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Varna, Bulgaria

My first flight on my Wizz all-you-can-fly pass was from London, Gatwick to Varna, Bulgaria.

I had bought the pass months prior, and this was a test trip to see how it worked and couldn’t have been happier. I was able to fly standby to anywhere I wanted for the most part even though it was a short ten-day trip. I have been able to use it five times which paid for itself already. I paid 499 Euros which was approximately USD 550. I flew my Phoenix to Los Angeles to catch my Norse Airways from London Gatwick. I have found many deals over my lifetime, but the Norse Airline flight was one of the best deals.

I found a one-way flight for USD 109 which is still unbelievable as I type this right now.

PRO TIP: Always check one-on-one trips as they are often cheaper than round trips as I blogged here:

Once I landed and cleared Customs, I went straight to the Wizz app to see what was available knowing the Varna flight left a few hours after I landed doing prior research. Boom, the first flight was booked, and I was off to the ticket counter to better understand the baggage rules.

PRO TIP: Use compression bags to fill your free personal item bag as you can squeeze tons in them.

I waited in line for an hour, and I was starting to get worried. Once I got to the counter, the agent advised that I did not check in online for my flight and it would not cost USD 65. I f#cking paid 10 Euro or USD 120 for my flight so I was pissed. Lesson learned as discount airlines will always try to nickel and dime. I got my boarding pass, and I was off to my gate with plenty of time.

My first Wizz all you can fly flight went off without a hitch after screwing myself not checking in online.  If you want to know more about the Wizz pass, you can check or my blog here.

Once I arrived in Varna, I got the familiar feeling that I was back in the Ukraine.  It has been over 20 years, but Eastern Europe is not as developed. The language felt familiar even though I failed Ukrainian 10 in high school, LOL!

Being Ukranian, the prices were right up may alley too!  I paid under $5 for some awesome cabbage soup with a roll and drink.  The buses and Ubers were also very inexpensive to tour the city.

I realize that taking pictures inside a Church may not be cool with some people but, I asked first.

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Europass! Amtrak’s and CNs big Brother!!

Until I visited Europe in the middle of 2024, I had no clue how amazing and popular train travel is within Europe. I probably still do not have a grasp on it as I have only been to two train stations in Vienna, Austria. The central train station in Vienna, Austria Wien Hauptbahnhof (click blue link) was as big or even bigger than a lot of the Airports in Canada and the United States. There were several levels, entrances, and train companies (local/international) and I got lost more than once.

I purchased a Europass for 25% off to use for a trip scheduled for March 2024. The pass that I chose was $380 USD for ten days that can be used over a two-month period. This was perfect as that is less than $40 for a full day of train travel depending on which routes I choose.

I created a dream trip at the top of the post which shows the routes I would take if possible. It will be impossible to take all of those routes but if I can even reach half of them, it would be spectacular.

Below is some of the research I did to create this dream train router:

Train rides to consider:
https://www.eurail.com/en/plan-your-trip/trip-ideas/suggested-itineraries/one-month-europe-alternative-tour

The best of Italy
stop location Milan, Rome, Florence, Naples and

Discover the Mediterranean
stop location Barcelona, Nice, Genoa, Rome

Portugal and Spain
stop location Porto, Faro, Cadiz, Granada

France north to south
stop location Versailles, Bordeaux, Nice, Lyon

Journey to the Adriatic
Villa Opicina – Rijeka
a direct, regional train has been operating from Villa Opicina in Italy to Rijeka in Croatia, cutting through the southwestern corner of Slovenia along the way.

Chase the sun in Cornwall
Exeter – Penzance
England might not seem like the most obvious place to catch some offseason warmth – but Cornwall is one of the sunniest regions in the United Kingdom, enjoying a mild climate well into the autumn.

The quiet side of Italy’s coastline
Bari – Lecce
The stretch of Italian coastline from Bari to Lecce may not be as famous as Cinque Terre or Amalfi, but if you look closely, you’ll find plenty of pristine beaches, dramatic cliffsides and ancient towns to explore

Explore Portugal’s southern coast
Lagos – Vila Real de Santo António
Portugal’s southern coastline is a summer hotspot for travelers across the world. But our favorite time to visit is after August, when crowds disperse but temperatures stay comfortable enough to swim.

Slow down in seaside towns
Perpignan – Girona
Many travelers opt for high-speed rail when crossing from France into Spain. But, in doing so, they miss a spectacularly scenic railway line that stretches along the dramatic Mediterranean coast and winds through the foothills of the Pyrenees.

Discover a wild Baltic island
Greifswald – Świnoujście
Embark on an island adventure when you travel from Greifswald, in northern Germany, to Świnoujście, in Poland’s far northwestern corner.

An Andalusian adventure
Seville – Cádiz
Wandering through Seville is an experience to be savored, especially after summer, when temperatures drop to 24 and 25 degrees Celsius. With history around every turn and mouth-watering cuisine, it’s a perfect place to begin a Eurail adventure though southern Spain.

Cities recommended to train by train:

Ghent, Belgium Rotterdam, the Netherlands Leipzig, Germany Warsaw, Poland Budapest, Hungary Belgrade, Serbia Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Zagreb, Croatia Bologna, Italy Lyon, France

Europass! Travel Europe by train on the cheap!!

A few months ago, there was a 25% off sale on Europass train tickets. It was only for a few days but jumped at the opportunity. Above is the framework of my train travel!

I chose the ten-day pass over a two-month period for $390 USD. I just saw it on sale through December 17th:

https://www.eurail.com/en/eurail-passes/global-pass…

I will be in Europe for 42 days from the middle of March to the end of April. The pass can be used for one 24-hour period from the start of your journey after midnight (0:01) to the end or a new day pass is burned (23:59).

Since I plan to also do a lot of travel by plane on my all you can fly pass, I need to do a lot of Trains, planes and automobile planning.

Live life to the fullest!

#NorthAmericanDarrell