2018 Trip - Cherry Blossoms in DC with Mom + Sisters

My mom, sisters and I are going to see the cherry blossoms in DC this April! You can come too, just not with us. But I/we did the research. Believe me, it was not easy to agree with six (+baby sister) very strong, educated, and ambitious girls. Each person did their own research of how it was best traveled and it took us two days to finally get the ball rolling. Here are the costs so far:

• $99 – roundtrip flight from Chicago (ORD) to Baltimore (BWI) with Spirit, Saturday morning to Monday morning. It’s cheaper to fly from major airports and “shitty” airlines. In addition to that, a $40 rebate popped up after my purchase. When I called the phone number to get directions about how to get it, they asked if I fly Spirit most of the time and I said yes, so they my rebate changed to $50. Sounds nice, but it does require some effort to get it. 1) Must be enrolled in their FUN program for $1 the first month and $16.99 after 2) The rebate will only mail or be active if the membership is active too. 
• $7/way – Train from BWI to DC, where the cherry blossoms is 
• $25/night lodging – $150/night split by 6. Yes, we are sharing a room 
• $6/day car parking
• =$181 and potentially -$50 rebate = $131 for the bare cost to get to DC. 

Other costs that haven’t been calculated and will vary by traveler:

• Uber/taxi fees
• Food
• Admission fees 

FLIGHT: Our flight is flying Saturday morning. The ORD group didn’t want to go on Friday night because we didn’t want to land at midnight, just to sleep over there. Not just that, it was a bit more. So if you find yourself in a situation like that, you can decide if you want to save cost or be prepare for the next day, which was the other group flying from MSP.

TRANSPORTATION: One huge topic we couldn’t decide on was rent or uber/taxi. A lot of travel sites and video suggest to avoid driving yourself at all cost. I think it makes sense if you’re traveling in a group under 4. For our group of 8, I still stand that it’s the same cost, therefore I would choose a car rental. However, we are moving forward with no rental.

BOOKING FLIGHT TIPS: 1) If you choose your own seat, there is a charge, at least with Spirit Airlines. My sisters and I choose to save $11 each way by not sitting with each other; we all gon get there. I wouldn’t advise this if you’re flying for the first time ever in your life. 2) If you’re sitting separate anyway, I also recommend purchasing them separate. I was able to get two special pop up offers with two different transactions. That’s really nice if it’s a rebate, which make sure you’re using two different addresses too. Most rebates are 1 per household. 3) Always do any kind of reservation in private/incognito mode. Supposedly the sites track your ip and change the rates if they see you’re visiting often. 4) Book directly with the airlines once you’ve compared your prices. If you want to read more tips about flight purchases, click here

I think I am a great traveling person/buddy. I adjust to anything and any plans. Some people have die hard plans that they have to meet. For me, I just want to get out there. I told my sisters that I have no care to see cherry blossoms, our main purpose, if that’s what it comes down to. I hate the idea of getting mad over an agenda; this ain’t a job.

Why cherry blossoms? My oldest sister wanted to see it, I think. She’s always been in love with it from a young age. I just like seeing new places.

Thanks for tuning in. I can’t wait to write the after trip entry of how everything went, lol. Seven girls with brains going on a trip is going to be a lot of educated recommendations and preference.