An Introduction:
I am fully assuming the only folks reading this are my Facebook friends, some family, and maybe a student or two who has Googled me. But in case you don't fit into those categories, my name is Devin Spinks, I am a 28 year old teacher in rural West Virginia who has a deep passion for travel and seeing the world. I think everyone should take a trip whether it be down the road, across the country, or around the globe. There is too much for us to see on this planet to stay in one place all the time.
I am no professional at finding deals or have perfect travel budgeting skills, however, I have as of today marked 15 countries off my bucket list (of all 196 UN recognized countries) and am constantly looking for my next adventure. This blog will be from my experience on things I love to do when traveling.
So without further ado, here are my basic travel tips on how I travel cheap and often.
Flights:
I want to preface this with I refuse to pay more than $800 roundtrip for a flight to Europe, which means I am flying economy, in the cheapest seat, with just a backpack and a carry-on bag. I always start my search with Google Flights, searching from the Washington, DC area as there are three airports, two large internationals and a great east coast connector. Generally, I end up flying out of Washington Dulles, which is the closest of the three airports to Southern West Virginia at about 4.5 hours away by car. By flying out of DC, you can connect with Europe much quicker than flying out of Charleston's Yeager or even Pittsburgh.
When searching on Google Flights, I always use the "WAS" airport code, which allows for all three DC airports to populate results and then use "Anywhere" or "Europe" to find the best deals to jump across the pond. The cheapest option, might not get me to my final destination, however flights from points in Europe are much cheaper once you are on the continent and I will get to my final city for another $50 or so. I have flown every major airline and while I do have a preference (Delta or British Airways), I will fly whatever airline is best for my budget.
Accommodations:
There are many ways to skin a cat and many different types of accommodations to stay in Europe and many other places around the world. From $4 a night hostels where you share a room with 23 other people to the most expensive hotels in the center of the city, you can travel on any budget. I am somewhere in between as I want my own space and have decided the hostel life is not for me. I am not a partier by any means when I travel and hostels tend to cater to younger folks who want that scene and you will not see me pay more than $75 a night for a hotel room... so if you want to see the inside of the Hilton, you're reading the wrong blog. I look for budget hotels on the outskirts of the city, close to public transportation, and a grocery store.
 |
| Basic Ibis Hotel room (Berlin, Germany) |
My favorite hotel chain in Europe is Ibis (not sponsored, but ALL ACCOR, if you're reading, I do accept free hotel rooms as compensation for promotion). Ibis hotels are budget friendly and located in the best areas of cities, you can always find a room within your price range and they are clean and welcoming. I also love that the front desk is staffed 24/7 with someone who speaks English. There is usually a restaurant and snack bar in the restaurant as well, which is helpful when you do not want to get up early for breakfast. For a longer stay or if you are traveling with more than a friend or two, I would recommend an AirBnB or other short term rental site. I have stayed in a very small studio apartment and while it was not the best, it made my month long stay in Madrid absolutely amazing and I highly recommend it.
Food:
Let's be real, the reason I travel is to eat, I mean, it is the best part of travel aside from seeing the world. My favorite thing to do once I have checked into my accommodation is to go to the grocery store. I could spend hours in the aisles of a grocer looking at the different versions of our favorites. I always buy at least one bag of Lay's potato chips in flavors not available in the US, I always buy some fresh fruit, and I always buy a pre-made sandwich or two for when I am in my room at midnight starving and everything is closed... jet lag gets me sometimes.
 |
| My German grocery store haul. |
 |
| Paella in Barcelona, Spain. |
By grocery shopping, I also reduce the amount of meals I eat out and can go to more restaurants over my stay. I am awful at budgeting for meals because I call it a "cultural experience" and will spend money to try different foods. Generally speaking, I eat out one full meal a day and then have several smaller plates throughout the day all supplemented by my snack stash in my room.
The Main Story:
Travel often. I need to travel at least once a year. It has become a complete necessity in my life, right next to oxygen and Sprite. My plan for this blog is to give a three to five day itinerary for each destination I have visited with approximate costs on the day I have written the blog. Doing things I love to do, foods I love eating, and sites worth seeing, etc. Sharing my pictures and my experiences so others can have the best trip or journey in their minds, if you are interested in following along, I will post as I can, probably once or twice a week cities I have visited.
Where should we travel first?
