1. Pick the route less traveled

Paris, Vienna and Switzerland are luxury gems worth seeing when you have the budget, but penny pinchers should lean more towards Mediterranean marvels and Eastern European beauties like Dubrovnik, Krakow and Budapest.

2. Avoid travel packages

Seven-day bus tours and vacation packages are carefree ways to roam, but extra costs for meals and side attractions add up fast. Europe can be a traveler’s playground in most cases, so be independent.

3. Couch surf

The hotel industry, even in cheap Euro destinations, knows tourists will easily pay high costs for beds. Couch surfing communities, like couchsurfing.org, provide a network of inviting hosts offering their couches to travelers for free. The wave has notably hit Europe, and the option is a big money saver for the adventurous traveler.

4. Fly

Eurail passes are still good deals for backpackers on an unplanned continental whirlwind. Yet those with a decided destination can search dozens of low-cost airline companies carting passengers for pennies. Long-distance flights, like Istanbul to Morocco and London to Rome can be as cheap as $20 to $60 one way. Visit our flight section for budget airline information, and also check out the Skyscanner Web site.

5. Pack light

Those who’ve traveled in the past five years know that checking in luggage is an annoying extra cost. Strip your pack to less than necessary and throw it on your back. Aim to carry around 10 percent of your body weight. You can buy whatever you need upon arrival.

6. Take photos

The best way to document your journey is not through trinkets and t-shirts. Small digital cameras allow sightseers to capture hundreds of frames (and memories) while saving some precious cash. Plus, photos have a lifetime warranty!

7. No. 1 souvenir: Postcards

Everyone loves postcards because they’re a novelty, collector’s item and personal greeting all in one. The old-fashioned task of sending postcards only highlights the charming surprise one feels when receiving them. Postcards keep the souvenir tab low in cost but high in sincerity.

8. Two’s company

While three’s a crowd and solo style can get pricey, traveling with a buddy sheds cost in unexpected ways. From two-for-ones to special offers for couples, it’s surprising how much you can save when “going Dutch”.

9. Walk

Trams, buses, metros and taxis are a city’s biggest rip-off. Walking has so many advantages—exercise, more photo-ops, and overall a better and more exciting view of a city and its surroundings.

10. Eat light

Munching on smaller meals and going grocery shopping for snacks can keep your energy high all day, plus it keeps you away from big bills at tourist trap bistros. Don’t forget that ordering to go costs less, and eating in a park with a bottle of wine is more romantic than a busy terrace with sub-par service.

Bonus Tip: Avoid summer travel. Europe can be just as fun and beautiful in the spring and fall. Even the winter can make way for romantic wonderlands in the Pyrenees, the Alps and the Scandinavian Mountains.  Traveling during the off-season means cheaper prices—and less crowds.

The post Travel Tips: 10 ways to travel Europe for under $1000 appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

I’m still giddy with excitement. You see, I’ve just discovered Paris’ route de la soie (“Silk Road”). It’s a road through the less-traveled bargain clothing stores of Montmartre. Follow my lead and you, too, can find high-end clothing at bargain-bin prices.

The Panty Raid low-down

Our search takes place at Les Magasins Sympa Grandes Marques Griffées, or just “Sympa” for short.  Sympa is a bargain clothing store with several outlets in Montmartre. Here you can find lingerie, dresses, blouses, skirts, and coats–all designer seconds from previous collections. These shops are just a stone’s throw from the steps of the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur at Metro Anvers.

Save the more popular shopping districts (rues Rivoli, Hausmann, St. Honoré and de Rennes) for window shopping (or, lèche-vitrine, “window licking” in French). On the racks, shelves, and bins of the Sympa shops, you’ll find the same trendy brands, like Kookai, Jennyfer, Naf-Naf, Pimkie, Printemps, Sinéquanone, and Sandro, but for a fraction of their original cost.

Fancy Pants

The Sympa stores are located along the rue de Steinkerque, a street once notorious for its prostitutes and dance halls. Today, you can rummage through the bargains in these same buildings–under new management, of course!

