should i pay $200 to extend my europe trip?

So here’s the situation: I’ve been planning my first-ever solo trip outside the States, and I’m honestly both excited and a little nervous. My original plan was to spend 5 days in Paris, then squeeze in both Ireland and Portugal over a 12-day stretch. I booked the cheapest flight I could find, which, of course, means zero flexibility. Now, I just realized I actually have enough paid time off to add two more days to my trip. But when I called the airline, they said it would cost me $200 to change my return flight from Sunday to Tuesday. Here’s the kicker: I just got a $200 tax refund—almost like the universe is tempting me. But is it really worth spending that money just for two extra days in Europe? Part of me thinks, hey, when will I get another chance like this? But another part of me is annoyed that airlines nickel-and-dime us for every little change. I mean, $200 just to come back two days later? That’s a nice dinner or a few museum tickets right there! Has anyone else been in this situation? Did you cough up the extra cash, or did you stick to your original plan? If you had two more days in Paris or Porto, what would you do with them? Or would you save the money for another trip? I’d love to hear your stories—especially if you’ve ever regretted not extending a trip, or if you felt like the extra days weren’t really worth it. Sometimes I feel like less is less stress, but then again, who knows when I’ll be back in Europe? #travelquestions #europeadventure #solotravel #vacationplanning #traveldecisions #Travel