Berlin is also massive. Biking makes it possible to get between sights, restaurants and bars relatively quickly. Seriously, in many cases it’s the fastest way to get around. And you’ll get to experience the city like a local to boot!

Related: 12 Simple ways for saving big on your Berlin trip

Tips for biking in Berlin

Ready to hop on a bike? Here are helpful tips for biking in the city as well as ideas on how to save when renting a cycle.

General biking tips

Navigating bike lanes
As we just mentioned, most streets in Berlin have bike lanes. Sometimes they’re directly on the street, but most often they’re integrated directly into the outer edge of the sidewalk in red or grey bricks. Although you may see the occasional bicycle stenciled onto the bricks, most sidewalk bike lanes are not marked (the ones in the street usually are).

Keep an eye out for red bike lanes painted next to the sidewalk in Berlin. Photo: Eric Sehr

Important note to pedestrians: Do not walk in the bike lane. If you do, don’t be surprised if riders yell at you. Since most Berliners use their bicycles as a mode of transportation, they ride very fast. You don’t want to be in their way.

Slow? Stay on the right: When cycling, if you’re more in the mood for a slow, leisurely ride, make sure you always stay to the right so, any speed demon can easily pass you on the left; otherwise, again, it’s very likely someone will yell at you.

Safety tips

As Berlin cyclists can be an impatient and occasionally aggressive bunch, never allow your children to ride in the bike lane. By law, children are allowed to ride on the sidewalk.

We don’t recommend adults ride on the sidewalk, though. If you do, there is (again) a very good chance you’ll be yelled at, this time by pedestrians. The one exception is the sidewalks next to cobblestone streets — only the grumpiest of grandmothers (and yes, there are some…) would yell at someone for choosing not to take a bone-shaking ride across cobblestones.

Signaling: If you’re riding on the streets, it’s a very good idea to use hand signals when turning.

Locking up: And since bikes often get stolen in Berlin, be sure you always lock your bike to something (a bike rack, tree, fence, etc.).

Bikes on public transit: You can take your bicycle on the U-bahn or S-bahn, except during rush hour. Just make sure you purchase a bike ticket from the station machines (Fahrradticket) for €1.90 for central Berlin or €2.20 for Berlin and Potsdam. Take note that bikes are not allowed in the first train car or the first door of each individual car.

Bike tours and itineraries

If biking around the city sounds too fast and stressful for you, there are also lots of more low-key options for exploring Berlin atop a Fahrrad (“bicycle”).

Exploring parks by bike

With more than 520 acres to explore, Tiergarten park is a natural choice for pedaling around. If you get tired of trees, ponds, and gardens, several major tourist destinations are also close to the park, including Potsdamer Platz, Brandenburg Gate, the Victory Column, and Holocaust Memorial.

To get a glimpse of Berlin’s transportation history, why not bike around the Park at Gleisdreieck. Fairly new, this park includes plenty of old train tracks from the huge train depot located there before the war. Take a break to watch the skaters do their tricks in the skate pool or do a few tricks yourself on the monkey bars, trampolines, and jungle gyms scattered throughout the park.

A group bike tour is a fun way to see Berlin. Photo: Rae Allen

Affordable bike tours

For a taste of Berlin’s most recently formed hipster paradise, take a ride down the Landwehr Canal at Maybach Ufer into the neighborhood known as “Kreuzkölln.” If you’d rather go on a guided bike tour, two companies offer tours at a nice price.

• Free Berlin offers three-hour tours such as Berlin’s Best and Poor But Sexy for €19, price of bike included.
• Berlin on Bike! offers similar tours for a few euros more. Both also give discounts to Welcome Card holders.

Biking in front of the famous East Side Gallery of the Berlin Wall. Photo: Leo G

How to save on bike rentals

Whatever you do, try not to rent directly from hotels or most bike rental agencies in the major tourist areas; if you do, it’s likely you’ll pay twice as much. Either way, make sure the rental price per day is no more than €10.

Super cheap rentals

For bargain hunters, we recommend:

• Prenzlauerberger Orange Bikes (€7 per day plus €25 deposit) or Berlin on Bike! (€10 per day) in Prenzlauerberg
• Rent a Bike 44 in Neukölln (€4 per day)
• M’eierrad in Kreuzberg (€3 per day)

Buy a bike (no joke!)

If you plan on staying a little longer in Berlin, it might make sense, both money and comfort-wise, to buy a cheap used bike. The best places to look online are Craigslist (most likely in English) or eBay Kleinanzeigen (in German).

