dixonge
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
So I finally got into the right mental space to allow myself the luxury of traveling like we've always wanted to, but without the backpacks and hostels. Current trip length is around 7 weeks. I've been pricing every possible combination of itineraries I can come up with from either Guadalajara, Mexico City or D/FW on this end to Lisbon, Madrid or Paris on the other. I have questions for the seasoned Europe travelers out there:
1. I got burned before when booking with a 3rd-party discount fare site (don't remember which one) - but they are so much cheaper than going direct w/ airlines. Any reason I should avoid them? (In this case, Expedia, Booking.com, Orbitz, Priceline)
2. Why are flights that connect *through* Madrid cheaper than flights that just *stop* in Madrid?
3. The longest leg on the cheapest flight I have found so far is almost 11 hours (Mexico City > Madrid) - how much will I regret not upgrading to any level that has a bit more legroom?
4. I have set an arbitrary $10k budget for travel per year, and this one trip appears to be a very short distance from blowing right through that number. Am I doing something wrong, or is this just the new normal?
5. The flights alone look like they will be about 25% of the cost - does this sound about right?
6. Are flights cheaper in September vs. April/May?
I have not yet estimated food costs. We are vegan, although I suspect we will be more vegetarian on this trip. We are not foodies looking for 3-star Michelin eperiences, we are happy with mom-and-pop restaurants. Does anyone have an idea of daily restaurant budget? 2 adults no kids.
1. I got burned before when booking with a 3rd-party discount fare site (don't remember which one) - but they are so much cheaper than going direct w/ airlines. Any reason I should avoid them? (In this case, Expedia, Booking.com, Orbitz, Priceline)
2. Why are flights that connect *through* Madrid cheaper than flights that just *stop* in Madrid?
3. The longest leg on the cheapest flight I have found so far is almost 11 hours (Mexico City > Madrid) - how much will I regret not upgrading to any level that has a bit more legroom?
4. I have set an arbitrary $10k budget for travel per year, and this one trip appears to be a very short distance from blowing right through that number. Am I doing something wrong, or is this just the new normal?
5. The flights alone look like they will be about 25% of the cost - does this sound about right?
6. Are flights cheaper in September vs. April/May?
I have not yet estimated food costs. We are vegan, although I suspect we will be more vegetarian on this trip. We are not foodies looking for 3-star Michelin eperiences, we are happy with mom-and-pop restaurants. Does anyone have an idea of daily restaurant budget? 2 adults no kids.