I’ve been hinting for a while that there’s been some big behind-the-scenes decision-making happening around here…and it’s finally time to spill the proverbial beans.
Our family is — if all goes to plan (please, Lord) — heading to Europe for four months, from late February/early March through the end of June!
It still feels surreal to type that out; equal parts exciting and overwhelming.
There’s so much to figure out — from schooling and insurance to passports and rentals — but after years of wanting to do something like this as a family, it finally feels like the right moment to go.
LOGISTICS
John works for a company headquartered in Finland, so in many ways, this temporary relocation will make his work travel easier.
As for me, this was one of the reasons I decided to step down from my university role. We’ve talked for ages about coordinating an extended family stay in Europe (originally thinking six months to a year). Realistically, I couldn’t do a longer stint overseas and keep my job. I was ready for a change of pace, and the possibility of extended time in Europe was the final nudge I needed to take that leap.
We’ve chatted with both school principals, and in terms of timing, this feels like our last best shot before high school credits start to matter. Belle will have finished her first semester (and exams!) before we leave, and she’ll be home in time to start Grade 10. Indy…well, I’m not worried about him keeping up.
My plan is to do some literacy and numeracy with the kids. Mostly this will be learning of a different kind: basic words in other languages, comparing currencies and exchange rates, visiting historic sites, experiencing daily life in another culture.
I’ve looked into health insurance, and rates are reasonable. Since it’s a shorter trip, we’re planning to have a friend watch over/stay at our place rather than renting it out.
THE PLAN (TENTATIVE!)
Right now, we’re aiming to divide our time between Schengen and non-Schengen countries to make things simpler visa-wise, since we’ll be traveling on our Canadian passports. John is Portuguese, and the kids’ EU passports are in progress but not finalized yet.
We’re thinking:
- Germany or Austria (March)
- Portugal (April)
- Albania (May)
- Finland (June)
We’d like to stay about a month in each place, ideally finding month-long rentals that are affordable and family-friendly. (If you’ve done something similar — or have tips for finding temporary home bases in Europe — I would love your advice!)
Indy is lobbying hard for a day trip to Monaco, and I’m determined to see Neuschwanstein Castle. Beyond that, we’re keeping things flexible. Those countries above could all change. Which, again, feels equally liberating and terrifying.
To be honest, all the logistics are a little bit daunting — no established support network of friends/family, frequent changes to our home base, both kids around me 24/7 (okay, this is the one that’s most overwhelming to me!), and adjusting to language and cultural nuances.
But at the same time…how incredible is this opportunity? It truly feels like a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. And, of course, I’ll be sharing about the planning (and the trip itself!) here on the blog.
YOUR TURN
I want feedback! Feel free to use the comment section below, but emails are welcome, too: optimisticmusings {at} gmail {dot} com
- If you’ve ever done an extended stay in Europe — especially traveling with kids — I’d love to hear from you!
- How did you pick your “home base” locations?
- Any lessons learned about renting, transportation, or managing Schengen vs. non-Schengen stays?
- What did you wish you’d known before you went?
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Wow, this is so exciting! What an amazing opportunity and adventure for you all. You’ve already got me thinking about how I could do this with my kids when they are older!
Hopefully I’ll be able to be a good resource moving forward once we’re on the other side of this adventure with its various ups and (hopefully not too many) downs.
This is awesome! Your kids are old enough to really learn a lot on an adventure like this!
For schooling, do local culture, language, currency, and make sure they read. You’re good to go! Will you have to have the kids do any formal papers or reports? A scrapbook? Or are the schools not demanding anything like that?
What is Schengen?
It doesn’t sound like the schools will require anything formal. I’m hoping not; I think just absorbing this information like a sponge without too many strings attached would be nice for all of us?
Schengen is a specific zone of 29 European countries that don’t have internal border controls, which means you can move back and forth freely (without needing to get your passport stamped, for example). But because of this border fluidity, they have a set limit on how much time you can spend (90 days out of every 180, rolling).
Ahhhhh EXCITING!!!!! (And also overwhelming! I have a lot of sympathy for the level of overwhelm in terms of Stuff To Do to get ready.)
I have very little advice, but I would definitely recommend thinking about short trips to out of the way countries. My husband is Romanian, and good grief, is it a pain to get to from this side of the Atlantic. If you’re already in Europe it’s an easy hop from most places. (It’s also a beautiful country- I would recommend a visit there especially to the north where he’s from and if you did go there I could give you some tips and probably some connections.
