BIG DEAL: Most flights to major European cities are really cheap right now for end of November, December, and January! Go check it out and book a weekend away – you deserve it! But for now, I will tell you how I booked a five day trip to Rome for under £300.

Flights – Ryanair has some great deals right now. I also looked at a few Spanish cities, but ultimately decided on Rome because it’s been one of my dream cities to visit for decades (I am a nerdy ancient Roman history stan). I booked five days, four nights roundtrip for £25 on Ryanair.

Accommodation – HostelWorld is a traveller’s best friend. I thought about Airbnb, but I want to be somewhere social, where I can meet other travelers. I’m not going by myself (my roommate is joining me!), but even if I were, I would book a hostel. I like HostelWorld because of the rating system. Travelers rate the hostel on Cleanliness, Value for Money, Location, Atmosphere, Facilities, Security, and Staff so you really get an all around feel for the place you will be staying. It also has tons of pictures of the place – common spaces, bathrooms, beds, etc. You can search by map, price, rating. Overall, I think it’s a great site and would recommend for booking hostels. I was able to book mine, a female only dorm room, for £15 per night. That’s £60 total for accommodation, bringing us to £85 so far.

Attractions – Obviously the Colosseum is number one of my list of things I want to do while in Rome. And as a member of the International Council of Museums, I get free entry (saving me 12 euros). This card also gets me free entry to the Vatican Museums, as well as almost any other museum and special exhibition in Rome. This means attractions are basically £0, but I’ll budget £15 just in case.

Food – Most websites say you will spend on average £30 a day on food while on vacation. This can vary heavily depending on where you choose to eat and if you choose to drink alcohol. Based on this average I will budget £150 for food. Let’s see if I can come in under that!

This brings my total budget to £250, give or take depending mostly on the food budget. That’s not bad for a five day trip. As a young professional, not making too much money, it’s important for me to be able to find affordable vacations. As you all know, I love to travel, discover new places and experience different cultures. I try my best to save a little every month (last month I was able to save £56), which makes paying for vacations like this one a bit easier. If you’re like me, then I recommend looking out for these deals and traveling during the off season (Rome isn’t going to be sunny and hot, but it’s still Rome!).

Dana’s Do’s:

1. Subscribe to The PointsGuyUK (or US) to keep up to date on the latest airline deals.
2. Book in the off season to get the best deals.
3. Stay flexible on the days and times you can travel (as much as you can with your holiday time).