The only city in Germany to have an American-style skyline, Frankfurt boasts Germany’s fifteen tallest skyscrapers. But don’t be fooled. Frankfurt is more than a mere stopover or a banker’s paradise. The city is well worth a visit on its own.

Budget travel guide to Frankfurt

To help you discover Frankfurt’s hidden highlights, we’ve gathered this budget guide together with travel tips as well as clever ways to save.

Getting there

By Plane

Because of its immense size, you can often find nicely priced international and domestic tickets to Frankfurt Airport. Search for flights to Frankfurt for the latest deals.

Once there, you can easily take the train or bus into the city center. Hop on the Bus 58, 61, 62, 72, or 77 and buy your ticket directly from the bus driver. Tickets cost €4.35 and the trip takes about 30 minutes. If you’d prefer to take the train, catch the S8 or S9. The train costs a little more (€4.65) and takes ten minutes longer than the bus. Purchase your ticket from a ticket machine and make sure to stamp it before boarding, otherwise, you’re risking a €50 fine if you’re caught by a ticket controller.

By Train

You can also easily reach Frankfurt by train from anywhere in Germany or Europe. The largest train station is Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof (Main Train Station), which is located near the city center. If you choose this option, make sure you book a ticket to Frankfurt (Main) or Frankfurt am Main. This is the city’s official name and means “Frankfurt on the Main River,” which is an important distinction because Germany also has a city called Frankfurt Oder (Frankfurt on the Oder River) located in the former East.

Related: 4 Easy ways to save on train travel in Germany

By Bus

Taking the bus to Frankfurt is usually the cheaper but much slower option — bus travel can take as much as twice as long compared to the train. If you’re not in a rush, check out prices with economy bus companies like Flixbus or Eurolines.

Related: Riding the budget bus lines in Germany

Tips on how to save on travel:

Train and bus tickets are more expensive the closer you book to your travel date, so make sure you buy the tickets as far in advance as possible. Airfare is most expensive during the summer holidays, so try to travel offseason if you can.

Getting around town

With buses, trains, and trams to choose from, Frankfurt has an extensive public transportation system. Local transportation is run by Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV), which also offers service to nearby cities, like Wiesbaden, Duisburg, and Darmstadt. For travel within Frankfurt, press the red button marked “Stadtgebiet Frankfurt” (city area Frankfurt) on the ticket machines. Single fare tickets (Einzelfahrt) within Frankfurt cost €2.75 for adults and €1.55 for children. If you plan on using public transportation several times, then you may want to opt for a day ticket (Tageskarte), which costs €5.35 for adults, €3 for children, or €11.30 for a group of up to 5 people. Prices for outer lying areas and cities vary depending on the zone.

Another option is exploring Frankfurt by bike. Both Deutsche Bahn and companies like Next Bike offer bike rentals at a low fee all over the city. Simply download the app or find a bike at one of the docking stations, and you’ll be biking down the city streets before you know it.

Of course, the cheapest transportation is your own two feet. Luckily, Frankfurt is a relatively small city, so unless you plan to explore outside the city center or want to rest a little, you can easily walk just about anywhere you want to go.

For something different from the typical business hotel, stay at Hotel am Berg.

Budget hotels in Frankfurt

Frankfurt’s focus on business and banking is both a blessing and a curse when trying to find a place to stay. There are plenty of hotel rooms in Frankfurt thanks to all of the people traveling for work, but the majority of them are corporate-style accommodations with either a high price tag or little character. Read through our Frankfurt neighborhood guide to find out which location is best for you.

At EuroCheapo, we try to find locally owned places that keep prices in check. For plush rooms next to the train station, Hotel Europa Style is a good choice for budget travelers. For something with a little more charm, check into Hotel am Berg where each room has its own eccentric style and a private bathroom. If you want to tap into the young energy of Frankfurt, Five Elements Hostel is a good place to start with private rooms starting under $100. Browse through our catalog of affordable hotels in Frankfurt.

More Frankfurt hotel advice:
• Frankfurt hotels with rooms under $100 per night
• Search hostels with dorms and private rooms in Frankfurt
• Best hotel values in Frankfurt

Tip: Also check the calendar before you book because if you decide to visit during one of the huge trade shows (like the Frankfurt Book Fair), prices will be through the roof.

