1. Paris Plages
July 20 – August 18

From the banks of the Seine to the banks of the Canal in the 19e arrondissement, those looking for a bit of reprieve from the heat need search no further than Paris Plages. Kids and adults can enjoy the various activities (think line dancing) and relaxed atmosphere that are both so quintessentially un-Parisian. Bring a towel, a picnic, and some SPF as you relax on the imported sand beaches and imagine yourself on the Riviera at no cost.

Skip to the loo, then take a seat for “Cinema en plein air”. Photo: Fabrice Paulmier

2. Outdoor Cinema
July 24 – August 24

The Cinéma en Plein Air at Parc de la Villette offers everyone the chance to kick back at night in front of a giant inflatable movie screen. Picnic supplies and a blanket are a must. Films for the summer of 2013 include “Milk,” “The Social Network,” “Ocean’s Eleven,” and of course some French films that you may not know, but will happily become familiar with.

Note: Plan a bathroom break before hand, as meandering through the crowd in the dark is both difficult and, frankly, annoying.

3. Picnic with the locals

It goes without saying that Paris is a giant picnic in the summer. Along the river or in any of the gorgeous parks like Buttes Chaumont or Montsouris, there is no better way to cozy up to the locals than to pack some bread, cheese, and charcuterie. Bring a bottle of wine, but “forget” your opener – it’s the perfect excuse to talk to that oftentimes-attractive group of Frenchmen/women next to you.

Get to the sales early and don’t forget to hydrate! Photo: Galinette

4. Soldes!
June 26 – July 30

Those looking to do some shopping in Paris should wait until the biannual sales, or “soldes,” that take place in the winter and the summer. But this shopping is not for the faint of heart. Hydrate well and bring an attitude as you’ll be scrambling among more seasoned Parisian clients who are used to the huge lines and scattered goods.

Check out smaller boutiques near the Canal St. Martin or in the Marais and avoid the department stores if you’re not a crowd person. (More tips on making the most of Paris’ bi-annual sales.)

5. Off-Broadway in Paris
June and July

Opera and ballet are great, but sometimes expats and tourists yearn for a good old-fashioned American musical. American Musical Theater Live! is introducing the Off-Broadway genre to Paris with “Edges” and “The Last 5 Years”, both debuting this summer. They are in English, with international casts, and tickets are affordable for musical theaters (try getting a €20 ticket in the West End easily!). The shows will play at the Auguste Théâtre in the 11^th arrondissement and are definitely worth checking out.

6. The Titanic Exhibit
June 1 – September 15

Twenty-one passengers boarded the Titanic when it docked at Cherbourg, and 16 survived the sinking. The boat’s story, however, is intriguing to all nationalities, and the traveling exhibit of artifacts is coming to Paris. On Monday, tickets are cheaper than the rest of the week. It may not scream, “Summer in Paris!” but excitement is subjective, right?

Music performances, planned and otherwise, take to the streets throughout Paris during the Fete de la Musique on June 21. Photo: Boklm

7. Music Festivals
All summer

Summertime turns up the soundtrack in Paris with multiple festivals. While not all are a free, the Fête de la Music on June 21 allows musicians to play all over the city into all hours of the night.

Also check out the Jazz Festival at the Parc Floral (June 8 – July 28) or get tickets to either Solidays (June 28-30) or Rock en Seine (June 23-25) for more contemporary artists. Read more about the city’s music festivals.

8. Frozen treats

When it’s hot, well, we want something cold. Sure, you can wait in line at Berthillon for some classic French ice cream, but there are plenty of other options:

• A new frozen yogurt boutique, Baci Bisous, has opened by the Canal just in time for summer. (25 rue des Vinaigriers, 75010)

Hurry up, it’s melting! Photo: cameronparkins

• Try the various flavors of Chacun ses Goûts and add toppings to your own yogurt creation as you wish. (4 rue Geoffroy l’Angevin 75004)

• In the Upper Marais, Mary’s Gelato (1 rue Dupuis 75003) is whipping up some of the best Italian sorbets you’ll taste, just down the street from equally delicious Pozetto (39 rue du Roi de Sicile 75004) and their signature chocolate-hazelnut or pistachio gelato.

Read more of about Paris’ best ice cream and gelato options.

9. Bastille Day
July 14

From the Firemen’s parties (“bal des pompiers”) to the military parade down the Champs Elysées, July 14th is a huge party in Paris, even if it celebrates the beginning of an unfortunately bloody revolution. But fireworks! Bag a non-alcoholic picnic (they check bags for spirits – let’s keep it family-friendly) and head to the Champs de Mars at the foot of the Eiffel Tower for one of the most stunning spectacles ever. Just don’t be in a rush to get out afterwards. The thousands of spectators are very carefully funneled through controlled exits, so it takes a few moments – or hours. But it’s worth it!

10. The Great Exodus: Parisians leave
August

In August, the migration begins as locals ship out and Italians, Americans, Russians, and just about any other nationality interested in Paris fill in the café seats left behind. It’s an odd feeling to see so many local places closed while major tourist addresses are inundated, but it’s also refreshing. A week or two of calm in most non-central neighborhoods does a person good. Head to the 19^th, the 17^th, or the 15^th during this time to see what a Parisian ghost town feels like! (Read more about visiting Paris in August–without Parisians.)

Your favorite reasons for visiting Paris in the summer?

Have something to add to our list? Tell us about it in the comments section below.

