How to take a Couples Vacation in Europe for under $4,000

My husband and I just got back from a 1 week vacation in Europe and we did it all for under $4,000.  I'm here to share the tips and tricks that we used.  However, here's what you need to know first:

• We are very simple people
• We are "sports" people, not museum or art people
• My husband did an extreme amount of research and work when searching for deals and things we wanted to accomplish
• All pricing below has been converted in to American Dollars.  At the time of our trip the dollar is "weaker" than the Euro and much weaker against the pound (currency in London).  The exchange rate will effect your cost.

Our purpose:  We wanted to go to London to catch a Chelsea Football (soccer) match.  This was in celebration of our 5 year wedding anniversary.

Our Trip:  Thursday Feb. 19, 2015 - Thursday Feb. 26, 2015

Location:  London, UK and Venice, Italy

I will be breaking down the cost of all that we did by category, plus adding some tips on what we did as tourists.

TRANSPORTATION & LODGING:

So much space on our United Airlines flight!

AIRFARE:  Austin to Houston to London Heathrow was $721 per person round trip on United Airlines.  

Now this was a HUGE savings.  Tickets are normally $1200+ round trip to Europe.  We watched the prices for a few months, and on a mid-weekday we saw the prices drop and we pounced.  We flew there on Thursday and flew back on Thursday (non-weekend days helped).

AIRFARE:  London Gatwick to Venice, Italy - $168.50 round trip per person ($337 total).

This was also something we watched closely.  Flying out of Gatwick to another country in Europe was cheaper than flying out of Heathrow.  Also a weekday thing. We flew to Italy on a Monday and back to London on a Wednesday.  (Then we flew from London back to the States on a Thursday.)

HOTELS:

3 Nights in London at a 4 star Hilton - $124 / night (after taxes)

2 Nights in Venice at a 4 star Best Western for $85 / night (after taxes)

1 Night in London at a 4 star Hilton (last night before flying home) for $120 / night (after taxes)

I would highly recommend our hotel in Venice, Italy.  Here are the details:

Hotel Sant Elena Venezia

Best Western

I know what you're thinking.  I don't have the greatest image of Best Western hotels either, but this was incredibly different than any Best Western American hotel I've stayed in.  Breakfast was included. The rooms were cozy.  The bed was extremely comfortable.  And the people were extremely nice and the cost was very affordable.

This hotel was about a 15-20 minute walk to the main square.  However, hotels in that area can cost $400 or more.  This hotel was in a quiet part of town.

THE TUBE (LONDON):  Their underground system is incredible. It's fairly easy to navigate and this is the main way we got from place to place in the city.  We spent about $15-$20 per day on day-long tube passes for 2 people.  On our first night (airport to hotel) and last night we just bought a single use pass which is about $6 per person.

GATWICK EXPRESS (LONDON):  $50 for 2 people.  It was a 30 minute train ride that took us from a tube stop in Central London to the Gatwick Airport.  It's the most efficient way to get to the Gatwick Airport.

NATIONAL EXPRESS (LONDON):  $74 for 2 people.  This was a bus that took us from the Gatwick airport to the Heathrow airport.  About 1 hour travel time (depending on traffic and time of day).  We landed at the Gatwick airport from Italy, but stayed at hotel by the Heathrow airport to travel back to the States the next morning.

VIATOR BOAT TOUR - PRIVATE BOAT TO VENICE (ITALY): $110 for 2 people.  This was the transportation from the airport to Venice.  Boat is the ONLY way to get there.  In fact, when you land on the island, there is no other transportation.  No cars.  No vespas.  No nothing.  Just boats and gondolas.  This is a little bit more pricey compared to the "main" boat, however, I highly suggest it. It drops you off right next to your hotel and the people are very friendly.  There were 4 couples total on our ride there, and 2 couples on our ride back to the airport.  The night before you depart, they fax all the information to your hotel for you.

Stamford Bridge Tour

TOURISM IN LONDON & VENICE

This is what we did in each place.  Starting with London:

• Tour of Stamford Bridge (stadium for Chelsea FC) - $60 for 2 people
• Tickets to see Chelsea play - $160 for 2 people  <-- Remember, this was the main reason why we took this trip.