Imagine the surreal charm of shopping for your “unmentionables” inside the former brothel that Pablo Picasso frequented during his “blue period”! Another Sympa now occupies part of “le bal de l’Elysée Montmartre,” where the famed Can Can star (and famorite muse of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec) La Goulue made her racy debut before defecting to the nearby Moulin Rouge. You can nab your own knickers in the very room where she once flashed hers so fetchingly at the absinthe-quaffing crowds.

If only these walls could speak.

Ah, but at Sympa maybe they do. I recently purchased armfuls of Etam’s exquisite delicacies, trimmed with yards of lace and bows, and each possessing a provocative name like “Extravagante,” “Hypnotique,” “Promesse,” “Malicieuse,” “Offrande,” “Merveilles,” “Amourette,” “Faveur,” “Tentation,” and finally, “Bliss.”

As I sauntered home along the cobblestone streets, still under the spell of my panty raid, I could swear that I spotted Aristide Bruant drift by, whistling at me and looking rather dapper in his black cape and long red scarf. Or was that Monsieur Dalí, perchance?

Tips for Lingerie Shopping

1. First, get fortified with un café or, better yet, une bière.

2. Leave handbag at home. Carry cash in pocket.

3. Don’t forget sense of humor.

4. Hang tough. Own your corner of the bargain bin!

5. There are no dressing rooms. Know your European size numbers.

6. The best deals are always in the exterior bins on the sidewalks.

7. Hate crowds? Shop weekday mornings.

8. Saturday mornings are usually delivery day, but every day is a drastic sale day at Sympa.

Practical Info

Sympa locations:
62, blvd. De Rochechouart, corner of Steinkerque
1 bis, rue de Steinkerque
18, rue d’Orsel, corner of Steinkerque

Days and Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 AM—7 PM

Metro: at Anvers (Pigalle and Abbesses are nearby, too)

While you’re in the neighborhood…

In the mood for art after your panty raid? Four museums in the quartier de Montmartre:

Espace Dalí (Dive into the convoluted imagination of the surrealist master!)
Days and Hours: Monday through Sunday, 10 AM—6:30 PM
Metros: Anvers, Abbesses
Discounts: children under 8 free

Le Halle Saint Pierre
(Visionaries, naives and outsiders—and a cozy café!)
2, rue Ronsard
Days and Hours: Monday through Sunday, 10 AM—6 PM
(Special August Days and Hours: Monday through Friday, 12 Noon—6 PM)
Metros: Anvers, Abbesses

Musée de Montmartre (Where Impressionism began!)
12 rue Cortot
Days and Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 11 AM—6 PM
Métros: Abbesses
Discounts: children under 12 free

Musée de l’érotisme (Ooh la lah!)
72, boulevard de Clichy
Métros: Blanche, Pigalle
Days and Hours: Monday through Sunday, 10 AM—2 AM
Don’t miss the permanent exhibition on Montmartre’s famous brothels!

The post Paris Shopping Tip: Designer clothing for less at “Sympa” appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Research and development

Although down-to-the-minute planning can be limiting, doing some research on the best hotels and hostels, and the best modes of transportation, is the key to saving your money later. If you can do research about your intended destination before you even get on the plane, all the better.

For me, the preparation began the day I realized I wanted to get the heck outta dodge and head back to Europe.

Through some crafty internet research and a few phone calls, I was fortunate to get hooked up with an artist residency that paid for my room and board while I was there. But I was expected to work an eight-hour day on a farm. (In my next post, I’ll explore ways that the average Cheapo can find similar kinds of set-ups.)

Here are my most important tips for a budget-friendly European experience, Wandering Cheapo-style:

1. One big meal a day is plenty.

Budget for cheap breakfasts (unless you’re in Ireland, and then that can be your big meal), grocery-store lunches (I love the sandwiches at Tesco in London), and then wolf down a bigger dinner if you like. This is especially important if you are going on a longer trip. Your money will drain fast, especially if you’re stopping here and there for bottled water, snacks, and aperitifs.