Also in our guide: If you are planning to head to Paris this summer and looking for an affordable place to stay, be sure to stop by our guide to recommended budget hotels. Our editors have inspected, reviewed and photographed every recommended hotel in our guide.

The post Paris: 10 reasons to visit Paris this summer appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Neighborhoods around town have seemingly emptied out and the usually crowded parks and picnic spots have a surplus of vacant space for those left behind. Welcome to Paris in August.

Related: When’s the cheapest time to visit Europe?

The benefits of visiting Paris in August…

While not the ghost town the city once was reputed to be during the August break, there are still many perks to visiting Paris with slightly fewer Parisians.

First off, more local, less touristy neighborhoods feel downright deserted. For example, the banks of the Canal St-Martin are quieter, leaving more space to stretch out with a bottle of wine and some beers on the hot summer evenings. The lines for a Pink Flamingo pizza are short, meaning less wait time as you grip your balloon, eagerly anticipating the delivery boy who brings a pizza to you on the canal’s banks.

Jogging and sunbathing in the city’s lesser known parks are simply marvelous in August. The park Buttes Chaumont in the 19th arrondissement is only half filled with a few stragglers; the packed lawns are showing more green than ever as the sprinklers work their magic across large empty swatches of lawn. A sunny July day would have told a different story.

And then there are the restaurants. After calling ahead for a reservation at a usually filled-up establishment in the heart of Paris, I was surprised to arrive with my guests and find our voices to be the only ones echoing from the walls during the lunch hour. While the super-trendy restaurants may still have long waits, many restaurants that remain open during the August vacation will be overjoyed to have your business.

…and the downsides of an “empty” Paris in August

However, when the Parisians head to the beaches and country homes, they take their shop keys with them. The downside to having a Paris without locals is a seemingly endless list of closings from my favorite bakery to my favorite pastry shop.

Shopping becomes difficult as clothing boutiques, chocolate shops, and fromageries all shut their doors for several weeks. Even famed ice cream parlor Berthillon takes a summer vacation (though their ice cream is still available from second-hand sellers across the Ile St-Louis!).

While not the ideal period to see Parisians in their natural state, August can be a magical time to traipse the streets of the city, which seem like they belong to you and you alone. While the city dwellers are off soaking up in the sun in Tunisia or Cannes, those of us left behind will take advantage of the added calm, the slightly cheerier aura, and the subtle but marked decrease in dog poo on the sidewalk that signals vacation time for the locals.

At the end of the month, all of the Parisians will come flooding back, the parks will fill up again, the stores will reopen, and there is a much greater chance that you will step in some merde by mid-September as the canine Parisians resume their daily routines. But hey, they say it’s good luck in some parts of the world…

Also in our guide: If you’re heading to Paris in August or any other month, be sure to swing by our hotel guide to read reviews of our favorite budget hotels in the city. We inspect the best affordable hotels, then recommend only those that we feel are a good deal.

The post Paris without Parisians: The pros and cons of visiting Paris in August appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Luckily for you, Florence does have plenty open in August. The main tourist attractions and centrally located restaurants and shops generally remain open to meet the demands of summer visitors. In fact, you’ll find there are many advantages to visiting this picture-perfect city during this hot month.

Here are a few of my favorite reasons to head here and stick around (if you can stand the heat, that is…).

Less crowds and commotion

While the amount of tourists visiting the city remains more or less the same, almost all Italians are on vacation in the mountains or on the beach. While you may miss out on some interaction with the locals, you will benefit from the ease of an empty city, very quiet weekends and less hustle and bustle. Even in the main tourist areas you’ll notice the slower pace of the summer.

Summer nights and concerts

When the warmth arrives in Florence, the city’s nightlife welcomes it with open arms. Open-air concerts and parties are scheduled for every night during the summer. Granted, things do tend to slow down a bit in August, but there are still plenty of events—free and paying—to choose from.

For example, the summer concert series Live On, at the large fortress near the train station, La Fortezza da Basso, offers a wide range of concerts, the majority of which are free, as well as a place to dance and drink in the open air.

If you’re looking for something more low-key, the former prison-turned-cultural space Le Murate, right near Piazza Beccaria, offers aperitivos every Monday night. During the month of August, the post-aperitivo entertainment includes presentations of short films and documentaries from all over the world.

Gelato

Ok, I know you can get gelato all year round and in all parts of Italy, but come on, what is better on a scorching hot day in the Tuscan capital (and disputed home of the luscious snack) than three solid meals of icy creamy gelato? You could start with a breakfast of fruity sorbetto topped with whipped cream, linger over a hearty lunch of nocciola (hazelnut) and pistacchio and finish off your night with some rich cioccolato fondente (dark chocolate) and crema (cream).

After all that, you may even need a gelato al caffe’ (coffee ice cream) to help digest. I’ll be writing about my Florence’s best gelato places soon, but in the meantime go to my favorite, Perche’ No (literally named Why Not?) in Via dei Tavolini, right off the main shopping street of Via Calzaiuoli. In addition to the central location, it boasts gelato made on the premises from all natural ingredients. The shop even has vegan ice cream!

Extended hours at the Palazzo Vecchio

The Palazzo Vecchio will remain open every night, except Thursdays, from 9 a.m. to midnight. These late-night openings allow the public an even more special look at one of the most important buildings of past and present Florence.

The post Top reasons to visit Florence in August appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.