Hi there friends, it sure has been a while. When we started this journey of ours four months ago I had planned to blog all about it.. well I haven't posted that much I know, but when you have a home base in Europe and so many amazing places are so close by you can't help but want to see as much of it as you can. I really want to show my boys whatever I can while we are here, even though all the places we have gone are just a tiny bite, just a taste and I'm hoping a teaser for them.. I know from my own experience that once you start traveling, the bug gets into you and makes you want to see more, at least that's my goal for the boys. I believe traveling to foreign lands, meeting people from different cultures, seeing and experiencing all that comes with travel is an amazing way of feeding your soul. I'm hoping the little taste of bits and peaces of Europe I have shared with the boys will get them out and about and wanting to see more of this beautiful world of ours.
I got on the internet one day just to see what sort of travel deals were out there and if we could maybe fly out to see an old friend and her family in Valencia Spain. Three days later we had this amazing trip planned that even I couldn't believe how easy and quite affordable it was. Mind you it took a few days for me to find good prices on flights, hotels, trains etc. but it was a well drawn map with some beautiful stops along the way and we couldn't wait get started...
So, Europe on a budget huh? Could it be done? Well we did it and it's definitely doable folks. First off, let's talk about flights, If you plan ahead I'm sure you can find loads of cheap fares between cities and countries in Europe, but in our case we had no idea we would be doing so much traveling when we came to Greece. What I found out is that finding good fares here isn't all that difficult, there are a couple of companies in Europe that fly you around really, I mean really cheap. For example we flew to Rome from Thessaloniki for only 35 euros, and from Venice to Valencia for 40 euros, so you see planning a country hop here is really quite simple. Then of course you have the trains, most countries here share a border and it's basically land, which can be covered, quite comfortable might I add with trains. If you want to see quite a bit of cities, the Europass is the way to go. The sites are easy to navigate and if you spend just a little time online you can really do a custom travel tour of your own and book most everything on your computer.
Here's the map and I sort of drew our journey to show how and where we went. It was an amazing adventure, the boys loved it and it will be a wonderful time they can look back on and remember with a smile on their faces, that's all I wanted. These kind of opportunities don't happen that often, so I will treasure this time I'm having with the boys and all the memories we've made together.
We flew to Rome, then took a train to Florence, then to Venice by train again. Flew from Venice to Valencia Spain, then took the train to Barcelona, flew from there to Lyon France, then a train to Paris and a short flight back to Thessaloniki for me and Rob, while Arman took the train to London then flew back to Thessaloniki.. fun trip!
Here's some helpful info:
For flights look into Ryanair, or easyJet. Both have great fares, they may not fly everywhere but cover most of the big cities and some smaller but popular destinations. They do have restrictions so be sure to follow directions carefully, for example you need to check in online and print out your boarding pass before you get to the airport. I don't have a printer here but I was able to access my email and print them out at a local copy shop. Also, very important is the baggage restriction both these airlines have, you can only carry on one small bag no more that 10k, or if you want to turn your baggage in it's about 15 euros for a 20k bag, HOWEVER make sure you book the baggage and pay for it at the time of online check it, this cheap price is only available online if you check it in and pay for it at the airport it will cost you more that your ticket did, so you're getting a cheap fare for a reason, but if you plan carefully, as we did you wont run into any problems. One other note about these two airlines, although we only used Ryanair, but refreshments and food is sold on board, so either eat before you go on board or be prepared to spend some money, but most flights are very short around Europe so let's just say you wont starve to death :)
Trains. There are a couple of ways to get info on travel with trains, you can either purchase tickets at the station as you get around, which does give you a bit more of freedom on your journey, or you can jot out each destination and get your travel pass online. Either way works, we had a few of our train tickets from ahead of time and some we bought at the station. Train tickets vary in price, we found that in Italy they were on the low side, train ride to Florence and the to Venice was only 20 euros each stretch. But in France we paid close to 100 euros from Lyon to Paris, and in Spain it was somewhere in the middle. Again we hadn't planned that much ahead, so I'm sure if done a few months in advance we would've been able to get better fares. But even last minute we still got around, and it looks like the trains in the middle of the day are the cheapest, morning and evening are a bit higher, so you might want to keep that in mind too.