2. Make a budget for yourself that is weekly on a longer trip, daily on a shorter one.

Sometimes, you arrive in a city and find that there are great tours and museums that cannot be missed (Please don’t leave Paris without visiting the Louvre). Admission charges will quickly eat into your budget. But don’t fret. On a longer trip, think about your budget in terms of weekly caps. That way, if you go over your budget on one day, you can compensate on another day. Have fun, but keep disciplined at the same time.

3. Always have a notebook and pen handy.

Sometimes you’ll want to take notes on a place, or you’ll want to jot down the location of a cheap restaurant that you come across and want to check out later. You may need to get the e-mail of your new best friend in, say, Latvia, or the phone number of a good hostel that doesn’t offer on-line booking. Try to find a notebook with a pocket so you can collect train tickets, pamphlets and brochures, and other helpful info easily.

4. Talk to everyone.

I know that this may not seem like a budget tip, but it definitely can be. When you talk to other travelers, you find out where to go and when to go, what to spend time and money on. And when you talk to locals, you find out all sorts of money-saving insider tips about a place. You might even snag a free meal or a night’s lodging just by engaging someone’s interest. (It goes without saying, use your gut and follow your instincts along the way. If you feel uncomfortable around someone, think twice about accepting their hospitality.)

5. Everywhere you go, ask about discounts.

There are thousands of discounts to be had in Europe. If you’re a student, you’re pretty much set. Those of us who are late-blooming travelers need not worry either. Some museums and sights are cheaper – or FREE – on certain days of the week. Restaurants offer fixed-price menus at certain times of the day, often including a free beverage. Sometimes by picking up the right piece of paper in a city, or maybe a magazine or flyer, you can snag discounts on stuff. Ask, ask, and ask again. “Do you offer discounts of any kind?” You will often be happily surprised.

For more about Reinhardt’s travels, visit his blog: The Pork Chop Express.

The post Wandering Cheapo: Five tips for stretching your budget abroad appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Old fashioned

Nomads from northern Scandinavia and the Kola Peninsula created clothing to stay warm and to communicate who they were. The Sami people have long been known for donning brightly designed clothes for all occasions.  Today, you can buy many variations of their original fashions, in the form of shawls, sweaters, and boots.

Fashion forward

Perhaps the easiest go-to accessory to pack and bring home from Stockholm is a pair of “lovika” mittens, made of the wool of the same name. The yarn is ideal for both wet and cold conditions.

Check out the narrow streets of Gamla Stan for handicrafts and popular souvenirs. Specifically, the main strip in Stockholm’s Old Town, Vasterlanggatan, boasts plenty of shopping and vendors. But, we suggest hitting side streets which pay lower rents and will offer, therefore, cheaper accoutrements. Prices start at $15 USD at popular discount shops like H&M and can go up to $80 USD for more high quality handmade mittens, sold at boutiques in the area.

While you’re at it…

Catch a school of Swedish fish candy! They provide a sweet treat for the hungry sharks back home. Malaco, the originator of the gummy candy, manufactures their own breed sold only in Sweden; less sweet and more fruit flavored than the fish sold elsewhere.

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Here’s our “Cheapo Strategy”: During the week, keep busy with biergartens and Bavarian buildings. But on the weekend, take advantage of the several city museums that charge only €1!

Art on a shoestring

Each Sunday, many of Munich’s best-known museums offer reduced entrance fares to visitors.

For instance, you can tour the Alte Pinakothek’s collection of European art, the modern art at the Lenbachhaus, Roman and Greek architecture at the Glyptothek, and the sculpture and musical instruments at the Bayerisches National Museum’s, each for a small €1 admission charge.

If you want to hold onto every last euro, Munich can be even friendlier on your wallet.

Entrance to the unique collections at the Kartoffelmuseum, the Siemens AG company museum, and the Geologisches Museum are free seven days a week.

While you’re at it

Be sure to check the museums’ websites for any upcoming events. For instance, the Glyptothek, Munich’s museum of classical Roman and Greek art, hosts a “Lange Nacht der Museen” twice a year, when the museum’s doors stay open till 2 a.m.

