If your answer is “well, I’m not sure just yet” and you’re wondering if a spontaneous getaway could still be in the cards, we’re right there with you. We’ve been madly searching through our 10 most popular cities on EuroCheapo to see if any still have reasonable rates and the results are fascinating.

But first, our methodology and a necessary disclaimer:

To trying to establish where the deals are, we used EuroCheapo’s hotel search engine to compare “normal” hotel rates for this time of year (i.e., winter), with hotel rates for one night in a double room on New Year’s Eve.

Specifically, we wanted to know whether room availability plummeted in each city on New Year’s Eve and by what amount, how much availability remained in our two main cheapo price categories (under $100 and $100 – $200), and whether the hotels that do have availability for New Year’s Eve are centrally located.

That said, in general we consider “cheap” rates to hover around $75 – $100 / night. But New Year’s Eve gets special treatment and expands our definition a bit and we’re considering centrally located hotels for less than $200 to warrant a look.

So where are the deals? Read on…

Amsterdam

Iconic New Year’s celebration: Getting, um, “festive” at Dam Square‘s beer tents. For a calmer scene to view the fireworks, pick a bridge over one of the city’s many canals.

Typical hotel availability: 324 hotels; 229 for under $100; 201 for $100 – $200
New Year’s Eve availability: 39 hotels (12% of normal availability); 0 for under $100; 8 for $100 – $200

Deal or no deal: No deal. With only 12% of the normal hotel inventory available on New Year’s, the hotel options are sparse and are primarily located far from the action.

Barcelona

Iconic New Year’s celebration: Stuffing grapes into your mouth on Las Ramblas as the clock strikes midnight.

Typical hotel availability: 561 hotels; 500 for under $100; 239 for $100 – $200
New Year’s Eve availability: 242 hotels available (43% of normal availability); 15 for under $100; 180 for $100 – $200

Deal or no deal: Deal. No stranger to offering travelers low rates all year long, Barcelona still has plenty of rooms for budget travelers on New Year’s Eve. We recommend the Hosteria Grau in El Raval, where rooms are $170.

Berlin

Iconic New Year’s celebration: Germany’s biggest party, between the Victory Column and Brandenburg Gate, attracts more than a million visitors. Yowza.

Typical hotel availability: 605 hotels; 509 for under $100; 237 for $100 – $200
New Year’s Eve availability: 40 hotels available (7% of normal availability); 0 for under $100; 13 for $100 – $200

Deal or no deal? This is a toss up. Everyone seems to want to be in Berlin for New Year’s Eve – and we don’t blame them! – but this really drives down hotel availability. However, of the limited number of hotels that are available for under $200, several of them are in Kreuzberg and other fun neighborhoods, which sounds like a great place to be. So, okay…DEAL!

Florence

Iconic New Year’s celebration: Line the banks of the Arno to take in the city’s fireworks display.

Typical hotel availability: 461 hotels; 327 under $100; 296 for $100 – $200
New Year’s Eve availability: 76 hotels available (16% of normal availability); 0 for under $100; 11 for $100 – $200

Deal or no deal: No deal, since nearly all available hotels are located outside the center of town. But again, one small exception: the Hotel Globus, which is one of our Florentine faves, is available for $234 on New Year’s Eve. Sure, that ain’t super cheapo, but it’s the best deal in the city on New Year’s Eve.

London

Iconic New Year’s celebration: Catch the royally impressive fireworks display at the London Eye on the South Bank.

Typical hotel availability: 714 hotels; 90 for under $100; 596 for $100 – $200
New Year’s Eve availability: 206 hotels available (29% of normal availability); 1 under $100; 28 for $100 – $200

Deal or no deal: No deal. Sure, there are a couple dozen hotels that can be snagged for under $200, but nearly all of them are located on the outskirts of the city. This would make getting around town after midnight a frustrating (and pricey) experience for even the most patient Cheapo.

Madrid

Iconic New Year’s celebration: Once again, stuffing your mouth with grapes (it’s just a thing in Spain).

Typical hotel availability: 451 hotels; 407 for under $100; 169 for $100 – $200
New Year’s Eve availability: 261 hotels available (58% of normal availability); 93 for under $100; 173 for $100 – $200

Deal or no deal? Deal, deal, DEAL! There are tons of fantastic budget gems available in Madrid on New Year’s Eve. Have a look at the Cason del Tormes in the The Puerta del Sol where rooms start at $120.

New York

Iconic New Year’s celebration: Ryan Seacrest. Times Square. Laughably humungous crowds.

