1. Get an Oyster!

First things first, don’t even think about stepping on a Tube or bus without an Oyster card. Fares are high enough without having to fork out extra for a full price ticket. You can pick up your Oyster at train or Tube stations for £5, which is refundable if you return the card at the end of your stay. Then top up your card on a pay as you go basis or go with a weekly or monthly travel card, depending on how long you plan to stay. For more information, read our post on public transport in London.

2. Eat in when you stay at self-catering hotels

Sometimes it works out to be a better value to opt for self catering accommodation, such as the Stylotel Suites or the Royal Court Apartments in Paddington, and doing a bit of your own cooking. Shop at the larger supermarket chains as opposed to local convenience stores for the best value food. Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda and Morrisons all have lots of good prices, and you can snap up everything from simple breakfasts and sandwiches or soup for lunch, to excellent value dine in “banquets” for dinner complete with a bottle of wine.

3. Very cheap (and sometimes free) entertainment

You don’t need to pay full whack to catch a West End play or see the latest release at the cinema, but it does pay to plan ahead and do your research. Check out our guides to getting free and cheap theater tickets and discounted cinema seats for lots of savings across the capital.

4. Experience the great outdoors at no cost

Rain or shine, London’s parks offer a great retreat from the madness of the city, and they won’t cost you a penny. If you’ve already wandered the grounds of Hyde Park and Regent’s Park, then head for something a little more local. Every area has its green spaces where you’ll find picnicking locals in the spring and summer, and dedicated joggers in the colder months. Hampstead Heath is high on the top of my list, as it is a million miles from the manicured gardens found in many parks. Instead, get lost in the rambling parkland and climb to the top of Parliament Hill for fantastic (and totally free) views of London. Alternatively, a trip to Richmond Park will whisk you away from the hustle, and bustle and you can even spot wild deer roaming around.

5. Free culture, free culture and more free culture

London’s museum offering is second to none, and there are no excuses for not losing yourself in a museum for a day or two as entry is completely free. You may find you have to pay for special temporary exhibitions, but there’s nothing to stop you perusing the permanent collection at the British Museum, playing like a big kid at the Science Museum or going back in time at the Natural History Museum, to name but a few. The same rule applies to art galleries, check out our guide here.

The post Visiting London: 5 easy ways to keep your wallet happy appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Since that first night, the successful open house concept of the Long Night has expanded to the city’s theaters, opera houses, and scientific research institutions, with each offering a similar event during different months of the year.

Lange Nacht der Museen
Mid-March and Late August
This year: Saturday August 31, 2013

The long night of museums takes place twice yearly: first in mid-March, and again at the end of August. With nearly 100 institutions across the entire city to choose from, you’ll want to plan your evening carefully while consulting the map of chartered buses and public transportation, both included in your ticket price.

You can find detailed information about each event as well as purchase tickets online one month before each event on this website (German only). Each long night runs from 6 p.m. till 2 a.m. Admission: €18/€12 reduced.

Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften
Early May

Under the slogan “smartest night of the year,” the long night of scientific research is an annual event, next scheduled for early May. 75 institutions in Berlin and Potsdam open their doors, providing direct access to the scientists and their work. Everything from chemistry to photography to cartography to solar energy to economics to space research and beyond is included.  Most institutions offer plenty of hands-on experimentation, making this long night the best for visitors with children (and for children at heart).

The Lange Nacht runs from 4 p.m. till midnight. Included is transportation on the chartered shuttles as well as a Berlin ABC ticket for public transportation. Tickets are €11/€7 advance purchase and €13/€9 on the night of the event. Family tickets are available for €25/€20 in advance.

Want more? Check out our top cheap hotel picks for Berlin. And don’t forget to leave any questions or comments in the box below.

The post Berlin’s Long Nights are Worth Staying Up For appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

To avoid hearing me groan when you tell me what you paid for your sandwich, here’s a list of suggested “price ceilings” for some Parisian basics. It’s a good list to keep handy to save a few euros or, you know, if you’re ever a contestant on a French version of “The Price is Right”…

1. Glass of wine

While beer and cocktails can dent the wallet pretty quickly, wine should never be too expensive in a standard café or bar. Avoid the more specialized wine shops and wine bars and opt for a glass of red or white at a more low-key joint. Limit: €4

2. Steak frites

Most cafés and bistrots serve traditional yet affordable French fare. From the well-traveled but enjoyable Chartier to the classic Les Philosophes in the Marais, a cut of meat and frites shouldn’t be a splurge. Limit: €18

3. Walking/bike tour

With multiple free walking tour options, some tourists prefer a private tour to explore the city more intimately. With dozens of choices out there, it’s hard to pick. A walking tour with Oui Paris Tours or a bike tour with Fat Tire is a great, affordable way to get to know the city. Limit: €30

4. Electronics adapter

Many a traveler forgets that outlets and plugs are different in Europe. Souvenir and electronic stores sell adapters to make your chargers fit into the wall outlets, but the cheapest ones can be found at BHV, the all-purpose department store in the Marais. Limit: €10

5. Crepe/Sandwich

Street food can be found everywhere, so prices are competitive. At lunchtime, the choice often comes down to a sandwich or a crepe. For a gooey ham and cheese crepe or a chicken and veggie sandwich, I never worry about having enough money. Limit: €5

