FIRST CLASS travel to Portugal for less than $400

While in Portugal since I was only there for an extended weekend, I wanted to be as jam-packed as possible while still being inexpensive. A few activities: Rua da Santa Maria (Free), Monte Cable Car Ride (16 euros), Monte Palace Tropical Garden (Free), and Madeira Botanical Garden (Free). I decided the Saturday before I left, to do a day-long tour to see the island and spent $40. I live in Washington, DC, and I'm open to traveling from the major airports in New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. This particular deal was out of JFK and for only a $20 bus ticket, I saved $500 on a flight (not bad). So, I took the bus to New York and then hopped on a 7-hour flight to Portugal via Star Alliance partner TAP Air Portugal.

Now a week before takeoff, TAP Air Portugal emailed me and said that I could bid on a first class/business class seat. Bidding started at $100. I’ve never flown in business / first class, so I figured, I’d test my luck. I was approved the day before for the 2nd leg of my trip. When I got to NY I was upgraded from my basic economy seat to premium economy extra simply by being nice to the ticket agent. Hopped on the plane and headed to Lisbon for my layover.

Because I was business class for the 2nd leg of the journey to Madeira, I had access to the TAP Airport lounge – free food, snacks, wine, beer, and refreshments. I even got a quick nap in. Boarded the plane in first class and then headed to Madeira. The hotel I stayed in was the Pestana Carlton Madeira Ocean Resort Hotel. The hotel was $100 / night but because I am a Chase Sapphire Reserve card holder, I was able to get the room using Chase Rewards Points. So, I paid $0.

This goes back to my traveler’s points topic that I stress – HOTEL, AIRLINE, CREDIT CARD etc. rewards programs are a must. You get so many perks. So far, we’ve only spent about $335 - $200 on the flight, $100 on the upgrade, $20 on the bus to NYC, $0 on the room, and $15 on transportation to the airport. Next up: Activities.

While in Portugal since I was only there for an extended weekend, I wanted to be as jam packed as possible while still being inexpensive. A few activities: Rua da Santa Maria (Free), Monte Cable Car Ride (16 euros), Monte Palace Tropical Garden (Free), and Madeira Botanical Garden (Free). I decided on the Saturday before I left, to do a day long tour to see the island and spent $40 for that.

$400 is amazing for an international extended weekend. All in all, this was a cool trip. Once you factor in food, I paid about $375, the food being just alright. I did try this amazing burger spot though.

This was a good beginner’s solo trip for me. Madeira wasn’t for me though because it was definitely a place for the older crowd. It’s got a lot of natural beauty though. And a lot of history. If you want to just escape and can do so for $200, it's definitely worth it.