Free and cheap things to do in Frankfurt

Like many German cities, Frankfurt was largely destroyed in the Second World War. However, Frankfurt’s Altstadt (old town) has since been lovingly restored. Take a stroll around Römerberg Platz (Römerberg Square) where you’ll see both the Rathaus (city hall) and many Medieval style buildings. Across the Main River, you’ll find Sachsenhausen, a great district with lots of shops and restaurants as well as Frankfurt’s claim to fame, Äppelwoi Kneipen (traditional cider taverns).

Römerberg Platz makes a fun place to explore in Frankfurt. Photo: Dan

Churches

Frankfurt has several beautiful churches, like the Cathedral of Saint Bartholomew (Domplatz 1), which boasts a gruesome relic: pieces of St. Bartholomew’s skull. On Römerberg Platz, you’ll also find the Alte Nikolaikirche, a late Gothic era Protestant church. St. Paul’s Church (Paulskirche) on Paulsplatz was a protestant church that played a significant role in German history. In 1848, the National Assembly met here and where they worked on and drafted a united Germany’s first constitution. Church services are no longer held at St. Paul’s. Instead, the building is used as a venue for various events, the most famous being the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, which is awarded annually at the Frankfurt Book Fair.

Museums

And don’t forget about Frankfurt’s most famous son, the eighteenth German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The house where he was born is now a museum dedicated to his life and work. The Frankfurter Goethe-Museum is located at Großer Hirschgraben 23-25. The museum is open Monday through Friday from 10 am to noon and 1 pm to 4 pm. Admission price: adults, €7, students, €3, children 6 and under free.

If you’re a museum person, then head over to the Museumsufer (Museum Riverbank) on Schaumainkai. The Museumsufer is home to fourteen museums, including the impressive Städel Museum, one of Germany’s most important art museums, with works by the likes of Botticelli, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Monet, Picasso, and Gerhard Richter. Additional museums in the area include the Deutsches Filmmuseum (German Film Museum), the Museum der Weltkunde (Ethnological Museum), and the Historisches Museum (Frankfurt History Museum). Even if you’re not a culture hound, the Schaumainkai is still worth a stroll. If you’re in town on a Saturday, be sure to come by the street and check out Frankfurt’s largest flea market.

Christmas Market

If you enjoy the holiday markets in Europe, Frankfurt has one of the best. The Frankfurt Christmas Market has a long history dating all the way back to 1393!

Eating and drinking on a budget

When in Frankfurt, a meal in an inexpensive Äppelwoi Kneipe is simply a must. Unique to Frankfurt, these cider taverns serve up your average German pub fare, heavy on the meat and potatoes, with several Hessen specialties, like Handkäse, a type of soft cheese often served with onions and cumin, Äpfelwein (alcoholic cider), and Frankfurt’s beloved Grüne Soße (green sauce), a creamy sauce made with seven different herbs. The cider is a little sour side, but you can also order is süß gespritzt (sweetened with a little orange Fanta) or opt for one of the many beers the taverns have on tap if cider isn’t really your thing.

We picked a few of our favorite Äppelwoi Kneipen:

Gaststätte Atschel
Wallstraße 7

Äpfelwein Wagner
Schweizerstrasse 71

Äpfelwein Dax
Willemerstraße 11

Another Frankfurt institution is the Frankfurt Kleinmarkthalle. This popular market hall first opened its doors in the late 19th century and is a great place for a cheap lunch or tasty snack. The Kleinmarkthalle is located at Hasengasse 5-7 and is open Monday through Friday from 8 am to 6 pm and Saturdays from 8 am to 4 pm. Closed on Sundays and holidays.

If you’re more in the mood for pizza, check out Pizzeria 7 Bello (Niddastraße 82).

Gute Stute (Kölner Straße 42) is a funky dive bar a little off the beaten path. The name translates as the “good mare,” and the bar comes complete with a life-size stuffed horse and wagon wheel décor.

You can also hop into a Lidl or Aldi discount supermarket for snacks and picnic food.

Tip: Try to avoid the bars and restaurants located directly on Römerplatz or other places in the old town because they’re likely to be touristy and pricier than locations in regular neighborhoods.

The Frankfurt Book Fair draws thousands of people from around the world. Photo: actua

Additional ways to save

Held in the fall, the Frankfurt Book Fair is the largest trade fair for books in the world. Prices for hotels go up in price and fill up quickly, so try to avoid the city at this time unless you are specifically interested in visiting the fair.