Happy cycling!

The post Biking in Berlin: Safety tips and how to find the cheapest bike rental appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

1. Kilmainham Gaol – €6

Every trip to Dublin should include a little history. A captivating guided tour of Kilmainham Gaol will shed light on a group of Irish revolutionaries that gave their lives for the creation of the republic.

2. Rent Bikes in Phoenix Park – €10

Dublin is home to the biggest city park in Europe, Phoenix Park. Visitors can take advantage of the bike rental program, Dublin Bikes, but a credit card is required and not all stands accept cards. Another simple option is to rent your bike from Phoenix Park Bike Hire, at the cost of €10 for three hours.

3. Cake Café – €6 for cake and coffee

Part of the fun of stepping into a new city is finding yourself at an off the beaten path café surrounded by locals. Venture into the Portobello neighborhood and located off a small street and through an even smaller courtyard is the Cake Café, home to mismatched plates and fresh baked treats.

Catch something edgy and independent at the Irish Film Institute. Photo: Pierofix

4. Jameson Distillery – €11.70 (€10.60 for students)

This one is slightly over budget for non-students, but worth every cent. A tour of the former Jameson Distillery will not only bring you to the interesting Smithfield neighborhood, but will also bring you through a distillery, teach you about the process of making famous Irish whiskey, and even includes a tasting.

5. Walk the Pier in Dun Laoghaire – €2 each way

Board the DART train in the city center and head south to the coastal village of Dun Laoghaire. Right near the train station you’ll see the entrance to a pier jetting out into the Irish Sea. For the price of the train ticket you can watch the sailboats, see local families fishing, and maybe even catch a glimpse of seals swimming around the pier.

6. Irish Film Institute – €9.90

If you need an alternative to another night in the pub, check out what’s playing at the Irish Film Institute. Not only is this a hangout spot for Dublin’s artistic and literary set, but it is also a great place to see independent, European, and Irish films.

7. Take Advantage of Lunch Specials – €10

One of the best ways to eat well in Dublin is eat your big meal at lunchtime. There are great lunch specials throughout Dublin, including at one of the city’s latest hot restaurants, the Rustic Stone. At this healthy-focused restaurant, for €10 you can dig into dishes like sushi-style tuna with ginger couscous, tofu, and lime.

8. Hike from Bray to Greystones – €2.50 each way

To get to know the waterfront city of Dublin, take a hike along the coast. One of the best ways to accomplish this without breaking the budget is to take the DART train bound for Bray, follow the coastal hiking trail south 2 ½ hours to Greystones, and hop the DART back to the center of Dublin.

9. The Dublin Flea Market – Free

If you happen to be in Dublin on the last Sunday of the month, head to Co-op on Newmarket Square for the Dublin Flea Market. Entry is free, and your €10 will stretch far on the goods for sale here such as vintage clothes and accessories.

10. Sample Local Cheeses – €10

Step into Sheridan’s Cheesemonger, tell them you have a budget of €10 and would like to sample some local cheeses. There’s more to Irish cheese than Cashel blue and farmhouse cheddar, you’ll learn from these cheese experts. Take your stash to nearby St Stephens Green for a picnic.

Also in our guide: Heading to Dublin? Don’t blow all your euros on sleeping! Our editors have inspected, photographed and reviewed the best cheap hotels in Dublin. Read more in our Dublin hotel guide.

The post Dublin: 10 fun activities for less than €10 appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

You have a coffee, munch a croissant, ride the bus and buy a postcard for your mom and BAM!…. another €10 is gone! This is a city where it is very easy to spend money at a rapid clip. Here are a few places where it pays to lay down your euro bucks:

1. Rent a bike

A bike tour with most cycle companies in the city is about €20. Instead, rent a bike for four hours for €10, get out your map and create your own bike tour! It’s best to stick to the bike lanes and paths near the beach. http://www.barcelonarentabike.com/en/

2. See a Spanish movie

Obviously there is a language issue with this idea, but if you do speak Castellano, then try out your verbs and vocabulary at one of Barcelona’s many cinemas! This can be a relaxing way to end an evening if you have been trekking around the metropolis all day. Renoir is my cinema pick for Spanish films and other original version films. Films cost about €7 each. (Watch out; popcorn will put you over €10.)

