Fortunately, there are ways for Cheapos to get their art fix without breaking the bank. Here are five of my favorite ways to experience Paris’ best art for next to nothing.

Also read: A list of free and discounted museums in Paris

1. Don’t pass on the Paris Museum Pass.

Museum passes are not always worthwhile, especially if you don’t plan on spending much of your time strolling through marble corridors hung with paintings. However, consider purchasing the Paris Museum Pass if you’re thinking of spreading out your visit to the larger collections, like those of the Louvre or the Centre Pompidou, over several days.

A four-day Paris Museum Pass, for example, will set you back €54, but it gives you entrance to most of the city’s major museums and monuments and allows you to return as many times as you like over those four consecutive days. Bonus: You get to skip the lines!

2. First Sunday of the month is free.

On the first Sunday of every month many of the capital’s museums are free, so you can ogle Degas’ “Dancers” at the Musée d’Orsay or wander through Rodin’s statue-studded garden while saving your coin for an ice cream or a glass of wine afterward.

Crowd control tip: If you do choose to take advantage of this freebie, either steel yourself for the crowds of choose a lesser-known museum, such as the Musée National Jean-Jacques Henner or the Musée National Eugène Delacroix.

Bonus: Not in Paris on the first Sunday of the month? No problem! The Louvre offers reduced-price admission on all other Sundays.

3. Take advantage of afternoon and evening discounts.

Keep in mind that the Louvre’s entrance fee goes down to €5 after 3 p.m. (Regular admission is €11)

If you happen to be under the age of 26, the Louvre is free to you on Friday evenings, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Also check out La Maison Européenne de la Photographie, a beautiful museum in the Marais dedicated to the “8th Art.” It’s free on Wednesday evenings from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

4. Senior or student? Get your discount!

If you’re over 60 years old, you’re eligible for discounted admissions to most museums and monuments in Paris, so don’t be shy—flash that I.D. and sashay on through.

Youth has its perks, too: If you’re under 18, the Louvre is your oyster, all for free. (And it’s even better for residents of the European Union: The Louvre is free for everyone under 25!)

5. Be part of the gallery scene.

Art openings are a fun, refreshing way to see some art that may otherwise pass under your radar. Plus, they’re free!

Dozens of galleries dot the Marais neighborhood, particularly in the 3rd arrondissment, like Galerie Vanessa Quang, Galerie Jean-François Cazeau and Galerie Thessa Herold. These small, white-washed spaces frequently have openings, held in the evenings. Called “vernissages,” these previews usually offer a few nibbles, some wine, and plenty of art world drama.

Wandering through the narrow streets of the Marais on a summer evening, popping in and out of galleries as the sky turns first pink then lavender, and quaffing a couple of glasses of free Champagne is a favorite Paris Cheapo’s cultural night out. So go on an adventure and see what you find in this most arty of Paris neighborhoods.

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However, sometimes the weather may turn so sour that you’ll need to plan for an “inside” day. The following are some of the best things to do in San Francisco when the weather makes a turn for the worst.

1. California Academy of Sciences
55 Music Concourse Drive
Web site

If you get stuck in the rain at Golden Gate Park, this is the best place to spend the rest of your day. The California Academy of Sciences is a multi-faceted museum, one that can be easy to get lost in for the entire day. Not just a natural history museum, it also features an aquarium and planetarium.

If you’re visiting on Thursdays, stick around for the museum’s weekly nightlife, which includes snacks and adult beverages to enjoy while taking in all of its great offerings.

2. Ferry Building Marketplace
1 Ferry Building
Web site

The San Francisco Ferry Building is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the bay area. Dating back over 100 years, the Ferry Building stands today as an indoor market featuring some of the best food that San Francisco has to offer. Plan on going with an empty stomach, as you’ll want to follow the smells coming out of some of the different shops.

This also makes a good stop after lunch for enjoying premium chocolates from Recchiuti Confections or fresh coffee from Blue Bottle.

3. Ghirardelli Square
900 N Point St.
Web site

Just look for the big Ghirardelli sign near Fisherman’s Wharf to find this landmark. The square has a long history that dates back over 100 years as the headquarters for Ghirardelli chocolate. The indoor market features nearly 50 boutique shops and restaurants. If nothing else, let loose with an ice cream cone or some Ghirardelli chocolates.

4. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)
151 3rd Street
Web site

Since San Francisco is one of the most creative destinations in the world, it should come as no surprise to see the Museum of Modern Art on this list. Unlike most art museums, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is devoted exclusively to contemporary art. The collection includes over 25,000 different works of art, including paintings, photographs, statues and multimedia.

In between exhibits, enjoy a coffee served by one of San Francisco’s most popular coffee companies: Blue Bottle.

5. San Francisco Cable Car Museum
1201 Mason Street
Web site

A trip to San Francisco really isn’t complete without a cable car ride. However, before jumping on, learn a little more about their history and significance by visiting the San Francisco Cable Car Museum. The museum features exhibits that include cable cars that date back over 100 years. And did we mention it’s free?

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Compton: The Watts Gallery

This weekend (June 18, 2011) sees the long awaited reopening of the Watts Gallery in Compton. George Frederic Watts (1817–1904) was an artist whose work always struck more of a chord abroad than in his native England. So it was left to his wife, Mary, and a small band of Watts devotees in Surrey, to perpetuate the memory of the artist and his work.

The Surrey village of Compton is a wonderful spot, one that makes a perfect day out from London. And the newly refurbished gallery will surely be a crowd puller. Even if you don’t know Watts’ work, go and take a look.

And don’t miss the Watts Memorial Mortuary Chapel in the village. Both George Frederic and Mary are interred in the chapel, which is one of the most extraordinarily eclectic and magical buildings in England.

Compton is easy to reach. Trains run every 15 minutes from London Waterloo to Guildford, taking a shade over half an hour for the journey. From Guildford, it is a 12-minute ride on bus route 46 to Compton. Note that the connecting bus does not run on Sundays.

The gallery is closed on Monday, so this is an out-of-town trip best made anytime from Tuesday through Saturday. On those days the Watts Gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Turner Contemporary in Margate. Photo: Diamond Geezer

Margate: Turner Contemporary

Turner Contemporary is a newcomer to the visual arts scene which opened in April and is clearly inspired by JMW Turner’s sense of enquiry. The center’s opening exhibition runs till September 4, 2011 and brings together works by JMW Turner (1775-1851) with those of six of his contemporaries.

Margate, which is home to the Turner Contemporary, boasts impeccable Turner credentials, for the artist often visited the seaside town and was evidently much taken by the light and landscapes of the Kent coast.

The Turner Contemporary initiative is part of a wider renaissance of the Thanet towns, a point nicely celebrated in a neat newly-published pocket guide to Margate and its region. Discover Thanet is edited by Stewart Turner (no relation to JMW Turner, presumably!) and is an accomplished guide to a corner of England that really deserves to be much better known.

Margate is an easy journey from London. Just hop on one of the stylish hourly Javelin trains at London St. Pancras International for the 88-minute ride to Margate. There are also direct trains to Margate from Victoria, Charing Cross and Waterloo (East) stations in London. These all take longer, but are a little cheaper than the fast Javelin service.

Turner Contemporary is a ten-minute walk from Margate station. The gallery is open daily except Mondays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., with extended evening opening till later on Fridays. Admission is free.

The post Beyond London: Art in the provinces appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

The center of Dublin is packed with free museums–the following three options are less than a five-minute walk apart.

The National Gallery of Ireland
Merrion Square West, Dublin 2
website

When you first enter the National Gallery of Ireland, get yourself a map and head straight for the Jack B. Yeats gallery. These vibrant paintings hardly seem Irish–their intense colors seem to belong in another country. This gallery does an incredible job of showing how the artist progressed through the years.

After wandering through the many other galleries (check out the temporary exhibitions too) stop in the gift shop on the way out. Here you will find cheap postcards of the Jack B. Yeats paintings you can send to friends.

The National Library of Ireland
2 Kildare Street, Dublin 2
website

The National Library offers an exhibit devoted to a different Yeats brother: W.B. Yeats. Any fan of literature or poetry–or anyone looking to delve deeper into Irish culture–will want to explore this multimedia exhibit. Not only does it include artifacts (including the poet’s passport, handwritten poems and other memorabilia) but it also includes recordings, videos and more.

