Common Budget Airlines

• Europe

  • Ryan Air

  • WOW Air

  • Easy Jet

  • Norwegian Air Shuttle 

• Asia

  • Tiger Airlines - based out of Singapore

  • AirAsia

  • Scoot

  • Jetstar

Baggage Recommendations Based on Luggage Guidelines

These are my Best Amazon Options for Carry On and Personal Item Sets

• Pink Set - $60 - 

• Light Green Set - $100

• Aquamarine Set  - $160

• Multicolor Set  $140

Why Hostels are Awesome! And why they are not!

• Hostels = a lower-priced inn that offers basic accommodations, shared rooms and bathrooms. Unless there are private rooms available, you will stay in a shared room with other travelers. Typically, you bring a lock to store your valuables in your locker.

I've stayed in around 10-15 hostels all around the world. I love the sense of community that hostels offer. For me, if I don't plan to spend a lot of time in the hotel, and I know that the trip will be spend exploring all day and into the evening, then hostels work for me. I've also done a lot of solo travel, so hostels were a great way for me to meet other solo travelers coming from different parts of the world. 

Here are all of the places (that I can remember) where I stayed in a hostel: Brussels, Amsterdam, Dubai, Phnom Penh Cambodia, Singapore, Iceland, Vienna Austria, Dublin Ireland, Berlin Germany, Copenhagen Denmark, London England

Even now that I'm not a struggling college/grad student, I would still choose to stay in hostels when travelling solo. I may spring the extra $30 a night for a private room LOL!

Pros and Cons of Hostels

• Pros

  • Meet people from all over the world

    • I stayed in hostels in Dubai and  Thailand and met people from the UK, the Philippines, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, and Australia. 

  • Good for Solo Travel

  • Read Reviews in advance on platforms like HostelWorld.com 

  • Book online - sometimes same day booking is available

  • With platforms like HostelWorld.com you can filter by the facilities that each hostel offers

    • • Free Breakfast

      • Free WIFI

      • Air Conditioning

      • Swimming Pool

      • 24 hour Reception

      • Bar

      • Luggage Storage

      • Free Parking

      • 24 hour security

    • You can book a private room

    • You can save money by booking a group dorm room

      • all Female dorm

      • All Male Dorm

      • Coed/Mixed Dorm

• Cons

  • Stigmatized

  • If you are in a dorm room, unless the hostel provides a lock and locker for your belongings, you can't secure your belongings. Most hostels do, but check to be sure. Sometimes the lockers are not big enough for large suitcases since hostels cater more to backpack travelers. 

Things to look for when researching hostels. 

• Check reviews on Hostelworld.com 

• Cleanliness

• lockers - do you need to bring your own lock

• Laundry near by

• Do they offer towels? (1 less thing you have to pack)

My Budget Travel Experiences

Asia Adventures

• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

  • Flight: 

  • Hotel:

• Singapore

  • Flight: 

  • Hostel:

  • Hotel

• Bali, Indonesia

  • Flight: 

  • Villa:

• Phnom Penh, Cambodia

  • Flight: 

  • Hostel:

Winter Wonderland Backpacking Trip to Europe

• Iceland 

  • Flight: DMV to Reykjavik Iceland 

    • Price of this flight was included in 2 day Layover from US to Denmark

  • Hostel: Kex Hostel - Address: Skúlagata 28, Reykjavik, Iceland 

    • www.Kexhostel.is - social hostel, a venue for music concerts, great bar - 

    • Free wifi, laundry room, tourist information desk

    • Near late-night munchies, coffee houses, shops, tourist attractions, near nightlife, restaurants, cultural attractions, great atmosphere to hang

    • Reviews: good bar with locals and travelers, short walk to downtown Reykjavik, 

    • Booked through Hostelworld: 6-bed female dorm - $39.37 x 2 nights = $78.73  (paid $10.96 upfront plus $1 for non-refundable deposit but can use toward another booking), 2 pm check-in, The balance of ISK8526.00 is payable on arrival at the property, in the property’s currency. Policy says: Credit Card Accepted

    • After booking fees

      • For those in 8, 10, or 16-bed dorm - Linen and towel rental 1.100 ISK ($8 USD)

      • Breakfast 1.990 ISK ($16 USD)

  • Itinerary

    • Tour: www.grayline.is 

    • Into the Glacier - 19.500 isk= $156 - https://intotheglacier.is/ 

    • Booked Blue Lagoon with transportation - - numerous bus lines to go there (will pick you up from the hotel in the morning, take you to Blue Lagoon for a couple of hours, then take you to airport

      • https://www.bluelagoon.com/day-visit/the-blue-lagoon

      • Pick-up from Keflavik Airport. 30 Minute drive to Blue Lagoon. Stay at Blue Lagoon for 3 Hours. Then 30 mintue drive to hostel

    • Did not book but consider booking

      • Whale Watching - Gray line - $105

        • 1pm - 4pm (13:00 - 16:00)

        • Pick-up at 12:15pm

        • https://grayline.is/tours/reykjavik/whale-watching-from-reykjavik-8706_47/ 

    • Northern Lights - Arranged Pick up at 8:15pm at Kex Hostel (best to see lights at Night)

      • http://grayline.is/tours/reykjavik/northern-lights-mystery-tour-8706_30 

        • $45.75 

        • Complimentary pick up and drop off for hotels, guesthouses and bus stops - Roundtrip

        • A decision is taken daily at 5 pm whether the tour will take place or not, depending on Northern Lights forecast. To confirm wether the tour will take place, please visit book.grayline.is or contact your hotel or our sales office.

