How to Plan & Budget

Your Trip to a French Region

Cinader 2013

Student Goals :
As the student, you will use the PowerPoint to help you

organize your trip.

You will need to make a Google Document where you

will keep your running information : research, works cited page, working itinerary, extra notes, etc. This needs to be shared with Madame (nbildson@bloomfield.org) and with your partner.
You will then need to make a Google Spreadsheet for

your budget. Dont forget to share this with Madame (nbildson@bloomfield.org) and your partner as well.

Step 1. Basic Idea Determine a budget

Normally, this is one of the hardest parts, because most

people think of their budget as covering only the FUN stuff, so they think they can do any and everything. But a true budget must cover ALL of your trip.
For you, however, the budget is easy, because Madame

came around with a hat and you drew a number out of it. THIS is now your budget. Please write it in your Google Document and in you Google Spreadsheet, ensuring that you are using the EURO, not the American dollar.

Step 2. Basic Idea Decide Where

Which region did you

choose/win in class? Save your Google Doc as Cult.Region.LastName.Last Name Save your spreadsheet as Cult.Region.Spreadsheet
The best thing to do now is

to learn more about your region by accessing the IA virtual library. Put notes in your Google Doc. Update your Works Cited Page.

Step 3. Basic Idea. Decide Where to go

Within that region, you need to find at least three

locations that interest you and your partner. Three places that you want to go. You may do this individually and then come back together with lists to compare, or you may work together to decide the places youd like to visit.
Start at the Map France website for your region. Choose major towns and find the Office de Tourisme Use the NY Times Travel Guide Use Lonely Planet

Keep a running log in your Google Doc about the

possible locations and the reasons WHY. Also keep links to websites within your notes and on your Works Cited.

Step 4. Timing Decide the dates

Remember, your boss is giving you a total of THREE

days off work before or after the 3-day conference. The conference runs Thurs. Sat. But you can choose the month, season, year, etc. Dont forget that your boss is giving
you TWO travel days to get there and to get home, but that those dont count in your days off.

You may choose the dates of the conference (maybe

you want it around a major celebration?), days off work, and travel dates. You will need to justify your decision.
You should put the dates in your Google Doc in the order

in which they will occur with the day of the week and the true date. Travel dates are completely blacked out on the calendar; you cannot plan anything on those days.

Step 5. Budget Intro. Stay organized

You will need to decide how you are going to organize

your budget. This is where your Google Spreadsheet comes into play.
Below there are two options. I highly suggest exploring

both of your options and then trying both of them out. You may end up using both of them, if it will help you stay organized. Your overall budget is very important for this assignment. Dont forget to be responsible with your money! You are not un-limited!

HELP! How do I work Google Spreadsheet so it does the math for me?

Step 6

Step 6. Itinerary/Budget Decide the order of events

You will need to decide when youd like to visit the

monuments/well-known sites you chose in Step 3. Think about

the days : do you want to see a museum on a Sunday? Is it

open? Check out the official websites for the locations to verify hours of operation and/or see holiday dates. Keep these notes in your Google Doc. the order : if you see a museum one day, do you want to see a museum the next day as well? Or do you want to mix it up and explore a cave with hieroglyphics in between? Update your Google Spreadsheet. convenience : continue to your Step 7 to think about transportation as well as the order.

Step 7. Itinerary/Budget Decide the mode of transportation

Does it make sense to travel to the furthest location first and make

your way back? Or start closest, since youll be flying out of the furthest location? Check out these transportation websites to research prices and options for traveling to the region and around the region once you get there. Plug the prices into your budget, jot down the time and train/plane # on your itinerary
TGV Rail Europe this is the train system that runs all throughout France

and Europe; it also has hotels, car rentals, etc.

Online Travel Agencies : Expedia, Kayak, Priceline, etc. Rent a car : rentalcars.com, autoeurope.com, Sixt, etc. Dont forget to check the local Office de Tourisme to discover local, public

transportation options (bus/metro).

Step 8. Itinerary/Budget. Decide Where to sleep

Continue to add to your budget and your itinerary by

exploring where you will sleep at night. You can change places each night or use your hotel as your home base (meaning in the middle of all of the sites you want to see). Its up to you.
Keep in mind that finding a hotel that offers breakfast in the

morning can save you money. Also, choosing to stay in hostels may be a good option since they are normally much cheaper than normal hotels.
Hostel Bookers searches hostels, hotels, apartments, etc. Hostel World

Step 9. Itinerary/Budget. Decide What/Where to eat

In France, food is extremely important. But, for this

assignment, food can also become very important. To ensure that you stick to your budget, you may choose to eat a sandwich from a street vendor (between 4-8), or eat breakfast at your hotel (included in cost, if offered), or maybe buy a baguette from a local boulangerie (bakery) to make your own sandwich.
Normally the best way to find food when travelling is to

ask your hotel concierge or go to the Office de Tourisme. Feel free to ask Madame if you have questions for this portion of the assignment.

