...gettin' from there to here!
Rod Stewart sang an incredible song that I can relate to on so many levels! The song Faith of the Heart is the short version of my life.
My daughter and I sang it at her High School graduation and it just felt so completely ours to sing!
Now, after 18 years of raising a child alone, I finally get to fulfill my dream of backpacking through Europe!
Not only that, I get to do it with my daughter!!!
I'm SO excited! It took a long time to get here, but we're on our way with our plane tickets booked and 3 weeks of vacation time to scoot through France, Italy and Greece!
I've created this blog to chronicle my planning stages to show people on a budget that a trip like this CAN happen!
I will be the first to admit that this trip IS expensive relative to the all-inclusive one-week stay on a resort on a beach, but keep in mind it's for 3 weeks and it's an exploration of 3 different countries!
To start off, I used many different websites to try to book my flight. Bottom line is that the travel agency WILL charge you more than you can find on your own. However, some places are willing to price match so whatever you find online, they will match it. I used www.expedia.ca and found a return trip for $1680 including taxes and fees for the two of us. This may seem a bit steep, but it's over the Christmas holidays which is the only time of the year I could swing 3 straight weeks of vacation time! I am diligent and vigilant when watching for seat sales. If you were to ask my daughter how the trip planning is going, she will say, My mom has spreadsheets!
However, on a positive note: Christmas in Paris!
Seriously!!
We are arrive in Paris ON Christmas day! I'm assuming that will be a day filled with naps and espresso, but we will still be in Paris! :~D
We'll be heading to the Moulin Rouge on December 26. It doesn't matter how you slice and dice it, the price is what it is, but it's an experience and the only indulgence we will partake in on our trip!
I have found the following websites to be extremely helpful:
www.eurotrip.com
www.railcanada.ca
www.eurail.com
www.hotels.ca
www.travelpunk.com
www.superfast.com
www.tripadvisor.com
www.seat61.com
There are more and I will add them as we go along.
So far, we have the plane tickets and a hotel reservation in Paris at Formule1 - stay tuned for reviews!
The cost is exceptionally cheap for the hotel, but it has great reviews on www.tripadvisor.com even though it is a bit out of the way. I plan on walking all over the place, but for the times that I can't, the subway/transit system is a short walk away from the hotel.
Stay tuned as I make the ultimate purchase of a Eurail pass this week!!!