    • Grayline Tour of the Golden Circle - a full day trip

    • Horse-back riding - www.laxnes.is

  • Transportation 

    • Airport Transportation booked through Blue Lagoon - picked me up from Airport, dropped off at Blue Lagoon for 3 hours and then dropped me off at my Hostel

      • Flybus - https://www.re.is/flybus/

      • Tickets for the airport transfer can be bought at our website www.hostel.is/tours , as well by the airport's exit.

      • Airport Express - round ticket 5.500 ISK ($44)

• Copenhagen, Denmark

  • Flight: Iceland Air

    • Roundtrip flight from Denmark to the States with long layover in Iceland. 

    • Flight from Denmark to Vienna to other places and Fly back in from Berlin to Denmark

      • Easy Jet -  Berlin Tegel (Terminal C) to Copenhagen, Denmark  - 1 free hand lugagge (22"x17"x9.8' no weight limit) plus additional carryon bag 33lb max

  • Hostel: Copenhagen Downtown Hostel - $16/night - Address: Vandkunsten 5, Copenhagen, Denmark (11 minute walk to Tivoli Gardens. 7 minute walk from metro station

  • Itinerary

    • Tivoli Gardens - ~$20 entry - best at night because lit with Christmas lights, closes at 11pm

  • Notes:

    • Since I was flying in and out of Copenhagen, Denamrk, I First Flew into Copenhagen (with my layover in Iceland). Then I flew directly to the other countries starting the next day. I flew back to Copenhagen the last couple of days of my trip so that I could make sure that I didn't miss my flight back home.

• Vienna, Austria

  • Flight: Ryan Air from Copenhagen T2 to VIE Vienna Austria - 2 cabin bags (personal item and carryon)

  • Hostel: Wombat’s City hostel Vienna at  The Naschmarkt -Address: Rechte Wienzeile 35, Vienna, Austria

    • Booked $33 a night, Total $66.36, paid $11.39 upfront, $48.81 Euros payable on arrival - they should take CC - 2pm check-in

• Free wifi, linen included, security lockers, 24 hour reception, luggage storage, laudnry facilities, towels for hire, meals avcailable for fee, credit cards accepted, no curgew, no check-in before 2pm (but you can leave your stuff in luggage storage), Breakfast budge $4.50 Euro

• Transportation

• ++ From the AIRPORT ++
  The quickest option is to take the shuttle bus to 'Schwedenplatz' (~8,00euros). The cheapest option is to take the S-Bahn to 'Wien Mitte' (~4,00euros). From 'Schwedenplatz' and 'Wien Mitte' you can take the U4 direction Huetteldorf to 'Kettenbrueckengasse'. Take exit 'Kettenbrueckengasse'. Cross Kettenbrueckengasse and Rechte Wienzeile. Turn left and walk the last 100 meters to Wombats City Hostel Vienna at 'The Naschmarkt' (next to Hofer supermarket).
  Travel time approximately 40 minutes.
  
  The 'City Airport Train' (CAT) to 'Wien Mitte' is a little faster than the S-Bahn but also more expensive. The CAT-Ticket is not valid for the underground.

  1. 1. 1. 1. • • How to get from airport to city center: 

                  • Take the CAT City Airport Train - $12 euro, or 21 euro roundtrip from the Ticket Machines - Plus bus ticket

• Public transportation - tram, bus, or metro - the day ticket (5.8 €) and the 24-hour ticket (8 €). 

• • Itinerary

    • Lunch at Naschmarket (upon Arrival)

    • Day 1 exploration

      • Rathauspark - Vienna’s Christmas Market at Rathaus -  ice skating Christmas Lights ***✅

        • Directions from From Wombats to Rathaus Park - emailed

        • Directions from Rathaus Park to Wombats - emailed

      • Christmas chandelier in Graben

      •  Austrian National Library

      • Schonbrunn Palace✅

      • Belvedere Palace and Museum

      • St. Stephen’s Cathedral ✅

      • Schonbrunner Gardens✅

      • Peterskirche - ✅

    • Day 2 exploration

      • Walking tour

        • Vienna City Hall✅
          Imperial Court Theater
          Austrian Parliament
          Museum Quarter
          National Museums
          Hero’s Square
          Hofburg Palace
          Café Central
          St. Stephen’s Cathedral
          Stadtpark
          Karlsplatz
          Naschmarkt✅
          Belvedere Palace - beautiful exterior, but get ready for long walk from Nashmarkt - possibledo Day 1 after arriving to hostel

          • Afterwards on day 1 do the holiday market

        • Prater - public park with expensive amusement park - NIX

    • 
      

• Dublin, Ireland

  • Flight: Ryan Air  Vienna (VIE) to (DUB)  Dublin, Ireland T1  - 2 cabin bags (personal item and carryon)

  • Hostel: Ashfield Hostel - Address: 19-20 DOlier Street, Dublin 2, Dublin, Ireland

• Berlin, Germany

  • Flight: Ryan Air Dublin to Berlin Schonefeld, Germany - 2 cabin bags (personal item and carryon)

  • Hostel:

Other Budget Trips

Dubai

• • Flight: Included in Long Layover from US to and from Thailand

  • Hostel:

• Thailand

  • Flight: 

  • Hostel:

Cuba

• Flight: 

• AirBnB:

Toronoto

• • Flight: 

  • AirBnB (room):