Chelsea v. Burnley Match

• I suggest you buy these in advance if you want to see a Football match (soccer.)  They always sell out, even for the not so popular games.

• Wimbledon Tour - $50 total
• London Eye - (cash)

  

  Top of the London Eye.

• This is a giant ferris wheel if you will.  But there are about 20-25 people in this bubble that views the whole city.  It takes 30 minutes to go all the way around, but the views are can't miss.  We spent extra for the "Express Line".  Worth it!  Otherwise you can be standing in line for 1-2 hours or more.
• Buckingham Palace - (free)
• We watched a changing of the guards. This happens about once a month.  And you can tour around outside and take pictures.
• Westminster Abbey - (free)
• You could pay to go inside, but we just toured the grounds outside.  This, the palace, Big Ben, and the eye are all within walking distance.
• Big Ben - (free)
• We didn't do an inside tour, just outside.
• London Bridge - (free)
• You can walk across it. It's about 2 tube stops from the London Eye.

And now for Venice, Italy:

• Best advice:  Don't take a map. Don't worry!  Just get lost!  Seriously, this is what everyone told us, but as Americans it's hard to do that.  The streets and buildings are so confusing, that it's easy to get lost.  You'll find great things, I promise.
• Gondola ride - 100 euro, about $130.  
• We paid this in cash (see below about money and what to take).  This was my personal dream come true.  They range between 100-120 euro for a 1 hour ride, and about 70-80 euro for a 25 minute ride.  This is for a personal gondola ride.  There are some that are less expensive when there are multiple small groups.

• Santa Maria della Salute - (free)
  
• This is the main (and famous) Catholic Church.  It's free to go inside and tour around.  

• Dal Moro's Fresh Pasta - FOOD



Dal Moro's

• Make sure you eat at this place!
• It's FRESH pasta and it's the best place in town.  It's hidden and difficult to find. We ended up using my husband's phone map to find it by connecting to wifi.  Here's the address: 
• Calle De La Casseleria, 5324, 30122 Castello, Venezia VE, Italy
• You have to eat it right away.

• Crazy Pizza - FOOD

  

  "Crazy Pizza"

• Another hole in the wall place, but with incredible pizza.  

• El Pinguino - Gelato
  
• This will be on your walk to the main square if you stay at Hotel SantElena.  This is the best gelato place we found, and most reasonable.  Get it in a cone!  Pay the extra 50 cents and you can have the cone filled with Nutella.  Incredible!  When we were there they had a Kit Kat flavored gelato.  No free samples here. 
• The Square
• This is the "main" area where there is shopping and food.  It's kind of like New York.  The closer to Times Square you are, the more expensive things become for tourists (food, hotels, etc.)  Same with Venice.
• High Tide 
• This didn't happen when we were there, but you'll want to Google it.  There are times in the year where there is high tide and the water comes rushing over the land.  Most people will walk in knee high water and carry on with their day.  The shops have built in doors that block out all the water while it's high tide.  It's hard to conceptualize, but it's a real thing.  You can rent "water boots".

MONEY & WHAT TO TAKE:

MONEY:  We took Euros & Pounds from the bank before we left.  200 pounds ($307) and 200 Euros ($223).  It's free when you bank with Wells Fargo, but only certain cites offer it.  Check into this in advance.  The above items that said "cash", this is what we used.  We used cash on tube transportation, most food, some souvenirs, gondola ride, London Eye, etc.

We got Travel Debit Cards as well.  We would carry these around, not our normal debit cards.  These you could put whatever monetary amount on them you wanted, without having access to your entire bank account.  That way, if lost or stolen, they wouldn't be able to wipe out your entire account.

