I'm leaving the US for the first time to see Taylor Swift in concert again. I'll likely spend over $1,500 on the trip, but I have no regrets.

01.09.2023 - 19:01 / insider.com / Taylor Swift

I've never left the US but I've wanted to go to Europe for a while — I've just been waiting for the right time.

When Taylor Swift announced the European leg of The Eras Tour, I figured it was now or never. I scored tickets to one of her 2024 UK shows and I've already begun making travel plans and saving money. 

I saw an Eras show in the US earlier this year, so I already know I'm going to be in for an amazing experience. 

I paid $218 for second-tier seats for an Eras Tour show in Atlanta back in April.

Like many other fans, I spent the weeks leading up to the show watching TikToks, following Swift's surprise songs, and planning my outfit. However, nothing could've actually prepared me for the colossal event.

Once Swift took the stage, a three-and-a-half-hour roller coaster of singing and choreography began. It blew my mind to think that she, her dancers, and her band had the stamina to perform for that long when I found it difficult just to stand in heeled boots for the whole show.

Though I was beyond grateful that I had the chance to attend the show at all, there was a part of me that felt like I needed a redo. I'd compare the experience to seeing a blockbuster movie and being so blown away that you don't have the time to take it all in until your second viewing. 

Fortunately, my second chance came when Swift announced she'd be adding a European leg to The Eras Tour. Immediately, I was worried about how I'd get tickets.

Our Atlanta tickets were tricky to get and required a bunch of my group to wait in Ticketmaster queues for hours. One of us got lucky and secured 200-level tickets for a little over $200.

To try to get UK tickets, I registered for presale codes for shows in London, Liverpool, and Edinburgh. I was waitlisted for all of them but a friend who lives in London got a presale code and scored tickets for us. 

My ticket for a 2024 London show cost $120, including PayPal currency-exchange fees. It's also in the second tier of the arena, just a little higher up than where I was sitting at the Atlanta show.

Because I knew I wanted to make a trip to the UK eventually, I'd been saving my airline points for close to a year.

When it comes to future expenses to see the London show in June 2024, I estimate I'll pay only $211 for my flight after I use some points. I plan to stay in the UK for more than a week, so I'm expecting my hotel to be my biggest expense. I estimate it'll cost about $2,200 total, but I'll be splitting some of the cost with a friend. 

At the moment, I know I'll be spending at least $1,500 on the trip and concert. 

I'll pay for food and other excursions once I get to London, but I think I'll be able to stay within my overall budget. Luckily, I'll have a year to continue to save up