I just booked my flight...

[Apple]

I started looking at summer flights to Europe several months ago.  The lowest price I could find for similar dates this year (summer 2015 tickets were not available until recently) was $1380.  And, of course, that would not include the fees they would tack on when you actually booked...  I searched several sites, figured out how to do the +/- 3 days thing, figured out which sites gave the best price, learned how to input multiple airports, etc.  So, I was ready for when they were online.

The travel thread today reminded me I wanted to check out tickets again.  I did, and price listed was $1198 each!  So, I did it, I booked the flights.  I'll have to go back in later to see if more seat selection is available (it was only available on certain legs of the flight), but I did go ahead and pay for an upgrade on one 5 hour flight.  Total ended up being $1287 each.  I'm good with that, it's lower than I expected, and I was able to make sure we both got aisle seats on the flights I could select seating for. 

I wish we could do off season again to save more, but can't take DS out of school that long, or at all really (too many AP classes this year).

I'm ready for June now...

[swamp]

You you will post pictures, right?  

[Apple]

That's the plan! (Just have to keep that balance between taking photos and "being there".)

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Booking this far in advance, the only thing I'd suggest is to take a serious look at travel insurance.

[Apple]

Aug 26, 2014 19:32:56 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Booking this far in advance, the only thing I'd suggest is to take a serious look at travel insurance.

$152, and done. The peace of mind (for everything it covers) is worth it.

[Deleted]

Where is your departure and arrival point?

[Apple]

Paris (CDG)

I have heard that Amsterdam is the best price, but it was a couple hundred more than the one a CDG (I checked prices of airports in France, Germany, Austria, Amsterdam, Belgium, etc).  I think they could have been a lot less expensive if I wasn't flying from the west coast, but I've accepted that.

I think it will be a good place to start our "loop" through the various countries. 

[Bonny]

Aug 26, 2014 20:10:23 GMT -5 Apple said:

Paris (CDG)

I have heard that Amsterdam is the best price, but it was a couple hundred more than the one a CDG (I checked prices of airports in France, Germany, Austria, Amsterdam, Belgium, etc).  I think they could have been a lot less expensive if I wasn't flying from the west coast, but I've accepted that.

I think it will be a good place to start our "loop" through the various countries. 

Is this the WWII tour?

[Apple]

Aug 26, 2014 20:18:18 GMT -5 Bonny said:

Aug 26, 2014 20:10:23 GMT -5 Apple said:

Paris (CDG)

I have heard that Amsterdam is the best price, but it was a couple hundred more than the one a CDG (I checked prices of airports in France, Germany, Austria, Amsterdam, Belgium, etc).  I think they could have been a lot less expensive if I wasn't flying from the west coast, but I've accepted that.

I think it will be a good place to start our "loop" through the various countries. 

Is this the WWII tour?

It is, although his interests in history have expanded the last several months, so now it won't be quite as WWII heavy, and just more "everything".

He's taking an AP European history class this year, so I told him to let me know if anything comes up that he'd be interested in visiting.  I'm a planner on one side, and spontaneous on the other, so now that I know we have the dates, the rest will be fairly fluid.

[Deleted]

How long a flight is it from the west coast? I found it soooo long from Toronto. How long are you going for? It sounds like an awesome trip.

[Apple]

Aug 26, 2014 21:05:21 GMT -5 laterbloomer said:

How long a flight is it from the west coast? I found it soooo long from Toronto. How long are you going for? It sounds like an awesome trip.

17 hours total one way, 20 the other.  It's about what the last ones were (London, twice, and Rome).  We'll be gone for 5 weeks!  I'll probably book a room for the first night or two, and the last night, and then see if I can find something for a 4 days- a week in the middle so that we can stay in one place and have a "breather" week (from constantly moving around).

We plan to visit France, Germany, Austria, with short stays in the smaller surrounding countries.  It will be a bit of a whirlwind, but may be my son's last trip to Europe, so we're going big.

I found a room three miles from the airport, rated 4 our of 5 on trip adviser, for $100 a night (including taxes).  No cancellation fee, two beds, they speak English, and it has an on-site restaurant (ETA: I don't usually do hotel restaurants, I try to find little local places, but after a day of flying I'm all for fast, easy, and convenient).  It's a two-star with great reviews, so I may book that next. (ETA again: en suite bathroom, two beds, booked.)  This is going to be an expensive credit card bill

[Deleted]

Wow! That sounds amazing!

[tcu2003]

Congrats, apple - it sounds like it's going to be an amazing trip!

[Nazgul Girl]

   Good for you, apple.   I hope that your flights and trip are wonderful !!

[skubikky]

Check out AirBnB or Minotels for accomodations during the week.

[Bonny]

Aug 26, 2014 21:21:37 GMT -5 Apple said:

Aug 26, 2014 21:05:21 GMT -5 laterbloomer said:

How long a flight is it from the west coast? I found it soooo long from Toronto. How long are you going for? It sounds like an awesome trip.

17 hours total one way, 20 the other.  It's about what the last ones were (London, twice, and Rome). 

Wow, that seems long. I would you would have flights/changes in the 14 hour range. I'm thinking Seattle to the East Coast  5 hours, 2 hour layover and 6 hours across The Pond. What's the route?

[sesfw]

Our last trip from Europe we had 24 hours without sleep. We flew out of Vienna to London and had a several hour lay-over there. Heathrow is HUGE. Our flight from London to Phoenix was 10 hours in a very cramped and full airplane. I spent a bit of time walking with a lot of other people around the plane.

Next time I'll leave a day earlier and take a train to London for the flight to US. I spent a full week getting over the jet lag.

Your trip sounds wonderful ......... have a great time.

[Apple]

We are leaving from Portland (Could go from Seattle, but prices were about the same and leaving from pdx will save us hours of driving, plus, my parents would probably want to drop us off/pick us up if we do pdx, so would save money on parking too).

They did have a 14 Hour flight there with about 17 back, but those tickets were $600 more each, with tighter layovers. I don't mind a few more hours to save $1200

[Apple]

Thanks, everyone

Now that the flight is booked, it's more "real", so I'm getting more excited. But also more nervous, little bit of a knot in my stomach.

I just turned in a leave slip for vacation--230 hours.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Aug 27, 2014 11:22:37 GMT -5 Apple said:

We are leaving from Portland (Could go from Seattle, but prices were about the same and leaving from pdx will save us hours of driving, plus, my parents would probably want to drop us off/pick us up if we do pdx, so would save money on parking too).

They did have a 14 Hour flight there with about 17 back, but those tickets were $600 more each, with tighter layovers. I don't mind a few more hours to save $1200

When TD and I got back from Turkey, he couldn't get a flight back to Seattle from Detroit (we flew Istanbul - Amsterdam - Detroit), even though I could get a flight back to Lexington.  We wound up booking a hotel at the airport in Detroit and it made a world of difference on the return.

And while we were looking at our flights to Turks and Caicos, there was no way of getting there out of Seattle without flying the red eye.  Rather than spend the first day at the resort as walking zombies, we were looking at flights that would fly us from Seattle to either Atlanta, Charlotte or Miami (all had direct flights to Turks from there) and getting a hotel for the night, then catching the flight the next day.  At least we'd have gotten a decent night's sleep before hitting the ground running.

[ZaireinHD]

Excellent Apple - Have a great Trip / Vacation

and that price! amazing! doubtful it would be any lower.