PACKING:  We each carried 1 carry on item, no checked baggage.  We were only there for 1 week, but this is what we did:

• WEARING ON THE PLANE RIDE TO UK
• Comfortable stretchy / athletic pants
• Long sleeve shirt
• Scarf
• Tennis shoes (only shoes for whole trip each)
• Note: I had planned on buying a Chelsea sweatshirt in London on day 1 (which I did).
• CARRY ON #1
• 1 pair of jeans each
• 2 undershirts each
• 3-4 over shirts each (or sweaters or light jackets)
• Socks, underwear, etc
• CARRY ON #2
• 2 heavy winter coats
• Extra small compact carry on bag (this was to bring back souvenirs if we needed the space)
• Snacks for the long plane ride

I suggest this because it's much easier to travel Europe without a rolling suitcase.  Think about it.  We were on a plane, tube, train, plane, boat, plane, tube, plane again.  Plus a lot of walking!  And you can wear something more than once!

SOUVENIRS & FOOD

Where we spend our money, might be different from yours, depending on what's important to you.  We spent:

Crepe by the London Eye

• $200 at the Chelsea Shop
• $150 at the Wimbledon Shop (my dad's a huge tennis fan)

FOOD IN LONDON:  We stopped at plenty of random places.  My favorite being a crepe place right by Big Ben.  For the most part we paid cash, but we did put about $80 for food on our credit card.

FOOD IN ITALY:  Same thing (place listed above for Italy suggestions).  With about $60 on the card between Italy and airport snacks.

After everything, it was just under $4,000 to travel (my husband and I) to London and Venice, Italy for a 1 week vacation from the States.

Overall it was an incredible trip and I'm sure we'll do Europe again (different countries just to switch it up of course.)  If you have any specific questions, feel free to comment below, or contact me on social media.  Bon Voyage!

Iceland

Oh, and by the way, you'll fly over Iceland on your way back to the States from London.  It's an incredible view!

In summary, here's our financial break down for two:

Airfare (USA to UK): $1442

Airfare (London to Venice): $337

Tube rides:  $60

Gatwick Express Train: $50

National Express (Bus): $74

Venice Boat Transportation: $110

Hotels (total): $662

Chelsea FC Stadium Tour:  $60

Chelsea FC Match: $160

Wimbledon Tour: $50

200 Pounds taken: $307

200 Euros taken: $223

Souvenirs at Chelsea: $200

Souvenirs at Wimbledon: $150

Food on Debit Card: $60 (rest paid in cash)

Total:  $3945

Priorities

I've been doing a lot of thinking about priorities.

Why do our top priorities often take a back seat?
Why is it so difficult to keep your top priority your top priority?
How do the small priorities make it to the top so easily?

The last two weeks have been a nutritional tug-of-war. I met with my CrossFit coach about nutrition and the

one goal I walked away from was incorporating more protein and healthy fats (i.e. avocado, nuts, etc.).  I set one objective in order not to get overwhelmed and that was to have 15g-20g of protein at each meal.

At the same time I was coming back into the "normal way" of eating after finishing the Daniel Fast and a week of mostly smoothies & juices.  And of course, all the stars aligned and I was dealing with what my husband calls "woman time" and the supernatural chocolate cravings.

Here are some reasons why our top priorities take a back seat:

• Life.  Life happens to everyone.  But when it happens all the time, it's not life -- it's you.  Meaning, everyone gets sick, everyone has a flat tire, but if it's happening all the time then you need to take a look at yourself.
• Laziness.  I'm too good at this.  I work out in the mornings, I work hard during the day and when I get home I want to relax. I don't want to read or invest my time into one of my priorities.  Usually, once you get started you'll continue, it's just about kick starting it.
• Lack of passion.  When you're unmotivated or not passionate, it's hard to do anything.  That's why it's important to have an accountability partner or somewhere/something you can look towards for motivation.  Somethings that help me are pinterest (there's always something motivating to pin), good music, or watching a motivational movie or documentary to open up your mind.

Here are some tips to keep your top priority your top priority:

• Prioritize.  What are your top priorities? Make sure you're clear and you know what your top priorities are.  Mine are: God, Marriage, Health (top 3).
• Post.  Have it written down and posted!  The more you see it and are consciously and sub-consciously aware of it, the more likely you are to complete it.  We have a designated area in the kitchen with my meal plan for the week (breakfast, lunch, dinner).
• Perspective.  Don't get overwhelmed.  I was so consumed when I messed up just for one day.  So what!?   You get another day.  If it's too much to handle then reassess your priorities.  Remember to enjoy life and your priorities should reflect that.