I hope the planning process goes well and that you are able to move through the overwhelm as quickly as possible!
So exciting and yes, overwhelming! Mostly in the sense that there are so many things to plan and a lot of things CAN’T be dealt with until a bit closer to departure. But I’m trying to roll with it; depends on the day how successful I am.
Yes! We want to take lots of trips to lots of countries. I will definitely be in touch if we make it to Romania. We’d love to stay there longer but it is part of Schengen, so it would likely be a quick jaunt if we make it there!
I have a call with Kyria on Thursday and I am going to PICK HER BRAIN!
It’s blog official!!! I just think it’s such a unique opportunity for the entire family, and the kids are old enough to remember it. It’s going to be a good time for everyone. And we get to come along vicariously through the blog.
It’s blog official 🙂
Can I admit I am 1000% jealous of the kids. They get to go on the adventure of a lifetime and literally have to do nothing except show up!
What an exciting, once-on-a-lifetime opportunity for your family!
I vote for more than one day in Monaco! Indy will need most of a full day at the Oceanographic Museum (it is terrific) so add a day to visit other points of interest there. My sister and family travelled extensively with their two children and one of their kid’s assignments was to research and navigate the public transportation systems in European countries. That is a great life skill to learn.
Indy would love more than one day, I’m sure.
He loves Formula 1, loves fancy cars and…well, Monaco has a huge draw because of that.
Thanks for the recommendation of the Oceanographic Museum! My first concrete plan for Monaco 😉
what an exciting news! I first read the title and thought you were moving to Europe for good, not just temporary! what triggered you to do this? I’d love to hear more about your thought process. you know we as family love to move/live to new places and love the adventure, but also know many who finds this life style crazy. so i’d love to know your story.
I will be e-mailing you soon, Coco! You know so much about this sort of thing and I need all the advice I can get.
I’ll write more about it soon.
IT’S HAPPENING!!!!!! I am so excited for you and your family! I have nothing useful to share, but I am already eager for all your posts about your various European experiences! And the KIDS. What a tremendous opportunity to learn about other cultures!!!!!
Who knows, maybe we’ll end up crossing paths in Europe again???
YOU’RE DOING IT!!!
I’m so excited for you. It’s actually the perfect time, school-wise. What an adventure! I think you can do so much with the kids that they will learn and always remember. This is such an incredible opportunity! I’ve never done an extended stay but I was thinking Coco could be a great resource as she’s lived in so many different places with her family.
It does feel like the last ideal opportunity with the kids the ages they are; once Belle is settled in high school it will be so much harder. But also great that she is familiar with the school, will have written exams, etc, so coming back for Grade 10 shouldn’t be a huge shock to the system.
Oh, how EXCITING! I LOVE THIS IDEA, and yes, the kids are the PERFECT age! I’m laughing at a day trip to Monoco. Seems like a week in the French Riviera might be better. Or on the other side of the border in Italy. If you went before high tourist season it wouldn’t be too crazy expensive, and I know you’re a champ at finding deals. EEEK! I have no advice, have never had an opportunity like this, but I’ll tell you that if I had, I would definitely jump on it. YAY!
Also…yeah, a lot of overwhelming details to figure out.
We hope to do LOTS of day/weekend trips. While we’ll aim to do things are economically as possible, this is not a time period we’re looking to save money. We will be adventure and choosing the bigger life for a few months and…wow! It feels extra exciting to be writing about it!!!
Holy Moly you guys are exciting! What an adventure!! I had a friend who lived in the Philippines for a summer with her kids while her husband was working and she still talks about how amazing those months were, this will be a so great for you guys! I’m in awe, honestly.
There are so many things that make this sort of thing fit for our family: John’s work being based in Europe, the kids loving to travel, me stepping down from my job.
It almost feels like now or…not for a long time (and not with the kids). So at this point, we’re all systems go and unless the Lord sets up huge roadblocks, we’re going to Europe!!!
WOW THIS IS AMAZING!!! So exciting. Yes, your kids are lucky. They get all the fun with none of the stress of planning (although- the planning will be fun as well, in a way). I did live for an extended period in Europe, but it was a long time ago (over 20 years) and I had no kids, AND, I didn’t have to deal with logistics because the company I worked for took care of all the travel and lodging issues. So your experience will be quite different from mine. I CANNOT WAIT to follow along and hear all about this.
I do wish I had a magic wand to wave to get all the logistics sorted perfectly but, also, you’re right: some of the fun IS in the planning!!! We’re off on an adventure, Jenny!!! Squeal.
