabs because they were cheaper.

‍

In Italy, we stuck mostly to pizza and pasta because that's what we could afford and what tasted good.

‍

The most expensive meal was probably that cooking class in Florence, but it included unlimited wine and the experience of watching my mom laugh until her cheeks hurt.

The Things That Surprised Me Most

The coffee in Paris wasn't what I expected for someone who loves good coffee. I was disappointed.

‍

But it didn't matter because I was watching my mom's face every time we turned a corner and saw something beautiful.

‍

Parisians have a reputation for being rude, but they were lovely to us. Maybe they could tell it was my mom's first time, but people went out of their way to help us.

‍

When we got lost trying to find the train to Nice, a stranger heard us and immediately came over to help.

‍

The French Riviera is exactly as beautiful as everyone says, but it's also incredibly expensive.

‍

And the way people dressed there? My mom and I would just stare sometimes at people wearing feathers and the most elaborate outfits - you really feel like you're on a runway.

‍

That €760 we spent for four nights in Nice was our biggest accommodation expense, but we needed a kitchen to save money on some meals.

‍

And here's something I didn't expect: watching your mom navigate escalators with luggage is terrifying. She was convinced she'd get stuck or fall.

‍

I had to teach her everything - how to read train schedules, how to use the bathroom on trains, how to not panic when she couldn't understand anyone.

Why I'd Do It All Again Tomorrow

Sometimes we forget to let ourselves be surprised. When you've traveled as much as I have, few things make you say "wow" anymore.

‍

But traveling with my mom reminded me what wonder looks like. Every gelato, every Aperol Spritz, every sunset over the Mediterranean was brand new through her eyes.

‍

The Europe trip wasn't perfect. We got lost, we overspent, my mom got overwhelmed, and I got tired of being responsible for every single detail.

‍

But when those lights started twinkling on the Eiffel Tower and my mom actually screamed with joy? When she successfully made pasta with her own hands while a room full of strangers cheered her on? That's worth more than any money we spent.

‍

If you're thinking about taking your parents on their first Euro trip, do it.

‍

Yes, it's more expensive than traveling solo.

‍

Yes, you'll be responsible for everything.

‍

Yes, it's exhausting.

‍

But you'll also see places you've been before with completely fresh eyes, and that's a gift you can't put a price on.

‍

Just make sure you have good internet - I used an eSIM the whole trip and it saved us multiple times when we got lost or needed to translate something quickly.

‍

Trust me, you don't want to be in a foreign country with your mom and have no way to communicate with the world.

‍

The real cost of a Europe trip isn't just about money. It's about patience, responsibility, and being willing to see familiar places through someone else's wonder.

‍

And honestly? That's the best return on investment you'll ever get.

2 Weeks in Europe: Italy, France & Monaco [Recap]

‍

• Cost Reality: Expect ~€300 per person per day for a 2-week trip through France, Italy, and Monaco (flights, hotels, food, trains all in).
• Pro Tip: Don’t risk being without the internet, an eSIM saves the trip for directions and translations.
• Accommodation: ~€2,500 total. Paris pricey, Nice brutal in summer, Lake Como worth it, Florence central, Rome walkable. Airport hotel = necessary but expensive.
• Transport Hack: Base yourself in one spot (like Nice), buy train day passes, and do Riviera/Monaco as day trips instead of hotel hopping.
• Food Costs: Paris lunches €18–20, survived on kebabs/pizza/pasta. Best splurge = Florence cooking class with unlimited wine.
• Surprises: Coffee in Paris underwhelming, locals kinder than reputation, Riviera style show-stopping, small fears (escalators, train bathrooms) become big lessons.
• Emotional Payoff: Watching your loved one light up at the Eiffel Tower, cook pasta in Florence, or marvel at everyday moments is priceless.