(Blue Lagoon in Iceland. Image courtesy wanderingtheworld – flickr)
Wow! I am over the moon! I can’t believe it. We just booked our first flights for the RTW journey!
It’s been 3 years in the making and there were a couple really horrid set backs (read: cancer) but it’s happening! It’s finally happening. I’m actually tearing up as I write this because I am finally realizing a dream that I have had for so many years.
It’s just seems surreal.
First stop – Iceland!
We really wanted to head to Europe but the direct flights were insane. I’ve been searching airfares for days now and time and time again Iceland was coming out as the strong winner! We got lucky and found a flight to Iceland for $255 on Iceland Air (inc. taxes) out of Boston. I did some more searching and it looks like for another $100 we can take a budget flight to Europe from Iceland. So for about $350 we’re headed to Europe for far less than what the flights were coming in at originally. Sure there were tons of “deals” to London, etc but everytime I tried to book one – it disappeared. Most flights to Europe were coming in at about $500 – $600 o/w. So I think we got a great deal and we get to check out Iceland as well – which is amazing! (Iceland Air also has a stop over route but that was still more expensive than booking separately.)
I’m super psyched! Iceland is somewhere I always wanted to go but it seemed so strange and exotic – I never thought it would be the start of the trip! I never even thought I would be going there at all on this trip. Yah!
After a few days in Iceland we’re going to catch a cheap flight (most likely on Iceland Express) to somewhere in Europe. Hopefully it will be Italy but we will pick the destination by the cost of the ticket. Eventually we’ll make our way to Prague, Vienna & Italy. We plan on wwoofing our way through Italy and to cut costs we’ll be camping for almost our entire journey (including in Iceland).
We are on a strict budget of $50/day for 2 people! Can we do it??
Transportation will eat up most of that budget, which is why we have to camp, wwoof and move slowly. Mainly we’ll be eating food that we buy at the markets and doing a lot of free things. That’s gonna be hard for me in Italy because I’m Italian and I love food! Hopefully we will also get to stay with some of my family members in that area. However I already know we’re headed to the Blue Lagoon for a day in Iceland and the tickets are about $35/person. Maybe we’ll have to try our hand at couchsurfing in Iceland to comp the cost! Or maybe we can pitch a story about it and get the entrance fee waived! We also have fun just walking around and looking at things, which is free.
It was a huge risk for us to throw Europe in the itinerary due to our budget constraints but time and time again we just kept gravitating towards it.
We found cheap flights to South America but our hearts were already set on Europe and we could never pull the trigger and book them. I know it’s going to be tough but we really want to go to this area and we are both so excited to start the trip off in Iceland/Europe. We are driving from CA back to Massachusetts (to drop Chachy off w/ my sister Bridgette and to visit family & friends) and we’re also looking forward to that journey as well. Randy has never driven cross country so I know we’ll have a blast camping & hiking along the way.
We will be sure to update you throughout both legs of the trips on our budget.
Stay tuned because we plan on writing a lot of posts about how you can save a ton of money on your next trip abroad!
If anyone has any experience wwoofing in Italy (or anywhere in Europe) we would love to hear it. Please leave a comment below.
If you have any tips on free or cheap things to do in Iceland/Prague/Vienna/Italy please let me know – we will be forever grateful!
To Iceland or Bust!
– Beth & Randy
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32 comments
Congratulations, that three years is finally paying off.
Good luck with your budget, I’ll be looking forward to your tips because I’ll be on a tight budget for my RTW trip next year.
.-= Nick Laborde´s last blog ..The Introvert Challenge =-.
Thanks so much for your comment Nick! I really can’t wait to go and we will be putting up a lot of info regarding our budget so hopefully it will be helpful for you. 🙂 I love your blog BTW, pushing yourself beyond your limits is one of the most important (and scary!) things we can do in life. That’s when all the really great stuff happens! You have a new reader for sure. @Nick Laborde,
Congrats Beth!!!!!!
I am totally excited for you! Also, I am really looking forward to the amazing pictures you will post. I always enjoy them and I can imagine that a place like Iceland will create magic.
.-= Erica´s last blog ..Partners in Crime – The Traveling Duo =-.
Oh man – I can’t wait to take pictures in Iceland! I am debating if I want to bring my crappy TTV camera as well for fun. I also really need to learn some HDR because it looks like the place was made for it! @Erica,
SO, SO EXCITING!!! My friend (also named Beth) was recently in Iceland — she said it was amazing how the streets of Reykjavik were deserted all day, then everyone poured into the streets at night!
Are you spending any time in Boston before you fly out? If so, we should meet up!
.-= Adventurous Kate´s last blog ..Feast on your life =-.
HI Kate,
Well I’m glad your friend that it was awesome. I’m really looking forward to it. If we are in Boston then I will definitely send you a tweet or an email to see if we can meet up. My parents live a couple hours away in western MA but my sister is in Plymouth so I’ll be in the area for sure. Plus I have to eat at the Grasshopper in Brighton anytime I am remotely close to Boston. Love that place!! @Adventurous Kate,
So excited for you! I am jealous about Italy! I went last year, it was amazing. I look forward to your posts. I am officially moved to San Diego now. See you before you leave.
