So let’s talk about money. Back in 2013, I was told I could never plan a trip to Europe for under two thousand dollars. One of the things you have to understand about me is that you should never tell me what I can’t do because I am probably going to do it.
I talked to a professional travel agent who told me the same thing…Europe for two weeks cannot be planned for under two-thousand dollars. It was then I decided I could plan this whole trip without any help.
Ky Fact:
Consulting with a travel agent is something I suggest all first-time travelers do (even if you want to plan your own trip, see what they can show you). However, I used the advice and quotes of the travel agent competitively to find better prices than what they were giving me
Budget: The trip’s budget was that magic number I keep bringing up $2,000. However, it was a goal of mine to get that number down as much as possible. Now, we are all working women so between the time we booked and the time of the trip we were able to save up spending and food money for the actual trip which is not included in this budget.
What would our budget include?
- Flights
- Hotels
- Intercontinental transportation
In total, out of my own money I didn’t spend more than $1450.
Savings
I honestly saved for this trip in about 3 months. It just meant not going out as much and cutting back on a lot of things like shopping, unnecessary spending, no gym, no frivolous spending while out…matter of fact I barely went out.
Money$ Money$ Money$
In total, I took 140 Euros with me. I didn’t have to take out British Pounds because my boss gave me some pounds he had leftover from his many trips. That helped me out a lot.
Ky Tips:
- Exchange your money before you leave. I went to my bank which is TD Bank and they only charged me $7 to make the exchange.
- Get a list from your bank of the banks overseas that they are affiliated with so you won’t be charged a fee to take money out of the ATM.
- Call your credit card/debit card/bank company and tell them you will be overseas and let them know where you are going so no funny business happens to your card while you’re away. When I say funny business, I mean your bank assuming that your card was stolen because of the international charges.
- Currency Exchange: BEWARE! Please avoid these booths at all costs. They are crooks. I did end up needing some Euros while in Italy in which I had $100 cash on me that I wanted to exchange. I went to the booth desperate because I couldn’t find an ATM affiliated with my bank and they literally gave me back 49.50 EUR in return. I hate telling this story because I’ve never been so ANGRY in my life, however, I want you guys to learn from my poor mistakes. An ATM is way better than a currency exchange.
Travel By Ky 