D.I.Y. Cupcake: European Planning Post no. 5

We got our Eurail passes in July.  Since, we're both over 26 years old we had to get the first class passes which included quick shipping, I think I literally got them the next night.  

I've still got to book our hotel for Frankfurt and get a few more warm clothes items.  I'm also buying some snack foods each time I go to the store so we don't get hit with a huge shopping trip the week before.  I plan on checking a few small snack items like peanut and almond butter {hard to find there!} and other fluids. But we're three months out and I basically just need to focus on saving for food while we're there.  My goal is about $100 a day for a family of four, which sounds like a lot, but when you consider we'll mostly be eating out each day it's really not.  Also, that money is going to cover any activity costs, so wish me luck!

Thanks for following along, I'll be posting again once we've got more supplies and are packing!
-Jenn

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D.I.Y. Cupcake: European Planning Post no. 4

It's been a while since I've talked about the trip!

Yes, we're still going, we just got a little busy with a new baby.

However, in the past few months we've ordered our passports {6-9 months out}

We tried scheduling an appointment at a local passport application office {many listed on the .gov website} but found out that many of them were not certified so after calling around only the 615 W. Jackson Street {Phoenix, AZ} application office was WALK IN approved.  Husband came home early on a Tuesday so we could both go.  Both parents must be present for issuing a minor's passport under the age of 16 {or a written reason why with notarization must be provided- which was just as much effort}.  So we decided we should both just go.

Cost for myself's renewal was 100 + 25 Maricopa County processing fee
Sonja's 80+ 25 fee
Vera's 80 + 25 fee
Total: $335 

Thankfully, Husband's is still good for a few more years.  The girls' will only be good for 5 years and mine for another 10.

I also, finally, ordered my backpack! I ordered it from REI since Husband is a member.

I plan on wearing Vera while in Europe {in an Ergo carrier & my friend, Danny, told me Kelty makes a carrier/backpack combo.} so, I tried them both on to make sure I could do both...

We also ordered Sonja a few merino wool pieces from REI on sale.  We still need to buy quite a few warm clothed items for the kiddos but we're doing it slowly so it's not a huge purchase.  We need to order our Eurail Passes sometime within the next few months {I'd like to do it by the end of July since that will be about 5-6 months out from the trip} and then the rest is just saving for food and fun.  I *might* book a hotel in Luzern since we were supposed to stay with friends but I don't like to inconvenience anyone.  If we have extra left over I will see what hotels are available.  Otherwise, all the major purchases have been made!

More updates to come as we get closer!!

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European Planning Post no. 3

Since my last update on our European 2013 adventure, I've completed a few more items off my to do list!  Not too much with our new baby's arrival, BUT! I did manage to book our flights and another hotel!

Flights are a big deal.  I was really worried about the cost and when I finally found a good {see not outrageous  price, I went for it!  We're flying out from Phoenix to Denver, Colorado to Frankfurt, Germany! On the way there, we've got 11 hours and 18 minutes flight time.  We return from Prague, Czech Republic to Frankfurt to Denver to Phoenix.  That's 13 hours 21 minutes flight time home.  The layovers will hopefully make it easier on the kiddos since they can get off a plane, walk around, eat and run to the next flight.

Our ticket pricing is below:
Traveler 1: Adult  $1,169.60
Traveler 2: Adult  $1,169.60
Traveler 3: Child  $1,039.60
Total:                 $3,378.80

I'm not sure why our child is $100 cheaper, but I'm not complaining.  I do still have to call and add Vera to our flights, hopefully for free.  I had to wait until she was born since we didn't know what her name would be or if she would be a he.  Now that we have a birth certificate, we can start the passport process for myself {mine expires this month} and the girls.

We also booked our hotel in Barcelona {pictured above} and we already had Paris and Geneva booked.  The last major things we need to do include booking hotels for Frankfurt, Luzern {although we might say with friends} and Prague.  We also need to purchase our eurail passes. Luckily, the girls are free since they're under 4 years old!

Other purchases we need to make include a backpacking pack for myself and Husband.  Also finding WARM baby clothes for this little {9 month size} is a big item on the list.  I am still nervous about the whole weather thing for her.  I'm not packing a lot and we're working with limited space so bulky winter clothes are not an option, I'm looking for smart wool or merino wool items. I'm also still trying to decide on the diapering situation.  Usually, when we travel I bring cloth and disposable diapers {since disposables seem to irritate the skin}, but I'm just not sure if I can even fit cloth this time... any travelers with advice?  please leave a comment!

I'll update you all again when I've made some more progress!
Thanks for following along on our travel planning.
-Jenn

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European Planning Post no. 2

European Update! We've modified the cities yet again for our fourth and final version of our 2013 trip!

Our new plan is; Frankfurt, Germany to Paris, France to Geneva, Switzerland to Barcelona, Spain to Lucerne, Switzerland to Prague, Czech Republic.

I really wanted to go to Barcelona, but it wasn't going to fit in with the time line before.  Now, since my friend in Switzerland isn't going to be IN Switzerland while we're visiting, I was able to rearrange the dates and add Barcelona!  I'm so excited, because it's my favorite city!  I always end up there when I go to Europe.  Each time, I'm not planning on going there and then somehow it gets added on to the trip!  It totally manifests itself into my life.

I'm not excited about the train ride from Barcelona to Lucerne with a 9 month old baby.  It's about 9 hours {which is the longest train ride I've ever been on, and with a baby!}.  But I think it's best to just get there instead of adding another city or stop to our trip.  Because, once we're on the train it's easier to just keep going than to get off, check into a hotel, go to sleep, wake up early and get back on the train.  This way we're only losing one day to travel as opposed to shorter train rides but two days of rushing to the train stations.