3. Visit a market

Barcelona has some fantastic markets which are, of course, all free to visit. Stop into Santa Caterina Market in the morning and spend your €10 on lunch inside the market (Plaça de les Glories Catalane, C/ Dos de Maig, 186). Or head to Encants Market (Mon/Wed/Sat from 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.) to check out Barcelona’s best flea market. You never know what treasures you may come across!

I love going to flea markets because in many ways it’s like a history lesson from the place I am visiting. Looking through people’s junk from 50 years ago, you get an idea of what life was like in Barcelona once-upon-a-time….

4. Tour Catalunya Caixa’s Casa Milà

Believe it or not, this one is FREE. So you just saved €10, which means more Spanish Rioja wine for you later. One of the best deals in the city, Catalunya Caixa’s Casa Milà houses rotating art exhibitions. Check ahead to see what’s on but know that their shows are always top quality. Casa Milà is also one of Gaudí’s most important buildings (but you’ll have to pay more to go into the Gaudí Museum part). http://www.lapedreraeducacio.org/

5. Groove at a Jamboree Jazz Concert

In the Gothic Quarter, I adore Jamboree and its fabulous line-up of jazz, blues and soul concerts nightly. The best part about it is that almost all their shows are €10. Sometimes they bring in a Big Dog in the jazz scene and tickets shoot up to €15 or €20, but this is an exception to the rule. See their line-up ahead of time and get your tickets in advance to save. http://www.masimas.com

6. Wander Park Guell

Another freebie! Well, almost free, seeing as you have to pay for the bus ticket up to the park. If you are in good shape do yourself a favor and don’t take the bus. Instead take the Metro to “Lesseps” and walk up, up, up to the park’s main entrance. Then walk some more inside this weird Gaudí wonderland. If you do take public transportation, you’ll only pay about €3 for transportation there and back. Use your remaining €7 to get a drink in the park and tip the many musicians who play along the pathways. http://www.gaudiallgaudi.com/

Update 2013: Sadly, the city announced that they will start charging €8 to visit Park Guell as of October 2013.

7. Jam Sessions at Jazz Si

This place is great and I would go there a lot more often if their concert times weren’t so early. By early I mean the Saturday Night Jazz Jam session begins at 7:45 p.m. Not early in most parts of the world, but basically the afternoon in Spain. Still, for €5 a concert, Jazz Si is a steal. Also consider their Rock-Pop-Blues-Funk Jam Session on Tuesdays. (Note: Get there early, as this place is popular!) Address: Club del Taller de Músics, C/ Requesens, 2 – Barcelona.

8. Picnic in the Park

On a sunny day, pack yourself a picnic of bread, cheese, ham and a bottle of Rioja and head to Park Ciutadella in Barcelona’s city center. Walk around the park taking a peek at the Zoo (warning: expensive to get in), the gardens, the palms, the man-made lake and the elaborate fountain.

On certain evenings in the summertime there is free live music at the gazebo in Park Ciutadella, one of my favorite Barcelona perks! The cost is in the food for this outing, as a visit to the park is free. If you want to take a boat out on the pond, that’s a bit more, and not really worth it.  http://www.bcn.es/

9. Castle on the mountain

Take the zipper train up the mountain to the Castillo de Montjuic. Again, the cost for this outing is in the transportation, as getting into the castle, which dates back to the early 1600’s and has a dark past, is free. Honestly, there are some fabulous views to be had from the castle and it’s well worth the trip to get an idea of how the city is laid out. There is a small restaurant inside the castle offering snacks and lunch, but not much else. http://www.castillomontjuic.com/

10. Tours with Runner Beans

Runner Beans offers free tours of Barcelona’s old city center every day at 11 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The guides take you on a two-hour tour and you tip them at the end depending on the experience.

Obviously, this is how the guides make all their money, so it is important to tip. I have not been on one of these tours, but have heard a lot about them, as this is a new concept in Barcelona. Would you tip your guide €10? Maybe. Or maybe €7 with €3 leftover for a cafe con leche. http://www.runnerbeantours.com/

The post Barcelona: 10 great things to do for under €10 appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Tourists coming to Paris look with desire at Vélib‘, the city’s public bike-share program. Until recently, when tourists asked me how to rent one, I was forced to dash hopes. For, until recently, you couldn’t hop on a bike unless you possessed a European chip-enhanced credit card.

That changed in the past few months, however. You can now register for a one or seven-day subscription on their Web site with any MasterCard, Visa or American Express card. They will then give you a code to tap into the kiosk screen at any of the city’s 1,200 Vélib’ bike stations.