The most exciting part of the exhibit is an interactive experience. Walking up to a touch-screen, visitors have the chance to flip through the pages of the poet’s journals. You can zoom in, turn the page and try to decipher the Nobel Laureate’s scribbles. All for free.

The Natural History Museum
Merrion Street, Dublin 2
website

In Dublin, the Natural History Museum has a nickname: the Dead Zoo. This museum transports you back in time. The two floors of this ancient-feeling museum are packed with a huge variety of species–many indigenous to Ireland. The total collection of this museum reaches over two million specimens.

Some favorite exhibits include the Giant Irish Deer with massive antlers, stretching to 12 feet. Seeing the skeleton of this extinct species is striking when you first walk into the museum. Also be sure to check out the hundreds of butterflies, displays of birds you will find along Irish shores, and gaze up at the whale skeleton suspended from the ceiling.

More free museums

Beyond these three options, other free museums in Dublin include IMMA (the Irish Museum of Modern Art), the Hugh Lane Gallery of Art and the Chester Beatty Library.

The post Dublin’s Free Museums: 3 freebies in Dublin’s center appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

High on any visitor’s “must see” list when traveling to Madrid are the city’s fine art museums. The capital city is overflowing with classic, contemporary, abstract, expressionist and experimental art. What many may not know is that many of the best museums offer free admission–at least at some point during the week.

Here’s a quick overview of five of my favorite art museums in Madrid, and when you can visit them for free:

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia

Museo del Prado
Paseo del Prado s/n
Metro: Banco de España
Tel: +34 91 330 2800
Web site

The permanent collection houses works by El Greco, Ribera, Zurbarán, Murillo, Alonso Cano, Velázquez, Goya and more.

Free admission: Tuesday to Sunday 6 p.m. – 8 p.m., Sundays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Other free days: Constitution Day (December 6), November 19, National Holiday (October 12), May 2, and on International Museum Day (May 18).

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia
Calle Santa Isabel, 52
Metro: Atocha
Tel: +34 91 774 1000
Web site

Check out Picasso’s Guernica, Dali’s Figure at a Window, or Juan Gris’ Portrait of Josette Gris.

Free admission: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 7 p.m. – 9 p.m., Saturday 2:30 p.m. – 9 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Other free days include World Heritage Day (April 18), International Museum Day (May 18), National Holiday (October 12), and Constitution Day (December 6).

Museo Naval de Madrid
Paseo del Prado, 5
Metro: Banco de España
Tel: +34 91 523 8789
Web site

Interested in seeing treasures accumulated by Columbus, navigational instruments, or murals of routes taken by Spanish explorers? The Naval Museum is the place to feast your eyes on all things maritime at no cost.

Free admission every day. Open Tuesday–Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m

CaixaForum Madrid
Paseo del Prado, 36
Metro: Atocha
Tel: +34 91 330 7300
Web site

Located in the heart of the city center, Caixa Forum holds events and art exhibitions all year round. Read more about the CaixaForum on MapMagazine.

Free admission every day. The CaixaForum is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Museo Arte Público
Paseo Castellana, 40
Metro: Rubén Dario
Tel: +34 91 701 1863
Web site

You’ll find sculptures and installations at this completely free outdoor museum. Open since 1970, the museum offers collections from Andreu Alfaro, Rafael Leoz, Pablo Palazuelo and more. Best times to go are during the spring, summer and fall.

Free admission every day.

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Hang on to your hats, Cheapos. Follow our list and you can spend an entire week in New York museums without forking out a cent in admission fees!

Monday

Let it be known that many of the smaller museums are closed on Mondays. That being said, many do stay open, and some even for free.

The Museum at Eldridge Street (12 Eldridge Street, Manhattan) is worth visiting for the building alone. Adorned with spectacular stained-glass and 19th-century gas fixtures, the impeccably restored landmark building dates back to 1887, and its museum tells the story of generations of Jewish in New York. Admission is “pay what you wish” on Mondays from 10 am until 5 pm.

Monday is also the day to check out a “free all the time” museum:

At the Rose Museum on the second floor of Carnegie Hall (154 West 57th Street, Manhattan), you can dabble in a little music memorabilia.