I have done this! Twice! But not with kids, I don’t have any. In 2014 and again in 2022, my husband and I spent 4 months living in Europe. The first time we rented an apartment in Barcelona as our home base and did trips from here. I think we managed 10 countries in total. The second time we were mobile most of the time, except for a 1 month stay in Berlin (fantastic city, highly recommend).
In terms of advice, I don’t really have anything earth shattering to say. It’s a very doable thing. I’d say the biggest pain points are figuring out your money and renting apartments. It might be just spending on your usual credit cards, but it might differ depending where you are and paying rent/deposits/big amounts can be a bit of a hassle. And it’s definitely not that easy to find reasonable, furnished apartments for 1-3 month rentals. You will just have to be persistent and creative. We did not use Booking.com or AirBnB for our longer rentals, we ended up using more local options. And last thing – pack light! It gets fairly tiresome lugging your stuff from country to country, especially when relying on public transport. We travelled Sept-Dec both times and found that having to also pack cold weather clothes was necessary but also a pain.
Twice! That sounds dreamy (and I can see trying to do something like this again without the kids in tow).
We absolutely loved Barcelona and I can see loving that as a home base!! John has nothing but good things to say about Berlin and I really want to visit (plus, that’s where Tobia lives).
John is determined to only take carry-on plus a bookbag each. WISH US LUCK. That feels daunting but, also, much easier for moving from place to place. Since he works in Finland we can always have him keep some things at the office, so I might send over a little stockpile of things? I need to think through this more thoroughly.
In terms of where to stay: that is a current focus and I am going to lean heavily on Kyria’s advice!
WOW, this is huge news! I’m so excited for you all, and look forward to hearing all about it, and seeing your wonderful pictures.
So exciting! We did something similar. 1 month in Nice, France; 1 month in Paris, France; 1 month in Brisbane, Australia; and 1 month in Mooloolaba, Australia. And we had our 5 year old with us. He “skipped” kindergarten during our travels and then went straight into 1st grade. Your family is going to have the best time! For us, that trip was the single greatest thing we’ve ever done for our family.
To cover some schooling, we brought workbooks and read a lot of e-books on the Libby library app from our home library. We also had my son journal every day. He mostly drew pictures and just wrote a few words, but I treasure that journal. And, of course he visited a ton of museums. He got a lot out of the museum visits even if they didn’t all go smoothly. For example he threw a full on tantrum at the Louvre. The crying and wailing took place at the bottom of the staircase that leads to the famous sculpture The Winged Victory of Samothrace.
A couple of ideas for your trip: Your kids could keep a journal. For example, have them sketch while at a museum and then later write a paragraph about something they learned at the museum (note: color pencils are the easiest art medium to travel with). Also, you may want to consider identifying 1 book from each country and have everyone read it while in country and then you can discuss it over meals.
And a tip for finding a month long rental. It’s always worth messaging the hosts and asking if they offer a discount for a month long stay. Include the dates you’re interested in. We scored a great deal in Paris doing that.
“For us, that trip was the single greatest thing we’ve ever done for our family.” Theresa, you don’t know how happy this sentence made me. Hooray for you, and I sincerely hope (and kind of expect) the same to be true of us!
I love The Winged Victory of Samothrace and now I’ll always think of a preschooler throwing a tantrum there. I have stories similar to that with my own kids. Never a dull moment.
Love the idea of journals and YES to relying heavily on Libby.
Thanks for the suggestion re rentals! I’ve mentioned this to John and I’ve also just messaged my sister. She manages 3 AirBnB’s in the US so I want to pick her brain about how to approach finding a month-long rental!
I’m so excited for you and your family! What a once in a lifetime opportunity. I’ve never done anything similar with our kids, but I”ll enjoy following your adventures vicariously.
It does feel like this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (at least while the kids are still home with us; I’d love to repeat something like this in retirement).
I’m sure there will be lots of blog posts to come…:)
An amazing adventure for your family, Elisabeth!
We’ll be in Switzerland and the UK in April. It’s a pity our paths won’t cross (though you never know!).
Smart move adding Albania! Since it’s outside Schengen, it won’t count toward your 90-day limit. Splitting time between Schengen and non-Schengen should work perfectly. Nice!!
Do you already know which cities you’ll visit and how you’ll travel between them? I guess you will be using a plane – not the cheapest but it will save you a lot of travelling time. In terms of accommodation, we always use Airbnb – it works perfectly and discounts often kick in for longer stays.
