I was bitten by the travel bug since I was a kid.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always said that I wanted a job that would allow me to explore the world frequently, where I could freely go from country to country, living and experiencing different people, cuisines, cultures, and experiences.
As I got a little older, though, it increasingly felt like a pipe dream, something I could only do if I got a job that paid EXTREMELY well, allowing me to travel frequently while maintaining my day-to-day expenses.
As a twenty-something-year-old whose salary was justttt about enough to cover rent, utilities, student loans, and other monthly expenses, for a long time, I thought that frequent travel was exclusively available to travel content creators (whose expenses were often comped) and the wealthy.
All that changed when I visited Sicily for my 30th birthday.
I’d travelled internationally before (London, the U.S., and Canada) but this trip was different.
Not just because it was my birthday, but because it was the first time I’d done a long-haul trip that was still within budget and didn’t break the bank.
I started doing extensive research and discovered so many alternatives to the traditional means of accessing flights, accommodation, and experiences.
From that trip, I promised myself that I’d travel as much as my budget would allow.
It WAS possible.
Fast forward to late 2023 when a girlfriend of mine asked me if I wanted to go to Portugal with her for early summer 2024, it was an automatic YES!
The Portugal trip quickly turned into a multi-city trip across four countries for just under TT$10,000 in airfare.
Here’s how we did it:
Trip Planning and Strategy
What sparked the trip in the first place was that my girlfriend wanted to see Taylor Swift in concert in Lisbon. I’d never been to Portugal, so even though I wasn’t going to the concert, we both knew we wanted to explore the country together.
And, one of the best things about Europe is once you get to any city, travel between countries is relatively accessible and VERY affordable. There are so many travel options (budget airlines, trains, buses, etc.) giving you the latitude to explore based on your budget.
With this in mind, we decided to spend the majority of our trip (three weeks total) in Portugal, then visit Amsterdam and London before returning home.
How We Booked Flights
As I mentioned, we wanted to start our trip in May so we started booking in March. We had to book flights relatively quickly since concert tours for major artists tend to skyrocket airfare prices pretty quickly.
We used Expedia (exclusively in incognito browser mode)** to book our flights but there are so many other flight aggregator options that allow you to get the best flight deals, including Google Flights, Skyscanner, and Kayak, to name a few.
Long Layovers as a Travel Opportunity
Now, we could have booked a direct flight from Trinidad to London and then connected to Lisbon, but we opted to fly to Panama via Copa Airlines instead.
Going this route (pun intended) allowed us to add another destination to our travel itinerary without the extra cost!
How?
Panama is often referred to as the “crossroads of the world,” because it’s a strategic central location in the Americas and Caribbean, making it a key hub for international flights, with many flights coming in and out of Tocumen International Airport daily.
Essentially this meant that by booking our flight to Lisbon via Copa Airlines, we got a 14-hour layover in Panama City before arriving at our final destination!
Port of Spain, Trinidad to Lisbon, Portugal, with a 14-hour layover in Panama City, Panama: US$699.75 / TT$4,741.77
The layover essentially meant that we got to squeeze in a brief visit to another country; because we were there for just over half a day, we booked a hotel in the city where we could leave our luggage, catch up on some light work, and nap.
If you don’t intend to book a hotel, you can always leave your luggage at the airport, which has a left luggage service in the customs area.
Admittedly, we didn’t get to explore as much as we wanted to because we’d been running on practically no sleep from the night before and arrived around 6AM. But, here are a few things you can do with a long layover in Panama City:
- Visit the Panama Canal
- Check out the Metromall Shopping Centre
- Historical District: Head to Casco Viejo, the historic district of Panama City. Stroll through the charming cobblestone streets lined with colorful colonial buildings
- Artisan Markets and Boutiques: Browse the local shops for traditional crafts, souvenirs, and artwork
- Biodiversity Museum: Designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry, the Biomuseo offers fascinating exhibits about Panama’s rich biodiversity and the natural history of the region
- Museum of Panama History: Check out this small museum for a quick overview of the country’s history
- Have lunch at Sugoi Caribbean Sushi
I had some of the best sushi of my life at Sugoi! I STILL have delicious flashbacks of their rolls and sashimi. (I highly recommend the Neptuno Salad and the Maguro Spicy roll)
Our flight to Lisbon was that evening and we spent a total of 11 days in Portugal, split between Lisbon and the Algarve before moving on to Amsterdam.
One-way flight – Lisbon (LIS) to Amsterdam (AMS) Total US$113.80 / TT$771.50
We flew to Amsterdam with TAP Portugal and spent three days in all.
I’ll admit, I wished we spent a minimum of a week there. As much as our brief time there was incredible, I don’t feel as though I really experienced Amsterdam as I was very tired most of the time (late nights, early mornings lol) and I felt like I was in a bit of a haze through most of it.
Regardless, the brief time I spent there was fun and I’d definitely visit again and for longer.
One-way flight Amsterdam (AMS) to London (LGW) Total US$106.00 / TT$718.64
I decided to spend a week in London and booked a final one-way ticket there with another budget airline, easyJet. London is one of my favourite cities in Europe and one of the best parts is no matter how many times you visit, there’s always something new and spectacular to discover and experience.
London (LGW) to Port-of-Spain (POS) Total: US$552.50 / TT$3,745.78
TOTAL AIRFARE: US$1,471.23 / TT$9,977.69
And that’s how I spent under TT$10,000 in airfare on a multi-city trip to Panama City, Lisbon, The Algarve, Amsterdam, and London!
Travel to Europe can add up pretty quickly, I won’t deny that BUT, with proper planning, research, and flexibility, it is possible to visit without breaking the bank.
Booking Pro Tips:
i. Summer travel–no matter the country–will always be super expensive and is peak season for most countries, so if you want to fly during this time, be sure to book as much in advance as possible.
Oh, and the flexibility I mentioned earlier? Be open to visiting a country during their off-peak or shoulder season. Flights, accommodations, attractions, and even some restaurants are considerably lower during this period because there are fewer visitors and there’s the bonus of fewer crowds.
ii. I ALWAYS search for flights in incognito mode. Here’s why:
Dynamic Pricing: Airlines and travel websites use dynamic pricing algorithms that may increase prices based on your search history and location. If they detect that you have repeatedly searched for a specific flight, they might increase the price to create a sense of urgency and encourage you to book quickly.
Cookies and Tracking: Regular browsing leaves cookies that can track your searches and preferences. These cookies can lead to higher prices when you return to the site to check that same flight again.
On the other hand, when you search in incognito mode, you’re more likely to yield unbiased results — incognito mode does not store cookies or search history, which can lead to more neutral search results without personalised recommendations that might be skewed by previous browsing behaviour.
iii. When planning your overall trip — airfare, accommodation, tours/experiences — you don’t HAVE to book everything all at once, especially if you’re on a budget. Once I’ve confirmed my dates, the very first thing I do is book my flights first as those rates can fluctuate often and quickly.
Once I’ve locked in the flights, I then book accommodation a bit closer to my departure date as accommodation prices tend to be relatively fixed. Unless they’re time-sensitive, eg. a show or event that has a set window for availability, I book my experiences when I’m actually in the city itself, as most tours and experiences have a set schedule and/or run multiple times a day.
This approach has allowed me to book and replenish my funds quickly, as opposed to booking everything all at once and having one massive credit card bill to pay off before I’ve even left home!
What’s on your Europe travel bucket list?
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