Fly Around The World For The Price Of A Starbucks
How many times have you been on a plane last year? How many flights will you take this year? At a time where European low-cost airlines sell round trips for 10 euros, flying has never been more accessible. You can literally buy a plane ticket for the price of a Starbucks. Your choice.
Flying more each year by itself will not contribute to more happiness and self development. In fact, flying can be pretty stressful and have the exact opposite effect of relaxation. But it’s where you are flying to and what you are flying for that will contribute to developing new horizons.
“Flying more each year” means “traveling more each year”. Take a weekend to Italy, from Belgium. A Brussels-Milan round trip from Friday night to Sunday night will set you back 50 euros. Nothing can beat that price/efficiency ratio. Taking your car will take you 20 hours of driving and set you back over 200 in gas. The train will probably take even longer (with connections) and cost twice the price.
Of course, 50 euros is only the price of the ticket. You will still need to pay for Airbnb, maybe a car rental, and food. But traveling has never been cheaper, and you should take advantage of it. Why? Because it will relax you, release the pressure, make you experience something completely fresh and different than your weekly routine. It will be great, much better than that 6-dollar iced coffee you get everyday at Starbucks. Doesn’t that get boring?
Traveling is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.
Long haul flights are outside of the scope of this article. They still cost hundreds of dollars, and planning a one month vacation is a whole other deal than a quick weekend getaway. But they still make you richer.
Long-term “intense” traveling is priceless. It will completely change your vision of the world, make you step out of your comfort zone. It will also make you more knowledgeable and open-minded.
The tool
Okay, traveling more and a bit randomly sounds cool, but how do you do it? Where do you get the tickets? You use a flight finder tool. There are a lot of options that essentially all do the same thing. The best one out there is Skyscanner. It has the best interface, which makes it super easy to find the best deal in no time.
Go to skyscanner.com, enter your departure airport and your destination. Don’t know where to go? No problem, select “Anywhere” in the drop down menu. Next, select your dates. Not sure? That’s okay, you can select only a specific month to give you an idea of the prices around that time. You can also select the cheapest month available.
Bear in mind that if you want to bring an extra suitcase you will have to pay more than the prices displayed on those online tools. These websites display the cheapest options possible, meaning with zero extra. But who needs 2 suitcases for a weekend getaway anyway?
Iced coffee or Italy?
There you have it. Italy or elsewhere, I once saw a round trip from Brussels to Copenhagen for 10 euros with Ryanair. That’s the price of 2 lattes. Next time you stop by Starbucks for your morning coffee, think of the price of a weekend round trip. Maybe you’ll reconsider your purchase and spend the money on something more valuable to your well-being.
