Baltra vs. San Cristóbal: Which Galápagos Island is best to fly into?

Baltra vs. San Cristóbal: Which Galápagos Island is best to fly into?
Baltra vs. San Cristóbal: Which Galápagos Island is best to fly into?

Baltra or San Cristóbal… That is the question, and it really depends on what your plans are and what you want to get out of your Galápagos Island trip.

After doing a little research before our trip to the Islands this year, we decided to fly into and out of San Cristóbal. We island-hopped by ferry for our Galápagos Island adventure, and I was very happy we chose San Cristóbal as our jumping off point for our self-planned trip. But there are good reasons to fly into Baltra as well.

Not sure which to choose for your trip? Below is some information that should help you decide.

Continue reading “Baltra vs. San Cristóbal: Which Galápagos Island is best to fly into?”

How to Fly from the U.S. to the Galápagos Islands for Under $200

How to Fly to the Galapagos Islands for Under $200
How to Fly to the Galapagos Islands for Under $200

Last month when I found $89 flights from Chicago to Ecuador, I was dumbfounded. And flights from mainland Ecuador to the Galápagos were less than $100, too. It must have been some sort of mistake… right?

I simply couldn’t miss out on this amazing deal to my top bucket list destination, so within 24 hours of finding the flights we were booked and officially planning our trip to the Galápagos Islands! How did we manage to find such affordable flights to the Galápagos? I’ll share my secrets with you in this post!

Continue reading “How to Fly from the U.S. to the Galápagos Islands for Under $200”

Norwegian Air’s interactive route map is my new favorite toy!

Norwegian Air's Interactive Route Map (my new favorite toy) | northtosouth.us
Norwegian Air's Interactive Route Map (my new favorite toy) | northtosouth.us

With the new year upon us, it’s the perfect time to start making travel plans. That’s how we’re kicking off 2020, so today I began consulting with our favorite low-cost international airline to see what deals I could find for flying to Europe.

While perusing Norwegian.com, I discovered a new tool that makes searching flights easier. A new interactive route map lets you select your departure airport, set your budget, and choose your destination type — you can even set a temperature range for your destination.

Continue reading “Norwegian Air’s interactive route map is my new favorite toy!”

How to Stretch Your Euro Trip Budget: Booking Strategies to Save You Money

How to Stretch Your Euro Trip Budget: Booking Strategies to Save you Money

How to Stretch Your Euro Trip Budget: Booking Strategies to Save you Money

Planning a Europe trip can be expensive, but smart planning can save you loads! For starters, did you know it’s possible to:

  • fly from the U.S. to Europe for under $200?
  • find friendly locals renting out lovely homes at well less than half the price of a hotel?
  • book comfortable transportation between European cities for as low as $5?

Bottom line: an awesome Euro Trip doesn’t have to be so pricey — something I discovered while planning our two-month Europe trip to 12 countries in 2016. Want to know my secrets? Follow these easy trip-planning guidelines to travel farther, experience more, and save money on your upcoming Euro Trip.  Continue reading “How to Stretch Your Euro Trip Budget: Booking Strategies to Save You Money”

Europe Trip Planning: How to Get Around Europe for Cheap

Europe Trip Planning: How to Book Affordable Transportation within Europe

Europe Trip Planning: How to Book Affordable Transportation within Europe

Plane? Train? Automobile? A combination of all three? Planning a backpacking trip around Europe isn’t as easy as it used to be, because now there are more transportation options with a wider variety of prices. If you do your research, you’ll often be rewarded with some really great prices. But it’s a lot of work for a multi-destination trip, and it’s even trickier if you’ve never heard of the transit companies you’ll be booking with.

I recently planned out our spring Europe trip and discovered some helpful online tools that make booking transportation easier. We booked a combination of buses, trains, flights, and cars in advance, online, to get us around Europe on a budget. Now three weeks into our trip, our pre-booked transit tickets have kept us moving around Europe quickly and comfortably.

Want to get the most for your money but don’t know where to begin? Use my trusty transportation planning strategies to find your most cost-effective route around Europe! Continue reading “Europe Trip Planning: How to Get Around Europe for Cheap”

Our Spring 2016 Europe Trip Itinerary

North to South's Spring Europe Trip Itinerary

North to South's Spring Europe Trip Itinerary

We’re going to Europe! Well actually, we’re already in Europe, but we’ve just finished planning our two-month Europe trip. We’re visiting (at least) 12 countries and 21 cities on our trip. Below, find our itinerary for our spring trip (April 20 – June 24, 2016), and let us know if you’re planning a trip to (or have recommendations for) any of these destinations. We love chatting about travel plans!

P.S. Follow along on Facebook or Instagram (hers/his) — we’re posting photos daily! Continue reading “Our Spring 2016 Europe Trip Itinerary”