While it’s tempting to spend a whole vacation in Paris, there is more than the illustrious City of Light to experience. With easily navigable roads and a stellar train system, the options abound, and Cheapos will delight in the variety of budget-friendly experiences in store in every corner of “l’Hexagone.”

To see it all in 10 days, however, is impossible. Instead, consider following our advice, making some executive decisions to visit a few select destinations to get a feel for France’s diversity.

More France tips:
• 50 Ways to save on your trip to France
• 10 tips for saving on your French rental car
• The best SIM cards for your trip to France

France itinerary: Where to go on a 10-day trip

This itinerary hits a few major sites of interest, mixing in some history and winemaking alongside some unexpected but welcomed discoveries in cities like Bordeaux and Marseille.

Day 1, 2, 3: Paris

It seems silly to devote so little time to the world’s most famous city (we say that subjectively, but just try to argue). Take a free tour, splurge on an affordable lunch prix fixe, skip the Eiffel Tower and head up to the roof of one of the city’s department stores, and browse the Louvre at night. And that’s just one day!

Paris is rife with free experiences, from the newly renovated Carnavalet Museum to the expansive Père Lachaise Cemetery. It’s easy to spend money, but just as easy to enjoy the city for the price of a baguette — about one euro, for your information.

On your final day, consider a cruise on the Seine for something touristy but rewarding, or perhaps plan a picnic on the water’s edge. A sunset over the river is not something you want to miss.

Read more about our tips on spending three days in Paris.

Sleeping in Paris: A large number of affordable properties in the center of the city are among our favorites in the world. Consider staying in the Marais or around Les Halles to avoid taking the Paris Metro as much as possible. Walking is a cheapo’s best mode of transportation.

See some of our favorite hotels in Paris.

The stunning Chateau de Chambord. Photo: Miwok

Day 4: Tours

A stopover in the Loire Valley to see the famous Renaissance castles is next on the list. Join a group tour or rent a car in France from the quaint town of Tours to visit the mighty castles of Chambord and Chenonceau before turning in for the night. Expect a crush of tourists in the high season, but the monuments impress equally in the low season when crowds are thinner.

Getting there: Tours is a short train ride from Paris (under 2 hours) and everything is walkable once you arrive in the city. The Office of Tourism will have information about the trip to the castles, but book in advance or else rent a car or cycle to transport yourself there.

Sleeping: Don’t expect costs quite as high as Paris for hotels, but in the high season, rooms can get pricy, so book in advance. Search for hotels in Tours.

Tourists strolling through Bordeaux. Photo: traveljunction

Days 5 and 6: Bordeaux

From Tours, head towards the Atlantic coast in Bordeaux. While the city is not necessarily a budget haven, it’s a great taste of French culture that’s not to be missed.

Wander the town, but beeline, if possible, to the Office of Tourism to grab a seat on one of their wine excursions. Guided bus tours take visitors to several wineries, allowing you to experience viticulture first-hand without worrying about getting lost in the vineyards. And did we mention there will be wine?

On your second day, take a short train trip to either Arcachon, a cute oceanfront town, or to Saint-Émilion, the historic winemaking town that makes Bordeaux’s best vintages.

Need more tips? Here’s how to visit Bordeaux without breaking the bank.

Getting there: The train to Bordeaux from Tours is about 2 hours, and the Bordeaux station is a decent walk or short cab right to the city center.

Sleeping: Bordeaux offers many budget-friendly options, from hostels to chain hotels and even apartments. Discover our favorite cheap hotels in Bordeaux.

Day 7: Carcassonne

Stop by the UNESCO heritage site, the Cité de Carcassonne, for a night of small-town French feels. The medieval fortress is a world unto itself with beautifully preserved towers and ramparts. Have some of the local specialty of southwestern France, cassoulet, while exploring its alleys.

Getting there: A train to Carcassonne is about 3 hours from Bordeaux

Sleeping: A number of hotels and gites (guesthouses) are found within the modern town of Carcassonne. Some are even found within the medieval walls of the Cité! Search for hotels and vacation rentals.

Looking out over the port in Marseille. Photo: Craig Nelson

Days 8, 9, 10: Marseille

While the glitterati head to Saint-Tropez and Cannes, Cheapos may prefer the down-to-earth feel of Marseille. This bustling port town is vibrant and edgy, with a developing cultural scene and cute shops selling the city’s famous soap and cafés serving up refreshing pastis in the Panier district right by the port.

