It's hard to believe I've been back in the states for a little more than two weeks now. I've had a lot of people ask me how I made this trip happen. So here it is: 17 days... 4 countries... 5 cities... $3,000... with no help from a travel agency or booking tours.
DESTINATIONS
First came the destination planning. With Sarah living across the world in Prague we went back in forth for a while on ideas and looking up costs. We had a list of places we would like to visit and the flight costs are what made the choices for us.
FLIGHTS
We used skyscaner to search the cheapest flights. The phone app also lets you keep a "watch" on them so you can easily go back to monitor costs. Figuring out locations that worked together with departure dates was tricky. The prices could literally change any day and the fare could be twice as much flying out a day later or earlier. I'd say we monitored things for a month until one day I took the plunge. We purchased one way flights, eventually making our way back to Prague where we started. Some notes about airlines outside the states:
BUDGET
My overall budget was $4,000 and I did even better than I thought. When I studied abroad for two weeks in London I spent $6,000. The program through the school organized everything which included a very nice hotel and several tours so you can see the cost difference in planning your own trip.
Throughout the trip I kept a Google excel doc to track all my expenses. Here's everything broken down and converted to dollars:
We estimated spending $40 a night on lodging which only turned out to be $22 and $30 a day on food which ended up being $20. We saved money by going to the grocery and of course free lodging in Malta. Also in Prague because that's where Sarah lived and had a flat of her own.
TAKE AWAYS
Seventeen days in Europe felt like months. It was as if I completely lost sight of my normal life here and became lost in the adventure. However, I was so worn out by the end of my trip I was ready for the comfort of home. It was a surprise to me how I felt upon returning to the states. I thought for sure I would want to escape to Europe and move. However, I returned with a new appreciation for home. Although it was a fantastic experience, if I were to run away and move to Europe I'd have to get use to a lot of things including:
I've recently learned this but it was highly reiterated during this adventure: it isn't always the place as much as it is the people you're with. What's paradise if you have bad company?
There weren't too many times where the language barrier got in the way. It helped that I had the comfort of traveling with a friend who also spoke English. English even brought two people together who spoke different languages outside of English so they could communicate. At times I felt like a snob for not knowing another language, but I didn't really need to know another language. There were times when I wished I knew what people were saying and laughing about. I wondered if they were making fun of us as dumb Americans who didn't understand them because we're so privileged to not need another language. This trip has made me seriously consider learning another language. It also made me want to play a game of charades in a room of people who speak different languages! That was a common way of communicating things as well and often times humorous.
I also learned to live on little. I didn't have a closet full of clothes, shoes and jewelry to choose from each day. I had a little hiking backpack with just enough to get by. My packing rule was simple: If I forget it I can learn to live without it or if I really need it I can buy it. I didn't have a blow dryer or hair straightener either which was a big deal for me.
The biggest take away from this European Adventure was gratitude. I realized what a privileged life I live. I've become so use to this way of living that it became an entitlement. It might sound funny since I bought a ton of clothes on my trip but now I realize I can live without most things and am more grateful for the ability to have what I do.
It was a trip of a lifetime and such an incredible experience. There were many days I dreamed of doing something like this but felt like it would never happen. It was always an excuse of time, money or someone to travel with. The stars aligned along with my determination. I highly recommend actually doing the things you so often talk and dream about. Where there's a will there's a way so forget saying "someday."
DESTINATIONS
First came the destination planning. With Sarah living across the world in Prague we went back in forth for a while on ideas and looking up costs. We had a list of places we would like to visit and the flight costs are what made the choices for us.
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Venice, Italy
- Malta - tiny island country amidst the Mediterannean Sea
- Madrid, Spain
- Pamplona, Spain
We actually added Pamplona pretty last minute. We knew we wanted to experience the world's Mardi Gras AKA San Fermin Festival Running of the Bulls, but the flights were outrageous. Originally we would be in Madrid for about four days. Then we realized it was only a five hour bus ride away from Pamplona and went for it.
We used skyscaner to search the cheapest flights. The phone app also lets you keep a "watch" on them so you can easily go back to monitor costs. Figuring out locations that worked together with departure dates was tricky. The prices could literally change any day and the fare could be twice as much flying out a day later or earlier. I'd say we monitored things for a month until one day I took the plunge. We purchased one way flights, eventually making our way back to Prague where we started. Some notes about airlines outside the states:
- Luggage Stipulations - Wizz Air makes you pay an extra fee to have what America would consider a free carry on. Ryanair has strict rules about cabin baggage. You can only have ONE free carry on like we're use to in the states but your purse and personal items all have to be in it when boarding, no exceptions.
- Boarding Pass - You have to print your boarding pass or pay a fee to print it at the airport. They let you check in 14 days ahead of time so I printed as many of our boarding passes ahead of time as I could. The others we had to find a place to print out.
- Extra Options - There were lots of extra add on options that you had to click through that could get confusing. You don't need any of the extra things that cost more money. Keep an eye on what you're clicking through and the description of charges.
- Boarding - There are no assigned seats when you fly on these cheap airlines. It was like a rat race of chaos with everyone lining up across the airport an hour before boarding so they could get a good seat. Then it was a free for all.
- Comfort - The seats don't recline.
- Cleanliness - I'm not sure if they have a clean up crew between flights because there was trash everywhere.