Hotels.. in some cities we were fortunate enough to have friends and family, so it wasn't only great seeing them and spending time with them but it was also nice of them to accommodate us and we didn't need spend money on a hotel room. However in cities we didn't know anyone, we had no trouble finding really affordable places. There are of course a lot of hostels in almost every city in Europe and if you are a young traveler by all means you can bunk with a few other people, share a bathroom and stay for really cheap, as Arman did when he took a detour on his own to London. He loved it actually, because he got to meet and make new friends. Me, I like my private room and bathroom thank you very much! We mostly stayed in 3 star hotels, prices ranged between 35 euros a night to 60 euros a night. When searching online I booked all the hotels using Hotels.com they have loads of info on each hotel, a map and testimonials which can be helpful in narrowing your search down. I made sure they were first and foremost clean and well kept, that we had free wifi and breakfast included, which is another money saver, one meal out of the way. It was easy to find all we needed in a hotel for good prices, and for the most part they all were pretty accurate when we arrived.
I think the most funds we spent were on food, though this can be done on a budget as well. There are plenty of small on the go places one can purchase a sandwich or something, but since we had saved so much on flights and hotels, and since we all love good food we ate at some great restaurants, nothing fancy but with good food and fun atmosphere. On that note, when traveling with teenage boys be prepared to spend a lot on food... these two got hungry every two to three hours, gees if I ate as much as they did I'd be much rounder right now :)
Take converters with you, take loads of pictures, which by the way was a challenge for me as the boys don't like to be in pictures and always gave me a hard time with that... ahhh the good old days when they did what you asked them, posing with cute little smiles. But I still managed to steal a shot or two. Don't forget to turn off your internal timer, you are in Europe, most of the countries here are on a slower pace, so slow down, relax, don't be too critical, judgmental or expect everything to go as planned... If traveling with kids, teens etc, know that they are not always going to be interested in the things you want to see and do, and that you need to explore the places they are interested in as well.. after all you brought them with you to open their eyes and show them different places, they need to enjoy their time in their own way too...In other words go with the flow and know that you are in a different country with a different culture, be open to new experiences and you are sure to enjoy the journey. Every now and then stop, have a moment of clarity and pinch yourself.. take it all in one breath at a time, once the moment is over it will never come back...
I hope everyone gets the chance to travel, however short or long the journey, it is certain to be filled with memories and experiences that will stay forever.
Useful sites:
Ryanair flights
easyJet flights
Hotels.com
eDreams a site for Euopean travel plans, you can find flights, hotels etc.
Train tickets
Have fun :)
I got on the internet one day just to see what sort of travel deals were out there and if we could maybe fly out to see an old friend and her family in Valencia Spain. Three days later we had this amazing trip planned that even I couldn't believe how easy and quite affordable it was. Mind you it took a few days for me to find good prices on flights, hotels, trains etc. but it was a well drawn map with some beautiful stops along the way and we couldn't wait get started...
So, Europe on a budget huh? Could it be done? Well we did it and it's definitely doable folks. First off, let's talk about flights, If you plan ahead I'm sure you can find loads of cheap fares between cities and countries in Europe, but in our case we had no idea we would be doing so much traveling when we came to Greece. What I found out is that finding good fares here isn't all that difficult, there are a couple of companies in Europe that fly you around really, I mean really cheap. For example we flew to Rome from Thessaloniki for only 35 euros, and from Venice to Valencia for 40 euros, so you see planning a country hop here is really quite simple. Then of course you have the trains, most countries here share a border and it's basically land, which can be covered, quite comfortable might I add with trains. If you want to see quite a bit of cities, the Europass is the way to go. The sites are easy to navigate and if you spend just a little time online you can really do a custom travel tour of your own and book most everything on your computer.
Here's the map and I sort of drew our journey to show how and where we went. It was an amazing adventure, the boys loved it and it will be a wonderful time they can look back on and remember with a smile on their faces, that's all I wanted. These kind of opportunities don't happen that often, so I will treasure this time I'm having with the boys and all the memories we've made together.