If you plan to use public transportation a fair amount and visit a lot of museums on your trip, you may want to consider picking up the Frankfurt Card. This card gets you free public transportation, including to and from the airport, and up to 50% discount on many museums in the city as well as several other perks. You can purchase either an individual 1-day ticket (€10.50) or a 2-day ticket (€15.50) or a group ticket for up to five people (1-day ticket, €22; 2-day ticket €32).

More tips for Germany:
• 50 Ways to save on your trip to Germany
• A 10-Day itinerary through Germany on a budget

The post A Budget travel guide to Frankfurt appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

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Norwegian offers $240 flights from US to London

Questions over Gatwick services

With respect to its proposed Gatwick venture, Norwegian is facing a barrage of criticism from US-based legacy carriers and pilots’ unions who fear that the company’s low-cost model may threaten the cushioned comforts which they have enjoyed for decades. The coming weeks will reveal whether Norwegian really does get to launch its proposed routes from LA, Fort Lauderdale and JFK into Gatwick in July.

Even if it does go ahead, the Norwegian operation is merely a blip in the pond. We are talking about one Gatwick-based plane flying the company’s three US routes in and out of the airport—providing in total just six flights each week from the USA to London. The market for transatlantic flights is reshaping to reflect new patterns of consumer demand. Many punters nowadays want to fly direct to Europe from regional airports around North America.

Shortest transatlantic crossing: 4 hours

This summer sees a number of interesting new routes that tap regional markets. So British Airways this month launched a new non-stop route from Austin to London Heathrow, and Westjet will start the shortest transatlantic flights of the season on June 15 with its new route from St John’s (Newfoundland) to Dublin.

The ever-reliable OAG flight database shows a block time of 4 hrs 15 mins for the sector, so the 2000-mile route will require less than four hours in the air, barely enough time to enjoy supper and have a quick snooze before the plane is descending to touch down in Ireland. One-way fares start at $275 (Canadian dollars)—and that includes all taxes, fuel surcharges and checked baggage.

New daytime flights to Europe

Europe Airpost may sound more like the mailman than an airline. But this French cargo airline also carries humans. It’s an unusual choice for transatlantic travel, but this summer the airline offers the only daytime flights from Canada to Europe. Avoid the pain of an overnighter with Europe Airpost’s direct daytime flights from Halifax (Nova Scotia) to Glasgow and Paris. The service will operate in July and August only, using Boeing 737s with space for 128 passengers

From lesser airports direct to Europe

Many of the big airfare search engines may overlook useful carriers that could be just what you need for your routing. Casting around and checking individual airlines’ websites may reap handsome rewards. How many travelers from the Twin Cities or the Pacific Northwest would think of checking the Condor website for direct flights to Germany? But in fact the carrier has summer-season direct flights to Frankfurt from both Minneapolis-Saint Paul and Seattle—and, for that matter, even flies non-stop this summer from Fairbanks (Alaska) and Whitehorse (Yukon) to Frankfurt.

Basel or Riga? Why not fly direct?

Another carrier that features less prominently in the imagination is Air Transat, which from June thru September this year offers scheduled non-stop flights from Montreal to Basel.

Choosing a less-obvious airline may allow you to route directly to your chosen destination in Europe. If you are heading out of the Big Apple bound for the Baltic States, you might assume that there are no direct flights and opt to travel via London, Amsterdam or Copenhagen. But there is one airline which has reliably served the New York to Riga route for years—and that is Uzbekistan Airways. The flight time is just under nine hours on the airline’s Boeing 767.

Check out less obvious carriers

Opting for an obscure airline may bring advantages. The fastest schedules on the New York to Brussels route are not achieved by any US or European airline but by the Indian carrier Jet Airways which offers a daily flight from Newark to Brussels. If you are heading to Italy and, like us, you think that Middle Eastern style is hard to beat, then consider using Emirates’ new non-stop service from New York to Milan. Five different carriers compete daily on the route, four of them flying out of JFK and one from Newark. We think that Emirates is the best of the JFK options.

Singapore Airlines from the USA to Europe

On the busy route from New York City to Frankfurt, four different IATA carriers are in head-to-head competition, between them offering six non-stop departures every evening from New York. Our top choice is the least obvious one, namely Singapore Airlines which flies the flagship Airbus A380-800 on the route. It’s not the airline’s only transatlantic service. Another very useful link is the Houston to Moscow route, where Singapore Airlines jealously guards its enviable position as sole operator of a route that appeals to more than merely oil executives.