Tell us: Have any other Munich tourist tips? Add them below!

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We (heart) souvenirs

Created pro bono in 1977 by Milton Glaser for a marketing campaign to promote New York State, the original design for “I (heart) NY” was intended to be in the public eye for only a few months. But locals and tourists alike took hold of the black, white and red symbol. A popular souvenir movement was born.

While finding your own special tee in Times Square or around Soho has its own allure, shops around Chinatown and Madison Square Garden (in the west 30s) offer better deals. Look for street vendors with tables of tees offering crazy deals. Some vendors even sell five shirts for $10. Individual tees go for about $3 to $30, depending on quality.

While you’re at it…

Grab some of the other cheap trinkets available on the vendor tables in Soho and the Fashion District. We’re talking about mini taxi cabs, cityscape snow globes, foam Statue of Liberty crowns, Times Square playing cards, etc. Classic.

Also see: Our recommended budget hotels in New York City.

The post New York cheap souvenir: I (heart) NY t-shirts appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Doubles €55-68

We love scouting out small, quirky hotels in Paris. Happily, the city is full of independent, charming hotels that offer rooms at very reasonable rates. One that we have an especially deep “crush” on is Hotel les Chansonniers (“The Singers”). Located a bit off-the-beaten path, this cheery hotel has a whole lotta heart and soul, and 40 clean and cheap rooms.

If you stay at Les Chansonniers, be sure to say hello to the lovely owner, Madame Sellam. She has a passion for music and takes pride in rooms touting the lives of great songstresses like Edith Piaf. The minute you step inside the note-worthy lobby and hotel bar, you’ll swoon.

What do we mean when we say “off the beaten path”? The property is in the Republique neighborhood, a bit northeast of the main sights, but very well connected by the Metro. The area is busy and working-class. It’s not Latin Quarter touristy, but brims instead with local activity. In short, it may not be right for first-time travelers to Paris who want a hotel steps from the Eiffel Tower or Notre Dame.

Read our full review of Hotel les Chansonniers.

Cheapo tip: Try to stay in one of the two top-floor rooms that come with Jacuzzis!

Find more budget hotels in Paris and read our budget guide to traveling in Paris.

The post Paris Crush: Hotel les Chansonniers appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Cheapo activities in Valencia-

Head to the Mercado Central: The main fruit and vegetable market in Valencia is a feast for the eyes and a great place to buy all the makings for a picnic—saving the cost of lunch in a café. The building itself is airy and light with colorful tiles and stained glass windows. Don’t forget to check out the amazing fish section at the far end of the market. It’s a true treat and a fantastic way to see real deal Spanish seafood.

Linger at La Lonja: The 15th-century silk exchange is a Unesco World Heritage site and has been recently restored. The entry is free. Follow along the colonnaded hall with its twisting stone columns and cathedral-like atmosphere. Next, walk through the shady courtyard decked in orange trees. Finally, go up the steps to the upper room with its beautiful coffered ceiling. The whole experience will make a lasting, and cheap, impression.

Go to Plaza de la Virgen: This plaza is a pleasant place to sit with a drink, admire the fountain, or eat a picnic. If you want to visit the Cathedral, it will normally cost you €4 including an audio-guide. But, if you attend one of the many masses, you can enter for free. Try the Sunday 9:30 a.m. mass held in the Chapel of the Holy Grail where you can hear the Gregorian chant as a bonus.

Walk through Turia Gardens: The Turia River flowed through Valencia until it was diverted in the 1950s due to flooding. Today’s picturesque riverbed is a series of public parks. Do as the locals do and take an afternoon stroll or have a picnic there. The area around the Palau de la Musica is especially pleasant.

Don’t leave without…

Getting your architecture fix. You can’t leave Valencia without stopping to admire the amazing architecture of the town’s museums, cinemas, and concert halls. Sure, the venues are expensive, but it costs nothing to wander around and look. Take in the buildings, cool blue pools, and metal sculptures in the gardens. And, be sure to pop into the shady botanical greenhouse, L’Umbracle.

