Way, way back in the beginning of this year (gosh that feels like such a long time ago), I was formulating a plan to go on an international trip in the early fall.  I, much to my chagrin, am not one of those last minute jet setters that can take off at the drop of a hat.  A lot (read: most) of my travels take a bit of planning and forward thinking due to my work schedule and need for budgeting to make them possible.  So, back in February, I started looking into where I might go, and how much it would cost to get me there and so on.

I stumbled upon the IcelandAir Stopover offer and was attracted to the idea of a two for one vacation.  I played around with the second destination and length of time I could spend in each to see which flights were the cheapest and which destinations were the most solo travel friendly.  Eventually, I landed on Copenhagen and booked the ticket a couple weeks later.

Fast forward five and half months later, and here I am, counting down the days until I depart and saving up every last penny.  A large portion of this trip so far was bought and paid for by my tax return from last year.  In fact, most of my tax returns sort of act as travel gift cards.  Do you think maybe next year the IRS can pay me back in airline miles??  Just kidding…

Anyways, this means that my flight (which was around $800) was paid for upfront with my debit card.  Everything else so far has been charged to my travel credit card (gotta get those points!).  The rest of my budget for this trip is as follows:

• Flight: $800
• Accommodation: $100/night x 10 nights = $1,000
• Food & Beverage: $60/day x 10 days = $600
• Tours/Activities: $400
• Souvenirs: $100/country x 2 = $200
• Emergencies: $200
• Total: $3,200

In the interest of total honesty, I already blew it on the accommodation portion of the budget, by $150.  But, in my defense, these are two very expensive cities to visit!  I’m just really glad I booked when I did, because as of a week ago, most of the hotels were booked or increased in prices.  In terms of tours and activities, here’s what I’ve got going:

• Elding Whale Watching Tour: $82
• South Shore Tour: $105
• Copenhagen Card: $95
• Total: $282

So far so good on that front!  When I return from this Scandanavian Adventure, I’ll check back in with how I did.  In the meantime, please share any budgeting or Iceland/Copenhagen tips in the comments!