The post Flying across the Atlantic: Creative and cheap ways to get to Europe appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

We combed through the budget hotel recommendations in eight of our popular cities looking for unique places to sleep. Some are more unusual than others. Let’s face it, some cities have a bit more “edge” than others.

Still, all of these picks struck us as interesting. After all, why have a normal night’s sleep?

How many hemp products can you spot in this room? Photo: EuroCheapo

Amsterdam: Hemp Hotel

Doubles €70-80

Perhaps the name already gave it away. But yes, from the linens and furnishings in the guestrooms to the refreshments served in the hipster bar downstairs, everything that can be made out of hemp at the Hemp Hotel is. This appreciation for all things hemp allures hemp aficionados the world over, as does the (obviously) smoke-friendly bar downstairs. Rooms are otherwise pretty basic, but you won’t remember, anyway.

(Read review | See all recommended hotels in Amsterdam)

Breakfast in the Belle Époque dining room of a silent movie star? Welcome to the Funk. Photo: EuroCheapo

Berlin: Pension Funk

Doubles €52-109

Film buffs traveling to the German capital should certainly consider a night spent in silent film legend Asta Nielsen’s 1930’s apartment. Located on one of Charlottenburg’s most beautiful streets, the Funk (meaning “radio”) is a Belle Époque dream, and rooms are as pristine as a museum’s. A great deal.

(Read full review | See all recommended hotels in Berlin)

Even the bikes are flawlessly color coordinated at Brussels’ Pantone Hotel. Photo: EuroCheapo

Brussels: The Pantone Hotel

Doubles €69-189

Those literally looking for a “colorful” night’s rest should look no further than Brussel’s Pantone Hotel, which holds the distinction as being the only hotel in the world built according to the Pantone color categorization system. Rooms sport rather swanky modern furnishings and the hotel attracts a fashionable (and color-coordinated) clientele, but hey, it’s still pretty affordable… for Brussels.

(Read full review | See all recommended hotels in Brussels)

Sleep “al fresco” at Florence’s lovely Bavaria. Photo: EuroCheapo

Florence: Hotel Bavaria

Doubles €39-98

Okay, things don’t get too funky in Florence. However, those looking for something special should consider the sweet, family-run Bavaria. This one-star hotel is located in a 16th-century building and offers 17 large and simple rooms, some of which have restored frescoes on the ceilings and walls. Given the artistry, location and ultra-low rates, we’d consider the Bavaria quite unusual.

(Read full review | See all recommended hotels in Florence)

Even the hallways at the Goldman 25hours in Frankfurt are an art installation. Photo: EuroCheapo

Frankfurt: Goldman 25hours

Doubles €69-150

In a city known more for its conference rooms than hotel rooms, the Goldman 25hours delivers some welcome artistic flair. Each of the hotel’s 49 rooms was designed with gusto by a local artist, and the result is a hotel with a wide range of styles: funky, eclectic, shaggy, bright, conceptual, etc.

(Read full review | See all recommended hotels in Frankfurt)

The view from Lisbon’s enchanting Ninho das Aguias. Photo: EuroCheapo

Lisbon: Pensao Ninho das Aguias

Doubles €35-50

Travelers in search of a view who are willing to climb (and climb… and climb…) to reach their bed will feel right at home at the Ninho das Aguias, the “Eagles Nest.” Perched high over Lisbon next to the castle, this old-fashioned spot may not be modern or luxurious, but from the moment you fling your windows open to “that view” over Lisbon, you’ll be enchanted. Built in the late 19th century as a private house, the Ninho has only been lightly converted into a guest house. You’ll appreciate that when hanging out in the garden, reading on the patio, or chatting with Filomena, the friendly proprietor.

(Read full review | See all recommended hotels in Lisbon)

The bedrooms at the Hotel de Nesle are really something for the history books. Photo: EuroCheapo

Paris: Hotel de Nesle

Doubles 7euro;75-12

The charming little Hotel de Nesle seems plucked from a storybook, with most of its 18 guest rooms boasting a history-themed wall mural. David, who runs the St-Germain hotel with his mother and is an artist in his own right, painted these fantastic depictions of French history, including scenes with Moliere, Hugo, and famous residents of the neighborhood.

(Read full review | See all recommended hotels in Paris)

There’s definitely something convent-ional about sleeping at the Suore di S. Elisabetta. Photo: EuroCheapo

Rome: Suore di S. Elisabetta

Doubles from €64

For those who don’t mind a curfew or sleeping under a crucifix, the friendly nuns of Santa Elisabetta present a fine (and spotless) budget option. Things are obviously kept quite simple in the rooms, and some share facilities while more expensive rooms have their own. Breakfast is included and served in an ornate dining room.

