This was a special trip because it was the first one I’ve taken with my baby sister.  Even with our age difference, we always seem to be on the same page about everything, including our favorite show – Gilmore Girls.  One of the things I remembered from watching the show was the backpacking trip they took through Europe and how much fun they had.  That’s what I wanted to do with Kim, and this summer we finally got our chance. Since we were only going to be there for nine  days, we had to narrow it down and pick a few cities that we both wanted to visit.  Being on the same wavelength, we quickly decided on Prague and Berlin.  The artsy, vibrant energy of Berlin, and the beautiful architecture of Prague really appealed to both of us.  Below is the breakdown of our trip to Eastern Europe:

• Time Cost
  • Total Days In Eastern Europe: 9 days  – 1 in Dusseldorf, 3 in Berlin, 1  in Dresden, 4 in Prague
  • Total Days Off From Work: 5 days
• Monetary Cost
  • Hotel: $530 per person (pp)
  • Flight: $13 + 20,000 pts for flight to Germany, $475 for flight to NYC, $50 for domestic flight from Dusseldorf to Berlin
  • Food: $50 pp per day
  • Transportation: $65 pp for train ticket from Berlin to Prague
  • Miscellaneous: $ 85 pp for admissions and tours
• Total Per Person: $1,620 + 20,000 AA  points

We had great time on our trip, even though I was sick the whole time.  We came back with a ton of pictures, and a lifetime of memories – like the time when we had to huddle under our scarves because it was freezing in Dresden; or the time when we almost took out $4,000 dollars from an ATM in Prague because we were confused about the currency; or all the times we got lost while exploring the cities. To read more about our adventures, click on the links below:

Berlin

• Currywurst, Michelin star, beer garden…eating was a fun experience in Berlin
• Get to know a city better with the free walking tour
• Walk along the East Side Gallery
• Wander around and appreciate the street arts in Berlin
• Our top 11 things to do around the city, most of which are free

Dresden

• A quick pit stop in Dresden

Prague

• Meat galore in Prague
• Go check out the graffiti wall dedicated to John Lennon
• When in Prague, it’s mandatory to climb at least one tower, we took it a little too far
• If you’re looking for something to do in Prague, here is our list of 14 things to do around the city, most of which are free
• Take a train to Kutna Hora to see the interesting bone church

Flying:

• Have you ever landed at an airport and had no idea where the hell you were?  We did!
• My experience flying with a no-frills carrier