Tuesday

If you’re after a bit of fresh air, you’re also, uh, free, to commune with the flowers at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (1000 Washington Ave, Brooklyn) every Tuesday during opening hours (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in winter months, until 6 p.m. from mid-March to mid-November). Admission, incidentally, is free on all weekdays in winter.

Wednesday

Wednesday is not the friendliest of weekdays to museum freeloaders in New York—or at least for those unwilling to leave Manhattan. If you head up to the Bronx, however, you can get free entry to the pre-Revoluntionary War Van Cortlandt House (Broadway at West 246th Street, Bronx). Washington himself (not to be confused with his life mask) is said to have sheltered there at the beginning and end of the war.

If the Bronx is too much of a schlep for you, today’s a good day to hit up museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the American Museum of Natural History. Both post suggested donations but technically have “open donation” policies every day.

Round out your Wednesday with some fine art at the Frick Museum (1 East 70th Street, Manhattan), housed in a gorgeous mansion. Pay what you wish is from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m.

Thursday

Thursday night kicks off a weekend of free museum festivities. Start it right with some contemporary art at the New Museum (235 Bowery, Manhattan), free from 7 pm until 9 pm.

If you didn’t get your fill at the New Museum, right across the street is the International Center of Photography (250 Bowery). Their exhibits are free on Thursdays starting at 6 pm.

Uptown, the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center is a cool public space with two vertical gardens, some impressive architecture and rotating art installations. Every week (including many Thursday evenings), there are performances open to the public at no charge. Free shows might feature anything from spoken word to country or world music, or talent from The Juilliard School, Jazz at Lincoln Center and more. In short, anything goes. Check this calendar of events to see what’s happening every night, and note that you should arrive early because capacity is limited for this popular event.

Friday

Welcome to the free museum free-for-all that is Friday night in New York City. Behold, Cheapos, the museum is your oyster:

Free admission or pay what you wish on Friday nights:

Museum of the Moving Image: 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.; 35 Avenue at 37 Street, Astoria, Queens

Museum of Modern Art: 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.; 11 West 53rd Street, Manhattan

Whitney Museum of American Art: 7 p.m. – 10 p.m.; 99 Gansevoort Street, Manhattan

New-York Historical Society: 6 pm. – 8 p.m.; 170 Central Park West, Manhattan

Cheapo pick: Or get a taste of the highbrow at the Morgan Library & Museum (29 East 36th Street, Manhattan), home to some of the rarest books and manuscripts in the world. Admission to the McKim rooms, a former private study of Pierpont Morgan himself, is free every Friday evening from 7 pm until 9 pm. Inside those gilded walls you’ll spot some of the lush original furnishings, along with precious items from the Morgan collection, including his life mask of George Washington (don’t go trying to steal that now) and copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Star-Spangled Banner.

Saturday

The massive art collection (and incredible architecture) at the Guggenheim (1071 5th Avenue, Manhattan) can be enjoyed for free on Saturday evenings from 5:45 p.m. until 7:45 p.m.

Other Saturday festivities are limited to once a month:

The Brooklyn Museum of Art (200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn) dominates first Saturdays, with free admission, plus live entertainment, from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m. Learn more here.

El Museo del Barrio (1230 5th Avenue, Manhattan) hosts “SUPER SABADO” on the third Saturday of the month, in all months except January and August. Admission is free from 11 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. and events range from film screenings to walking tours.

Sunday

For a livelier vibe, head uptown to the Studio Museum (144 West 125th Street, Manhattan) in Harlem, where Target Free Sundays grant free access to the vast and provocative collection of art, as well as access to special tours, talks and hands-on activities.

Do you have any tips for getting into museums for free? Share your comments below!

The post Free museums in New York: A calendar for every day of the week appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Here are a few museum discounts I’ve come across (or have already taken advantage of), followed by some additional Prague art museum and gallery cost-saving tips.

National Gallery (reduced every afternoon)
Various locations (see Web site)
Tel.: +420 224 301 024
Getting there: Malostranska metro stop
Hours: 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. (daily except Monday)
Admission: 80-150 CZK (adult), 40-80 CZK (reduced), free (first Wednesday of the month, 3 p.m.-8 p.m.)
Web site

Comprised of not just one gallery but rather of several, Prague’s National Gallery offers collections from the old masters, along with 19th-century, modern and contemporary art. Housed in some of the city’s most beautiful and historic buildings (works of art in themselves), the galleries offer a reduced price fare for the last two hours of every day (4 p.m. to 6 p.m.) as well as free admissions from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. every first Wednesday of the month.

