Three European countries in just three days. Well, technically we set foot in four countries, but one was just a layover. But still, can you believe we did that?! Everyone thought we were crazy, but what better way than to celebrate finally getting engaged? 

Not to mention that roundtrip tickets were less than $300…

*scroll to the bottom to see how we got the tickets cheaper by buying them in a different language

Yup, you heard that right. Flying to Europe in the dead of winter is often times the cheapest way to fly there. Norwegian airlines are the way to go. Remember how I mentioned there needs to be sacrifices to traveling? Well, this is one of them! 

*A good time to find these tickets is usually in September, so just a few months before the winter months.

Because man was it cold. But oh so worth it. 

So, early January on a late Saturday evening at Las Vegas McCarren Airport we boarded our twelve-hour flight to Stockholm Sweden. We flew with my in-laws but had a different itinerary than them. Only the young and brave and kid-less should attempt a trip like this… 

How we dressed/packed:

For a trip like this, we packed only the bare minimum in our own individual backpacks that fit under the airplane seat. Hubby wore the Cotopaxi bag which is a FANTASTIC travel bag, just a little pricey, and I wore the brown Gearonic. (the only complaint I had about mine was that I wish it’d had more plush shoulder straps. When you’re carrying your heavy bag on your shoulders for hours at a time, it can really make them sore.) But both bags had amazing pocket options and lots of room.

To save room in our bags, we wore multiple layers on the plane. I’m talking thermals under jeans. Two layers of socks in our snow boots. Under shirt, t-shirt, long sleeve, sweater and puffy winter jacket. It may seem like a lot but it’s manageable and as soon as you get on the plane you can strip off your outer layers. The planes are cold anyways, so those extra clothes make good pillows. 

And we definitely put those layers back on once we deboarded the plane. Talk about single digit temperatures!

*Ross stores is a fantastic place to find thermals and thick socks, as well as other Winter clothing at a good price if they’re in season. Waterproof jackets are a must and it’s ideal to find something with a warm, thick inner lining.

These were my shoes for this trip, and I bought them at Macy’s on sale. Hubby found his boots at Burlington Coat factory. Find something flexible yet sturdy and warm inside – waterproof and snow proof is a must. Definitely break in the shoes a good bit before your trip by taking them on a hike or just wearing them every day for a week or two. This is essential to knowing how well they’ll hold up for you for your trip where you’ll be walking a significant amount.

Landing in Stockholm, Sweden, there was snow on the ground, and it was late in the evening. We quickly traveled to our hotel by taxi, dropped off our stuff, and the hubby and I set out on foot to explore the city.

Not once did we feel in danger. It was so cold outside that almost nobody was walking the streets, but the mall was well packed. (we only dropped in for donuts and hot chocolate) 

We managed to see quite a bit in the few hours at night in the dark, and it was so fun exploring on foot beside the one you love. Though I’m certain we would’ve enjoyed the colorful buildings of the Gamla Stan in person it was still just as magnificent at night. Especially with the large Christmas tree displayed in the middle of the cobblestone square and the string of Christmas lights. I can’t tell you enough how fun it is to travel Europe during Christmas time. There’s so many beautiful decorations! 

Through these narrowly packed buildings, we found a narrow stairway leading downwards and along the walls was hand painted street art. Our own picture is such terrible quality so here’s one from the internet!

The Royal Palace was a cool sight to see in the dark, but we sure got a scare once we noticed the very silently standing guard at the gate who didn’t say a word to us because he was just on duty. Funniest moment of the night! 

We were able to glimpse at the large Vasa ship in the water and pretended sing in front of the famous Opera house before we found our way back to our hotel for a good night’s rest. 

We rose in the early morning and took a taxi back to the airport. From there, we boarded the plane to Manchester, England for country #2. We flew to Manchester to see a couple friend that took us on a tour through the cute city. On foot again, it was luckily less snowy but certainly rainy. Nothing an umbrella couldn’t fix! And it was daytime so that was a plus ha ha.

