kamadzu4

I'm planning a 10 day vacation to Europe in early September 2014 - fly out day 1 (arrive day 2 AM) and fly back on day 10. I'd like to do it in SkyTeam biz, definitely for TATL, and ideally for the intra-European segments as well. My budget for the air travel is about $4k and I'm originating in the ORD/MKE area.

Beyond that, I'm relatively flexible as to my destinations, since I haven't traveled much. Ideally, I'd like to hit 3 major cities on this trip, spending 2-3 days in each.

So far, of the cities I've put into ATA matrix, the least expensive round trips are to MAD, CPH, and ARN (around $3,300). However, I haven't been able to come up with a multi-city itinerary that strings these (or other) cities together without the fare exploding. Even when I tried 2 of these as an open jaw (and then purchasing the intra-European segment as coach separately), the price goes up.

What's the most cost-efficient way to approach this?

florin

I would recommend traveling light (carry-on only, if possible). Find a cheap RT to Europe and for the intra-EU travel there should be plenty of options. Spain is a popular vacation destination (because it's warm) and consequently there are tons of LCC options. Legacies often have low prices because of the competition. So you should be able to find cheap flights from MAD.

Don't bother with intra-EU biz; it's not worth it.

Consider trains as an alternative to flying within Europe.