Note that a one-day subscription costs €1.70 and a seven-day subscription costs €8. Both allow unlimited, free 30-minute rides. Also note that when you subscribe to the service, a €150 “hold” will be placed on your card and will be in place until your subscription expires. Read more on the Vélib’ Web site.

Not in the mood for Vélib’?

If this all sounds like a hassle, fear not: Parisians have been renting bikes since long before the Vélib’ cycled into town. So if you’re not in the mood to join the bike share, but still want to zip around the grands boulevards on two wheels, here are a few places to rent inexpensive bikes so you can play Parisian for a day.

Bike rentals

Toys Paradise
22 Rue Léon Jouhaux 75010
€12 for a full day

After a picnic along the famed Canal Saint Martin, grab a bike from this playfully named corner shop. The service is far from whimsical, but the owners know what they’re doing and the prices are right. You might see me here since it’s where I also head (often) to get my flat tires fixed. I’m not good at avoiding glass on the streets…

Gepetto and Velos
59, rue du Cardinal Lemoine 75005
€15 for a full day
http://www.gepetto-velos.com/

Over in the Latin Quarter, this packed shop offers all sorts of bikes for sale and for rent. Fortunately, it’s located towards the upper half of the St. Genevieve Hill, so you can rent a bike for the day and coast downhill, keeping in mind that you’ll have to bike back uphill to return it. They also have guides available to ride with you if you are interested.

Free Scoot
63 quai de la Tournelle 75005
http://www.freescoot.com/
€35 for a full day for a basic scooter

Located right by Notre Dame, and with a second location on Boulevard Voltaire, Free Scoot offers a solid selection of bikes, but more interestingly, affordable scooter rentals. If you don’t feel like pedaling, hop one of the many scooters that they offer to get the full European treatment.

Bike Tours

If you’d rather take a bike tour and learn about the sights you’re seeing, Paris has several companies that will take you on group tours.

Bike About Paris
http://www.bikeabouttours.com
€30 for a 3.5-hour tour

Bike About Paris is among the most recommended bike tours in the city.  The tour includes some off-the-beaten-track sights and stories along the way.

Fat Tire Bike Tours
http://fattirebiketours.com/paris/tours
€28 euros for a 4-hour city tour

One of the biggest bike touring companies, Fat Tire takes visitors in and around Paris. Check their Web site for day and night tours of Paris, a visit to Monet’s gardens in Giverny and a tour of the Normandy beaches by bike.

Rules and Etiquette

For all rentals, be prepared to leave a deposit or an identity card–this is standard procedure to make sure you don’t ride away forever with the bike.

While you’re on the road, helmets are optional but recommended. Adhere to the numerous and clearly marked bike paths located alongside the traffic lanes. Stopping at red lights and stop signs is normal for bicycles, and none of us are exempt from getting pulled over by the police, even on two wheels. Trust me, I know.

The post Paris: Cheap bike rentals, when Velib’ won’t do appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

We’ve been fans of Paris’ Vélib’ bike program since it debuted in July 2007. But how’s it faring three years later?

In many respects it’s been a big hit with both locals and tourists (at least those lucky enough to have the right type of credit card). Read on to get our Cheapo assessment of the city’s bike share program.

Getting a bike

A Vélib’ station. Photo: Tom Meyers

The Vélib’ system, which until 2011 required a credit card with a puce (a special microchip), was mostly unattainable to Americans since it launched in 2007.

However, that changed in spring 2011 when the program opened, at least online, to a wide-range of cards (including MasterCard, Visa and American Express). Tourists can now register for a one or seven-day subscription on their Web site with these credit or debit cards. You will then be given a code to tap into the kiosk at any of the city’s 1,200 Vélib’ bike stations.

Note that a €150 “hold” will be placed on your card when you subscribe. This will be in place until your subscription expires. Read more on the Vélib’ Web site.

After purchasing a daily or weekly pass (one-day subscription costs €1.70 and a seven-day subscription costs €8), riders take a bike from any stand and can ride for 30 minutes before parking at another station. Additional time is billable in half-hour increments.

Improvements to the Vélib’ program

Thanks to an initiative by the mayor’s office passed in June 2010, improvements in bicycle parking, traffic signals and paths are on their way. The biggest change, however, has been the legalization of bikes riding on a one-way street.