One of our favorite sites in Manchester was the John Ryland’s library which had a beautiful display of old artifacts and architecture. There were also very many cool finds in the gift shop that we definitely didn’t pass up.

For lunch we ate authentic fish and chips at Mr. Thomas’s Chop House. We passed by many beautiful cathedrals and old buildings (I LIVE for old, beautifully etched buildings in Europe). And we couldn’t pass up the opportunity for “teatime” at an actual tea house café. It was such a fun day! Evening came before we knew it and it was time to board the plane once more. Next stop: Oslo, Norway.

But first, we had a layover. 

Our first flight was extremely short, but it took SO long to get off the jet way. By this time, we were exhausted so even though the plane was stand-still for a good forty-five minutes, we slept for every minute of that. Eventually the plane took off and we landed in Brussels, Belgium but we were very panicked because we had just minutes to run to our next flight and board before it took off. 

But because we were flying from country to country, we still had to go through customs. Oh, customs, how you suck so bad. The only good thing about you is getting a passport stamp to fill up our books. 

I was forced to throw away a few hygiene items in security because it wouldn’t fit inside the tiniest sandwich bag. But oh well. Sacrifices must be made, and I could always replace what I lost later! 

We broke out into a dead run as soon as we went through customs, trying to make it to our next flight while they literally were calling our names over the intercom. No joke – it was the most hilarious and nerve-wracking thing we’ve ever done. But a memory we’ll never forget! (insert laughing emoji here)

We rested on this next flight to Oslo and when we landed, we boarded a bus to our hotel where our in-laws were already settled and checked in. It was below freezing temperatures, but we didn’t plan to brave the city at night. Instead, we ate like two big men at the dinner buffet before crawling into bed and sleeping the night away. 

Early morning rose and the in-laws left. Their next destination was the northern lights but ours was home. But not before we saw the city of Oslo, Norway. With a few solid hours before our flight, we bundled up and set out on foot. The snow was well packed on the ground here, but by this time, we were used to it. And Oslo was so beautiful! With beauties to see at every turn, we took so many photos and marveled a lot. 

We walked the cobblestone road lined with snow piles and shops opening up for the morning. We saw the iconic Tiger statue and took a photo in front of the Royal Palace as well as the St. Olav’s Catholic Cathedral (I’m a sucker for a cathedrals). We also walked through a beautiful park with a water fountain, and more statues. There was so much to see! We really wanted to go to the Vigeland park, but time wasn’t on our side. We recommend it for anyone who plans to go in the future. 

Before long, it was time to head back to the airport for a long flight home.

Though we wished we could stay longer, we felt that our trip had not been in vain. We’d managed to see so many sites in such a short amount of time and create so many memories that would last us a lifetime. In the airport, I bought a brick of milk chocolate (best chocolate I’ve ever had to date) and ate half of it before the plane even took off. (no regrets)

Our favorite thing to do on trips is bring home really cool souvenirs. So we really take this seriously when we travel by always looking for the best stuff, specifically something hand-painted, so that we could begin a collection of these items that we would share with our kids later on in life. We’re happy to say that our “travel wall” at home is well packed.

Do we recommend flying to Europe for only three days? Probably not, but at least you know it’s possible! Though if you are feeling ambitious and only have time for a short trip then you might as well do it! We can certainly promise it’d be something you’ll never forget. 

-The Nelsons

*buying tickets in a different language. Hubby is too smart for his own good and decided to try buying the tickets in a different language on the actual airline website. Simply click on whatever country you want which will change the language as well as the currency, so it can be a little tricky to navigate but that’s what Google translate is for.

It’s important to check at least 4-5 different currencies to see which one would be the cheapest and you have to let your bank know what you’re doing before purchasing with your card – it’ll likely get rejected if you don’t.

This requires you to have to select your flights and baggage info in the other language but if you’re familiar with purchasing tickets online, it’s pretty self-explanatory.

Happy traveling!