Typical hotel availability: 232 hotels; 2 for under $100; 77 for $100 – $200
New Year’s Eve availability: 23 hotels available (10% of normal availability); 24 hotels available; 0 for under $100; 0 for $100 – $200

Deal or no deal: Seriously? Let’s put it this way: An 3-star hotel in the Lower East Side (that shall not be named) that is usually $88 / night is charging $348 / night. And that’s the best deal we can find.

Paris

Iconic New Year’s celebration: Watching fireworks sparkle around the Eiffel Tower.

Typical hotel availability: 1,035 hotels; 153 for under $100; 930 for $100 – $200
New Year’s Eve availability: 233 available (22.5% of normal availability); 0 for under $100; 16 for $100 – $200

Deal or no deal? Deal. Sure, the number of available hotels shrinks dramatically on New Year’s, but there are still more than a dozen to choose from in central Paris for less than $200.

Rome

Iconic New Year’s celebration: Huge crowds, live music, fireworks and parties throughout the city, centered in Piazza del Popolo and near the Colosseum on Via dei Fori Imperiali.

Typical hotel availability: 1,068 hotels; 709 for under $100; 566 for $100 – $200
New Year’s Eve availability: 484 hotels available (45% of normal availability); 9 for under $100; 203 for $100 – $200

Deal or no deal: Deal. Rome’s hotel inventory is much less jarringly affected by New Year’s Eve rate spikes, compared to many of our other popular cities. Want to be a stone’s throw from the Colosseum and be in the center of the action? Have a look at the Hotel Paba, which still has rates for $198 on New Year’s Eve.

Venice

Iconic New Year’s celebration: Music and fireworks in St. Mark’s Square, then join locals to watch the sunrise and take a dip at Lido Beach.

Typical hotel availability: 325 hotels; 259 for under $100; 164 for $100 – $200
New Year’s Eve availability: 42 hotels available (13% of normal availability); 0 for under $100; 2 for $100 – $200

Deal or no deal: No deal. But there’s a hitch: one of the two available hotels for less than $200 is the Locanda SS. Giovanni e Paolo (say that three times fast), which is one of our Editor’s Picks, housed in an 18th century palazzo and has rooms for $183 on New Year’s Eve.

Where will you be for New Year’s Eve, Cheapos?

Let us know your plans! Tell us where you’ll be and what you’re up to!

The post Deal or No Deal: Cities that still have hotel deals for New Year’s Eve appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

1. Je ne regrette rien—NOT.

Dear Musée Edith Piaf, You broke my heart. Was it really necessary to slam the door in my face back in November when I arrived at your doorstep without a set rendezvous? I’ve loved you since my first visit back in 1998, and every visit since. So what gives? Do the math. For over a decade, I’ve been sending folks your way. In this easy, breezy social media world, perhaps a new system is needed? Just asking.

Regrette rien at Anna’s music box shop.

If operations get switched up for the better, do let me know. Nothing in this world would give me more pleasure than happily spreading the word about the “little sparrow” and your collection once more. (5 Rue Crespin du Gast, 75011)

Happy alternative plays on

Yearning for a little “La Vie en Rose” to take home with you? Then trek it to Boîtes à Musique Anna Joliet. Located at the northern end of the Jardin du Palais Royal, Anna and her collection of hand-cranked music boxes have held court here for three decades. Prices start at only €8.

Looking for a specific tune? Just ask. Listen for Debussy, Chopin, and Charles Trénet, along with Mozart, Beethoven and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Yes, fellow felines, “Memory” is always in stock.

The Centre Pompidou. All that plumbing… and not one decent toilet.

2. Skip the loo—entirely.

Dear Centre Pompidou, I love you, but it’s time to clean up your act, as my grandmother Helen would quip. I’m no restroom diva, but golly gee wham—I nearly fainted during a recent visit. All that piping on the outside of the building and there’s still a problem? It makes the mind reel! Perhaps it’s time to get Point WC on the horn. After all, their restrooms at the Louvre and Printemps are state of the art and consistently spotless. It’s just a thought.

By the way, the Point WC washrooms are pretty hot. One euro gets you private seating in a water closet lit by rose-colored lights, and stocked with fluorescent toilet paper in blues, pinks, and greens. Just don’t leave your soda pop bottle behind. They will hunt you down, and give you a scolding at sink side! My-O-My, bad.