Spend a day soaking up the sun along one of the city’s beaches overlooking the impossibly blue water. Hop a boat ride out to the island off the coast or consider a tour of the Calanques, the stunning cliffs that jut out over the water.

You can also spend a day taking a trip to either Cassis, a swanky seaside town with pristine beaches, or head to the charming town of Aix-en-Provence, home to Cezanne’s studio that can still be visited today. So many choices! See our travel guide to Marseille for more tips.

Sleeping: Marseille is budget-friendly all around, but staying in the Panier is your best bet since it is tourist-friendly and full of great eateries and charming streets. See our top budget hotels in Marseille.

Getting there: The train to Marseille from Carcassonne is around 3 hours, and the main station is a short cab ride from the main port.

Getting home: From Marseille, either fly home or take a three-hour train to Paris or Nice to fly out from one of these airports.

Your France itinerary

How would you spend 10 days in France? Share your tips in the comments below.

The post France itinerary: 10 days from Paris to Marseille appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Porto is days nine and ten in EuroCheapo’s 10-day itinerary for Portugal.

Spend your final two days getting to know Portugal’s second largest city. Walkable, well-connected with inexpensive public transportation and visually stunning, Porto is a budget traveler’s paradise.

Free and Cheap Things to Do in Porto

Without spending a single euro, walk along the Douro River and snap shots of the colorful waterfront buildings and the city’s iconic bridges (one designed by Gustave Eiffel and the other by one of his cronies). Or gawk at the salt cod and fresh produce on display at Bolhão Market.

Search out your favorite azulejo tiles around town, and don’t miss the stunning tile murals at the São Benton Station. Admire funky art in the galleries and the graffiti outside on Miguel Bombarda Street. Window-shop in the city center, or buy a book at Lello, one of the world’s most beautiful bookshops.

Eating and drinking on the cheap in Porto

Shell out a few euros for a tour of a port cellar — beyond learning about this vital local industry, your tour’s likely to include samples that make it worth your while. Wash down Francesinha sandwiches with beer or feast on tripe stew, a local specialty. Hop the light rail to Matosinhos port for the city’s freshest seafood.

Cheap Stays in Porto

Sleeping in Porto shouldn’t cost you more than €50 euros/night for a centrally located, basic accommodation with private bath. For a private room for less, try guesthouses, but be prepared to share a bathroom and walk up a few flights of stairs. Bunks and shared showers at a hostel run €8-15 per night per person. Search over 900 hotels in Porto.

For more on Porto, check out our guide to Porto on a Budget and our article A Cheapo day in Porto.

Our 10-day Portugal itinerary

Porto is days nine and ten of our recommended itinerary for a 10-day trip in Portugal. Click below to see the previous days.

Days 1 and 2: Lisbon

Days 3 and 4: Sintra, Cascais & Coimbra

Days 5 and 6: Valença and Ponte de Lima

Days 7 and 8: Braga and Guimarães

The post Two days in Porto: 10-day Portugal itinerary appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Braga and Guimarães are days five and six in EuroCheapo’s 10-day itinerary for Portugal.

These two college towns are among the oldest and most historically important cities in the entire country. Whereas Guimarães is considered the birthplace of the Portuguese kingdom, Braga, is hailed as the place where the Catholic Church first took root in Portugal, and perhaps even the entire Iberian Peninsula.

Braga (Day 7)

Long considered to be Portugal’s most important ecclesiastical center, in Braga, human occupation dates back thousands of years. Famous for its Easter holy week processions when candle-bearing faithful, outfitted in long robes with pointy hoods parade the streets with saints and holy relics. If you can bear to miss out on the processions, the rest of the year, you can explore in relative peace.

Related: Guide to visiting Braga, Portugal on a budget

Snap pictures of the keep—all that remains of the historic Braga castle—and the Arch of the Porto Nova, a baroque and neoclassical arch and the blue-tiled façade of the Palace of Raio, Braga’s Sé Cathedral (the oldest archdiocese in Portugal), and the sprawling Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte, worth the hike up Monte Santo for the bird’s eye view of Braga (particularly striking at sunset) and the life-size dioramas recreating scenes from the life of Christ.

