WONDER WANDER WONDER

So lately I have been a little more then obsessed over Jared and I's upcoming trip to Europe. He will be studying abroad in Cologne, Germany for a month, and I will go over for two weeks after his program to visit London, Paris and a quick stop in Cologne for  a climb up the cathedral. P.S. while I was searching for great food in Cologne, I ran into this. Yes, cologne that smells like waffles. Sign me up!

Picture from my last trip to Paris with my beloved Juju. 

Planning this trip is awesome, guys. I have a spreadsheet and a huge sightseeing list. Every time I categorize something new a little shiver of delight goes down my spine. I love structure and I love travel and I love to be in charge. There I said it. HA. One of the best things about Jared is his laid back attitude, which is a great counter to my often times drama queen behavior. We have such similar interests he trusts me to plan almost everything, which I eat up.

Last year we did our fair share of travel: honeymoon cruise to the Caymans/Mexico, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, and as always, Disney World. This said, I thought I would share a few of my go to tips for planning trips.

Flights
Kayak used to be my true boo, but lately I've had this chick on the side named Hipmunk, and shes really been doing me so so good good. Hipmunk allows you to rank your results through something they call "Agony". Basically it combines the factors of price, layover and flight change, putting the least grevious flight at the top of the list. Ya, you may find a flight for $200 dollars cheaper, but 9 times out of 10, thats $200 making sure you don't spend a 17 hour layover in BFE.

Lodging
Hotels, hate 'em. I've stayed in very few hotels where I didn't feel like I was getting ripped off, possibly because I am a cheapskate. Air BnB allows you to rent a room or a private residence directly from the owner. We'll be using AirBnB for our stays in London and Paris. ou can check out my ever growing wishlists here.

Eats
My strategy for eating on vacation is a 70:30 mix. MOST of the time you can eat, and eat well, by stopping in a grocery store or local market, picking up some grub, and then heading to a local landmark or park and having a picnic. This saves you money and keeps you from feeling weighed down by a mid-day heavy meal. That said, one of my favorite parts of travel is the food, so I always research well before hand and find a few must-try's for my trip.


I can't wait to share our experiences both in planning and executing this trip!