Among its offerings, the Sternberg Palace—a Baroque landmark—displays European Art from the classic through the Baroque era. Veletržní Palace, the seat of the National Gallery, houses four floors of 19th- to 21st-century European and Czech art. The House of the Black Madonna, designed by Josef Gocár, is one of Prague’s finest examples of cubist architecture and home to the Museum of Czech Cubism.

Prague Castle Picture Gallery (free Monday afternoon)
119 08 Prague 1
Tel.: + 420 224 373 531
Getting there: Malostranska (line A). Then tram 22 or 23 to Prazsky Hrad.
Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. (summer), 9 a.m.-4 p.m. (winter)
Admission: 150 CZK (adult), 80 CZK (reduced), free (Monday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. during the summer)
Web site

Offering free admission every Monday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., the Prague Castle Picture Gallery features approximately 100 paintings that were part of the personal collection of Emperor Rudolph II. The roots of the collection go back to the 16th century and include works by Rubens, Titian and Codazzi. It’s a small but sweet collection that’s well worth seeing, and it provides another opportunity to see the famous Prague Castle.

Museum of Decorative Arts (free Tuesday afternoon)
17. Listopadu 2
Tel.: +420 251 093 111
Hours: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. (Tuesday), 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (Wednesday to Sunday)
Getting there: Metro line A, Tram Nos. 17 or 18, Bus 133 to Staromestská stop
Admission: 120 CZK (adult), 70 CZK (reduced), free (Tuesday evenings)
Web site

One of my favorite museums, Prague’s Museum of Decorative Arts offers free admissions every Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Housed in a beautiful Neo-Renaissance building, the museum showcases modern-day and historical crafts, as well as applied arts and design.

Just across the street is one of its branch museums, the Rudolfinum Gallery, which displays avant-garde and contemporary international art. The Rudolfinum Gallery is housed in the same buildings as the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra.

A special combined admission price to both the Museum of Decorative Arts and the Rudolfinum Gallery (180 CZK for adults, 100 CZK reduced) offers a significant discount.

Václava Špály Gallery (free Thursday night)
Národní 30
Tel.: + 420 222 356 213
Getting there: Národní Trída metro stop
Hours: Noon-8 p.m. (Tuesday to Wednesday and Friday to Sunday), noon-10 p.m. (Thursday)
Admission: 60 CZK (adult), 30 CZK (reduced), free (Thursday from 6 p.m.-10 p.m.)
Web site

With a concept centered on finding a link between contemporary art and the public, this private gallery offers free admission every Thursday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Offering some of the most interesting exhibitions in the city, Václava Špály presents the work of mainly Czech artists.

The Golden Ring – City Gallery Prague (free exhibit)
Tynska 6 Praha 1
Tel.: +420 224 827 022-4
Getting there: Metro A/B Mustek or A Staromestska
Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (Tuesday to Sunday)
Admission: 120 CZK (adult), 60 CZK (reduced)
Web site

One of the six exhibition spaces that comprise the City Gallery Prague, The Golden Ring presents Czech art from the 20th and 21st centuries. As is the case with the other branches of the City Gallery Prague, the gallery offers no special reduced price hours.

However, a new series focused on young and emerging Czech artists—called “Start-up”—is free. You’ll find it on the ground floor of this very unique space, which was originally two medieval buildings, now unified into one.

Bonus Museum Tips

 Most galleries and museums in Prague offer a family discount (you usually have to have one kid and two adults) as well as discounts for students, seniors and groups. Often, children under a certain age can get in for free. Check the Web sites of the museums and galleries that interest you.

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If you’re planning a trip to the Finnish capital, chances are you’ll see the Helsinki Card advertised as a must-have for visitor discounts. But at a hefty €34 for a single day of visits, the tourist pass is a bit of an investment for cost-conscious Cheapos. So, is the Helsinki Card worth it?

What it offers

The Helsinki Card includes free admission to 40 museums (including the wonderful Ateneum and Kiasma art museums), as well as unlimited travel on Helsinki’s tram, bus, and ferry system. The card also offers a free city tour and discounts on day trips to nearby city of Tallinn, Estonia.

