NAVIGATE: A Week in Europe for Under $700
NAVIGATE: A WEEK IN EUROPE FOR UNDER $700
Think about the last time you took a week vacation…
The cost was probably around $1000, and it was more than likely somewhere domestic. What if I told you that I spent a week in Europe visiting 2 countries for less than what you would probably pay for a few days in Miami or LA? And, I did so without having to pay in full prior to departure…
This isn’t a blog with discount codes or freebies. I don’t have a buddy pass to share nor a connect for accommodations. However, these are practical, common sense ways to book an inexpensive trip that can be used in full or a la carte as it applies. It just takes a little bit of planning.
One of the greatest cost benefits I’ve discovered throughout my travels is flying out of a different hub. While my home base (Detroit) is large, I find that it is much cheaper to fly out of other larger international airports depending on the location. For example, I typically fly out of Florida when headed to the Caribbean or Central/South America and out of the East Coast when flying to Europe or Asia.
In celebration of my birthday, I planned to take a trip in November. My preference on the destination was open – for certain somewhere international - and I had already secured the first two weeks away from work to allow for some flexibility with travel dates.
I strongly encourage following travel hack social media accounts; @secretflying and @suzzstravel are a few of my favorites. These pages do the work for you in regards to finding cheap airfare. The caveat: deals are usually good for about 24 hours and dates are relatively fixed for the price displayed.
I found my flight from Boston to Barcelona via an Instagram post from @secretflying for $260 roundtrip (RT). I don’t know about you but I’ve spent more on a pair of shoes…even more on the newest Apple product that I didn’t need. Several dates were available that spanned over a week so I decided to look at adding another destination while in Europe. Pro Tip: Traveling to different countries in Europe/Asia is extremely affordable with various transit options. I’ve seen flights and/or trains as low as $20-$30 RT depending on proximity.
I used Google Flights to find the cheapest flight to another European country. Google Flights allows you to see the prices with just an input of dates and a “from” location. This resulted in a RT flight from Barcelona to Rome for $30. Now, I did not immediately book this flight because I wanted to price out hotels in a few countries to get the most of out my money.
This is where the planning really comes into play. Take time to find the best price. There were several other countries with flights under $50 RT. However, the average nightly hotel cost was more than it would’ve been to stay in Barcelona for the full week. Rooms in Rome were half the price of Spain so I ultimately saved money by going to another country.
Quick Recap:
Purchased: RT flight from Boston to Barcelona with the potential of going to Rome for a few days.
Outstanding: Flight from Detroit to Boston, a return flight home and accommodations while in Europe.
Total Paid: $260
My next task was to secure accommodations. My go to is expedia.com or bookings.com. These sites have a “Reserve Now, Pay When You Stay” option. This was the most tedious part as I had to match dates with countries and take into account the location, reviews, etc. But because Expedia has free cancellations, I was able to adjust my reservations as needed at no cost.
Price Check:
Purchased: RT flight from Boston to Barcelona. RT flight from Barcelona to Rome. All hotel accommodations reserved however payment not due until checkout of hotels.
Outstanding: Flight from Detroit to Boston and the return home.
Total Paid: $290
The final step was to get to Boston, which I did not book until a couple of weeks before departure. I booked this flight as two separate one ways as opposed to a roundtrip. This was due to having to find flights that fit the preferred time necessary to get through customs on the return to the USA. I found both flights for $70 total.
Final Recap:
Purchased: All flights with all accommodations reserved.
Total Paid: $360 (with $500 due for both hotels upon each designated checkout times. The individual cost was $250 per person based on double occupancy.) **Keep in mind any taxes and/or extra fees when pricing.
I know this seems lengthy however I assure you if you break it down into steps, it becomes manageable. Traveling does not have to be intimidating or expensive; it just takes flexibility and planning...and if all else fails, my door is always open.