I'm human.  I've been there.  It was just this week actually.  I did my work outs consistently, but I didn't get my protein consistently.  I've been snacking a little too much.  I've been unmotivated on some days and totally hyped the next.  But here's my new perspective: it's okay.

It's okay to have a bad week (or month or whatever).  You just have to pick yourself up and keep going.  You get one body and one life so let's make the best of it!  On Thursday I had 20+ gram of protein at each meal.  It was a huge accomplishment!  Then on Friday I had the most kick-butt work out ever.  Think that's a coincidence?  I don't think so.

Friday's work out was 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 clean & jerks while increasing your weight. I joined the triple digit club with 100 lbs.

For the WOD (workout of the day) it was 5 rounds:

5 cleans

5 burpees

box jumps (as many as you could unbroken)

I did 210 box jumps total.  I'm sure all the protein had something to do with it.

Is the Biggest Loser the biggest winner?

It's swirling around the internet right now about last night's Biggest Loser Finale where Rachel weighed in at 105 pounds.  When she walked out jaws dropped, eyebrows were raised and even Jillian Michaels said, "oh...my...God..."

Rumors are going around that she's anorexic & did this all wrong.  Here's the deal plain and simple...

Rachel didn't appear to be healthy, but we don't know for sure.  Rachel was on the Biggest Loser to change her life from being an obese woman. EVERYONE on that show, and everyone in the world that is overweight, is overweight for one reason or another.  As we've learned on the show, most of the time it goes back to a life moment or a psychological impact.  The Biggest Loser is about breaking that barrier and changing your life from the inside out.

Rachel did that.  But what she does NOT need is all of America over shadowing her hard work and dedication and creating another barrier for someone that worked so hard to knock one down.  Could you imagine the pressure of tens of thousands of people breathing down your neck because from the outside looking in they think it's wrong?  Absorb that for a minute.

We should all know by now that NBC's the Biggest Loser is well staffed with medical professionals and three popular trainers that would not let one of their contestants go down the wrong path. Therefore, if something is off or wrong with Rachel, they would be the first step in and help.

So Rachel, I wish you the best of luck.  Congratulations on the victory of last night, and an even bigger congratulations on working hard to be fit & healthy.

Prepared Smoothie Week

I'm trying an new experiment.  I'm pre-packaging all my fruits & vegetables and freezing them which will allow for me to make more smoothies on the go without much prep.  Everything is planned for the next week.  I'm going to break down my prep and how I did it, and I'll keep you posted along the way.

STEP 1:  Planning everything out and developing an objective.

Here's my meal plan for the week.  My husband and I do this every week where we plan out our dinners.  Most of my dinners I make an extra serving and bring it to work the next day for lunch.

This week in particular I will be drinking a smoothie every morning, juicing in the evening and eating a salad at work.  The salad at work is a chicken caesar salad with no dressing, just light olive oil.  This will cost me $3.25 because I get 50% off.

Morning smoothies will be one of three:

Smoothie 1:  Spinach, Blueberries, Frozen Strawberries, Banana (all frozen) and I will add 1 c. water and chia seeds.
Smoothie 2:  Spinach, Frozen Strawberries and Banana (all frozen) and I will add 1 c. juiced apples and chia seeds.
Smoothie 3:  Frozen strawberries and juiced apples with chia seeds.  (This will be more of a "treat" because there's no vegetables).

Note:  I'm keeping it all simple with 2 basic smoothies to learn and grow.  Eventually I want to work up to where I make 5-9 different smoothies frozen and will prep a whole month's worth of smoothie plans.  (Yes, I will make sure I post my recipes and shopping list when I get to this point and you can also follow on Pinterest.)

STEP 2:  Taking action and putting your plan in place.