Alternative pit stop

Cheapos, if you plan to visit the Centre Pompidou, pick your potty spot prior to your arrival. Or run nearby to the grand washrooms at the BHV department store (Bazaar de l’Hotel de Ville), which also boasts one of my pet views of Paris. It’s a straight shot down rue du Renard. Make a left at rue Rivoli. It’s also definitely worth the wait (or trot)!

So what’s red hot? Follow my lead!

Farewell, Sympa.

1. Sympa

Due to a recent fire, two of my favorite Sympa shops have closed. Located at the historic “Bal de l’Elysée Montmartre,” this is where Can Can starlet (and muse of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec) La Goulue got her start before joining the Moulin Rouge.

I nearly cried when I spotted the damage. Confession: I did cry. Its façade is still a beauty, on the outside at least. I’ll keep you posted on any future reconstruction work.

In the meantime, the Sympa bargain bins on rue Steinkerque and along Boulevard de Rochechouart are still overflowing with tremendous deals.

Wendy at the Starbucks kitty-corner to the Moulin Rouge.

2. Starbucks

Café Royalists, look away because you’re going to hate this tip. During my sister Wen’s recent trip to Paris, the Starbucks at Place Blanche is where she picked up her morning coffee.

Located kitty-corner to the Moulin Rouge, the place was bustling, but by the end of her week-long visit, the amiable staff not only knew her name, but also her standard “Café Latte skim” order. Did they make fun of her French? I don’t think so!

Inside and out, the jaunty joint was packed with locals, not tourists, by the way. Don’t hate me because I’m truthful.

Pumped and ready at Minutit moins 7.

3. Minuit moins 7

And speaking of red hot steals, I recently scored a pair of Christian Louboutin kitten heels at a flea market for just €15. They’re real and they’re spectacular. Except for the soles, the black leather shoes were in perfect condition.

So what to do? I took them to the Minuit moins 7 for a much-needed official red resoling. Located in the historic passage Véro-Dodat, the repair will cost just €20. Also, this is where Monsieur Louboutin takes his very own shoes. Ask about their signature homemade (and affordable) shoe polish.

“Gaz à les étages around 1880” at the Bibliothèque Forney

4. Bibliothèque Forney

While strolling about in the Marais, I stumbled upon the “Gaz à tous les étages” exhibition at the Bibliothèque Forney in the Hotel de Sens (1 rue du Figuier, 75004). It’s definitely worth a pop in. Named as a nod to the little blue enamel signs that can still be spotted on buildings throughout the City of Light (“All floors have gas”—a 19th century boasting), the exhibit recounts the brilliant history of gas in Paris.

Highlights include antique lighting and cooking equipment, gas company uniforms, and a stellar collection of advertising posters along with a 1920s kitchen and hair salon, an Art Nouveau bathroom, and Frédéric Kastner’s weirdly entrancing gas organ. It’s a looker, and one of only two in the world. “Gaz à tous” will stay on through January 28, 2012.

Happy New Year, Cheapos!

The post Paris: What’s hot (and what’s not) in 2012 appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

According to my movie producer pal, George, the world boils down to two basic categories: the best and the worst. Anything in between isn’t worth talking about. Mediocrity is a crime, he often quips. As you can well imagine, his dinner parties in Paris are always quite lively, dramatic and informative.

So as a nod to my opinionated crony, I’ve decided to round out 2011 with a list of my favorite Paris-related music, movies and books. By George, this one is for you, Cheapos.

Without further adieu, here’s my Ab Fab, crème de la crème raves. Envelope, please!

Best Music Video
“Someone Like You” by Adele

Adele pont-ificates on Pont Alexandre III. Click to watch the video.

Shot in black and white by director Jake Nava, Adele’s “Someone Like You” video is an epic weepie. Both Adele and the Pont Alexandre III have never looked more gorgeous. Try watching this moody-bluesy breakup song without crying, singing along, and then hitting repeat. I’ve tried but no can do. In the video, your eye will spy the Eiffel Tower, the Grand Palais, Les Invalides and the Place de la Concorde.

Tip: Admire Adele’s trench coat in black with its sassy asymmetrical zipper? I do, too. The military-inspired garb was created for Moschino’s 2010 runway collection. Bittersweet, they’re no longer available. So what to do? In Montmartre, the Sympa bargain bin shops are now pushing funky trench coats for just €5. Rebounding just got easier (and cheaper!).

Charlie Winston dans le Metro. Click to watch the video.

Bonus tracks: I also enjoyed charming Charlie Winston’s terribly infectious “Like a Hobo” video, shot in the Abbesses Métro station. Hello, Charlie, goodbye heart!