One-way streets that had permitted only one-way bike traffic are now also painted with bicycle paths going against automobile traffic, opening up the city’s meandering and confusing network of streets and alleys. According to Le Monde, about 90 percent of streets are now accessible in both directions for cyclists. (Granted, my heart flutters a bit when a truck comes barreling down what its driver feels is a one-way street. But at least the police won’t stop and fine me for breaking the law while riding my Vélib’.)

The downsides of using Vélib’

While the streets are opening up to bikers, the Vélib’ system still has its faults, starting with finding a bike. Popular stations often lack sufficient functional cycles.

A seat turned backwards is a sign from a friendly rider that a bike is faulty. Always check the tires, breaks, gears and handle bars before riding. In addition to being an inconvenience, a bike with wobbly handle bars and poor breaks is a hazard. Fortunately on the road, cars are surprisingly respectful of cyclists (even though Parisians are known for their erratic driving).

Finding a parking spot can also be difficult. All too often, major stations in popular neighborhoods are full, forcing riders to wait for a spot to open up. Fortunately, you can obtain a 15-minute extension from the terminal in order to find another station. The map on the terminal’s screen will locate the closest free spot.

The bottom line

For Parisians, having their own bike is preferable to relying on the Vélib’ system. After two years, fed up with daily Vélib’ hassles, I purchased a used bike. Still, I kept my subscription to the Vélib’ because many occasions call for a one-way bike ride. (For example, you get to a bar and then enjoy a few too many glasses of Bordeaux.)

With nearly 20,000 bikes and inspiring programs from London to Mexico City, Vélib’ remains the world’s most successful biking system. While not perfect, it still may be one of the most magical experiences available in Paris for just a few euros.

Bonus: This fun little video gives you a feel for the Vélib’ experience.

The post Paris Vélib’ Update: How’s the bike share program working out? appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Luckily, visitors don’t have to feel left out of the biking fun: Bike rentals are cheap and easy to find. And tooling around by Rad won’t just make you look and feel like a local—it will also enable you to access sights that are otherwise impossible to visit by foot or too time consuming to visit via public transportation.

Before burning rubber, read this little guide to find out where to find a bike, how to ride like a local, and which bike paths to seek out.

Step One: Rent Wheels

Many hotels and hostels will arrange bike rentals for you. But if they don’t, both Fat Tire Bike Rentals (€12/day) and fahrradstation (€15-20/day) boast several locations throughout the city. If you have time to hunt for cheaper prices (you can find bikes for as low as €8/day), scour neighborhoods like Prenzlauer Berg, Friedrichshain, and Kreuzberg for upstart rental spots.

Step Two: Follow the Rules!

Since most Berliners use their bikes as a form of transportation and are sticklers about the rules, you should brush up on a few Regeln before pedaling. You’ll see plenty of bikers blowing through red lights, weaving through traffic, and speeding past pedestrians on a sidewalk. Don’t follow their example! They give bikers a bad name—and they are asking for a ticket.

If there is a bike lane, use it. (But first make sure that you’re riding in the correct direction; not all paths are two-way.) If there isn’t a bike lane, ride on the street—not the sidewalk. Stop at stop signs, stop lights, and never, ever assume that a car driver sees you coming.

You are free to bring your bike with you onto the U-bahn (subway) and S-bahn (commuter train)—as long as you use designated compartments (look for the bike sign on the door). Baby carriages and wheelchairs have priority.

Step Three: Hit the paths

Berlin boasts 620 kilometers (385 miles) of bike paths. We’ve highlighted two of our favorites below, but the city government’s English-language biking page offers a complete overview of Berlin’s biking opportunities.

Path: Follow the Wall

The Berlin Mauerweg is a well-marked route that follows the contours of the 12-kilometer-long Berlin Wall. Though the actual divider is long gone, taking this scenic, off-the-beaten-path trail that passes through often-overlooked districts is the only way to get a true sense of the Wall’s size and scope.

For inspiration beforehand, rent the documentaries “Cycling the Frame” and “The Invisible Frame”. They feature the actress Tilda Swinton biking the Wall in 1988 and 2009 respectively.

Path: Take a Dip

Visiting the peaceful and historic Wannsee, a posh lake district in far-western Berlin, by public transportation is time consuming. After taking the S-bahn to the Wannsee station, you have to walk (a lot) or rely on buses to see the lake’s must-see sights: a historic public beach, the gripping Haus am Wannsee-Konfernz, and the romantic, flower-filled Pfaueninsel (“Peacock Island”).

Take a bike along with you or rent a bike at the lake, then pedal from one sight to the next at your leisure. Don’t forget your bathing suit!