Hop in the car to the Guimarães Studio Lounge. Stow your things in the clean, centrally located accommodations and have a walk around the city’s charming old town before bed.

Paco dos Duques de Bragança is a 15th century castle in Guimarães. Photo: hfmsantos

Day 8: Guimarães

Grab a coffee and a savory chicken and cheese empanada or something sweet for breakfast at Pastelaria Clarinha (Lg. Toural) 86/8) before you start exploring. Just be forewarned, that much like in neighboring Spain, sweets are often made with pork fat — not exactly vegetarian, kosher or halal friendly. In fact, a hefty local dessert specialty, Toucinho do céu, literally translates as bacon from heaven.

After breakfast, explore the ruins at a 1,000-year old castle, thought to be the birthplace of the first Portuguese King, Afonso Henriques. Next door, snapshots of the massive 15th-century palace, Paco dos Duques de Bragança. Before you head out of town and on to Porto, hop a creaky cable car (or drive the windy, narrow lane) to the top of the forested summit at Penha for sweeping views of the surrounding countryside.

Make the short trip to Porto (30-minutes to a little over an hour depending on traffic and type of transport selected) via bus, train or car and freshen up in your room at Moov Hotel Porto Centro before you head out for a night on the town. For the cheapest beer and bar snacks in town, head to Espaço 77, a favorite with locals (and a bit of a dive).

Our 10-day Portugal itinerary

Braga and Guimaraes are days seven and eight of our recommended itinerary for a 10-day trip in Portugal. Click below to keep going!

Days 1 and 2: Lisbon

Days 3 and 4: Sintra, Cascais & Coimbra

Days 5 and 6: Valença and Ponte de Lima

Days 9 and 10: Porto

The post Braga and Guimaraes: 10-day Portugal itinerary appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Valença and Ponte de Lima are days five and six in EuroCheapo’s 10-day itinerary for Portugal.

Make the trek north to Minho: It’s about four hours in bus or train or 2.5 hours in a car from Coimbra to Valença. This region of Portugal’s known for its production of Vinho Verde, a slightly fizzy, young and delicious wine, and its walled border cities.

Valença (Day 5)

Valença, also called Valença do Minho is a walled town along the Minho River, bordering Spain. Access the cobblestone streets and white-washed buildings in its medieval old town on foot via Portas do Sol.

Hike along the ramparts of the fortress, a Gothic and baroque military fortification originally built in the 13th century. Search out the Roman milestone inside, dating back from the 1st century AD inscribed with the name of Tiberius Claudius.

Other attractions of note are the Romanic churches of Saint Mary of Angels and Saint Stephen, and the old canons along the city’s north wall. Snap shots of the Eiffel-inspired late 19th century International Bridge. Hungry? Regional specialties include Cabrito à Sanfins (roast baby goat) and fish and meat empanadas.

Rest up for the night for a reasonable price at Hotel Valença do Minho, a ten-minute walk from the fortress. Just be sure to reserve in advance especially for summer, holiday and weekend stays — there isn’t a lot on offer, and Valença’s picturesque old town and proximity to Spain makes it a popular budget escape for Spaniards.

Ponte de Lima (Day 6)

The oldest village in Portugal, Ponte de Lima is best-known for its long medieval bridge (with Roman origins) crossing the Lima River. Every second Monday, there’s a large country market here, one of the largest in Portugal, a great place to people-watch and score fresh produce and artisan edibles.

While you’re there, be sure to head to a local bar and sample one of the region’s well-known (in Portugal) red Vinho Verde wines.

Have a leisurely stroll through this tiny city’s center and outskirts before you head on to Braga’s Ibis Budget Braga Centro (Avenida da Liberdade, 96) for the night (30 minutes via Line 11 bus or car).

Our 10-day Portugal itinerary

Valenca and Ponte de Lima are days five and six of our recommended itinerary for a 10-day trip in Portugal. Click below to continue!

Days 1 and 2: Lisbon

Days 3 and 4: Sintra, Cascais & Coimbra

Days 7 and 8: Braga and Guimarães

Days 9 and 10: Porto

The post Valenca and Ponte de Lima: 10-day Portugal itinerary appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Sintra, Cascais and Coimbra are days three and four in EuroCheapo’s 10-day itinerary for Portugal.