Finding a free museum. There are many great museums in Valencia where average prices are about €2-3 for entrance. However, the Museo de Bellas Artes, the Bullfighting Museum, Museo Historico Municipal, and Museo de Prehistoria (also known as La Beneficienca), are free. The Palacio del Marques de dos Aguas, which contains the Ceramics Museum, is free on Saturday afternoon and Sunday too—and is well worth a visit.

Basking at the beach. If the sun is shining, take a bus or tram to the port of Valencia, which hosted the America’s Cup last year. Then move on to the beach and wander along the boardwalk, relax on the sand, or go for a swim. If you want to sample some authentic Paella, a traditional Valencia dish, you can try it in one of the many restaurants along this strip.

Dining tips-

Have a gourmet lunch on a budget. For a delicious 3-course lunch at only €9, head to the ground floor restaurant in the free Museo de Prehistoria, known as La Beneficienca. Service starts at 2 p.m., but arrive a little earlier for a drink in the shaded courtyard, also popular with the locals.

For nightlife-

Check out Barrio Carmen: If it’s nightlife you’re after, head for Barrio Carmen. and the party goes on until dawn! Make sure you check out the incredible graffiti-art on surrounding walls.

The post A Cheapo tour of Valencia, Spain appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

If you’re planning a trip to Prague and are a fan of the performing arts, you owe it to yourself to check out performance schedules before you arrive, as you’ll want to consider all of your options. Of course, you could wait until you arrive to book last-minute tickets, but why limit your chances of securing a good deal?

Booking your seats online in advance directly with the performance halls gives you the most options for available seats, including the super-cheap seats. Also, when researching shows, consider choosing an afternoon performance, when seats can be less than half the price of an evening show.

Prague’s main performance halls

Prague has three main venues for opera, ballet, and concerts: The National Theatre (Narodni Divadlo), the Prague State Opera, and the Estates Theatre.

The National Theater

Located along the Vltava River, the National Theater produces dramas, ballets, and operas, and is the most important theater in Prague. The neoclassical building, its golden rooftop gleaming, was constructed between 1868 and 1881.

The Estates Theatre

The charming and regal Estates Theater was built in 1783 and produces ballets and operas. It was here that Mozart conducted his Don Giovanni in 1787, and still today the Estates produces mostly Mozart operas.

Tickets for the National and Estates: You can book tickets for both venues through the National Theater’s website. Click the “Tickets” link at the top to see the current season and check availability. Tickets are available in seven price categories. You will first need to create a free user account, before paying with a credit card or simply reserving the seats and paying for them in cash when you arrive at the theater. (Be careful: It’s so easy, in fact, that we accidentally reserved two seats for “Falstaff” in October while doing our research!)

You may also purchase tickets, without surcharge, through the Bohemia Tickets website. Tickets can be picked up at their offices in central Prague, emailed to you (for free), or they can send them to your hotel, for 200 CZK ($13).

The Prague State Opera

The city’s second most important opera house, the grandiose State Opera was built in 1888 and is situated just off Wenceslas Square. Opera performances here are often crowd-pleasers by the likes of Mozart, Puccini, and Verdi, in addition to special festivities around Christmas and New Year’s Eve. The State Opera performs ten months a year, with no performances during the summer.

Booking: Book tickets in advance directly from the State Opera’s website. There you can view performance schedules and click “buy tickets” to see available seats. The State Opera sells e-tickets directly through their site. When you buy an e-ticket, there is no need to exchange your email confirmation for an actual ticket at the theater.

As with the National and Estates, you can also book, without surcharge, through “Bohemia Ticket.”

Prices for all three theaters: Ticket prices vary, but can go as low as 100 CZK ($6.50) for the cheapest (and highest) seats. First and second-tier balcony seats are often in the 300-600 CZK ($19-48) range, while the most expensive orchestra (and prime mezzanine) seats normally cost 800-1,000 CZK ($51-$64).