Best Song
“I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris” by Morrissey

Moving on to a more upbeat breakup song (at least musically!), “I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris” caught my ear earlier this year around St. Valentine’s Day. Penned by Morrissey and Boz Boorer, how did I miss this catchy tune when it was released back in 2009? Your bet is as good as mine. An ode to Oscar Wilde, it has not left my playlist, and probably never will. Yes, I’ve made myself plain. I’ve made myself very plain.

The Importance of Cleaning Earnest: Wilde’s grave is closed for repairs.

Tip: And speaking of dashing Wilde, his grave at Cimetière du Père-Lachaise is temporarily indisposed. Shrouded in blue plastic, the memorial sculpture is undergoing a scrubbing because through the years, incurable romantics have gone wild romancing the stone with lipstick prints, and their chemicals have started to take a toll. Work will take place until spring 2012.

Still, there’s plenty to see here inside the cemetery gates. Visit Chopin, Modigliani and Proust, along with crooners like Edith Piaf and Jim Morrison.

Best Movie
“Midnight in Paris”

Yes, Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris” film was a tad hokey pokey in places, but I fell gladly for it. But that’s how I roll down the cobblestones in Paris, in my new bobbed hairdo, inspired by Marion Cotillard’s flapper character in the flick. Fantasizing about time travel now makes my heart swell. Larger than life, Yves Heck as Cole Porter was simply divine. Why, why do I love Paris? (Because it sizzles anytime of the year.)

Take a spin on the Musee des Arts Forains bicycle carousel.

Bonus tracks: This year, I also enjoyed PBS’s “The Luminous Years” documentary and Nora Ephron’s “Julie and Julia” film from 2010. Both are worth a checkout.

Top Tip: You, too, can ride the amazing bicycle carousel featured in “Midnight in Paris.” Just reserve a tour of the Musée des Arts Forains (the museum of carnival art) by emailing: diane@pavillons-de-bercy.com. The entire museum is one of the most amazing, unsung sites in Paris.

This magical place is located near the Les Pavillons de Bercy at 53 avenue des Terroirs de France (12th arrondissement). Unlike most museums, they allow visitors to play with the items on display. No white gloves needed! If you plan to visit Paris in 2012, don’t miss it. Holy, moly—it’s bucket list-worthy.

Best Books

I have more than a slew of them up my sleeve. As one of the Paris Correspondents at EuroCheapo, I’m always on the hunt for research books about France. Here are my favorite reads from the year. Some are old and some are new. All were fabulous and of great, great use.

“A Moveable Feast: The Restored Edition,” by Ernest Hemingway, Sean Hemingway and Patrick Hemingway (2010)

“Paris Without End: The True Story of Hemingway’s First Wife,” by Gioia Diliberto (2011)

“Paris: The Secret History,” by Andrew Hussey (2008)

“Paris: Journey into the City of Light,” by David Downie and Diane Johnson (2011)

“The Greater Journey: American in Paris,” by David G. McCullough (2011)

“Memoirs of the Court of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, Complete,” Historic Memoirs of Madam Campan (2010)

“What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution,” by Caroline Weber (2007)

Your movie, book and music picks?

Cheapos, do you have any music, film or book recommendations? Do share! Leave your recommendations in the comments box below. Happy Holidays!

Also in our guide: Heading to Paris anytime soon? Our editors have hunted down the city’s best affordable hotels, all centrally located and clean. We visit, inspect, photograph and choose the best. Read our reviews in our Paris guide. Bon voyage!

The post Best Paris movies, books and music of 2011 appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Kicking off the new year in the Orkney Islands

On New Year’s day, the Orkney town of Kirkwall hosts one of the most bizarre sporting events of the winter season. The “ba” is a strange version of rugby which attracts several hundred participants. The port town has two kinds of citizens: the “uppies,” born south of Kirkwall’s squat red cathedral, and the “doonies,” who hail from the nether regions north of the cathedral. The “ba” refers both to the game itself and to the leather ball cast into the crowd at the Mercat Cross in the center of town.

The aim of the game is simple: catch the “ba” and take it back to your part of town. What looks to the uninitiated like a mere scrum is, at its best, a game of clever tactics. False breaks deceive the opposition and locals tell us that for much of the game most of the crowd have no inkling where the ba actually is.

Collecting ice on Mount Etna

Now if that seems like an oddball way of spending New Year’s Day then why not follow the thousands of Sicilians who will mark the start of 2011 by driving on snowy roads up the side of Mount Etna. No one expects to get very far in wintry weather, but the summit is not the goal. Snow gathered from the slopes of Etna on New Year’s Day makes the finest granita. At least, that’s the view in Sicily where granita is the local take on sorbet: a delicate icy crush flavored with freshly squeezed fruit juice and honey.

