Travel Budget Calculator

Interactive planner

Model flights, rail, lodging, and food in one place.

Adjust route costs, trip length, hotel rates, and meal budgets. The calculator updates the total trip budget, a per-day average, and a transit comparison table instantly.

Flights Eurostar European Sleeper DB rail Checklist

Budget inputs

Enter expected costs in USD. Lodging and food are daily rates multiplied by the number of nights or days you assign to each city.

Trip days Contingency buffer

Flights

Springfield → London Germany → Springfield

Rail tickets

Eurostar European Sleeper / onward rail Prague → Essen (DB / ICE / EC)

Daily stay and food

London nights Prague nights Essen nights

London lodging / night Prague lodging / night Essen lodging / night

London food / day Prague food / day Essen food / day

Sheets

Switch between a calculated budget view, transit comparisons, and a pre-departure checklist.

Category	Item	Amount

Segment	Mode	Typical time	Typical cost	Notes
Springfield → London	Flight	11–15h with connection	$700–$1,200	Usually routes via a major US hub before London.
London → Prague	Train	14–17h	$165–$255+	Typically Eurostar to Brussels, then onward rail or sleeper to Prague.
London → Prague	Flight	2–3h airborne, longer door-to-door	$80–$220+	Faster, but less aligned with a train-first itinerary.
Prague → Essen	Train	8–9h	$40–$140+	Commonly DB / ICE / EC with one or more changes.
Prague → Essen	Flight	4–6h total with airport overhead	$120–$280+	May involve Düsseldorf or another nearby airport for the Ruhr area.
Essen → Springfield	Flight	12–17h with train or airport transfer	$750–$1,300	Essen usually departs via Düsseldorf or Frankfurt rather than a local long-haul airport.

Passport validity
Carry a valid US passport. For Schengen travel, it should be valid for at least 3 months beyond your planned departure from the Schengen Area. UK ETA
For 2026 travel, US citizens need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation before travel to or transit through the UK when border control applies. Schengen 90/180 rule
Czech Republic and Germany count toward the shared Schengen allowance of up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period for short visits. Separate UK and Schengen entry checks
The UK is outside Schengen, so London entry is separate from your Schengen entry when you continue to Prague. Rail booking details
Book Eurostar, any sleeper reservation, and DB long-distance tickets early, and keep station transfer details handy for Brussels or Germany connections. Transit and hotel buffer
Set aside extra budget for airport rail transfers, baggage fees, seat reservations, city transit, and travel insurance.