In planning mode - how much budget should I keep in mind for Guadeloupe - any experiences?
If you're planning a trip to Guadeloupe, I’d recommend a budget of about €75 a day. This allows you to stay in a nice, local guesthouse and eat at a mix of local and tourist restaurants. I’d recommend eating at a local boulangerie for breakfast and a food truck for lunch. You can easily spend €10 on food for the day if you are careful. A bus ticket is only €2. It's very easy to spend a lot of money, so be mindful of your choices.
My family and I went to Guadeloupe on a luxury trip, and our daily budget was closer to €300. We stayed at a high-end resort in Grande-Terre for over €200 a night and ate at expensive restaurants. We also rented a car, and with gas, it was about €50 a day. Activities like boat trips to Îles des Saintes cost about €70 per person, and a visit to the botanical garden was €15. It's a beautiful place to splurge, and the food and scenery are well worth it.
For a budget traveler, Guadeloupe can be done for as low as €50 a day if you're willing to be resourceful. I stayed in a small guesthouse in Basse-Terre for €45 a night. For food, I went to the local markets and cooked my own meals, which saved me a lot. Transportation is a little tricky; local buses are cheap but unreliable. I mostly hitchhiked and was able to get around the island without spending much. It’s a great place to explore on a budget if you're not afraid of a little adventure.
Guadeloupe is a little slice of France in the Caribbean, and the prices definitely reflect that. A comfortable, mid-range budget of about €100-€150 per day is a good starting point. This will get you a nice guesthouse room for around €60-€80 a night. A meal at a casual restaurant can be €20, but if you eat from the food trucks selling bokits, you can get a full meal for €5. Renting a car is almost a necessity, and that will set you back about €30 a day.