(Read full review | See all recommended hotels in Rome)

For more budget hotel recommendations (including many that are sadly quite a bit more conventional) visit our hotel guides for dozens of cities throughout Europe.

The post 8 cheap and unusual hotels in Europe appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Transit time from Berlin to Kraków (or vice versa) is 8 hrs 14 mins. This is faster than any rail connection between the two cities — and since the last remaining direct train was axed last December, the bus has the advantage of not requiring an en route change.

Bus versus train

Whether one wants to spend eight hours on a bus, even one with all mod cons like the IC Bus, is a good question. We’ve never been inclined to rush, so we would most likely still opt for the train, even if it does involve a change and take an hour or more longer.

The fact that the bus beats the train is less a comment on the niftiness of the bus than a reflection of how woefully slow the cross-border trains are. In the 1930s, the fastest trains sped from Berlin to Wroclaw in less than three hours. Now they take almost twice that time.

Train tickets for the bus

The new bus link is fully integrated into the DB ticketing system. So the great-value “Europa-Spezial Polen” fare can be used to book a through journey from anywhere on the DB system to Kraków, allowing travel to Berlin by ICE train to connect there with the bus to Poland.

Tickets go on sale three months in advance, with one-way fares from principal German cities (including Frankfurt, Cologne and Hamburg) to Kraków starting at €39.

If all you are looking to do is ride the bus from Berlin (with no connecting train to Berlin), then look to pay €29 one way — provided of course you book in advance. If you hold a DB BahnCard 25, then you’ll get 25% off all fares on cross-border journeys on the new IC Bus.

First IC Bus within Germany

Also in April, DB launched a domestic bus service between Munich and Freiburg im Breisgau. This is a key link between Bavaria and the Upper Rhine Valley and connects two cities where the rail journey would be circuitous. It can certainly be handled by train, but you’ll always have to change on the way, usually at Mannheim or Karlsruhe.

The new IC Bus is no faster than the train, but it wins out on convenience. It is direct. And it can be very much cheaper. One-way fares start at €19 (with a discount for BahnCard holders). There are six journeys a day. The transit time is 4 hrs 35 mins.

More routes to come

The DB website suggests more routes will be launched in the future. IC Bus looks like a brand that’s set to grow.

DB already has two other bus routes linking Nuremberg and Munich with Prague in the Czech Republic. These were launched to compensate for the relatively poor cross-border rail connections between Bavaria and neighboring Bohemia. It will be interesting to see whether these two routes are in time assimilated into the new IC Bus brand.

The post Deutsche Bahn’s new bus service connects Berlin with Krakow from €29 appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

The summer travel season is heating up, Cheapos, and what better way to celebrate than by winning a free trip to Germany?

EuroCheapo has teamed up with airberlin and A&O Hostels to offer one very lucky Cheapo a freebie trip for two from New York City to Germany.

Trip Details

The grand prize winner will receive a round-trip flight for two people from New York’s JFK airport to any city airberlin flies to in Germany.

And to make it even more appealing, our friends at A&O Hostels will pitch in five free nights in a double room with free breakfast at any A&O Hostels location, subject to availability.

Sign up here to win!

Simply fill out the form below to enter the trip giveaway. You’ll also be signing up to receive special offers from airberlin and EuroCheapo.

We’ll be randomly selecting the lucky winner on July 17, 2012.

Contest terms and conditions:

* Prize consists of two airberlin round-trip tickets from New York to Germany in economy class, subject to availability. Travel must be completed by March 31, 2013. Participants must be at least 18 years old at date of entry. Other rules and restrictions apply. Contest is open to the public.

* Only one entry will be permitted per person.

* By entering the airberlin and EuroCheapo sweepstakes, you agree to receive top offers and information about airberlin and EuroCheapo by email.

Good luck, Cheapos!

The post Win a trip to Germany, courtesy of airberlin, A&O Hostels and EuroCheapo! appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Although Frankfurt is Europe’s largest financial center and attracts business travelers with mighty expense accounts, the city can be surprisingly affordable to budget-conscious travelers. EuroCheapo’s new Frankfurt section includes recommendations for 31 affordable places to stay in central Frankfurt, from 1-star to 3-star hotels, with a couple of youth hostels thrown in for good measure.

