Exactly How Much I Spent On A Month-Long European Summer Vacation

The school year ends, heat in full force, and suddenly you’re staring down eight long weeks of humidity and trying to figure out what on earth to do with the kids. Searching for alternatives, this Sassy Mama jetted off with the kids for a month-long European summer.

Last summer, my husband couldn’t take annual leave, so it was just me and the children for most of the school holidays. I started looking into the usual summer camp options around Hong Kong and, honestly, there are some fantastic ones out there (plus, Sassy Mama has some awesome discount codes!).

But with many of our friends travelling I found myself drowning in the logistics of it all. You know the drill — one child here for two hours, another child there for six, different pick-up times, different locations, endless WhatsApp coordination. With children of different ages, it’s a full-time job just managing the schedule.

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When doomscrolling turns inspirational…

Somewhere in a late-night Instagram spiral, the algorithm worked in my favour. I stumbled across an American mum who packs up her New York apartment every summer and relocates to Europe for 8 weeks. She enrols them in local summer camps while working remotely and exploring a new city.

“My immediate thought was: if she can do it, can I?”

Turns out there are loads of overseas summer camps to choose from. Who knew? Europe and North America are the obvious places to start since they typically share the same school year calendar, but there are also options closer to home — Bali, China and Taiwan all have excellent options.

Read More: Hong Kong Summer Camps – Holiday Programmes And Summer Workshops

A summer in Spain…

Eventually, I landed on an international school just 30 minutes outside Barcelona. I found an apartment I could rent with a monthly discount, and importantly, the school offered programmes for both of my children, aged 4 and 7-years-old at the time.

“Suddenly this slightly wild idea started to feel surprisingly doable.”

What made it work so well was the flexibility. The camp had separate sections for preschoolers and primary-aged children, with both half-day and full-day options available. For this particular trip, I specifically wanted an English-speaking camp. I love the idea of language immersion, but with two young kids and my first time attempting something like this solo, keeping school in English just made life easier.

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How we spent our days…

Every morning we’d catch the public bus to school together. The kids made new friends almost immediately, and while they were busy, I had time to work remotely, wander the city, grab a coffee in peace or even sneak in a little sightseeing. Then in the afternoons, we’d scooter home, stop for ice cream by the beach and laze into those long European summer evenings.

“It felt less like surviving the summer and more like thriving.”

Through a turn of luck, we squeezed in a short family trip with my husband at the beginning, and friends who had left Hong Kong came for a reunion visit from the UK at the end. I’m still pinching myself that we pulled it off.

Of course kids will still be kids and I was still parenting, just from a beautiful location. Groceries needed otherwise be bought, laundry washed and dinner made.

Read More: Your Guide To Preparing Your Kids For Life Abroad

But what did it cost?

Accommodation

By far the biggest cost was accommodation and flights. We stayed in Sitges, one of the pricier seaside destinations, just outside of Barcelona. AirBnb proved a solid starting point, and I quickly realised that monthly rentals would bring down the cost per night. In the end I settled on a small, two-bedroom apartment a stone’s throw from the beach, managed by a local real estate agency who provided on-going concierge services.

Price: €155/ $1,400 HKD per night

Summer Camps

I pre-booked my children into the British International School of Barcelona. It was excellent, and the full-day option even included lunch! Each week had a different theme, with special guest performances and regular swimming, beach and water play.

However, once I arrived in Sitges I learned that it is a hugely popular expat town, full of fun summer activities for kids. Next time I’d be sure to get on the local English-speaking Facebook groups and do a bit more research.

Price: Per week – €195/310 (half/full-day)/ $1,750/ $2,800 HKD (half/full-day)

Sightseeing

Our weeks were so busy that we didn’t feel the need to pack our itinerary with tours and other activities. While my husband was with us we toured Barcelona and did a few fabulous, family-focused tours. I did, however, treat myself to a wine tour (I was in the home of Cava after all!), a few fancy lunches and some excellent museum tickets.

Price: All up I spent around $6,000 HKD on tours and extra activities over the month

Groceries and Eating Out

We ate breakfast and often dinner at home (I have fussy eaters!), and limited dining out with kids to weekends. The kids had lunch provided at camp, and I used that part of my food budget to explore the local tapas scene. My morning latte and croissant set me back just €3.50 (for both!), a 2-course lunch set at a waterfront restaurant came in at €25-30, and the all important glass of local wine €3-4.

Price: Groceries – around $1,800 HKD per week

Read More: Plan Travel Based On What Your Kids Love

Final tips…

No matter where you are heading this summer, it’s worth looking into overseas camp options. You might be surprised by what’s available. And if organising something like this feels a bit ambitious for this year? Pop it in the inspiration pile for an epic Summer 2027.

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