It’s Us! Babcia and YiaYia! We are here to give you every hot tip, great travel hack, hidden gem, and experience based itinerary you are looking for. We’ve traveled all over Europe and we want to share our experience and expertise with you!

Thanks for joining us today! As always, we hope that our travel nonsense translates into your travel success! For more on our Travel hacks and tips at airports or any of our other show notes, click here!

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We were last in Europe in the Summer of 2023!

By far, your biggest single expense you will deal with on any trip are your tickets to get you to your destination! How do you choose wisely? Well, there's more to consider than just price.

Most airlines like to route travelers from smaller airports to designated hubs that allows for easy transfer to international flights. When deciding which tickets to purchase, take into consideration that hub and whether or not it's convenient for your whole group to meet at or simply pass through. Choose accordingly! In addition to your wait time, you may have others, like grandma and grandpa, joining you on your trip to, say, Europe. Consider having them meet you at your hub so you can all fly to your final destination together. This gives you more adult hands on the longest leg of your trip.

Whether I'm traveling on my own or with a group, I use the TripIt app to keep my itinerary straight. This app imports your email details into an easy to use timeline that helps you ensure that all of your reservations are taken care of and not overlapping. This includes flights, lodging, sites and transportation. Once you have a trip started, you can share it with all of the travelers in your group and interested parties who need to know where you are. Everyone in your group can keep up with the planning progress and share in the excitement. 

You will save time and money by carrying on/Plan your luggage needs.

When buying your tickets, check into the luggage policies. Will the amount of bags you are taking be covered? What are the stroller and car seat policies? Can you choose your seats ahead of times? What are the carry-on requirements? Packing for a trip is dicey. You want to take everything you will need but you don't want to lug it all around. Research the best advice out there and keep it to a minimum. Checking for good laundry options will also help you pair down your packing. 

There’s only one way to get to a destination/ Choose an alternative airport.

You are headed to London and the tickets are expensive. However, there's a $500.00 difference from home to Paris. Okay, get to Paris and take the train straight into St. Pancreas Station. You just saved about $1000.00! Consider other airport alternatives: Shannon and Dublin, Warsaw and Krakow, Glasgow and Edinburgh, the list goes on. You may find that you have the opportunity for an adventure you never even considered.

having a good plan to get back to reality isn't such a bad idea. This is also a good time to check on customs policies for your destination. For example, travelers go through customs before boarding flights in Dublin. Know what to expect.

Everybody has to fly together. Choose a family friendly hub.Share your trip wisely.Have an exit strategy.