Playing with German aesthetics at the Hotel am Berg

Fun options

Among the hotels in Frankfurt that we recommend are some fun and unusual options.

For example, the Hotel am Berg is a two-star “eccentric” pension situated in an old-world villa, where each room is decorated in a style that represents a different period in German aesthetics. Rooms have the look of the 1950s, 1960s, or 1970s–replete with period wallpaper and furnishings. According to the receptionist our reviewer spoke to, “Every room is special.” Indeed they are!

Best of all, room rates are very affordable, running about €100 for a double with private bath. (Some very Cheapo singles with shared bath are available for a deliciously cheap €32!)

You know what to expect at the Ibis.

Surprise-free options

For those looking for a more “standard” experience, Frankfurt has no shortage of surprise-free hotels that offer clean rooms and efficient, professional service. One such option is the Hotel Ibis Centrum, situated a 10-minute walk from the main train station near the lovely waterfront.

The Ibis Hotel chain, which our reviewer referred to as the “Starbucks of European business hotels,” does a great job of providing affordable two-star accommodation that is perfectly nice, if unwaveringly standardized. Rooms, equipped with air conditioning, TV, telephone and private bath, run about €79-100 for a double.

Trendy, simple rooms at the Five Elements Hostel

Super cheap options

If you’re not hostile to the hostel option, we’ve got a few suggestions for you, as well. Take the Five Elements Hostel, located in the Red Light District very near the front door of the train station.

The Five Elements offers a whopping 188 beds in cheapo-friendly dorms (€18-39), singles with shared bath (€26-64) and doubles with private bath (€36-74). Aside from the bare basic guestrooms, the hostel offers a trendy “rec” room and lounge, guest kitchen, organized events and even a nightly pasta meal (served at a very cheapo-friendly price).

More options

For many more sleeping options, check out our new guide to budget hotels in Frankfurt. Also, make sure to swing by our city guide to read articles about getting around Frankfurt (including Metro, bus and tram info), getting in from the airport and Frankfurt budget tips (including information on popular museums, ticket prices and discounts).

Special thanks to C. H. Kwak, our contributing editor who visited and inspected these (and many more) hotels in Frankfurt to find the best affordable options.

The post EuroCheapo Launches a Guide to Hotels in Frankfurt appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Exploring Allgäu from “Munich West”

Canny Cheapos know that Germany’s Frankfurt Hahn airport is nowhere near Frankfurt. Likewise, one discount airline has now decided that the name “Memmingen Allgäu” airport just does not have the necessary appeal, so styles the airport “Munich West”—slightly to the surprise of folk locally who are all too well aware that their regional airport is not near Munich at all.

The cachet of a big city name has become important. So much so that it obscures the fact that the communities which lie on the very doorstep of those airports are interesting destinations in themselves. The name “Munich West” is misleading, and hides the fact that the Allgäu region, so close to the airport, is a stunning area of Germany well worth visiting.

Discovering lesser known gems in Germany, Italy, and beyond

Girona Airport. Photo: Lorentey

But as airlines and airports create their own mysterious cartographic realities, sensible travellers exploit these secondary airports to visit spots that really are well served by them.

If you fly to what Wizz Air or Ryanair euphemistically call “Hamburg-Lübeck” airport, you will land a long way from Hamburg but happily very close to Lübeck. The medieval center of one of northern Germany’s most historic and engaging towns is just an eight minute train ride away from the airport (which has its own rail station).

And the same argument holds for other secondary airports across Europe. If you are bound for Barcelona, don’t be seduced by the publicity that suggests that Barcelona Girona Airport is close to Barcelona. It is not! But Girona, just twenty minutes away on the bus, is really worth a visit in its own right. It boasts a particularly well preserved medieval Jewish quarter.

Few of those who jet into Orio al Serio airport near Bergamo, Italy have any intention of visiting Bergamo, just a ten minute bus ride from the airport. No, the airlines market the airport for its rather remote proximity to Milan. Yet Bergamo is an absolute gem, and for first-time visitors to Italy an infinitely better introduction to the country than Milan.

Exploit the system

So does anyone really fly to Frankfurt-Hahn on purpose? Well, they should. The out-of-the-way airport, utterly inconvenient for Frankfurt, is just ten miles east of the most beautiful stretch of Germany’s Moselle Valley.

For those in the know, the wayward cartographic fictions of Europe’s discount airlines throw up a few unusual travel opportunities.

The post Europe’s minor airports offer interesting travel opportunities appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.