- Cabin Pressure - My ears have never hurt so bad on a flight before. At one point Sarah and I felt like all the blood rushed out of our body and we were twice our weight.
- Sales Pitches - The flight attendants literally walked up and down the aisles with their carts selling all types of food, candy, drinks, watches and get this... smokeless cigarettes! They came packaged in what looked like a real carton!
- Gibberish - Announcements over the loud speaker were always going on and in several different languages. After a while it was as if voices were in my head.
- Fear for Life - I've never had anxiety when flying and often enjoy turbulence but not with an unfamiliar airline. I realized my brand loyalty for DELTA. The huge crash instructions staring at you in the face on the seat back in front of you didn't help either. I started to think there was a reason it was conspicuously plastered.
LODGING
Everyone has this horrible idea of hostels because of Hollywood. It's really silly. You can easily find hostels online through several sites. I just recommend looking at the reviews. We only stayed in one hostel and that was in Venice. It was a neat experience.
There's also this thing called airbnb kind of like couchsurfing. There are some really cute flats right in the city and the owners are locals who can answer questions if they're nice enough. We had a great experience with a guy in Madrid.
These options are cheap and I never felt unsafe. We were lucky enough to have a free stay while in Malta. One of Sarah's friends had family who lived there and they gave us the house to ourselves while they were on holiday. That saved on costs!
Everyone has this horrible idea of hostels because of Hollywood. It's really silly. You can easily find hostels online through several sites. I just recommend looking at the reviews. We only stayed in one hostel and that was in Venice. It was a neat experience.
There's also this thing called airbnb kind of like couchsurfing. There are some really cute flats right in the city and the owners are locals who can answer questions if they're nice enough. We had a great experience with a guy in Madrid.
These options are cheap and I never felt unsafe. We were lucky enough to have a free stay while in Malta. One of Sarah's friends had family who lived there and they gave us the house to ourselves while they were on holiday. That saved on costs!
My overall budget was $4,000 and I did even better than I thought. When I studied abroad for two weeks in London I spent $6,000. The program through the school organized everything which included a very nice hotel and several tours so you can see the cost difference in planning your own trip.
Throughout the trip I kept a Google excel doc to track all my expenses. Here's everything broken down and converted to dollars:
- Travel: $2,115
- International airfare: $1,650
- Flights within EU: $287
- Round-trip bus Madrid/Pamplona: $66
- Public transportation: $74
- Taxis: $38
- Entertainment: $208
- Balcony to watch the running of the bulls: $100
- Bull fighting tickets: $100
- Glass blowing in Venice: $4
- Botanical Gardens in Madrid: $4
- Lodging: $375
- Food and Drink (including alcohol): $350
We estimated spending $40 a night on lodging which only turned out to be $22 and $30 a day on food which ended up being $20. We saved money by going to the grocery and of course free lodging in Malta. Also in Prague because that's where Sarah lived and had a flat of her own.
TAKE AWAYS
Seventeen days in Europe felt like months. It was as if I completely lost sight of my normal life here and became lost in the adventure. However, I was so worn out by the end of my trip I was ready for the comfort of home. It was a surprise to me how I felt upon returning to the states. I thought for sure I would want to escape to Europe and move. However, I returned with a new appreciation for home. Although it was a fantastic experience, if I were to run away and move to Europe I'd have to get use to a lot of things including:
- Tiny toilet seats like when a man leaves the seat up
- A lot of restrooms without toilet paper
- Paying to use a public restroom
- No air conditioning
- Language barriers
- Food without lots of flavor
- Hang drying clothes
- Tiny living quarters
- Being away from family and friends
- Difficulty figuring out food in the grocery. I'm already terrible at grocery shopping. Also the grocery stores all seemed to be very tiny and compact. You were always squeezing your way around someone or a worker stocking shelves who didn't care to get out of your way.
As many differences as there were around me so many things remained the same. Love and relationships are what keep us all going. A smile, a laugh, a kiss... Joys of life wherever you may be.
There weren't too many times where the language barrier got in the way. It helped that I had the comfort of traveling with a friend who also spoke English. English even brought two people together who spoke different languages outside of English so they could communicate. At times I felt like a snob for not knowing another language, but I didn't really need to know another language. There were times when I wished I knew what people were saying and laughing about. I wondered if they were making fun of us as dumb Americans who didn't understand them because we're so privileged to not need another language. This trip has made me seriously consider learning another language. It also made me want to play a game of charades in a room of people who speak different languages! That was a common way of communicating things as well and often times humorous.
I also learned to live on little. I didn't have a closet full of clothes, shoes and jewelry to choose from each day. I had a little hiking backpack with just enough to get by. My packing rule was simple: If I forget it I can learn to live without it or if I really need it I can buy it. I didn't have a blow dryer or hair straightener either which was a big deal for me.
The biggest take away from this European Adventure was gratitude. I realized what a privileged life I live. I've become so use to this way of living that it became an entitlement. It might sound funny since I bought a ton of clothes on my trip but now I realize I can live without most things and am more grateful for the ability to have what I do.
It was a trip of a lifetime and such an incredible experience. There were many days I dreamed of doing something like this but felt like it would never happen. It was always an excuse of time, money or someone to travel with. The stars aligned along with my determination. I highly recommend actually doing the things you so often talk and dream about. Where there's a will there's a way so forget saying "someday."
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