We’ve also compiled a list of the best books on Barcelona, so Cheapos can pick something up to read on the train or in your hotel room to get a deeper understanding of one of Europe’s greatest cities.

Altaïr
Gran Via Corts Catalanes, 616

This is THE spot for travel guides, travel novels, travel gear and meeting fellow travelers in Barcelona. Like all the shops on this list, most of the books here are in Catalan or Spanish, but you’ll also find some English goodies. Altaïr’s bulletin board allows travelers to meet other folks who are globe-trotting solo and want company.  I always marvel at their listings, and I have a friend who has gone on several exotic voyages after meeting people through the Altaïr board. You never know!

Laie
Pau Claris 85

There are quite a few branches of this bookshop around the city. A favorite of mine is on Pau Claris under Cafe Laie. Here’s how you visit: browse the bookshop, purchase a title that catches your eye and read it upstairs over a cup of coffee.

FNAC

Pl. Catalunya 4

A biggie and definitely not indie, but it’s still worth mentioning because of their enormous selection of English titles and frequent special events. You want a best seller for the beach? You’ll find it here. Also, FNAC is easy to locate. It’s right on Plaza Catalunya in the center of town. Apart from books they’ve got music, technology, a cafe and a convenient concert ticket sales counter. Plus, check their calendar, because they often put on art exhibits, offer free concerts, and invite authors to read at the store.

Garb a book off the shelf and then head upstairs to the cafe at La Central. Photo: Garret Ziegler

La Central
Elisabets, 6

An exceptional choice for books on art and hipster guides to the city is La Central. With several stores in Barcelona and Madrid, count on spending at least a few hours flipping through their offerings. I recommend the shop in El Raval.

Recommended Barcelona Reads

Now that you know where to get your guides, novels, and non-fiction, it’s time to grab a book off the shelf and read up on Barcelona. Here are a few titles I recommend in a more or less chronological order. Leaf through these publications listed below before or during your trip to Barcelona to get a deeper look into the city.

Start with: “Cathedral of the Sea” by Ildefonso Falcones for some page-turner historical fiction.

Then try: “Shadow of the Wind” by Carlos Ruiz Zafónto to get an idea of what the Gothic Quarter and Tibidabo were like. Again, this is high-drama fiction and a best seller.

Next up: “As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning” which is a beautifully written biography by Laurie Lee.

Finally some classics: Hemingway’s “Fiesta: The Sun Also Rises”, Orwell’s “Homage to Catalonia”, a must-read, and Richard Wright’s “Pagan Spain” for another view.

The post Barcelona’s best bookshops, and a reading list for travelers appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Related: How to spend your first day in Paris

Lizza will get you to your hotel affordably.

1. To cab or not to cab?

That’s always the question upon arrival. But if steps are an issue or you’re toting heavy luggage, for heaven’s sake, take a cab. No one’s gonna judge you. Heck, we’ve all been there. I’m no diva, but I’ve always thought Gare du Nord had one too many corridors, and two too many sets of stairs to count. So there, I’ve said it. I sometimes cab it myself.

My own Cheapo solution is to contact Lizza (also a concert cellist!) at contact@art-trans-voyage.com. With advance bookings, they’ll greet you at the airport with a spiffy sign in hand. The flat rate will be pre-determined during booking, and is based on your destination in the city, regardless of traffic jams. Who could ask for anything more?

Tip! Book in advance and tell her you’re a Cheapo. For the very lowest rate (especially if your flight is an early one), say you are willing to wait for a late or group pick-up at the airport café, just outside the baggage area. I do this often, and I’ve never had to wait more than one hour. After the long flight, I actually find the lull relaxing, and besides, check-in for hotels in Paris is usually in the afternoon. Plus, you can’t beat the sunrise people-watching action.

If you’re up for public transportation, check out our guide to getting in from the airport by bus and train.

Pick up a Pariscope at any magazine kiosk, like this one near the Louvre.

2. Reading Material

While waiting for a taxi or before jumping on the RER train, pick up some reading material at Les boutiques Aéroports de Paris. You can’t miss their bright red signs. Getting you coming and going, there’s usually one located just outside of baggage.

