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Traveling the globe on a budget.

SakebombSakebomb Registered User regular
edited May 2008 in Help / Advice Forum
Me and my girl love to travel, we take frequently road trips, and are going on our first train trip this August (YAY FOR PAX), however she has never traveled outside the US. Next year, we are changing that.

Here’s what I got on the itinerary:

1.Germany - (Frankfurt, Wurzburg, Munich)
2.Amsterdam
3.Iceland - (Reykjavik)
4.Kiev (maybe)
5.Thailand
6.Japan(maybe)


I have a couple friends in Europe that will let us couch surf, and I found some decent hostels where we can crash on the cheap.

So the only thing that is really gonna break the bank is the airline tickets.

So short of swimming the Atlantic, anyone have any advice?


EDIT: I am also investigating the possibility of taking a boat to Iceland from somewhere in Europe. Anyone know if this is feasible?

Sakebomb on

Posts

  • KMFurDMKMFurDM Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited May 2008
    Take whatever budget you have and add another 50% to it because you never know. You never know...

    For Europe on the cheap go in the winter. Flights are cheaper, hotels are cheaper.

    KMFurDM on
  • JustPlainPavekJustPlainPavek Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    It still won't be all that cheap, but Round The World Tickets might save you some money on making that many one-way flights in one go. Although I believe that Europe is supposed to have a fair amount of short-distance budget airlines these days, so maybe not. Of course, if you really want to save money, drop the European leg of the trip entirely and stick to Southeast Asia where the dollar will go a hell of a lot further.

    JustPlainPavek on
  • TexiKenTexiKen Dammit! That fish really got me!Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    from Austin, you have two options to get to Europe:

    -take a southwest flight to JFK and fly from there to Europe. Cheap flights from every European carrier to get you to Heathrow or de Gaulle or Schipol airports.

    -take a nonstop flight from Bush IAH in Houston. KLM has nonstop flights from Houston to Amsterdam every day. Prices are around $1k per ticket roundtrip, maybe more in Summer and with increased gas prices.

    Your itinerary would be better suited doing it in order from closest to furthest, resulting in Iceland, Amsterdam, Germany, Kiev, Thailand, Japan. If you do it that way, your best bet is getting an Iceland Air ticket from NYC or Boston airports, and then going from Iceland into Amsterdam.

    The only thing wrong with your plan is the return trip home from Asia. Chances are you will stop over in Hawaii. I know there is a Northwest nonstop flight from Houston to Tokyo, but from what I've heard (since I've thought about using it) it's always overbooked, possibly making you the odd man out.

    As JustPlainPavek wrote, just doing a Asia only trip would probably stretch your money further. Replace Australia with Europe I guess, it's like buying Malt o Meal Oat Bits instead of Cheerios ;)

    I would really recommend going to one country first, and seeing what her response is and plan a greater trip later. Traveling to 6 countries may sound great, but once you start traveling, and have never been and don't speak their language, she may develop culture shock. It can really mess you up the first couple of days.

    TexiKen on
  • SakebombSakebomb Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    TexiKen wrote: »
    from Austin, you have two options to get to Europe:

    -take a southwest flight to JFK and fly from there to Europe. Cheap flights from every European carrier to get you to Heathrow or de Gaulle or Schipol airports.

    -take a nonstop flight from Bush IAH in Houston. KLM has nonstop flights from Houston to Amsterdam every day. Prices are around $1k per ticket roundtrip, maybe more in Summer and with increased gas prices.

    Your itinerary would be better suited doing it in order from closest to furthest, resulting in Iceland, Amsterdam, Germany, Kiev, Thailand, Japan. If you do it that way, your best bet is getting an Iceland Air ticket from NYC or Boston airports, and then going from Iceland into Amsterdam.

    The only thing wrong with your plan is the return trip home from Asia. Chances are you will stop over in Hawaii. I know there is a Northwest nonstop flight from Houston to Tokyo, but from what I've heard (since I've thought about using it) it's always overbooked, possibly making you the odd man out.

    As JustPlainPavek wrote, just doing a Asia only trip would probably stretch your money further. Replace Australia with Europe I guess, it's like buying Malt o Meal Oat Bits instead of Cheerios ;)

    I would really recommend going to one country first, and seeing what her response is and plan a greater trip later. Traveling to 6 countries may sound great, but once you start traveling, and have never been and don't speak their language, she may develop culture shock. It can really mess you up the first couple of days.

    Awesome advice! Thanks.
    Yeah, Im thinking we'll save Japan and Thailand for another time.
    So that makes it just the flight into Europe, then to Iceland, then back. I figure we can make it to amsterdam, ireland and ukraine via train.

    I checked out Expedia and found a nonstop from Chicago to Frankfurt for $350 on Air India
    I know, crazy right? It seemed to good to be true, so I went to Air India directly, and sure enough.

    Sakebomb on
  • OrganichuOrganichu poops peesRegistered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Sakebomb wrote: »
    I checked out Expedia and found a nonstop from Chicago to Frankfurt for $350 on Air India
    I know, crazy right? It seemed to good to be true, so I went to Air India directly, and sure enough.

    Jump on it, immediately. My 'long' flight I make often is about 25% farther than yours, and the price I pay for a 'good' deal is almost twice that.

    Organichu on
  • oldsakoldsak Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    So this one will probably seem odd, but my friend in San Antonio is flying to Austria at the end of June for ridiculously cheap because he's transporting a bladder.

    I'd heard of this before, but I never really believed it.

    oldsak on
  • SakebombSakebomb Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    oldsak wrote: »
    So this one will probably seem odd, but my friend in San Antonio is flying to Austria at the end of June for ridiculously cheap because he's transporting a bladder.

    I'd heard of this before, but I never really believed it.

    Yeah they did it in EuroTrip. Ive looked all over the interwebs for links on how to sign up to be a courier, but alas, no avail.
    Beginning to think its an urban legend.

    Sakebomb on
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