PBP Budget/expenditure

[Ajax Bay]

In case it helps others' planning, here's our travel and accommodation expenditure (2 of us travelling together from/back to Poole, sharing hotel rooms).
Clearly prices will be 'different' and LWaB (next door cabane in 2019) has pointed out Huttopia rates seem to have increased significantly (supply and demand, I guess; >25% like for like, it seems to me).

We drove to Poole, took the ferry to Cherbourg on Friday, rode to Valognes (an hour), train to Evreux and overnight there, rode on to a wet Rambouillet Sat am (?120km), registered, Huttopia Sat-Fri (6 days), with two 'lodgers'.
Paid £876 for 4 bed (?6 pers) Huttopia Cabane (tight double bed room downstairs, twin bed room upstairs and a pullout sofa bed either upstairs or down; adequate kitchen; good shower with loo, porch to keep rain off bikes, plastic ones indoors overnight).
I recouped 2 x £209 from G & G (= £418).
Rode 1200km: Sunday evening start; finished Wed late/Thu breakfast respectively.
Departed Friday and rode back to Evreux (99km, LH STI failed about half way); hotel overnight and train am to Cherbourg and ferry (Saturday).
- Brittany Ferries (Outward & Return Crossings) £208
- SNCF (train from Valognes to Evreux) £64
- Comfort Hotel (Evreux) £42
[Ride to and from Evreux to Rambouillet]
- Evreux to Caen train tickets (on the way back) £42
- IBIS Budget Hotel (Caen) £47
- SNCF (Train from Caen to Cherbourg) £26

The social (randonneur) milieu and restaurant at Huttopia were first class (pizzas and beers mainly). Some basics from tiny campsite shop but town centre/shops (and railway station) are only a short ride away.

[Wycombewheeler]

the big unknown for first timers is how much to allow for the ride itself, food at controls (or between them) beds and showers etc

[Ivo]

The French railroads have special offers for the Carte Advantage Adult several times a year. This can reduce the price of your railticket.

[Ajax Bay]

the big unknown for first timers is how much to allow for the ride itself, food at controls (or between them) beds and showers etc

Ride through first night, baguettes or plate of and drink: maybe average €10 per control or cafés so say x 10, sleep (not great) on gym cot (Carhaix 507?km) €8? plus 'towel' €1 (and danger of time sink), donations at pop-ups x ?5 @ €5 (so carry a stash of notes and coins). I carried microfibre towel, inflatable mat, sheet sleeping bag and down gilet and used those on subsequent (x2) nights: Tinteniac and Dreux (in 'discovered' space). Recommend those 4 items.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

I generally start PBP with a couple of hundred Euro in my pocket and usually have enough to pay cash for a meal and/or drinks after the finish. Frankly any concept of keeping to a budget has long gone by then.

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

I'm assuming, based on my visit to the Pyrenees last year that I will be able to (mostly) continue my cashless existence on PBP, and that the Euro notes that have floated around in my wallet / bumbag as an emergency back up will continue to do so.  My memories of my last time (2015) were that I spent about 150 Euro during the event plus accommodation before and after.  Am likely to be driving there and back so welcome to take a passenger (assuming I get through the qualifying rides and navigate the entry process).

[Ivo]

Village shops usually will accept your card, in fact anything commercial.
The pop up stands along the road, if they charge at all, that would be mainly coins.

[Ian H]

I generally start PBP with a couple of hundred Euro in my pocket and usually have enough to pay cash for a meal and/or drinks after the finish. Frankly any concept of keeping to a budget has long gone by then.

Precisely.

I've always ridden from the ferry and spent the trainfare on a good hotel halfway (& usually the same in reverse afterwards). 

For various reasons I'm not sure yet whether I'll be there next year.

[madcow]

Just updating this for future reference.
I reckon that PBP cost me about a grand from leaving home to getting back.
Split -entry £160
        -travel -shared car from Yorkshire/Tunnel/ tolls in France etc £260
        - hotels -Thursday to Sunday and Thursday after event £300 (Could have saved by arriving later but equally handy to be rested/prepped)
        - meals when not riding £60
        - everything on PBP -food at controls and other places en route £200.

No bag drops or support so everything bought on the hoof.
Not stinting, doing a bit of socialising as well  but not extravagant either.