WE SPENT 10 AMAZING WEEKS IN EUROPE LIVING ON JUST OUR SOCIAL SECURITY BUDGET. HERE’S HOW WE DID IT.
COVID-19 lockdowns gave all of us a chance to re-evaluate our lives. Some remodeled or sold their homes. Others chose to switch careers.
Stuck inside our apartment in Cuenca, Ecuador, we decided that it was time for us to do the active traveling we had dreamed about. So as soon as flight restrictions began to ease, we put all of our furnishings in storage, each packed a backpack and small carry-on suitcase, and took off on an adventure that lasted more than two years.
Our journey began with months spent in Mexico, one of the only countries that never shut down during the pandemic. Since prices are cheap there compared to the United States, exploring the Caribbean coast and highlands on our Social Security income was quite doable.
Next, setting our sights on Europe required a heaping helping of financial creativity to stay within budget. After all, we were planning a “greatest hits” tour of Lisbon, Madrid, Bordeaux, Paris and London. And while luxury accommodations and Michelin star restaurants weren’t feasible, we had no interest in backpacker hostels and a diet of ramen noodles.
Here’s how we pulled off this fabulous trip without going into debt.
Where we stayed
Our adventure would not have been possible without the strategic use of credit-card points combined with a harmonic convergence of circumstances. We had taken advantage of an unprecedented signup bonus of 100,000 points offered for a short time by Chase in 2021.
When we were planning our trip for the following year, a Chase benefit called “Pay Yourself Back,” which allows use of your Ultimate Rewards points to reimburse various purchases, had a special promotion through Airbnb offering a redemption rate of 1.5 points — 50% higher than normal.
By cashing in our stockpile of points, we were able to book almost all of our accommodations without going out of pocket.
Entire homes or condos would have required too many points and were more spacious than we really needed, since we would be out and about most days.
Instead we used an option you may not be aware of — rooms booked through Airbnb. We were often with other travelers in a condo sharing the kitchen, living area and sometimes the bathroom. Occasionally, we slept in a bedroom in someone’s private residence.
We had already tried this unconventional arrangement with success throughout Mexico. Not only was it considerably cheaper, but we consistently found our fellow adventurers to be interesting and respectful. When we were staying in our host’s home, it was like having a knowledgeable concierge revealing insider tips not available in any guide book.
When it came to staying two weeks in notoriously expensive Paris and London, we chose rentals in the suburbs convenient to reliable and inexpensive trains or buses, which we will share more about next.
How we got around
The thought of renting a car while in Europe never crossed our minds. Except for a couple of flights between countries and ride-sharing to get to and from airports or train stations, we exclusively used public transportation or walked.
From the modern Metro, vintage trams and funiculars (elevators) of Lisbon to the bullet train from Bordeaux to Paris, there was never a problem with price, schedule, cleanliness or safety.
Even excursions to Portugal’s fairy-tale castles, the massive Roman aqueduct in Segovia, Spain, and Dune du Pilat (Europe’s largest sand dune) and Versailles in France were easily arranged and extremely economical.
How we communicated
Reliable phone service in a foreign country is a must. Map apps let you walk around places you have never set foot in like a local. Google’s Translate and Lens apps take the bewilderment out of foreign languages.
You can pay $10 per day for Verizon’s TravelPass or $50 for T-Mobile’s International Pass. A cheaper but less convenient option is buying a SIM card in each country you visit.
Before departure we simply downloaded an eSIM card from Airalo into our phone that gave us outstanding coverage in every country we visited. A 30-day plan starts at only $13, and topping up is a breeze if you run out of data.
What we ate and drank
Confession: Even though Airbnbs always have kitchens, when we’re traveling we rarely cook. Gathering all the necessary ingredients, especially herbs and spices, is a hassle and not cost effective. And after a busy day exploring, we are not in the mood to even think about preparing a meal and cleaning up afterwards.
But those kitchens are handy for keeping yogurt, granola and fresh fruit — our breakfast go-to — on hand, as well as wine and cheese for the evening.
We typically eat our biggest meal at lunchtime. The prix fixe midday meals offered at many restaurants allowed us to sample the local cuisine and were a great bargain compared to the dinner menu.
Also, in the countries we visited in Europe, dinner begins later than we prefer. Spaniards are just sitting down to eat after we’re already in bed!
We were thrilled to discover incredibly delicious (and affordable) prepared meals in many supermarkets and even small neighborhood stores. Think beautiful salads and entrees of salmon or duck.
Many nights we sat down to a lovely early meal that took only a few minutes to heat up and cost less than half the price of eating out.
What we did
We have consistently found that waiting to have “boots on the ground” at a destination yields greater savings than arranging activities beforehand online.
In Bordeaux, we took a wine excursion arranged through the local tourism office that was considerably cheaper than a similar outing booked through major travel sites. And they suggested a classy wine bar right across the street run by the Bordeaux Wine Council that served generous pours of top quality starting at only 2 euros
Being over age 65, we were always on the lookout for senior discounts. Plus, staying weeks in each destination gave us the flexibility to take advantage of both discounts and freebies offered only on certain days.
For instance, the famed Prado Museum in Madrid offers half-price tickets for patrons age 65 and over, and free admission for everyone during the last two hours of operation each day.
The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum across the street, which we actually preferred to the Prado, has free admission each Monday. Even the world-renowned Louvre in Paris is free for the last three hours on the first Friday of each month.
A small detour
We saved this category until the end because there’s quite a story. We initially weren’t sure when we would be returning to the States, so we waited to book our return flight.
Big mistake.
England was our final destination and every flight out of London was insanely expensive. We were sure it was a fluke and were confident prices would soon come down.
They didn’t. In fact, they continued to rise. So either we go into debt or get creative. We chose door No. 2.
Through a flurry of online research we learned that several international airports service London in addition to Heathrow, and that there is a small international airport located 90 minutes north of New York City. We also discovered two discount European airlines called Wizz and Play
Putting all those ingredients together, we left London from Luton Airport on Wizz and landed at Stewart International Airpot in New York on Play — with an overnight stop in Reykjavik, Iceland!
Yep. We flew into Reykjavik, took a shuttle bus to an Airbnb, got up the next morning and walked to a local cafe for a breakfast of scones with clotted cream and jam, then headed back to the airport. This unconventional solution saved us almost $500.
So there was a happy, on-budget ending to our fantastic European adventure — and we can now also say we have been to Iceland.
Edd and Cynthia Staton are experts on expat life in retirement. They have appeared on network television and are regularly featured in the media. They have written three books about their adventures and created a program to educate others on retiring abroad.