Europe and Beyond – 2travelingdragons.com

Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, France, England, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, Ireland, Iceland, Scotland. Just added on : Casablanca, Morocco to our 70, now, 75 day vacation

Dear Friends,

We are leaving home for Europe on , April 28, 2022. We will not return to the US until July 14. That is thought the best way to share this trip was to write from the planning stages, so you can truly see how we do it on a budget. To start off, I will share my itinerary to give you an idea of where and how we are traveling. I will also share costs, to give you an idea of how we budgeted. Understand please, we have worked up to and planned for this since September of 2021. I knew what I needed to do in the casino and Eugene knew what he needed to do as far as charging our credit up to get the points for airfare. We drove Uber and Lyft for 70 days for an average of 12 hours per day. We saved every $$ we made except for gas, toll, car maintenance and repairs. This is our spending money for Europe. I am sharing this personal information, because I feel it will help you too, realize you can travel the world. We will be on vacation for 76 straight days!!!

April 29, 2022: Leaving Miami on TransAtlantic on the Jewel of the Seas. It is a repositioning cruise, 14 days long. After doing the calculations, we felt we could travel through Europe on cruises for less money that if we flew and stayed in hotels. During this trip, we will have 47 days on Royal Caribbean cruise ships. That includes, room, food, entertainment, photos and alcohol. We will have 30 days on land and 47 days on cruise ships.

April 28, 2020: Miami. We rented a car from Cape Canaveral to Miami for 24 hours. I compared prices, the book through my Rakuten app to receive 5% cash back, then I went through Expedia to get additional cash back, I used my Chase Reserve to get 3 XS the points on charge (travel) and finally ended up at Avis. The car rental cost $. . It was less expensive to rent a car than leave our vehicle at the port for such a long time. Secondly, we are flying back into Orlando, It only makes sense to rent a car and avoid parking. With discounts and rebates, I will gain even more savings.

April 28, 2022: Hotel: Again I went through Rakuten to Booking.com. After comparing prices in several apps, I found Booking.com had the best deal on the hotel we wanted to stay in. Again used my Chase Reserve card to get 3 times the points on travel. I received reward $$ from both Rakuten and Booking.com. Just a note, I am very particular about where I sleep. I never stay in a hotel that has ever had a report of bed bugs. I read the reviews and then determine what is best for us. We did this process for each hotel booked in Europe. Maximize our $$ in return through apps, earn credit card points, verify the reviews, check for bedbug reports, ensure it is in a good location. Finally, if we need a laundry, check to see if one is available and try to get a king size bed. We do not do well in anything smaller. Eugene is too hot to be cramped in bed with. His body temperature people, his body temperature!!

April 29, Transatlantic: Jewell of the Seas: Final costs (not including tips) $1200. This cost includes discounts from casino ($2000), Florida resident, senior, and RC discounts by calling weekly. This calculates to less than $100 per day.

April 29- May 7 at Sea. One may wonder what do you do at sea all those days. Of course, there is eating. Anytime all day. We enjoy the shows and meeting new people. We go to the gym, hang out by the pool and hot tub. We play cards, sort of have an ongoing competition. Eugene drinks, some times. I write. He watches tv and movies. There is so much to do on the ships. Play basket ball, shuffle board, ping pong, bingo, trivia, go to the gym and obviously, the casino. We relax and keep busy.

May 8, we arrive in Funchal, Madria Island, Portugal. We booked a private tour through Expedia. Only $86. I booked it through Rakuten, getting 3% back, then through Expedia, getting rewards, using Chase Reserve, getting 3 times the points. We will visit Pico dos Barcelos and Eira de Serrado. At Monte we will do the tobogganing adventure and in Cural das Freiras we will sample chestnut cake and ginger liqueur. Because it is a private tour, we can stop and go as we prefer. We will certainly try the local cuisine and beverages. A must at any stop.

May 9, we are at sea again.

May 10, we are in Vigo, Spain. The plan is to do a walking tour through GURU. We find the audio tours are awesome and it provides us the time to enjoy everything at our own pace. Again, stopping to sample local food and beverages. I think Eugene wants to try beer in every state and country.

May 11, we are at sea again. Resting up from the day before.

May 12. We are visiting Zeebruggem, Belgium. We chose to book a tour through Royal Caribbean. We are doing the castle tour. We had $200 of free onboard credit, By booking early, we received 25% off the tour price. It only came to $98 for the two of us, and ended up being free, because of the on board credit.

May 13, We land in Amsterdam, Netherlands. We have already booked hotel through Rakuten, then through Expedia , to get rebates, discounts and used my Chase card to get 3 times the points. We plan to visit Keukenhof Park. See the tulips. On my bucket list. The evening we are going to the RED Light District. A must when visiting Amsterdam. Our hotel is centrally located, so we can easily walk wherever we want to go.

May 14, we are flying from Amsterdam to Copenhagen, Denmark where we will stay near the cruise port. I will do laundry sometime during the evening, so we have a fresh start to the next cruise. We will probably, do a walking tour near our hotel and sample some local foods.

May 15, we board the Voyager of the Seas. This is a 7 day Baltic cruise with Royal Caribbean. We only paid $350 for this cruise, through the casino. The cruise was complementary, the $350 is just port fees and taxes. Of course, this does not include tip.

May 16, we will be at sea.

May 17, we arrive in Stockholm, Sweden. We are here for two days. We plan to visit museums, the Royal Palace, Drottningholm Palace and tour around the city.

May 18, we are still enjoying Sweden.

May 19, we arrive in Talinn, Estonia. Because of the current situation in Russia, we will likely take a RC tours, just to ensure safety.

May 20, we arrive in Helsinki, Finland. Still researching what we will be visiting and doing.

May 21, we return to Copenhagen, Denmark. We are staying two nights and taking in the views of Copenhagen.

May 22, touring the city. Also doing laundry to get ready for our next cruise.

May 23, we fly from Copenhagen back to Amsterdam. Staying at the Grand Hotel in downtown.

May 24, we are renting a car and driving to Cologne, Germany. Touring the castles and the country side. Eating local and enjoying what Cologne has to offer.

May 25 & 26 Driving around Denmark and countryside and spending one more night in Amsterdam, finishing up seeing what we want to see and do.

May 27, we once again board the Jewell of the Seas for a 12 day Iceland, Ireland tour. This was a $7000 cruise. We paid with discounts (no tip included this price) $1500.