K
eeping up with my birthday tradition, I am off to Europe again this winter to bring in my 29th birthday. My itinerary starts at Prague, then a night at the gorgeous quaint village of Cesky Krumlov, before crossing the Austrian border heading into Salzburg – birthplace of Mozart. So close to the German border, its a no brainer to take a day trip into Munich, where I must visit the Neuschwanstein Castle. Off to Vienna and then training over the Hungarian border into Budapest. After all the train journeys, its time to fly out to Zurich, spend sometime in both Zurich and Lucerne before heading back home to the states. 17 days, loads of stops. I can’t wait!
Originally a solo trip, its now shifted to a father-daughter trip. My first long trip with Dad, as long as he knows who’s boss, I think we’ll be just fine. =O) Our travel styles are very similar, we both like to move at a packed pace with breather days in between. Our philosophy, “if we came this far, we might as well”. And I LOVE that theory! I get to see and do so much more that way! =o)
So far, I’ve booked our flights (thank you Continental — I was able to get us both a multi city airfare with my fabulous saved miles), designated specific number of days in each of the main cities, leaving room to make impromptu day trips, and booked accommodations for all overnight stays!
The following accommodations meet my four criteria for this trip: Budget, Location, TA Reviews, & Various Types of Accommodations. All prices shown are in USD for 2 people, 2 beds, entire stay:
Prague (5 nights)
Pension Platan (Pension)
$195
booked via pension website
Cesky Krumlov (1 night)
Hostel Merlin (Hostel)
$35
booked via hostel website
Salzburg (3 nights)
Haus Am Moos (Bed and Breakfast)
$128
booked via B&B website
Austrotel Salzburg (Historic Hotel)
$82
booked via priceline (pay when you stay)
Vienna (2 nights)
Hotel Geblergasse (Local Hotel)
$107
booked via priceline (pay when you stay)
Budapest (2 nights)
Green Dream Apartment (Apartment)
$112
booked via apartment website
Lucerne (1 night)
Hotel Alpha (Local Hotel)
$102
booked via priceline (pay when you stay)
Zurich (2 nights)
Hilton Zurich (Chain Hotel)
80,000 Hilton Rewards Points
booked via Hilton website
Total Hotel Cost: $761 (budget: $800 — well within budget!)
Next Task: Finalize Mode of Transportation!
Happy Travels!


November 16th, 2010 at 12:59 PM
Good to see your blog. I was about to tweet you that I envy you for you are able to travel so much but didn’t because it’s my own laze that I don’t travel. Your trip is so exciting. Hope you write about it later.
Bring it on!
November 16th, 2010 at 7:58 PM
Thanks!! I’m really excited about my trip and my new blog! Hope you’ll check in every now and again. =o)
If laze is what’s stopping you from travel, then that’s no excuse! Go for it!
February 13th, 2011 at 11:20 PM
[...] the accommodations were finalized and booked, it was time to finalize the mode of transportation. I had four criteria: [...]
November 17th, 2011 at 1:10 AM
[...] for the right amount of “free time” to pop into my life and I wrote my first blog post. And I have to tell you, it was the most satisfying feeling in the world. Not too long after I [...]
March 10th, 2012 at 3:58 AM
[...] how did I do it? I prioritized. I knew I had a very strict budget, so I started with the accommodations first since they generally take up a good portion of the budget. I always start at my guide books [...]