(Don’t forget to check out our Brussels city guide for more budget tips.)

Free things to do in Brussels

Here are five free attractions to enjoy in the Belgian capital:

1. The Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula

Sinter-Goedelevoorplein
Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Monday to Friday), 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Saturday), 8:30 to 2 p.m. (Sunday)
Website

Dating back to the 11th century, the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula is a prominent fixture in the Brussels cityscape. Inside you’ll find stained-glass windows and beautiful arched ceilings. The cathedral is home to a Romanesque crypt, though visitors must pay €2.50 to view it.

In addition to holding daily services, the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula hosts classical music concerts, may of which are free. Check the cathedral’s calendar of events to see who’s playing when you’re in town.

2. Visit European Parliament

Wiertzstraat 60
Tel: +32 (0)2 284 21 11
Website

Lest you forget, Brussels is the administrative center of the European Union. This special distinction affords visitors the opportunity to tour the European Parliament—without spending a euro.

To get your international relations fix, catch a guided tour of European Parliament’s debating chamber. Tours are conducted at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday to Thursday and at 10 a.m. only on Friday. If you want an extra special glimpse into the workings of the EU, check out the plenary sitting schedule to see when events are open to the public.

3. The Royal Museum of Armed Forces and of Military History

Jubelpark 3
Tel: +32 (0)2 737 78 33
Hours: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. (Tuesday to Sunday)
Website

A visit to Brussels’ Royal Museum of Armed Forces and of Military History is completely free. The exhibitions document Belgian and European history chronologically, with no shortage of tanks thrown in for good measure. After winding your way through the galleries, head up to the museum’s roof. You’re in for a real treat: Look out and enjoy a panoramic view of Brussels.

4. Free museums on the first Wednesday of the month

While some Brussels museums are always free, others open their doors gratis monthly, on the first Wednesday of the month. Among the participating museums are the Museum of Old Masters and the Museum of Modern Art. Free admission begins at 1 p.m. Visit the Brussels Museums Website for more information.

5. Free concerts

L’Archiduic, a popular bar in the Ste. Catherine hood, hosts live jazz throughout the week. Check the site to see what’s on—but don’t blame us if you end up shelling out for a few drinks.

What else?

Have other suggestions for free activities in Brussels? Share your wisdom by leaving a comment!

The post 5 free things to do in Brussels appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Related: 8 Excellent day trips from Paris less than an hour away by train

Getting to Reims from Paris

From Paris’ Gare de l’Est, Reims is just 45 minutes on the TGV. The SNCF website is currently offering special fares of €34 roundtrip, but the journey normally runs €40-€50. For the return trip, beware of trains departing from “Champagne-Ardenne,” which is actually in Bezannes, about 3 miles away from Reims.

Historical Sights

Reims’ Notre Dame Cathedral, on the Place Cardinal Luçon, dates from the 13th Century. Thirty-two French kings were crowned at this cathedral, today a UNESCO World Heritage site. The church is open every day from 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM.

Next door, the Palais du Tau houses such artifacts as Charlemagne’s talisman and the chalice of Saint Remi, whose baptism of Clovis in 496 led to the conversion of the entire Frankish kingdom. From May 6 to September 8, the museum is open from 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM; from September 9 to May 5, opening hours are 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM and 2 PM to 5:30 PM. The palace is closed on Monday. Tickets are €7.

In Pommery’s cellar. Photo by Éole

Speaking of Saint Remi, swing by the basilica that bears his name (Place Chanoine Ladame) to catch a glimpse of the saint’s tomb and the 12th-century stained glass windows. The basilica is open from 8 AM to 7 PM.

The Champagne Houses

Several of the biggest names in Champagne production–like Mumm, Veuve-Cliquot, and Taittinger–have cellars in Reims that tourists can visit to find out how bubbly is made.

A tour of the Pommery Estate is definitely worth the trip. Located at 5 Place Général Gouraud, it’s about a 30-minute walk from the cathedral. Several English-language tours are available throughout the day. The visit includes a trip down into 11 miles of labyrinthine cellar tunnels (originally Gallo-Roman chalk pits), and of course a glass of the good stuff at the end.

Tickets for the Pommery tour start at €10, depending on the quality of Champagne you’d like to sample and whether or not there is a special exhibit going on. While Pommery is one of the few cellars where advance bookings are not required, it can’t hurt to reserve your ticket before you go. From April through mid-November, the estate is open every day from 9:30 AM to 7 PM; from mid-November through March (excluding Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day) opening hours are 10 AM to 6 PM.

Where to Eat

There are plenty of restaurants in the center near Reims’ cathedral, but to get away from the touristy venues head to Les Charmes (11 Rue Brûlart) on the walk to the Pommery Estate. The three-course prix fixe lunch can’t be beat at €12.80. The menu varies, but you’ll find French-Asian fusion dishes like shrimp and quinoa salad and soy chicken with a potato pancake and tomatoes.

The post Day Trip from Paris: Reims and Champagne tours appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Duomo do!

But, get this. Did you know that every 40 minutes Florence’s Center for Art and Culture also offers FREE guided tours of the church? Highlights of the jaunt include a look into the care and craft of that gorgeous facade, why the church was originally built, and more.  Tours are available in English and Italian.

Before you go…

If you plan to take a tour, enter the sanctuary via the left-side doors. The church is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and on Fridays from 10 AM to 5 PM; Thursday it’s open from 10 AM to 3:30 PM; Saturday it opens at 10 AM and closes at 4:45 PM. On Sunday, the sanctuary is only open from 1:30 PM to 4:45 PM.  And, the first Saturday of each month the church is only open from 10 AM to 3:30 PM. For information on special holiday hours and more, visit the Duomo’s official tourism site.

Note: If you want to see more of the basilica and travel up the stairs to the top of the dome, you’ll need to shell out €8. (Hint: We think it’s worth it.)

For more information and lots of budget tips for Florence, go here.

The post Florence Tip: Free Duomo tours appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Cheapos clearly like to get under the skin of a city, probing well beyond the regular sights to get a feel for what makes a community tick. Faith is often still part of the fabric of European life, but getting a feel for it as a foreigner isn’t always easy – unless you happen to be a churchgoer.

Churches of all denominations (and mosques and synagogues, too) usually welcome casual visitors to their services, provided that the stranger dresses appropriately, adopts a reverent demeanour, and does not attempt to take photographs during services.

Get thee to Church

York Minster for Evensong is a very different place from the echo-filled space around which tourists wander during the day. The Minster is transformed into something altogether more meaningful. Similarly Vespers in St Mark’s in Venice will leave you in awe of the space for which Monteverdi wrote such evocative music in a way that you’ll simply miss if you shuffle round with the tourist crowds. The interior of the newly restored Frauenkirche in Dresden seems, with its strange mix of pastel shades, like a tribute to poor taste during the day when tourists traipse through the place; attend a service and the space assumes a different meaning and is altogether more pleasing.

Whether it be at a grand cathedral like Chartres or Milan, or in a humble parish church in a small village in the Alps, Mass on a Sunday morning will only take an hour out of your day. This sedentary hour may give some quiet insights into local life. Take in a service at a Methodist chapel in Wales for a good glimpse into Welsh life. What is modern Poland without Catholicism? And in hundreds of communities across Russia, devotional zeal knows no bounds. A visit to an Orthodox service for the Divine Liturgy on a Sunday is a chance to witness some fine liturgical theatre that offers rich insights into life in Russia.

Take in a service and you’ll save on a few admission fees into the bargain. No church has yet had the temerity to charge those who come to pray!

The post hidden europe: Visiting churches in Europe appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.