Step 10. Reflect

Does your itinerary flow?
Do you have at least three locations in your region that you

are exploring/visiting?
Does your budget balance? Whats the total cost you are

spending? Keep an eye on your Google Spreadsheets.

If youre under budget: Is there anything else that youd like to

add in to your itinerary? Can you do so without going over budget? If youre over budget: Where can you cut cost? Food? Lodging? Transportation? Can you fly in/out of your region so you dont have to pay for that ticket (since your boss would)?

The End.
Do you have any questions not listed below?

Ask Madame.
Do you want to go back to the beginning?
START

Click the star.

Do you want to go back to how to set up the budget?

Click the triangle that you chose.

HELP! How do I work Google Spreadsheet again??

Budget Option #1

To go back to Step 5, click the house button with 5 on it.

You want to ensure that you know exactly how you are

spending your budget by separating out the categories. Your brain doesnt like to mix up the budget with the itinerary.
If this is you, click the arrow button to go through each slide

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

which separates out the budget into four categories. You will make six pages on your Google Spreadsheet. Overall Itinerary Food If this does not sound like Transportation you, you should explore Budget Option #2. Click the Lodging box below. Tourist Expenses Total Cost

Food

Trans

Lodg

Tour

BUDGET 1 - Itinerary
Day Sun Mon Mon Mon Time -7-8am 8-12pm 12-2pm Activity Arrive in Region Eat breakfast, get ready Travel to site #1, visit site #1 Eat lunch at _________ restaurant

Itiner

Trans

Lodg

Tour

BUDGET 1 - Food
Day, Meal, Location D1 (Sat), breakfast, hotel Amount 0 (included in hotel cost)

TOTAL : ____

Itiner

Food

Lodg

Tour

BUDGET 1 - Transportation
D#, From HERE to THERE, how D1, Bus/metro to train station D1, Paris Rennes, train Amount 5 (2 tickets) 90 (2 tickets, under 28)

TOTAL : ____

Itiner

Food

Trans

Tour

BUDGET 1 - Lodging
Location, # of nights, Date(s) Paris Marriott Hotel, 1, Fri-Sat Amount 0 (boss will pay for 1 extra night)

TOTAL : ____

Note! You may not have anything in this spreadsheet.

Itiner

Food

Trans

Lodg

BUDGET 1 - Tourist
Souvenirs, Entrance Fees, etc. Amount ?

TOTAL : ____

Budget Option #2

To go back to Step 5, click the house button with 5 on it.

Do you need to keep all of the events in order? Do you

want to organize this trip day-by-day? Do you not care how you spend your money, so long as you stay within budget and get to do everything you want?

Then option #2 is right for you! It is separated out by day (4 pages, one for each day). Each day is then totaled on the final page so you can determine how much you are spending each day, not by category.

D1 D2 D3 D4 $$

If this does not sound like you, you should go back to Budget Option #1. Click the arrow.

#1

BUDGET 2 Day 1
Itinerary Breakfast at hotel Metro to train station Train, Paris Rennes Metro/Bus pack of 10 carnet Lunch, sandwiches from vendor Site?? Dinner?? Lodging??

Amount 0 (included in hotel cost) 5 (2 tickets) 90 (2 tickets, under 28) 10 (gives us 10 tickets) ?? ?? ?? ??

TOTAL : ____

BUDGET 2 Day 2
Itinerary Breakfast Transportation Site Lunch Transportation Site Dinner Lodging ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ??

Amount

TOTAL : ____

BUDGET 2 Day 3
Itinerary Breakfast Transportation Site Lunch Transportation Site Dinner Lodging ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ??

1 2

4 $

Amount

TOTAL : ____

BUDGET 2 Day 4
Itinerary Breakfast Transportation to airport Flight Home ?? ??

1 2

Amount

0 (boss will pay for flight)

TOTAL : ____

BUDGET 2 Total Budget

Each Day Day 1 - Sunday Day 2 - Monday Day 3 - Tuesday Day 4 - Wednesday Overall Amount ??? ??? ??? ???

1 2

TOTAL : ____