So exciting, can’t wait to see this unfold!
I feel confident I will meet up with various bloggers in the course of our travels and I sure hope one of them is you!
I think we’ll use trains a lot. Flying between long-term rentals, maybe, but taking trains within other regions. Maybe even renting a car a few times (John is eyeing a particular roadtrip).
That sounds like an amazing adventure! I’ve never even heard of anyone doing something like this. Wishing you a smooth transition for you and your kids.
Such an exciting opportunity for your whole family! Yes, a lot of work and planning for you, but I’m sure you’ll find it will all be worth it in the end. I’m excited to read your posts from Europe, Elisabeth!
I’m trying to view it this way: lots of stress and so many things to plan…but something we’ll look back on as one of the best decisions we ever made as a family. Such is the hope!
What a cool adventure! It’s the kind of thing I’ve always wanted to do myself, but neither my Husband nor I have jobs that can accommodate that kind of pick up and leave. I guess I used to spend the summers working in another state, but that’s so different from another country. Every so often, I think about taking the kids to Taiwan for the summer if I don’t have to work – my cousin does this – she puts her kids in summer school in Taipei and they spend the summer there and the kids are now fluent in Mandarin.
I can’t wait to read more about your adventures and the prep leading up to it!
I sometimes look at the opportunities we’ve had (not had) and felt like every family has tradeoffs.
The kids have grown up with John gone…a lot. And that is hard in many ways. BUT, we also have these unique opportunities (like lots of airline reward miles and, in this case, the chance to “move” to Europe). I hope it all comes out in the wash and they feel like they had a great childhood which, like all, has various ups and downs. That said, I would have LOVED to do this as a kid. I didn’t visit Europe until my mid-20s. My kids are definitely world travellers in a way I was not.
This is so very exciting! I can’t wait to follow along. I know is daunting to take on but you’ll be so glad you did this. I am zero help as I’ve never been outside the country for an extended period of time aside from my study abroad experience in college. I have been to that castle in Germany and it’s gorgeous!
I had a couple of friends that married college hockey players that then played in Europe for several years. But their kids were young/hadn’t started school when they lived in Europe. I know they are very grateful for that experience even though it was kind of challenging to have very young kids. Your kids are at great ages where they likely wouldn’t need any medical appts during that 4 month stay (barring unexpected illnesses, of course!).
I have wanted to visit that castle…forever. Hopefully I don’t find it underwhelming after all these years of wanting to go.
I don’t think I am the sort of person to take small kids on an adventure like this. But a teen and a tween feels very doable (though still mildly overwhelming).
Wow, amazing news! I do have one tip for finding places to stay: my sister uses HomeExchange and has found quite long-term stays that way, so it might be something to look into? I’m definitely also jealous, that is amazing. Maybe I should look into getting 4 weeks off and really travel a country with the kids during our summer holiday.
Also, if you do end up going to Amsterdam, the Netherlands or Belgium, do let me know, it would be wonderful to meet up!
Thanks for this tip!
I absolutely want to make sure we manage to meet up when I’m in Europe. I’ve always wanted to visit Amsterdam, so that is on my to-do list. Somehow, sometime! Stay tuned 🙂
This is such cool news, Elisabeth! I’m so happy for you! I can’t wait to read about your adventures when the time comes! I can imagine that it would be so much more convenient to be closer to Finland, and what an adventure for your family!
Yes, it will be very nice for John to not have to be jet lagged for every work trip!
It will be nice to see his work sites and meet some of his colleagues, too!
So exciting, look forward to following along…!!!
Elisabeth, that is such EXCITING NEWS! Woo! It’ll be an experience of a lifetime for the kids and all of you. It’s amazing that you’ll be able to do this. I obviously don’t have any first hand experience (other than permanently moving to a foreign country myself LOL) but I’d be happy to answer any questions that you might have in regards to Germany!
You know I will have questions!!!!!
Wow- I’ve been wondering. This is so exciting. I’m jealous. What an incredible adventure! I have no advice but I’m looking forward to living vicariously through you. We live where we live because it’s where we are from and we have family here.
It feels a bit daunting to leave our support network of friends (and I don’t have family that technically lives nearby, but my parents are in New Brunswick, not that far away). It will be an adventure, of that I’m sure!
That’s so exciting! How convenient for your kids to have the possibility to get Portuguese passports. I don’t have much advice other than for moving completely but I look forward to following the adventure here on the blog!
