One of the most common pre-tour questions: "What's actually in the price?" Here's the honest, line-by-line answer for a typical Europamundo tour, including the meals you'll eat, the tips you'll be expected to give, and what to budget for the gaps.
Meals: included vs not
Always included
- Daily breakfast. Buffet style at the hotel. Usually European-style: bread, cheese, cold cuts, eggs, yoghurt, fruit, coffee, tea, juice. Eat well at breakfast, it's free fuel for the day.
- Selected dinners. On a 10 to 14 day tour, 3 to 6 dinners are included. These are usually 3-course meals at hotel restaurants or partnered local restaurants. Wine or water is included on some, drinks-extra on others, the itinerary will specify.
- Welcome dinner on day 1 (most tours) and farewell dinner on the last night (some tours).
Not included
- Lunches. Every day. You eat them where you want, when the tour breaks for lunch (usually 12:00 to 14:00). Budget €15 to €25 per person per day for a casual lunch, sandwich, pizza slice, café meal.
- Most dinners. On the days dinner isn't included, you're free to eat where you want. Tour Director gives recommendations near the hotel. Budget €25 to €50 per person.
- Drinks at meals. Wine, beer, soft drinks, and bottled water at restaurants are not included unless specified. Tap water in most of Europe is fine to drink and free, ask for "acqua del rubinetto" (Italy), "agua de la canilla" (Spain), or "water of the tap" (literally, they'll understand).
- Snacks and coffee stops. All on you.
Tips: the honest breakdown
Tipping is not included in any Europamundo tour. It's expected at the end. Here's the structure:
Tour Director
The person who's with you the whole tour. Customary tip: €4 to €6 per person per day. For a 14-day tour with two people, that's roughly €120 to €170 total from your couple, paid in an envelope on the last night.
Coach driver
The person who actually gets you everywhere safely. Customary tip: €2 to €3 per person per day. Same delivery as above, separate envelope.
Local city guides
The local guide who does the morning city tour in each city. Each gets a tip on the day, €2 to €3 per person. The Tour Director will signal when to do this.
Hotel housekeeping
Optional but kind. €1 to €2 per night per room, left on the pillow on the morning you check out.
Restaurants
For included meals: no tip needed, it's part of the package. For meals you pay for: 5 to 10% is appreciated in most of Europe (much less than US tipping culture). Some places automatically add a "servizio" (service charge), check the bill before tipping additionally.
The total tipping budget
For a 14-day tour, plan for €200 to €280 per person in tips total across Tour Director, driver, local guides, housekeeping, and meal tips. That's about R4,500 to R6,500 per person. Build this into your on-ground budget.
The optional excursions
Most Europamundo tours have 6 to 12 optional excursions offered through the trip. Examples: Vatican Museums in Rome (€55), flamenco evening in Seville (€60), gondola serenade in Venice (€45), Pompeii guided tour (€70). These are bookable through the Tour Director on the coach, pay in cash or by card.
You don't have to do any of them. Many travellers do 60 to 80% of what's offered. Budget €200 to €500 per person across the whole tour for optionals.
What is included
- All hotels (3 to 4 star, central locations)
- All coach transfers between cities
- City tours with local guides in each major city
- English-speaking Tour Director throughout
- Daily breakfast
- Selected dinners (specified in itinerary)
- Basic travel insurance (you still need comprehensive, see our visa guide)
- Specific included experiences (gondola ride in Venice, Seine cruise in Paris, etc., varies by tour)
The total daily budget rule of thumb
Allow €100 to €150 per person per day on top of the prepaid tour cost. That covers lunches, free-evening dinners, drinks, optionals, tips, and incidentals.
For a 14-day tour, that's €1,400 to €2,100 per person (roughly R30,000 to R45,000) beyond the tour fee. See our money abroad guide for how to actually carry and spend it.
Browse Europamundo tours or read our first-time-in-Europe guide for the bigger picture.