For those planning on sampling some traditional Finnish culture, the card also offers discounts at a number of restaurants—and even the city’s famous swimming hall and sauna.

Cost

Here are the 2010 prices for the Helsinki Card:

24-hour Helsinki Card costs €34 (€13 for children under 16).
48-hour card costs €45 (€16).
72-hour card costs €55 (€19).

Should you buy it?

There are a number of things to consider before deciding if the Helsinki Card is worth the euros.

Firstly, do you plan on hitting up lots of museums during your stay? Helsinki museums charge around €8—and can skyrocket up to €16 in the event of a special exhibition (such as the Picasso event currently showing at the Ateneum).

Not so fast! Even if museums are a top priority for you, note that many museums offer free admission of the first Wednesday of the month. If you plan to visit more than five museums, or your thirst for Finnish culture can’t be quenched in one Wednesday, the Helsinki Card is your best bet.

Also worth considering is how often you’ll use transportation. Helsinki is a small city, and most sights are within walking distance of one another. That said, there are a few notable exceptions located outside the city center. To reach the famous Sibelius Monument or the seaside ice-swimming Rastila camp site, you’ll need to take the tram or metro. If you’re staying in the center of town, however, there’s no need to step aboard at €2.50 a pop; the city is best explored on foot.

The bottom line

Ultimately, a realistic sense of what (and how much) you plan to see in Helsinki should inform your decision. Keep in mind that the Helsinki Card is really only worth the euros if your trip is jam-packed with sightseeing and museum-visiting.

Tip: If you do buy this tourist pass, make sure to do so online, as you’ll save €3. If you’re considering a jaunt to Tallinn or the island fortress of Suomenlinna (also covered by the card), purchase the two- or three-day Helsinki Card, so you’re able to take advantage of the card’s discounts at a more leisurely pace.

The post Is the Helsinki Card worth it? appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

So that you know when it’s worth loosening those purse strings, here’s a guide to Berlin’s two most splurge-worthy museums complexes, the Museum Insel and the Kulturforum. And, of course, we’ll show you how to cut your costs.

Museum Insel: An art and architecture delight

A natural island nestled in the Spree, the Museum Insel (S-bahn: Hackescher Markt or Brandenburger Tor) consists of five museums housed in grandiose neoclassical buildings. You could save euros by simply strolling past the impressive exteriors, which feature columns, sculptures and double stone staircases, but it would be a shame to overlook the eight collections of artistic and archeological treasures located inside the Bode Museum, Pergamonmuseum (Pergamon Museum), Alte Nationalgalerie, and the Neues Museum.

Get the most bang for your buck at the world-renowned Pergamon, which features the walls of Babylon and other priceless artifacts that German archeologists dug up in Turkey and the Middle East in the early 20th Century (when the “finders keepers” mentality ran amok).

The talk of Berlin, however, is the newly renovated Neues Museum. Minimalistic interiors designed by British architect David Chipperfield provide a backdrop for the city’s Egyptian and pre- and early history collections. Not to be missed: a magical bust of Nefertiti that gives Mona Lisa a run for her money.

Cheapo style: Many Museum Insel museums boast free admission on Thursday evenings, four hours before closing (unless the museum is hosting a special exhibit). Normal admission costs between €8-10. Go ahead and skip special exhibitions, which cost extra (usually about €3): they usually aren’t worth the money.

The Kulturforum: Major exhibits and priceless paintings

Nestled just west of Potsdamer Platz’s sky rises, the Kulturforum (S-bahn & U-bahn: Potsdamer Platz) is a cluster of museums, libraries, and performance centers built in the 1960s and still going strong.

The two highlights are the Neue Nationalgalerie, a boxy, glass-sheathed museum designed by Mies von der Rohe, and the adjoining Museums für Europäische Kunst (Museums of European Art), a trio of three museums under one low-slung roof.