Here's some helpful info:
For flights look into Ryanair, or easyJet. Both have great fares, they may not fly everywhere but cover most of the big cities and some smaller but popular destinations. They do have restrictions so be sure to follow directions carefully, for example you need to check in online and print out your boarding pass before you get to the airport. I don't have a printer here but I was able to access my email and print them out at a local copy shop. Also, very important is the baggage restriction both these airlines have, you can only carry on one small bag no more that 10k, or if you want to turn your baggage in it's about 15 euros for a 20k bag, HOWEVER make sure you book the baggage and pay for it at the time of online check it, this cheap price is only available online if you check it in and pay for it at the airport it will cost you more that your ticket did, so you're getting a cheap fare for a reason, but if you plan carefully, as we did you wont run into any problems. One other note about these two airlines, although we only used Ryanair, but refreshments and food is sold on board, so either eat before you go on board or be prepared to spend some money, but most flights are very short around Europe so let's just say you wont starve to death :)
Trains. There are a couple of ways to get info on travel with trains, you can either purchase tickets at the station as you get around, which does give you a bit more of freedom on your journey, or you can jot out each destination and get your travel pass online. Either way works, we had a few of our train tickets from ahead of time and some we bought at the station. Train tickets vary in price, we found that in Italy they were on the low side, train ride to Florence and the to Venice was only 20 euros each stretch. But in France we paid close to 100 euros from Lyon to Paris, and in Spain it was somewhere in the middle. Again we hadn't planned that much ahead, so I'm sure if done a few months in advance we would've been able to get better fares. But even last minute we still got around, and it looks like the trains in the middle of the day are the cheapest, morning and evening are a bit higher, so you might want to keep that in mind too.
Hotels.. in some cities we were fortunate enough to have friends and family, so it wasn't only great seeing them and spending time with them but it was also nice of them to accommodate us and we didn't need spend money on a hotel room. However in cities we didn't know anyone, we had no trouble finding really affordable places. There are of course a lot of hostels in almost every city in Europe and if you are a young traveler by all means you can bunk with a few other people, share a bathroom and stay for really cheap, as Arman did when he took a detour on his own to London. He loved it actually, because he got to meet and make new friends. Me, I like my private room and bathroom thank you very much! We mostly stayed in 3 star hotels, prices ranged between 35 euros a night to 60 euros a night. When searching online I booked all the hotels using Hotels.com they have loads of info on each hotel, a map and testimonials which can be helpful in narrowing your search down. I made sure they were first and foremost clean and well kept, that we had free wifi and breakfast included, which is another money saver, one meal out of the way. It was easy to find all we needed in a hotel for good prices, and for the most part they all were pretty accurate when we arrived.
I think the most funds we spent were on food, though this can be done on a budget as well. There are plenty of small on the go places one can purchase a sandwich or something, but since we had saved so much on flights and hotels, and since we all love good food we ate at some great restaurants, nothing fancy but with good food and fun atmosphere. On that note, when traveling with teenage boys be prepared to spend a lot on food... these two got hungry every two to three hours, gees if I ate as much as they did I'd be much rounder right now :)
Take converters with you, take loads of pictures, which by the way was a challenge for me as the boys don't like to be in pictures and always gave me a hard time with that... ahhh the good old days when they did what you asked them, posing with cute little smiles. But I still managed to steal a shot or two. Don't forget to turn off your internal timer, you are in Europe, most of the countries here are on a slower pace, so slow down, relax, don't be too critical, judgmental or expect everything to go as planned... If traveling with kids, teens etc, know that they are not always going to be interested in the things you want to see and do, and that you need to explore the places they are interested in as well.. after all you brought them with you to open their eyes and show them different places, they need to enjoy their time in their own way too...In other words go with the flow and know that you are in a different country with a different culture, be open to new experiences and you are sure to enjoy the journey. Every now and then stop, have a moment of clarity and pinch yourself.. take it all in one breath at a time, once the moment is over it will never come back...
I hope everyone gets the chance to travel, however short or long the journey, it is certain to be filled with memories and experiences that will stay forever.
Useful sites:
Ryanair flights
easyJet flights
Hotels.com
eDreams a site for Euopean travel plans, you can find flights, hotels etc.
Train tickets
Have fun :)
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