The post Berlin: How to rent a bike, Cheapo-style appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Since late 2008, BikeMi has operated stations around the city, allowing locals and tourists to explore the city on two wheels for just a few euros. BikeMi currently boasts over 100 pick-up and drop-off stations throughout Milan, with around 1,400 bikes in total. The program is set to expand to well over 200 stations and 5,000 bikes by the end of 2010.

How it works

To hop on, you’ll first need to register. On the BikeMi Web site, choose a temporary or annual subscription and provide your credit card information. Once your card is approved, you will be e-mailed a user code and password to be used at any bike station.

Simply type in your code at the station keypad and take a bicycle. And don’t forget to watch the time—bikes must be returned to any BikeMi station no more than two hours after they’ve been checked out. (Exceeding the limit three times will get your subscription cancelled.)

The daily rate for using a BikeMi bike is €2.50. A weekly subscription costs €6. On top of these flat fees, you’ll be charged €0.50 for every 30 minutes (following the first free half-hour).

All in all, we think BikeMi provides plenty of incentive to slip off the D&G stilettos and get riding through the streets of Milano.

The post Milan: Get moving with the BikeMi public bike share program appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

It’s no surprise then that Stockholm City Bikes, a bike sharing program run as a joint venture between the city of Stockholm and Clear Channel, has emerged as a popular service in Stockholm. Best of all, once you join the program, your rentals are free!

When to rent

The program offers 1,000 bikes at 80 unmanned bike stations throughout the city, many of them located in the middle of town. Bikes are available every day of the week, from 6 AM to 6 PM. Of course, touring Stockholm on a bike in the middle of the winter can be a dangerous endeavor. With this in mind, Stockholm City Bikes are only rentable from April 1st to October 31st.

The three-day card and the season pass

When renting a bike from the Stockholm City Bikes program, you have two different options. The first is the three-day rental card, which costs 125 SEK. It is valid for three days from the time you first use the card, not from the time you buy the card.

The other option is the season pass. This is valid throughout the entire season, from April through October and can be purchased at sales locations for 250 SEK, or online for 200 SEK. If you intend on biking around Stockholm for more than three days, plan ahead and buy the card online and save 50 SEK.

The most convenient sales locations include any SL Center (the public transportation company in Stockholm), Central Station, Slussen, or the Stockholm Tourist Centre. You can also buy the card online at Stockholm City Bike’s website, where, as we mentioned, you can get the season card for 200 SEK instead of 250. Unfortunately, cards cannot be purchased at the bike racks.

Getting your bike

Once you’ve purchased your card, all you have to do is find a bike stand from which to rent. At every rack, you’ll find an automatic card reader with very clear instructions. Just hold your card up against the reader, wait for it to register, and then grab your bike. You only have 30 seconds from the time your card is registered, but if you’re too slow, don’t worry, just repeat the process—albeit a little quicker this time!

Get it back on time

Rentals last three hours, at which point you are expected to return the bike to any of the city’s numerous bike stands. If three hours isn’t enough for you, you can just head to a nearby stand and re-rent the bike. The three-hour rule is strictly enforced, mostly because it is difficult to argue with the computer and the time stamp it records.

If you are late, you receive what Stockholm City Bikes refers to as a “penalty point.” Three penalty points and your card will be blocked. If you keep your bike for more than five hours, your card is automatically blocked regardless of the number of penalty points you might have already accumulated.

Stockholm City Bikes has its limitations, not being able to buy a rental card at the bike stand, for example. Regardless, the service covers almost all of Stockholm and allows tourists (and locals for that matter) a great way of getting around.

The post “City Bikes” program lets you tour Stockholm on two wheels appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

The right cycle

So, what’s new about the program? No, they haven’t exactly reinvented the wheel, but they’ve kept up those same low prices, especially for the one-time booking fee. If you reserve ahead of time, you’ll pay €1, and it gets returned to you when you pick up your bike.  A €2 borrowing fee still applies.

With more than 54 rental stations throughout the city (there were only 50 at our earlier press time), hitching a ride is easy. The first hour of pedalling is free, 2 hours will run you €1, 3 hours = €3, and anything after 4 hours is charged at a rate of €4 each.

Get movin’!

For more info, you can visit the Citybike Wien program (only in German), or check out the Vienna Tourism Board‘s section on bike rental. Happy cycling.

***Above photo of Citybikes courtesy of sustainablerotterdam

The post Vienna Tip: Update on the Citybike program appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.