Two years ago, we had the incredible opportunity to spend the whole summer in Europe. By opportunity, I mean I got the idea in my head and scrimped, saved, and researched to make it happen. On our trip, we visited nine cities in five countries over 63 days. To pay for the trip, we used a combination of cash, credit card reward points, renting our house out on AirBnB, and gig work while abroad.

We recently took a 10 day Christmas trip to Austria with Jarod’s parents and after all the charges hit, here’s how we made out. I’ll walk you through all our expenses and where we could’ve cut or splurged a little more.

If you’ve got Florence, Italy on your must-visit list, you may be wondering which part of the city to stay in. Though small and very walkable, the city is broken out into distinct neighborhoods, rippling out around the Duomo, Florence’s top tourist attraction. 

If you’re craving some Mediterranean sun, you may be thinking about visiting the beautiful coast of Greece. And really, you can’t go wrong here. Most trips to Greece start with Athens as a jumping off point from which to go island hopping, but popular spots like Santorini and Mykonos can be overcrowded, take longer to get to, and tend not to be very budget friendly.

You could spend months on end in Interlaken without tiring of the beauty and endless outdoor activities, but many people don’t get that luxury! So with four days, you can absolutely hit the highlights without having to move a mile a minute, as is the American way. Situated below the mountains in between two alpine lakes, Interlaken is a perfect base for exploration of the Swiss Alps and some good small town charm.

If you’re planning to take a trip to Italy this summer, you’re likely considering spending some time in the Amalfi Coast. Filled with beautiful beaches, charming Italian towns, and all the gelato you can possibly imagine, Amalfi is the perfect region to add to your European adventure. We had the chance to visit Capri last summer and fell in love with the rugged coastline and winding city corridors.

Three days is a good amount of time to get a taste of Annecy, France. Nicknamed the Venice of the Alps, Annecy is home to lots of Alpine influence, beautiful canals, and the cleanest lake in Europe!