Real Talk: Eurotrip 2018 Freakout

Today I wanted to share a little behind the scenes moment. Even thought I’m a travel blogger, I wanted to show that planning stresses me out probably just as much as it stresses you out. The “big plan” is the fun part, but the small details become a lot to manage… it all kind of hit me yesterday and I kicked myself into high gear and nailed down a few more travel logistics.

The much-anticipated Eurotrip 2018 is fast approaching. How is it already the end of September? Last night I had a minor freakout when I realized I’d only booked transportation between 3 out of the 6 cities we are visiting. I always assumed we would rent a car in Germany and leisurely drive to France. Lots of people do it, and it seems really pleasant. So, I hopped online to check out rental cars. Little did I know that the price would be astronomical! Almost $400 for two days. How?! (Here’s how.)

After that sticker shock, I quickly started searching trains and buses. This proved to me that I’m a control freak, and I don’t like being on anybody else’s timetable … I’m looking at you, train and bus schedules. The reason I wanted to rent a car was that I pictured the freedom to stop at a tiny town for a picnic, meander to a tucked-away castle, or other picturesque #travelgoals. However, the reality of my budget tipped my decision towards booking through transport companies.

Flixbus quickly became the VIP of the trip, with Trainline coming in second. They are the two most helpful sites I found, in case you are looking to book travel around Europe (we are stopping at a few places in Bavaria – southern Germany).

• Flixbus has regularly running buses at very low prices—a safe average would be to say €10 per trip.
• Trainline aggregates train schedules from multiple companies and builds an itinerary to get from A to B. I am not excited about changing trains 3 times in one trip, but it is what it is.

Now almost everything is booked, and I feel a lot better. There are still two “question marks” but I should have the answer to those shortly. Also, I pulled out all my sweaters and put them near my suitcase. It’s still warm here in San Diego, but the weather in Germany is going to be quite crisp. Fall, here I come!