The Neue Nationalgalerie

Not only is the Neue Nationalgalerie an icon of modernist architecture, but the permanent collection of modern artwork by Max Beckmann, Salvador Dali, and dozens of other angsty European artists is among the finest in Europe. It is the museum’s stellar special exhibits, however, that make it not-to-be-missed on our list despite the steep admission (€12). Skipping a visit to the Neue would be like passing on the MOMA in New York or the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

Museums für Europäische Kunst

If you aren’t into the exhibit at the Neue, pop next door to the Museums für Europäische Kunst, its exterior a mélange of historic and contemporary architecture. Its three museums, the Gemäldegalerie (Painting Gallery of Old Masters), Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Decorative Arts) and Kupferstichkabinett (Museum of Prints and Drawings) are often overlooked by tourists, but we think they’re well worth the price of admission.

With its amazing collection of European art—including works by Botticelli, Caravaggio, Goya, and Rubens—the Gemäldegalerie is especially worth the splurge. If you hate sharing museums with hordes of tourists, this is the place for you: as the city’s best kept secret, it’s rarely (if ever) crowded.

Cheapo style: Individual admission to the Kulturforum’s museums is usually about €8 (€4 with a student card). But for the same price, you can score a one-day ticket that covers the above-mentioned museums, as well as the Kunstbibliothek (Art Library) and the Musikinstrumenten-Museum (Music Instrument Museum). The pass doesn’t include admission to special exhibits. Like the Museum Insel museums, admission is usually free four hours before closing.

When the Neue has two special exhibits on tap, a combination ticket goes for €12. Most of the time, exhibits set up in the main, glass-lined hall because they’re small and easy to check out from the lobby. It’s the larger, basement-level exhibits that are (usually) worth the price.

For museum buffs: The three-day Museum Pass

Note: If you’re a major culture buff (and have the capacity to take in a lot of art and artifacts in 72 hours), you should spring for the three-day museum pass that covers all of the city’s government-run museums, which includes all of the above-mentioned museums and then some. It will set you back €19 (€8.50 for students), but it will end up saving you tons of money—as long as you do some major museum hopping. The pass, however, doesn’t include admission to special exhibits.

The post Berlin: The must-see museums of Museum Insel and Kulturforum appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Enter Fiesole, a charming village on Florence’s doorstep.

How Fiesole Came to Be

A former walled city founded by the Etruscan civilization in the 7th century BC, the city of Fiesole is best known as a Roman colony and military nemesis of its neighbor Florence.

Its altitude above the hills and strategic location for surveying the region’s rivers made it a prized jewel for conquerors, namely the Romans who eventually made Fiesole a colony in 90 BC. In the early Middle Ages, Fiesole was more powerful that Florence, and the two cities fought several wars. Over time, Florence won the city over, which led the rich residents of Renaissance Florence to build their villas in Fiesole.

How to Get There

Take public transit bus no. 7 from Florence for a short 20 minute ride up through twisting Tuscan roads. You can check bus schedules at ATAF.net.

For the brave wishing to save, there are trails leading downhill back to Florence. The tourist office just off Fiesole’s main square (Piazza Mino) where the bus drops you off will be able to give you more information about walking trails and things going on.

What To Do in Fiesole

One good reason for visiting Fiesole is to take in its awesome view of Florence. Its altitude of almost 1,000 feet will allow you to peer over Florence from either of Fiesole’s two peaks: the S. Francesco or the S. Apollinare. I recommend enjoying a picnic just below the San Francesco Monastery to take in Florence’s panorama. Pass by the Coop supermarket just off Piazza Mino for picnic supplies instead of sipping an overpriced soda at one of the cafés lining the piazza.

Be sure check out Fiesole’s Roman theatre, which hosts outdoor plays, films and concerts in the summer evenings. Access to the Roman theatre and adjoining archeological site will cost you around €6, which isn’t too expensive for the city’s main attractions.

Other attractions include the Cattedrale di San Romolo (the town’s Duomo), the Museo Bandini (whose collection includes pieces by Michelangelo) and the Museo Missionario Francescano Fiesole (below the San Francesco Monestary), where you’ll find more Etruscan and Roman archeological treasures.

Did you Know?

Herman Hesse, the Nobel Prize winning author of “Siddhartha” and “Steppenwolf” often spent time in Fiesole, as he felt inspired by both the Fiesolan countryside and its residents.

Useful Links

Fiesole Tourism Site
City of Fiesole Main Site
Fiesole Cultural Program

The post Fiesole: A Peek into Florence appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.