1973A Passport & a Penny
A weathered travel journal and fountain pen on a folded map of Europe, with a 1973 Lincoln penny resting on a worn U.S. passport beside a Mediterranean train window

Authentic travel for real people

Come on.
Let’s go see
the world.

You don’t have to be rich to have an incredible adventure. You need an honest plan, a little nerve, and somewhere you can’t stop thinking about.

See the complete itinerary
Nice → Cinque Terre → Milan → Zaragoza → Barcelona

01 — The promise

Not luxury travel.
Real travel.

No vague “budget-friendly” promises. Here is the actual route, every booked bed and major transportation leg, and what the whole damn thing costs.

Actual booked costs Routes you can copy Places worth the detour

02 — October 18–31, 2026

Five stops.
Three countries.
Every receipt.

Fourteen days from Denver to the Riviera and across Spain.

ARRIVALNiceFrance

Oct 18–23

Nice

France · 4 nights

Old Town, sea air, and a Monaco day trip

Transportation

Denver → Nice · Barcelona → DenverBooked · arrives Oct 19 at 2:35 PM
$571
Nice ↔ MonacoRound trip · due at the window
$65.42

Lodging

Villa Saint Exupéry Beach$82.20 paid · $373.09 due
$455.29
ARRIVALLevantoItaly

Oct 23–26

Levanto

Italy · 3 nights

The quieter doorway to Cinque Terre

Transportation

Nice → LevantoPaid · 8:23 AM–2:59 PM
$45.50

Lodging

Affittacamere Il BorgoDue
$440
ARRIVALMilanItaly

Oct 26–27

Milan

Italy · 1 night

One fast, stylish city stop

Transportation

Levanto → MilanPaid · 10:40 AM–1:55 PM
$25

Lodging

Panda Hostel$48.56 paid · $104.11 due
$152.67
ARRIVALZaragozaSpain

Oct 27–29

Zaragoza

Spain · 2 nights

A pilgrimage to the Ecce Homo in Borja

Transportation

Milan → ZaragozaPaid · 12:20–2:10 PM
$56

Lodging

Hotel Pilar Plaza$147 paid · $46.31 due
$193.31
ARRIVALBarcelonaSpain

Oct 29–31

Barcelona

Spain · 2 nights

A final taste of Catalonia before flying home

Transportation

Zaragoza → BarcelonaPaid · 10:48 AM–12:29 PM
$37.50
Barcelona → DenverIncluded in the $571 airfare · Oct 31 at 12:25 PM
$0 extra

Lodging

Hostal Nitzs BCN$230 paid · $46.31 due
$276.31

03 — The complete cost

What the trip
actually costs.

Every amount is shown in U.S. dollars for one traveler. Euro balances use the September 2, 2026 reference rate of €1 = $1.1578.

Transportation

$800.42
Oct 18 & 31
Denver → Nice · Barcelona → DenverOpen-jaw airfare · booked
$571
Oct 20
Nice ↔ MonacoRound-trip ferry · due at the window
$65.42
Oct 23
Nice → LevantoTrain · paid
$45.50
Oct 26
Levanto → MilanTrain · paid
$25
Oct 27
Milan → ZaragozaWizz flight · paid
$56
Oct 29
Zaragoza → BarcelonaTrain · paid
$37.50

Lodging

$1,517.58
Nice · 4 nights
Villa Saint Exupéry Beach$82.20 paid · $373.09 due
$455.29
Levanto · 3 nights
Affittacamere Il BorgoDue
$440
Milan · 1 night
Panda Hostel$48.56 paid · $104.11 due
$152.67
Zaragoza · 2 nights
Hotel Pilar Plaza$147 paid · $46.31 due
$193.31
Barcelona · 2 nights
Hostal Nitzs BCN$230 paid · $46.31 due
$276.31

USD TRIP

Solo trip · transportation + 12 nights

$2,318.00
Transportation
$800.42
Lodging
$1,517.58

Euro charges are USD estimates and may shift slightly when processed. Food, attractions, local transit, and the not-yet-booked Borja day trip are not included.

04 — Past adventures

The trips that already became stories.

Real routes, real costs, and the ridiculous little details that made each trip mine.

See all past adventures

Rotterdam · Brussels · Prague · Amsterdam

Four cities, three countries and ten nights for $1,877.

Read the Europe story

Edinburgh · Skye · Highlands · Glasgow

I rented a tiny car and drove around Scotland.

Read the Scotland story
1¢

05 — Why the penny?

A small coin.
A very big world.

I’m Jamie—an electrical project manager, grandmother, unapologetic over-planner, and regular person figuring out how to see more of the world without waiting to become wealthy first. The penny is from 1973: my year, my reminder, and proof that small things can travel a very long way.