I have no advice, just so much excitement for you and your family! What a family experience and at such a great time in your kids’ lives – and yours and John’s! Congrats!
Exciting! I’m sure it does feel overwhelming, but it sounds like just enough time to really be memorable and not enough time to not be able to fit back into your lives at home, which is pretty much perfect for this kind of thing. I do agree about being jealous of the kids. This is like Christmas x 1000. You are so great at planning trip stuff, though, and this is just that but a little more extensive.
I think once the main things get decided (like, you know, having a place to sleep each night), I’ll enjoy a lot of the planning!
Wow, that is definitely some exciting news! What an amazing opportunity. Jump in and enjoy, you’ll figure out the details along the way.
Martha – https://seasidesimplicity.blogspot.com/
Wise advice; I do think some of this is going to be flying by the seat of our pants. And I can let that overwhelm me or embrace it as part of the adventure!
Wow, Elizabeth, that’s exciting news!
I’m from Germany and I’m currently living there, so I’d be very happy to answer any questions.
At first thought,
1) Try Airbnb for accommodation, and once you’ve decided on a place, try booking directly with the owners for a discount.
2. The weather in March can still be unpleasant. I’d check whether early spring was nicer in Albania and consider changing the months.
Smart idea.
The first month there we need to be close to one of John’s offices…though I realize it’s not hitting the weather ideally. This will take some thought!
I will definitely reach out with questions related to Germany! Thanks for offering.
So exciting! I know you guys will make the most of it!
I will miss you desperately but you’ll be with me in spirit the whole time!
Oh WOW! So exciting! What a wonderful experience for all of you. G floated us living in China for a year, but I decided against that because of the lack of support. G would be unlikely to work less, and would still have had to travel to Europe, and I would have been quite isolated because learning Mandarin would not have been a quick task. As it turned out, it was very lucky we didn’t because when we went with the kids for a week to China, E (who had asthma at the time) coughed continuously due to the pollution. You won’t have that problem in Europe and since you have travelled there as a family already you kind of know what to expect.
If John was going to be travelling a lot (or we were going for longer) I’d be very daunted. But he’s going to aim to take a week of vacation each month!
I’m sure there will be ups and downs, but I want to really lean into this being the adventure of a lifetime.
I have quietly followed you for years. I am suggesting this smart person for you to look over. Lauren Knight has made a career for over 10 years out of traveling the world with 4 kids, and working, and living in Europe, She is probably 40, smart and experienced and perhaps useful. Here are a couple of links. https://www.embarkbeyond.com/lauren-bryan-knight ; https://www.instagram.com/aspiringkennedy/ https://www.aspiringkennedy.com/ https://x.com/aspiringkennedy
Thanks so much for taking the time to share these links! I look forward to reading more about Lauren.
Whoa! When you said you were working on something behind the scenes, I never imagined it would be something as AMAZING at this! What an incredible experience you will have – and your kids, too! I cannot wait to follow along. I have no tips or advice at all – just lots of excitement for your family!
Wow, this sounds like an amazing adventure! As an academic approaching a sabbatical, I would love to hear more about how you decided on this particular time frame. We’re starting to think through what relocating for a semester vs. summer vs. academic year might look like and there are just so many tradeoffs with each choice. Trying to weigh the benefits of a longer trip and time to really settle in vs. the disruption and academic year vs. summer has us kind of spiraling and thinking of just throwing up our hands and not going anywhere, quite frankly. I would love to hear more about what helped you decide to go for it!
I will definitely write more about our decision and the timing. Stay tuned 😉
Ooh I thought of something else! I’m not sure if they are Schengen or not, but a week long road trip through the Baltics is a lot of fun. My husband and I did it for our honeymoon. Landed in Vilnius and rented a car from a fantastic place and then drove through Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Ended in Tallinn . It was incredible!
John is SO keen to do multiple road trips. Thanks for this advice. It all sounds BEAUTIFUL! (I’m pretty sure John was recently in Tallin, too!?)
That is going to be such an exciting adventure! If any if your countries change to Belgium or if you include it in your itinerary, I would love to give some tips!
We travelled to Albania in 2021 and we really enjoyed Shkoder and Korçë (more than the coastal towns). But if you have a month in Albania you will have plenty of time to explore!
I think all the places we “land” will be launch points as we want to see as much of Europe as we’re able.
Will definitely reach out regarding Belgium if we make our way there at some point!