The agenda for the day is simple. Leave early, pause in Zefferana for Mass or an espresso (or both) and then follow the winding road up the mountain, past shrines and old lava flows, to the snow line. Snow is packed into ice boxes and onto the roofs of cars – the latter a melting testament that for a few hours confirms that the driver has made the celebrated Etna run.

Eating cake in Greece

New Year’s Day is Greece is altogether simpler than in Orkney or Sicily. In Greece, the start of a new year is a time to eat cake. Not any cake, but Vasilópita, a specialty baked in honor of St Basil whose feast is celebrated in the Greek Orthodox tradition on January 1. According to Greek custom, families invoke a blessing on their houses by sharing Vasilópita.

This Greek house-blessing ritual anticipates a cultural antic that is a feature of Catholic regions of central Europe later in January. In areas from Alsace to Bohemia, from the Baltic to the Alps, house blessings are associated with the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6.

Blessing houses in central Europe

Greeks have it easy. Blessing your house just means eating cake. In central Europe, the whole affair is more complicated as singers progress from house to house, dressed as the biblical three kings who are said to have followed a star to Bethlehem. Households that oblige with an offering for charitable causes are blessed and an inscription is made in chalk over the lintel. Next week’s mark will read:

20 C+M+B 11

The mark thus includes the year and the initials of the three kings: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. The same three letters also recall the Catholic blessing “Christus mansionem benedicat” (viz. “May Christ bless this house”).

To all travelers a good start into the new year!

The post Europe-wide rituals to celebrate the New Year appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

And what a year it has been, Cheapos! We’ve published over 300 blog posts since January, upon which you’ve provided nearly 400 comments, all of which has helped make our blog (hopefully) a useful and friendly budget travel resource for Cheapos worldwide.

But we can’t officially say goodbye to 2008 without doing an obligatory end of year wrap up of a few of our favorite posts. So join us as we tap into our inner Ryan Seacrest and present to you some of our “2008 Blog Greatest Hits!”

1. Most Popular Post:
Perhaps we shouldn’t be hugely surprised, but our most popular post in 2008 was “Top tips for a budget-friendly European vacation.” Written back in early spring, the tips are still just as relevant today – have a look.

2. Most Commented Post:
We always enjoy reading comments from our readers, but the post that generated the greatest amount of chatter was “Where to watch U.S. election results in Europe,” which had 38 comments. When we first wrote the post we included venues at 6 different cities, but with all the comments and feedback we received from you it expanded to recommendations in 17 cities across Europe (and a few outside Europe, too.)

3. Most Frequently Commenting Cheapos:
Two Cheapos, in particular, consistently submitted helpful tips and feedback to our blog posts this year and deserve special mention. They are “poetloverrebelspy” from the Less Than A Shoestring budget travel blog, and Marilyn Terrell from the National Geographic “Intelligent Travel” blog. Thanks to both of you for all of your comments in 2008 and please keep them coming in ’09!

4. Most Constructive Budget Travel Debate Within Blog Comments:
Just the word “Ryanair” elicits all sorts of emotions within budget travelers everywhere. However, we particularly enjoyed seeing the helpful banter back and forth among several Cheapos in the comments section of our post “NYC to London for $13? Ryanair prepares for U.S. takeoff.” Any post that produces side wagers within our comments gets our vote!

5. Best Travel Photo Caption Contest:
We were delighted to read through the various entries to our “Barcelona Dog” caption contest this past May. Some of which, admittedly, even we didn’t entirely understand…

6. Best use of subtle Photoshopping within blog photos:
Our office was in full-blown wacky Halloween mode this past October 31st, which culminated with our “EuroCheapo’s Spookiest Hotel Ghost Photos” post. Ok, spoiler alert: we used a little bit of Photoshop wizardry to enhance a couple of the photos, but have a look and see if you can tell which ones.

And lastly, we’d like to say a very special thank you to Darren over at the Travel Rants blog in the UK, who hosted a consumer blog award contest that resulted in EuroCheapo being named “Best Corporate Blog.” We appreciated even being included within Darren’s nominations and we look forward to even more blogging, helpful reader comments, and Photoshop creativity that’s to come in 2009!

Happy (almost) New Year, Cheapos!

The post EuroCheapo’s 2008 Blog Greatest Hits appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.