I’d kick off my spending spree with a copy of L’Officiel des Spectacles or Pariscope. Both cover the week’s happenings from theatre, cinema and arts, to music and restaurants. Then while in transit, start making plans. Costing about fifty cents a pop, it’s your new BFF! (By the way, the rags can also be found at any newsstand or kiosk in Paris.)

Let’s not forget to pick up a few fashion magazines. It’s a great way to find out what’s happening on the streets of Paris before actually hitting the cobblestones.

Here’s another squeal! Often magazines like Be, Elle, Marie Claire, and Vogue include a free gift with purchase. I recently scored a scarf and cosmetics, along with a chic Édition Limitée Nuisette (nightie) by Princesse Tam Tam in a drop dead burgundy. Talk about a win-sin!

What to do? What to do? Follow my lead. In Paris, most super market stores are not one-stop shopping havens. Monoprix is the exception. Here’s the breakdown.

Head to your neighborhood Pharmacie.

Pharmacies

Pharmacies in Paris carry a wide array of plant-based soaps, shampoos, lotions, and conditioners, along with cosmetics, contact solution, eye-drops, and contact lens cases. They also stock aspirine and Ibuprofène. When making a purchase, ask for the marque générique because it’s usually half the cost of the name brands.

How to find one? Pharmacies are easily recognizable by their flashing green cross signs, dressed in neon and cool LED. In each neighborhood at least one remains open through the night (and any closed pharmacy will post a sign directing you to the nearest one that’s open). French pharmacists are licensed to diagnose and treat minor illnesses without doctors’ prescriptions. Look for the “conseils pharmaciens” sign outside on the shop’s window.

Grocery stores

At grocery stores in Paris, you’ll find shampoo, soap, deodorant, and cosmetics, along with toothpaste and mod-looking toothbrushes (another perfect souvenir!).

Tip: Grocery stores in Paris, like Monoprix, Franprix, and Carrefour now have smaller “Mini Me” boutiques scattered throughout the city. It’s all about streamlining!

dailymonop’ sells toiletries, as well as basic grocery items.

Prior to your trip, I recommend exploring your Paris ’hood via Google Earth, and jotting down addresses of nearby pharmacies and grocery stores. Yes, this message has been approved by the Girl Scouts du Monde.

4. Batteries Chargers and Memory Chips

Forget your battery charger or need a new memory chip? It happens. Hotfoot it to Fnac (pronounced “fuh-NACK”), the largest French entertainment retail chain.

The two biggest stores are at rue de Rennes and Les Halles. (The Saint-Lazare shop is my favorite because it’s smaller.) The camera equipment is usually located on the second floor, close to the cashier booths. Check out their good-looking shopping bag. It’ll make your friends back home green with jealousy.

Tip! Fnac also discounts its inventory of books. This includes the latest catalogs from current blockbuster exhibitions in Paris. With everything from laptops and DVDs to French comic books and concert tickets, in the entertainment realm, it’s one-stop shopping. You can also pick up museum admission tickets here.

Your tips for getting situated in Paris

Cheapos, Bon Voyage! And do let us know if you have a tip for your own first day in Paris. Curious trekkers want to know.

The post Arriving in Paris: Getting to your hotel, situated and settled appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Recently one of our Cheapo readers asked us for a few shopping tips. Emily plans to visit Paris with her teenage daughter in July, which is the parfait time because “Les soldes d’été 2011” (the big summer sales) kick off on Wednesday, June 22, 2011 and last through Tuesday, July 26, 2011. Now that’s planning.

So in celebration, I’ve fashioned a special day tour for the voguish mother-daughter team. This week, let’s visit one of my favorite shopping districts, the always hustling, bustling rue de Rennes. Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock!

The Zara location in the Félix Potin building

Getting there

Make your entrance at the Métro Rennes (line 12) sortie. Don’t forget your flats, sunscreen and sunglasses, too.

Thanks to Haussmann, this super-wide boulevard was made for non-stop walking, gawking and talking. Stealing from Capote, just like at Tiffany & Co., nothing ever “very bad” could happen to you here, but do keep a tight grip on your bags. Pickpockets like to promenade, too.