SO EXCITING and so glad it’s looking more official!! What an amazing adventure and experience that will be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I posted a comment yesterday but it disappeared into the ether! I’ll see what I can remember
Wow, that sounds so exciting. A wonderful opportunity for the kids at an age when they will really get a lot from the experience.
You are probably well aware, but the Nordic countries tend to be among the most expensive in Europe so your budgeting skills will need to really be flexed. Also, if you are going to be in Finland in June there is unlikely to be any darkness at night. Make sure you there are blackout curtains wherever you are going to stay and/or take eye masks with you.
I look forward to hearing how you all enjoy yourselves.
Sorry about that. Commenting functions can be so hit and miss 🙁
Yes! The Nordic’s are SO expensive. Hence looking at places like Austria and Albania to offset time in other spots.
It’s unfortunate about the exchange rate as well (the Canadian dollar is so weak). We will be looking to do things economically, but this is definitely not a trip about saving money at every turn. It is a bit daunting to think just how much it will cost, but 4 months seems doable AND I feel like this will be our “big family” adventure of the kids’ young lives.
Thankfully, if we spend time in Denmark we will have a place to stay (my brother lives there).
I sleep with an eye mask every single night and will make sure to pack extra for the kid’s!
I am gobsmacked, and that is thrilling! Please take us along with you (virtually, of course). You must be so relieved to have the decision made.
Elisabeth, this is big news, and SO exciting! Can’t wait to follow along. We would love to do something like this when our kids are older too. I can only imagine the logistics and planning seems overwhelming. But you are a super organised person so you’ll get there. Maybe separate tasks into MUST do, and want to do, and tackle the must do’s first. You’ve got this!
This does feel like the “perfect” time (or as close to perfect as it will ever get). Any earlier and it would have been too challenging with the kids limitations and any later and the kids will be more firmly rooted in school (Grade 10 next year for Belle is the first “main” year of high school). Now or never, so why not now?!
I am late to the party but wanted to congratulate you on this decision. The kids will never forget those experiences.
Munich (Bayern) is in close proximity to Innsbruck (Austria). I liked Austria more than Germany. There are surrounding town next to Vienna which is expensive but if you can swing it I’d stay in Vienna.
Someone has already mentioned but the Nordics are expensive.
Albania… I have mixed feelings. It is cheap yes but also low in terms of quality of life/safety/cleanliness. Albania cannot compete with its western neighbors like Croatia and Italy.
I mainly use airbnbs as you know. I’ve heard good things about vrbo. Be sure to read the reviews.
I cannot wait to follow along!!
Oohhh. I haven’t looked up Vrbo yet. Great suggestion.
I know we’ll never forget this experience as a family! A trip of a lifetime.
This is an amazing trip! +100 for Neuschwanstein Castle.
I had a spreadsheet for managing Shengen vs. Non Shengen when I was traveling for 4 months. It helped that my aunt lived in London which was Non Shengen so I ended up visiting her for a bit more down time than I initially planned.
Can’t wait to follow your adventures!
YES! I need to have a spreadsheet to keep it all organized, for sure.
Heading off to answer your e-mail; thanks for reaching out <3
Elisabeth! This is the most exciting news. Now, I can completely see why you were having some deep, deep discussions and losing some sleep. This is a huge decision to make. But also, how could you NOT take this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? I’m thrilled for you all, and I’m excited to embark on this adventure with your family.
It’s so exciting! Yes, overwhelming, but…why not just go for it, right??
I probably missed this at some point …… what does
John do for his work ?
He works for a technology company headquartered in Finland (there are satellite offices in other places in Europe). He is on the business side of things (i.e. not a computer programmer).
Hi! I am late to the afterparty! 🙂 I wanted to add, as I don’t think we did talk about this (?) that Booking and Airbnb have discounts if you stay for more than 28 days (or a week, but not as good of one) so that is what I generally do. That works well with Schengen too as 28+28+28 is less than 90 so I don’t get too close to the cut off. I would make it easy on yourself and just do one of these platforms. You could get a cheaper place with local options, but it will be more work, and will be different in each country, so my advice would be to just make it easy for yourself. One more tip is that Booking has a bit of a loyalty AND they let you pay later, like a month before the booking, whereas Airbnb will often make you pay when you book. Last tip! If you have a credit card that you are getting points or cash back for, be sure to use that one! Let me know if you have more questions!
Yes! John uses Booking.com quite a lot and that was always what we used when travelling (just managed to find way better deals on AirBnB when we went to Paris).
YES! We do have a points card and we will definitely be using it as much as possible in Europe to rack up more miles for flights!