6. Clothing

With wintertime approaching, having appropriate socks (ones without holes) seems important. Unprepared visitors often wonder where to get the latest Parisian fashion as they shiver in their tee shirts. Do like the Parisians do and head to the closest H&M or, better yet, to Japanese department store Uniqlo by the Opera Garnier for some good shopping and great site-seeing. Limit: €40 pants, €40 sweater, €3 socks

7. Café

Instead of 7-11 and Dunkin’ Donuts, the French head to the café for a pick-me-up that won’t break the bank. A café (an espresso) may leave some tourists longing for a cup of Joe, but for mere euros you can squat a seat for as long as you’d like. (Tip: Stand at the cafe’s bar for cheaper prices.) Limit: €2

8. Theatre/Opera tickets

If you packed a top hat or a ball gown anticipating a night at the theatre, there is hope. Last minute “rush” tickets for the Opera Garnier and Bastille are extremely affordable if you are patient enough to line up 2-3 hours before the show. Théâtre du Châtelet, which often hosts musicals like Les Misérables and Sweeney Todd, offers rush tickets up until the minute before curtain. Limit: €30

9. Pastry

Unless you’re going to try the trendiest macaron or a French-style cupcake, pastries are a steal in Paris. Bakeries all over the city will serve up the best flaky croissants, lemon tarts, or apple pastries for mere coins. Limit: €3

10. Entrance to a bar/club

If you choose to go to a bar or club on the Champs-Elysées, good luck to you. Personally, I’d never enter a place that made me pay a cover. There are plenty of nightspots on rue de Lappe by the Bastille or in the winding streets of Montmartre that will keep the budget-conscious partier happy.  Limit: €0

What do you think, Cheapos?  What other price limits can you imagine in Paris? Share your own “price ceilings” in our comments section.

Also in our guide: Planning a trip to Paris? Our editors have inspected, reviewed and photographed Paris’ best inexpensive accommodations. We’ve got picks all over town, in the Latin Quarter, near the Louvre, in the Marais and more central neighborhoods.

The post Paris Prices: The maximum we’d pay for everyday items appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

As far as prices go, think under 10 pounds. In fact, at one theater, tickets go for 10 pence a head (more on this later)! Here’s how to find the best deals:

Scoring half-price seats for the splashy West End shows-

Chances are if you’re thinking about taking in a show in London, you’re going to want to get the most for your money, i.e. a big-time musical (Billy Elliot, Sister Act) with magnificent production values and perhaps a B-list celebrity star. There’s nothing wrong with that. Just read the reviews and choose wisely as there are more than a few stinkers on the West End. (We’re hearing that Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical, for instance, just doesn’t live up to all the sequin and rhinestone hype.)

Tickets for the biggest musicals—especially the most in demand—can run upwards of 60 pounds ($100) apiece. But there are a few ways to save.

1) First, check for discounts online at ticket broker websites. The best aggregator out there is comparetheatretickets.com, which lists all the discounted tickets available from numerous online brokers for every show. For example, a search for Avenue Q tickets on July 23 turned up an 11-pound ($18) ticket in the upper balcony from the retailer Seatem.

Checking out the TKTS offerings; photo by Andyrob

2) Another sure bet for discounts is the TKTS booth in Leicester Square (Tube to Leicester Square, Piccadilly or Northern line), which sells half-priced tickets for most West End shows the same day of the performance. For the best shot at a wallet-friendly price and a non-nosebleed seat, get there when the booth opens at 10 AM Monday through Saturday (noon on Sundays).

Get thee to the theater!

Individual theaters also offer reduced prices for tickets as part of a concerted effort to bring in a younger crowd. As we reported earlier this year, the National Theatre puts on an annual Travelex 10-pound ticket season in which tickets for quality plays like Richard Bean’s England People Very Nice and Hanif Kureishi’s The Black Album start at just 10 pounds ($16) apiece. Tickets are sold via the National Theatre’s website. The current season runs through the fall.

Some theatres even give away a limited number of free tickets for people under age 26. Yup, you read that right. Free. At the National Theatre, for example, all you have to do is sign up for an Entry Pass online and your first ticket to one of the theatre’s shows is absolutely free (after that, you pay 5 pounds per ticket, about $8). There are a ton of off-West End theatres with the free-tickets-for-under-26 deal, including the Donmar Warehouse, Hampstead Theatre, Soho Theatre, Arcola Theatre, Bush Theatre, and Gate Theatre.

Stand up for great theater!

You’d be surprised how many venues in London will let you stand and be counted for incredibly low prices. Both the Royal Opera House and the English National Opera sell standing room tickets in the back of the house starting at 4 pounds ($6.50) and 10 pounds ($16), respectively. At Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, you can experience As You Like It as a groundling would have in the 1600s—standing in front of the stage (cost: 5 pounds or $8). The National Theatre also offers standing tickets for 5 pounds for most shows.

Drum roll please…lest we forget those 10 pence seats-

And here’s the best deal I’ve seen in awhile (aside from the free tickets, of course): At the Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square, eight standing, restricted-view tickets are sold for only 10 pence (16 cents) apiece an hour before the show. Sure, you have to stand and you may not be able to see the entire stage, but 16 cents is one heck of a deal!

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