Last night we went to Costco to buy everything I could in bulk (apples, bananas, frozen strawberries and blueberries, etc).  This morning we went to HEB to complete our grocery list.  Austin (the hubby) needed to buy his entrees for the week.  He's not into the green smoothie thing yet.

When we got home I packaged the 2 kinds of smoothies I'll be making with the necessary ingredients.

Smoothie 1 had 2 handfuls of spinach, 1/2 cup blueberries, 5-6 large frozen strawberries and 1 banana peeled and broken in half.

Smoothie 2 had 2 handfuls of spinach, 6-7 large frozen strawberries and 1 banana peeled and broken in half.

Make sure you squeeze out most of the air and seal tight. I bought the Ziploc quart freezer bags and then wrote on the bags what to add (1 c. water or 1c. apples juiced).  I got a 216 pack of Ziploc backs for $7.49 which comes out to 3¢ a bag.  Great deal!

Here's the price breakdown of two trips:

COSTCO:
Ziploc Quart Freezer Bag @ $7.49 ($0.03 each)
Organic Spinach (pre-washed) @ $8.60 (about $0.50 / serving)
24 Gala Apples @ $15.98 ($0.72 each)
Fresh Strawberries @ $5.99 (about $0.99 / serving)
Frozen Strawberries @ $8.99 (about $0.60 / serving)
Frozen Organic Blueberries @ $13.99 (about $0.68 / serving)
6 large Bananas @ $1.39 ($0.23 each)

HEB:Organic HEB Popcorn - 2 bags @ $3.58 total (great snack)
Organic Eggs @ $2.25 ($0.19 each)
5 bulk Carrots @ $0.79 ($0.16 each)
Green Pears @ $2.81 ($0.94 each)
1 Kiwi @ $0.44 <-- will mix this with strawberries in a pitcher to quench thirst
1 cucumber @ $0.58
4 small lemons @ $1 ($0.25 each)
Small Ginger @ $0.27

STEP 3:  Execute!

Everything is set up and in place and now it's just about staying focused.  I want you to realize that I will not be hungry.  If I am then I'll either make another smoothie or make an additional side snack.  This is not about "starving" or depriving yourself.  This is about getting as many fruits and vegetables as possible in the most efficient way.

By purchasing a salad at work it allows me to have a vegetable for lunch and some protein.  This will allow me to juice at nice without having to prep for for the next day of work.

(Right) I made about 8 bags of smoothies and froze to start off.  I still have Spinach in the fridge and blueberries and strawberries in the freezer if I want/need to make more.  Again, write on the ziploc bag what liquid to add.

This morning I enjoyed my absolute favorite smoothie!  It's 1 cup apple juices and large frozen strawberries with chia seeds.  I use my Vitamix which is the best smoothie on the market.  It breaks down your vegetables better than you teeth can and will allow your body to get all the nutrients.

A common questioned asked might be, "aren't you going to get tired of eating/drinking the same thing?"  But you have to remember, this blog is called PBJs Since Pre-K because I had a PBJ sandwich almost every day of school from Pre-K through senior year of high school.  So no, I won't get "bored" of eating the same thing.

I would love to hear your comments.  Make sure you post on my facebook page or tweet me @PBJsSincePreK.

I'll keep you posted all week....

Philippians 4:7

It's always and fun experience when I eat lunch with my co-worker LaRonda Murphy.

Today I was expressing this weird mentality I've been having at work in 2014, which has been different from years past.  I explained to her how it's been different and she said, "it sounds like a peace has come over you."  She nailed it on the head.

I believe, after my fast and growing closer to God, I've also received this great gift of peace.  It's a peace that takes away most my fears and anxieties I normally have at work (because I'm a control freak.)  But now, it's more of the mentality that God is in control and I can only do my best every day.  It's a great place to be.  I also know it'll take work to continue to grow that relationship with God.  Here's the scripture LaRonda referenced:

"Don't worry about anything, but in everything through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."  - Phil 4:6-7

Post Daniel Fast Revelation

I'm 48 hours out from the end of my 7-day Daniel Fast and I've had a revelation.