In other news, France is no longer a part of Eurail Select Pass which is extremely inconvenient!  When we started planning this trip, it was going to be about $470 for our four countries with the Select Pass. But the 2013 rates increased that too.  Now, we have to purchase the Global Pass which is $783 each for Husband and myself.  And that doesn't include reservation fees which each train station charges independently.  Even though the Eurail pass is our ticket, they require reservations to make sure you have a seat on the train... I guess you could just show up and see if there is a spot, but since we're not staying in hostels & we NEED to be in certain cities on certain days; we have to pay the reservation fees. Reservation fees range from 3€  to 15€  {or more} and we will have to pay that each time we go on a train.  Which is about 5 times, according to our most recent itinerary.

As far as hotels go, we've booked our Paris hotel and Geneva hotel and we're planning on booking another soon.  We're still waiting for plane tickets since it's just under a year away, expedia.com is just now listing flights there and doesn't have return flights posted yet.

I've also just purchased my new jacket for the winter weather we'll be expecting while there {a big portion of our budget is getting warmer clothes to bring with us!}  I still need to get a backpacking pack for the trip and Husband needs one too.  Our plan is for each of us to pack for ourselves and one of the kids so it's just one huge backpack each and Sonja will have a little backpack with her personal items and entertainment.

That's the update for now.  I'll probably share a bit more next month, once we've made some more progress!

-Jenn

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European Planning Post no. 1

We're planning our Winter Getaway 2013 and I'm loving every second of it.  Literally, dreaming of French Macaroons and Swiss Fondue {but we can blame that on the pregnancy}.  It's going to be amazing.  and cold.  probably very cold.  But I'll be in Europe, so, there will be no complaining.

I decided to document this trip as best I can, here, for all my readers to know the planning process for such a big trip.  Not only is my little family going, but some extended family and friends too.  A serious planning task, one I would not be comfortable with if I hadn't done similar trips in the past.  This will be my 4th trip to Europe, my 2 {and a half} trip planned by myself.  The other two were with EF tours.  Once when I was in high school to Spain, 17 days, and again with EF tours as a chaperon with the teacher I student taught with.  That trip was 4 counties in 15 days, and Husband, my sister and I stuck around for an extra 2 weeks in a few other countries {planned by yours truly}.

This trip is going to be a two new countries and about 20 days {four countries total}.  I'm not sharing the exact dates or hotels BEFORE we travel for obvious safety reasons {sorry, creeps} but I'll be posting ALL the details once we're back safe in the states.

Step one of any trip is setting a budget {and sticking to it}...

Because of the amount of time, number of people and quality expectations I have, my family is budgeting around $10,000 to include airfare, hotel, food, spending and Eurail passes.

The breakdown for my budget is this:
Airfare: expected to be about $1,800 per person x 3 people {baby will be on my lap},
              but could be as low as $1090 a person according to recent searches.
Eurail: Select Pass 4 countries 6 days $474 per person x 2 {my kiddos are free}
Hotel: $50 per adult x 2 {making our nightly average around $100 USD} a night x 20 nights
Food and spending: $100 a day for our family {about $30 a meal with little spending money} x 20 days

Total: $10,348
Hopefully the airfare can really be as low as I've found, that would be super helpful, but I'm guessing high so if we have money left over we can splurge on more museums and souvenirs.

Step two is picking out where you can afford to go and in what order...
We knew we wanted Europe, and once we set a monthly savings goal we picked our favorite cites, based on proximity.
After looking at a map, getting input from the various members of the group and based on where we wanted to be for what holidays, we decided on Option 1.  Option 3 would have put us in Barcelona for New Year's Eve, which I really, really wanted.  Option 2 would have allowed us to spend a week in Calabria with Husband extended family on their farm.  But, Option 1 allowed for the most new cities and got the winning vote.

Step three is booking the trip...
This is a little more complicated than just "booking it."  I decided to start booking from the middle out.  Since we knew Paris was going to be our second city, I started there.  We are going to be there for a few nights and by having everyone book their room, now, a year out; we were able to confirm who was serious about actually going on this trip.  I DID NOT start with the first city on our trip, because we don't have tickets yet. Tickets will be available on Expedia soon.  But until then, I want to make sure we have some flexibility on the arrival and departure dates {in case, ticket prices fluctuate on a given day or other travel reason}.  Also, Hotels fill up quicker than plane tickets, and it's a good idea to get them a year out, when you still have choices.

Another thing to consider when booking a hotel is their cancellation policy.  It's up to you, if you want to book a refundable room.  I'd rather save money than consider cancelling or rescheduling, even though it's riskier that way.  What if we miss our flight, what if we get sick, what if, what if, what if.  I've had good experiences with hotels in the past and if you give them enough notice they're usually reasonable about refunding the money, or allowing you to reschedule.  And if not, they usually just charge a $35 {or more} fee for cancelling, which is about the cost of getting a refundable room anyway.  So, I prefer to pay it if necessary, instead of as a precaution.  Either way, you'll want to consider what is best for you, and how it will affect your budget for your hotels.

And that's part one of our planning so far.

Hotel in Paris Booked!

Next will be Geneva and Lucerne, Switzerland...
I want to get tattooed while in Geneva by Kim Anh-Nguyen {but her schedule might not allow it}, and a high school friend is now living in Lucerne so I'm very, very excited for Switzerland!


Safe Travels,
Jenn

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