Happy Thursday!

I'm back from Europe, and WOW, what a trip! To say me and the girls had a great time would be an understatement.

We went to Prague, Berlin, Budapest, and Barcelona in 11 days, and while it was exhausting, it was SO WORTH IT.

I went to Prague in 2022 as part of my Christmas market trip, and it was great to be back. I love the city, and even though we only spent 24 hours there, I'm still a big fan of it. It's a great city to visit any time of year, and it's one of the cheapest, making it perfect for my fellow budget travelers.

Barcelona will always be one of my favorite places in the world, and I can't explain how special it was for me to go back with some of my best friends. I spent a summer in college studying abroad in Spain, and the weeks we spent in Barcelona were by far my favorite. (In next week's newsletter, I'll talk about how you can travel to popular tourist spots like Barcelona without contributing to the over-tourism issues)

That leaves Berlin and Budapest as the two "new-to-me" cities. The cities are hard to compare, but I loved them both.

In Berlin, you can see a lot of remnants of WWII, and even the vibe of the city seems to have grown out of the recent history there (for better or worse). While the history there is sad, it's plentiful and important to learn about. There is also the culture there, where the people are unapologetically themselves and welcoming of everyone, regardless of how you look or dress. I think Berlin would be a perfect stop on a Christmas market trip, as there are tons of museums to escape the cold, and I can imagine that the food at the markets in Berlin would be top-tier.

On the other hand, Budapest had some of the nicest people I've encountered while traveling. All the locals we met were happy to answer our questions, give us recommendations, and even share about the political climate in the country (in a respectful and open discussion). The food here was by far my favorite of the trip, and I can't wait to come back to Budapest and spend at least a week here, ideally in the spring or fall.

Unfortunately, I've been feeling a bit under the weather since I got back, so my YouTube video (Part 3 in Turkey) is not going up today, but there are nearly one dozen travel giveaways below for you to enter in the meantime!

Have a great weekend :)

Sarah

Some links in this email are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission if you click the link or make a purchase through the link. This is at no extra cost to you.

Travel Giveaways

​Southwest is giving away a trip to Nashville to enjoy a show at The Bluebird Cafe. Enter to win by August 31, 2024.

​Filter Buy is giving away a $10,000 flight voucher to one lucky grand prize winner. Enter to win by August 31, 2024.

​Kona is giving away trips for four winners to one of the Kona Aloha Houses (Park City, UT, and the Florida Keys) with roundtrip airfare. There are also first and second-place prize giveaways. Enter to win by August 31, 2024.

UK: delicious. is giving away a trip for two to the French Riviera, including flights and accommodations. Enter to win by August 31, 2024.

​Travel Fashion Girl is giving away three travel prizes, including a Women's Travel Fest ticket, a cabin stay, and more. All you have to do to win is comment on any travelfashiongirl.com blog post and fill out the form on the giveaway page. Enter to win by September 1, 2024.

​Dramamine is giving away a trip to Miami and a private yacht experience for four. Enter to win by September 2, 2024.

​Frontier Airlines is giving away 50 GoWild! Fall & Winter Passes, which give you unlimited travel to 85+ domestic and international destinations. Enter to win by September 2, 2024.

​Jeep and Vineyard Vines are giving away a one-of-a-kind Jeep Gladiator. Enter to win by September 2, 2024.

​The Seagate Hotel & Spa is giving away a two-night stay for two, as well as a round of golf and some gift cards. Enter to win by September 2, 2024.

​Southwest is giving away a trip every week this summer. This week's giveaway is to Miami, FL, including roundtrip travel for two, accommodations, and more. Enter to win by September 2, 2024.

​Ticket Smarter is giving away Tickets for Life to live events, plus gift cards. Enter to win by the end of the month for the most chances to win. Drawings take place on the last day of every month until December 2024.

YouTube

My latest YouTube video is coming next week! It's going to be a slightly longer one, so worth the wait :)

Make sure you subscribe to my channel!

Catch up on parts 1 and 2 here:

• ​Part 1: Istanbul​
• ​Part 2: Cappadocia​

Travel Sales

Ends today: Amtrak has one-way (northbound) fares for as low as $34. Book by the end of today for travel between September 9, 2024, and December 15, 2024 (blackout dates apply).

​Away Luggage is having a Labor Day sale with up to 15% off suitcases. I've used their suitcases for over three years and can't recommend them enough. Plus, they rarely have sales, so if you need new luggage, it's the perfect time to buy. The sale ends on September 2, 2024.

The EF Ultimate Break Summer Black Friday sale is almost over! This is your last chance to save up to 30% on 2025 trips. Read more about the sale, or save $100 on your first trip (on top of sale prices!).

Travel News

US Airports are expected to be extremely busy starting today for the Labor Day holiday. TSA expects to screen 17 million people this week; the peak day will be tomorrow, August 30. Read more here, and head to the airport early if you are traveling in the next week.

Travel expert Rick Steves just announced his prostate cancer diagnosis. Read more here.

Travel Insurance

One of the things I get asked about the most is travel insurance. Should you get it, and if so, which one?

You should have travel insurance, as you never know when things may go wrong. SafetyWing is my go-to for travel insurance because it covers so much, is easy to purchase for days or months, and is affordable.

Many credit cards also include travel insurance. I get SafetyWing on top of my credit card insurance.

Learn more about SafetyWing and the benefits of using them in my blog post about travel insurance.