Layout of the land

Rue de Rennes stretches from the Montparnasse Tower to Boulevard Saint-Germain. Truth be bold, rue de Rennes has always been one of my favorite hot spots for window-shopping. Cheapos, I dig the mix. For the love of juxtaposition, here the trendy chains and boutiques coolly mesh with classic Parisian shops.

Documentary photographer Eugène Atget would have had a field day. Wait. Stop the presses. Actually, Atget shot a dragon here ’round 1900 at 50 rue de Rennes. Today the façade has dramatically changed, but the dragon still frolics in a land called “Paree.” Look for the perfect blue door.

Plastiques (103 rue de Rennes)

Where else in this world is it possible to fall madly for a spectacular turban window display after trying on gorgeous maillots de bain (bathing suits) at Etam? And yes, feeling all pin-uppity, I bought both (in noir, of course, Mr. Wilder. How could I not?).

Cinematic buffs, Billy Wilder made his directorial debut in Paris. Can you name the film? Hint: It wasn’t “Sabrina.” Guess again!

Designs on you

Here you’ll also find affordable chains like Etam (135-139 rue de Rennes), Zara (two boutiques, at 45 and 140), and Naf-Naf (143-145), along with Kookaï (155) and Darjeeling (152).

Zara zealots! The Zara location in the Félix Potin building is a personal favorite because it usually serves as one of last stops for the chain’s closeout clothing sales. Also, the fair sight of the stunning Art Nouveau dome topping off the bargains inside is heaven. So gaze up, but do look both ways before crossing!

Need a soda pop or a sturdy bag for your purchases? There’s a Franprix grocery store (71), along with a Fnac (136). Pronounced “fuh-nack,” the largest French entertainment retail chain discounts their inventory of books, including the latest exhibition catalogues.

Boutique Jacques Darcel

Fnac also carries cameras, camera chips and batteries (not to mention DVDs, CDs, and tons of French comic books, an art form all their own). For the love of Julia Child, three other practical and whimsical shops definitely worth a pop-by are La Vaissellerie (85), Culinarion (99), and Plastiques (103), where the umbrellas are the cat’s meow.

Here’s your hat

After strolling your heart out up and down the rue de Renne, make a beeline to Saint-Germain-des-Prés for some high-ticket boutique browsing.

Need a special gift for an equally special garçon? Check out the splurge-worthy cotton hats at the très cool agnès b shop on 6 rue Vieux-Colombier. Now in lavender, olive and black, they’re hard to find outside of France and terribly expensive online. Designer/founder Agnès Bourgois Troublé has also created inexpensive unisex red scarves (€15). Available in cotton during the summertime and wool during the winter, the profits go to various humanitarian causes, including the fight against AIDS.

Cafe de la Mairie

La vie en pêche

Afterwards, grab a café and a fromage Cantal sandwich at the Café de la Mairie at Place Saint-Sulpice.

Next door to this famous but reasonably priced café (with a view!), you’ll find one of the Annick Goutal perfume shops. Again, difficult to find outside of France, Mimosa (with a hint of peach) is this year’s featured scent. A fan for a decade, I usually buy the body cream because it’s less expensive and the scent isn’t as strong but still possesses staying power. Ask for their carte de fidélité. Return visits are rewarded!

Still in the mood to shop ’til you drop?

Well then, jump on the “95” bus line and take it to any of several other lively shopping meccas along its route, like the Carrousel du Louvre or the ’hood surrounding the Opéra (wannabe Black Swans, Répetto is just a hop, skip and a pirouette from the Opéra Garnier!), or the grand magasins along Boulevard Haussmann, or the funky boutiques, vintage shops and bargain bins in the Montmartre-Abbesses area. Pinch yourself! ALL these happy-hunting-grounds are on the scenic “95” bus line. It’s another “win-spin.”

Keep asking!

Emily, thanks for a great question! So, Cheapos, do you have other Paris shopping questions? Ask away in the comments section!

The post Paris Shopping Spree: The wonderful rue de Rennes appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.