A note about other ticket booking sites

In researching this post, we came across many other ticket booking websites. Put simply, we would always stick to the official theater websites or to their official partner “Bohemia Tickets.” Other sites often only sell the more expensive seats (not even bothering to offer the cheapies), then tack on “handling charges” and additional delivery charges. One site that we found would either deliver the ticket to your hotel or personally greet you with the tickets at the theater (holding a sign) for about $20.  Not so fast.

Have other tips for finding a cheap seat in Prague? Let us know!

The post Prague: Cheap seats at the opera or ballet appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Here are our steps for procuring and perfecting the Parisian picnic.

When in Paris, stock up like the French do!

Pick up your must-haves in this order. Hit up the corner boulangerie for bread, then visit the fromagerie for cheese. Next stop? A traiteur where quiches, terrines, salads and other prepared foods are the mainstay. And of course the marchand de vin for an inexpensive, but lovely, bottle of wine, and, finally, the patisserie for some fabulous desserts. Even better, hit a weekly neighborhood outdoor food market, where you can actually barter with the sellers and snag everything in one trip. Check for days and hours.

Pick a picnic spot, but not any spot.

We have some favorites. In no particular order…

La Cour Carré at the Louvre (1st arrondissement): This enclosed courtyard at the eastern end of the Louvre is a fabulous spot for a petit repos. At any time of day, large, flat benches free for the taking are bathed in sun, and in the evening the museum’s lighting stunningly showcases the surrounding building’s architecture. Hang out and listen to musicians and performers, who play under the arches and near the fountain at the square’s center. There’s no better antidote to a busy day of sightseeing.

Pont des Arts (1st and 6th arrondissement): Exit the Cour Carré’s south (river) side, and you’ll find yourself facing the Pont des Arts, a pedestrian bridge that turns into a sunset lovers’ rendez-vous on summer evenings. Views in all directions show off Paris’ sightseeing highlights. Here, you are perfectly poised to enjoy views of most every major Paris monument. Don’t forget the champagne!

Jardin du Palais Royal (1st arrondissement): Central Paris’ hidden gem is the Jardin. Even those who know its location can struggle to find an entrance through the arcades. The easiest way we’ve found is through Place Colette, by the Palais Royal Musée du Louvre metro station. The peaceful gardens, fountains and historic buildings surrounding the square are breathtaking.

The quais on Sunday (1st and 4th arrondissement): On Sundays, Paris’ river quais are closed to traffic and open to strollers, bikers, roller bladers-and, you guessed it: picnickers. One favorite stretch-out site is the grassy, tree-lined spot on the right bank facing Ile Saint-Louis. Sit back, relax and enjoy the sights.

Ile Saint-Louis (4th arrondissement): The banks of Ile Saint-Louis rank as one of Paris’ most romantic spots to set up for an evening apéritif. Join locals sipping champagne and watching the Bateaux Mouches pass as the sun sinks behind the Seine. The most coveted spot is at the western-most tip of the island (with views of Hotel de Ville and Ile de la Cité). To get down to the river bank, take any of the stairways from the street.

Square Jean XXIII behind Notre Dame (1st arrondissement): This lovely garden behind the famous cathedral is much quieter than the touristy square in front, with arguably just as good a view. Shaded benches and impressive rose and flower beds make it a nice pause point before or after an encounter with church-visiting crowds. It’s also convenient to Ile Saint-Louis.

Square Tino Rossi (5th arrondissement): Enter from Quai Saint Bernard where a pedestrian path runs down to the river just after Pont de Sully and you’ll find one of Paris’ prettiest Seine views, facing Ile Saint-Louis and the back spires of Notre Dame. This park has a lively evening outdoor music and dance scene. Watch a tango lesson, or better yet join in!

Rue de Seine, square G. Pierne (6th arrondissement): This is a convenient little stopping point to quickly eat purchases from rue de Seine’s nearby boulangeries and to-go sandwich shops. Don’t miss the whimsical design of the benches in the form of open books.

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