Thanks Anthony and congratulations on the condo!! I def. want to see you before I leave. 🙂 @Anthony,
Yayyyyy!!!!!!!!!! So excited and happy for you! I’m so jealous about Iceland–I’ve always wanted to go. Stephanie at 20something Travel has been there and loves it, so ping her if you want to know some good details. I can’t wait to see your journey unfold!
.-= Emily´s last blog ..10 Questions for Gary Arndt of Everything Everywhere =-.
Thanks Emily! I’ve got your guest post scheduled and ready to roll for next Monday 🙂 @Emily,
Congrats! So exciting!
.-= Candice´s last blog ..Being Laid Off is Apparently Blogging Goldmine =-.
Thanks Candice! @Candice,
Go Beth! Hoping there is some feeling of relief that this decision has been made (and paid!). I’m really excited to hear you are traveling through Iceland, as I would love to visit someday. I’d be happy to just gaze at your photos in the meantime. Keep them coming!
Thanks Lora! I can’t wait to take photos there! @Lora,
YAY! I’m so excited for you! I’m more excited that you’re going somewhere that you never really thought about before! It’s soooooo YAY
Brooke you’re probably the only one who can truly understand how I feel right now! I’m gonna email you later. 🙂 @Brooke vs. the World,
$50 for two people per day is tough in Western Europe. Check out the Hallgrimskirkja Church Tower (visible from most of downtown Reykjavik) and only $2 to go up the tower, otherwise entrance is free. A really cool sculpture shop there too, wish I could remember the name but sure you’ll find many great shops to stroll around 🙂
Thanks for teh tip Anil! I know the budget is going to be tough, hopefully we can make up for it with some wwoofing! @Anil,
Wow congratulations on getting started on your trip! It’s such an amazing feeling when you KNOW that you are finally going somewhere! I’m sure you will have a fantastic time!
Iceland is a place I have never yet been too, but one that I would LOVE to go to! I look forward to see what you write about it once you’re there!
As for wwoofing in Europe, I’m afraid I don’t have much personal experience doing it. My family has had a couple of wwoofers staying here at our place on a few occasions, but that’s about it. But I do have lots of friends who use wwoof to travel with, and I believe most of them think it’s a good way. As far as I know I think there are plenty of places to wwoof at in Europe. Good luck! 🙂
Hi Aurora, Thanks so much for following and thanks for the wwoofing encouragment. I love your site as well 🙂 @Aurora,
Congratulations! Iceland is one of my favorite places I’ve been and I’m sure you guys will enjoy it! My recommendation is to try to get out of Reykjavik and see some of the countryside- it’s magical.
Thanks for the recommendation Stephanie! Any areas in particluar that you love? @Stephanie,
AHHHHHH Iceland!!! 🙂 We are leaving in 3 weeks, and we also have a budget of 50 (albeit Euros) a day for 2 people. We are going on our motorcycles and taking a tent, so we actually hope to spend a little less, but having never been before we don’t know what to expect budget wise. But we have mostly picnics instead of eating at restaurants, and campsites instead of beds inside somewhere. My partner’s sisters did it last year, 2 weeks on bicycle and they spent 25 Euros a day each. Maybe you go slightly over budget, but just barely! (By whatever the exchange rate is) and you can make that up in other countries!
.-= Sherrie´s last blog ..Journizer Episode 2- Getting A German Motorcycle License- And Things To Think About When Planning A Major Trip =-.
seriously jealous….take me with you….PLEASE
.-= Nomadic Matt´s last blog ..Living off Your Website Reboot =-.
Meet us there Matt 🙂 Flights out of Boston on $225! @Nomadic Matt,
I think Iceland will be a wonderful introduction to Europe – and what a great price. My husband flew through Iceland last year and said that the sight of the lupins everywhere was fantastic.
I haven’t been to Vienna in a very long time but they used to have standing room only ‘seating’ to see the opera. I’m not a big opera fan but it was still a great experience.
I’ll look forward to following your journey.
Thanks Leigh! We are really excited. Vienna is one of our stops becaue it is Randy’s must see country, so we will definitely check the opera out! 🙂 @Leigh,
Wow, kicking off your trip in Iceland. That’s so cool! Looking forward to reading about your adventures 🙂
Thanks for following Laura! @Laura,
Iceland was amazing!! I was there last November. The blue Lagoon was so cool.
I don’t remember what it cost but we climbed a glacier and it was so much fun.
And the Northern lights are free if you are lucky enough to see them. It was one of the best vacations I’ve been on. You’ll have a great time.
Congrats! Iceland is a gorgeous country and definitely one of my favorite places in the world! I wish you had more than a few days in Iceland because the real beauty of Iceland is in the countryside, outside of Reykjavik. Pack warmly because when I went to Iceland, it was November and it was the coldest place I have EVER BEEN!
Enjoy the Blue Lagoon!
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