In just over two weeks time, I will be traveling to Europe with my eldest daughter. May is the perfect time to visit Europe. You arrive before the crowds of June and July, the weather is generally great, and it costs less!
We have had such fun planning our trip, and deciding on which countries to visit, how long in each place and sights we definitely don’t want to miss.
This is a girly trip and we really just want to experience the different vibes of big city life. Throw in a bit of culture, good food, instagram worthy pics and a decent bottle of Chardonnay (or two) and we are happy.
Istanbul was first on our list. With 15 million people inhabiting this vibrant city, we are sure to experience big city life. I have visited Istanbul briefly and was excited to share this experience with my daughter.
We then decided on adding in Amsterdam and Paris. I found really cheap flights flying with KLM. The flight has a stop over in Amsterdam en route to Istanbul, so we decided to spend a few nights visiting Amsterdam. The flight back home is via Paris from Istanbul, so we have added a short two night stay in Paris. I played around on cheapflights.co.za researching the best and most reasonable flying options and then booked directly through KLM. You can download their app for a very personalized experience when flying with them. You can book seats – at a price – on the app, as well as get detailed itinerary on your smartphone. They also have links to booking.com, transport options, etc on the app. I have found this to be a very handy app!
Our time away is relatively short with just 12 nights away in total. As a result, I have done much of the planning ahead of time, such as booking accommodation and a few tours and experiences in the different cities. I find Airbnb so useful for booking experiences. This is a user-friendly app that allows a very personalized service which is great. I have been able to make contact with our hosts in both Amsterdam and Paris and they have been wonderful in assisting us with information needed for visas etc.
We are staying in Amsterdam Noord, a ten minute walk from Amsterdam central station. It’s a private room with en suite and small kitchenette – basic but well rated and close to all the action. Neither of us have been to Amsterdam, so this is going to be an extra special place for us. I have booked a few activities and am hoping I will be cycling fit to enjoy Amsterdam like a local…
I have booked via booking.com for our accommodation in Istanbul. We are staying in the very hipster area of Karakoy close to Galata Tower in a boutique hotel – this is hopefully going to be the luxury accommodation of our trip without the price tag. Istanbul accommodation is very reasonable! I have booked a 6 hour food tour in Istanbul which sounds amazing. I will definitely share a video or two of this experience.
Our final stay is in Paris – also via Airbnb and will be in the 2nd Arrondissement. I chose this area as its close to all the attractions and we should be able to get to most places on foot. This accommodation has a small kitchen as well as private bathroom and is in a beautiful historic building near the Louvre’. We are doing a cycling and boat trip tour here at sunset…. Yes, I most definitely am going to be getting on a bicycle this weekend to strengthen my legs.
I am looking so forward to sharing this trip with my daughter. It really is such a privilege for me that my adult daughters love spending time with me. I also cant wait to share videos and photos of our trip with you. I will definitely be keeping you in the loop on Instagram – please share this journey with us and feel free to DM or comment below if you have any questions or travel ideas for us!
xx B
THE MOY LIFE 