Last week I did 7 full days of fasting with the Daniel Fast (only fruits, vegetables and whole grains) and prayer each day.  I successfully completed this fast and it felt amazing.  Every meal was a juice or a smoothie made of of fruits & vegetables.

Yesterday, my first day back to "real" food, I had a weird feeling.  My body reaction was off, but expected.  But the taste of the food wasn't all that impressive.  I had a bagel in the morning, grilled cheese in the afternoon and even In-N-Out french fries with the hubby.  But none of that met my expectation of what I thought I was missing.  My tastebuds were satisfied, but not impressed.

So that got me thinking...

Do I need anything more than the Daniel Fast?
Is my body on to something that my mind isn't aware of yet?
What if I did the fast more permanently?
What would happen?

So here's what I'm going to do...

I'm going to do a hybrid of "real life" and the Daniel Fast.  This week I'm going to play out our meal plan because we already have it written out and did our grocery shopping.  Then, after the end of the week I'm going to reassess how my body reacted and how I felt.

I'm going to incorporate juices and smoothies at almost every morning meal and dinner meal.  This will exceed my 5 servings of fruit & vegetables requirement by a landslide, it will create less snacking, more fullness and more nutrition.

Here's what I need to figure out...

...and if you have any suggestions please let me know.

• As a picky eater, how will I eat more "Daniel" and organically while in public situations?
• How do I close that gap between eating in the comfort of my own home and in the real world?
• How realistic is this long term and will I be satisfied?
• Can I push myself out of my comfort zone to try new smoothies and juices?
• What is it my body needs?

I recently purchased the book "The Smoothie Bible second edition" and it's really good.  It breaks down the entire body in simple terms, gives direction on each ingredient that you'll use, and tips for any problems you're having (ex: anxiety --> then make this).  It's really opening my eyes that you are what you eat and that only YOU have control of what goes in your mouth.

I'll be blogging all the way through.  In the mean time, here's a great smoothie I enjoyed this morning.  It has:

• 1 cup water
  
• 1-2 cup spinach
• Handful of blueberries
• 1 banana
• 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
• 5-7 large frozen strawberries

Blend & enjoy!

Day 5, 6 & 7 - The Daniel Fast

Didn't mean to leave everyone hanging there...but it's been a jammed packed couple of days.

Day 6 of the Daniel Fast (yesterday) was the most difficult.  I think it had to do with a couple of things:

• So close to the end of the fast and you can see the light.
• I work at a family entertainment center, and smells of the amazing pizzas, mozzarella sticks, french fries and more were more intense (all the stuff you CAN'T have during the fast of course.)
• It's a test of strength.  Not physical strength, but mental and spiritual strength.

In my mind, I wanted to give up and quit and eat something.  But in my heart I made a commitment to God and I genuinely wanted to keep that promise.  The object of fasting spiritually is simple.  You fast to disconnect the world (ex: doing the Daniel Fast you're saying you don't need the food of the world like process foods, etc.) and to draw closer to God.  This is done with prayer.

Today is Day 7, the final day of the fast.  I'm excited and joyous.  Here's what I've learned from this experience:

• Prayer is more powerful than most realize, and it should be exercised daily. 
• With God all things are possible.  Most people know this verse, but you don't "see" it until you need the help from God to not even be tempted by a pint size Blue Bell ice cream.
• Personally, I need to pause.  Take more time between what I hear and when I speak.  Take a moment to absorb information and process it before adding my opinion.
• I've become more relaxed, in a positive manner.  I'm less high strung about life.  This is all because God is in control of EVERYTHING.  Again, why prayer is so important. 
• I want God to shine through my life with what I do, what I say and how I act.
• I learned a variety of juicing and smoothie recipes that I wouldn't have otherwise tried.

I would suggest a fast for anyone.  Take time to plan it out and have your meal plan ready.  Do it when your church does it and go to their prayer sessions.  Blog about or write in a journal to document what you learned or felt.  And have a friend or family member do it with you.  This helps with encouragement and it's nice to have someone to talk to about it.

Glory to God for all this and for my transformation.