With both destinations clocking in at around half an hour from the Portuguese capital for €5 or less, it’s no surprise that Sintra and Cascais rank high among popular day trips from Lisbon. If whirlwind is your travel speed, you may even be tempted to visit them both the same day.

Sintra (Day 3)

Explore an 18th-century royal retreat in Sintra with a UNSECO World Heritage-listed city center, Sintra-Vila, that looks like something out of a children’s story with its pastel-hued mansions and noble villas, creeping up the deep green-forested foothills of the mountains of the same name.

Above them all, sometimes veiled in a thick mist, looms the dramatic 19th-century Pena National Palace.

Come summer in Sintra, hotels here tip the scales higher than in Lisbon and fill up fast, so you’re best off reserving a room as far in advance as possible. For a basic room to yourself, book a private room at the aptly named Portuguese Hostel (Largo Afonso de Albuquerque 1), right on budget and conveniently located a five-minute walk from Portela de Sintra where you can catch a ride to Cascais in the morning on the 417 bus.

Cascais and Coimbra (Day 4)

Once a cozy fishing village, Cascais is best known today as a sandy playground and popular summer escape for surfers and sun worshippers from Lisbon. Beach aside, its charming pedestrian-only old town is worth a wander. For dramatic views of the frothy Atlantic waters, take the chilly walk to the Boca do Inferno (Hell’s Mouth) chasm.

Spend the evening of day 4 in Coimbra. A mere two hours from Lisbon via train (two and a half from Cascais), this centrally located city is best known for its historic Coimbra-style Fado and 500-year-old university.

Perhaps because of this, Coimbra is one of the best places in Portugal to hear live Fado on a budget, or even for free. At the Café Santa Cruz (Praça 8 de Maio) the weekend Fado concerts will cost you the price of a drink or a meal.

Alternately, Fado ao Centro’s daily 50-minute shows at 6 pm sell for €10, far less than you’d have to shell out for a similar performance in Lisbon.

Get a good night’s sleep without breaking the bank at WW Hostel & Suites (Rua Lourenço de Almeida Azevedo, 3/4) — breakfast, sheets and Wi-Fi included.

Our 10-day Portugal itinerary

Sintra, Cascais and Coimbra are days three and four on our recommended itinerary for a 10-day trip in Portugal. Click below to continue!

Days 1 and 2: Lisbon

Days 5 and 6: Valença and Ponte de Lima

Days 7 and 8: Braga and Guimarães

Days 9 and 10: Porto

The post Sintra, Cascais, and Coimbra: 10-day Portugal itinerary appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Lisbon is our first stop in EuroCheapo’s 10-day itinerary for Portugal.

Continuing with what might be an increasingly obnoxious California metaphor, Lisbon is to Portugal as San Francisco is to California; it’s hilly, coastal, quirky, and complete with cable-cars and foodie culture to boot. As Portugal’s largest city and capital, it warrants a couple of days (at minimum) on your itinerary.

Free Activities in Lisbon

Spend your first day wandering the city’s cobblestone streets in search of famous monuments like the Jerónimos Monastery and the 16th century Belem Tower, some of Europe’s best graffiti and the Cerca Velha or old city walls. If the weather’s agreeable, stroll Rua Augusta between Rossi Square and Praça do Comercio. Just don’t stop for a snack along the way — it’s a bit of a tourist trap. You’re much better off veering off into narrow side streets in search of authentic eats at local bars and bakeries.

Many must-see museums, like the city’s tile museum, Museu Nacional do Azulejo, are free the first Sunday of every month, and the permanent modern art collection at the Museu Coleçao Berardo is always free.

It’s worth the hike to have a look around and take in the views of the city from the Moorish Castelo Sao Jorge, but unless you’re an archeology buff, you may want to skip the €8.50 entrance fee to see the inside of the castle.

Interested in Lisbon’s version of Fado? Wait for dark, and expect to pay as much as you would for a night in a budget hotel for an evening of traditional Fado music in the Alfama neighborhood. And be sure to make your reservation ahead of time, or risk missing out on all the melancholy.

Related: Budget tips from 7 days in Lisbon

Inexpensive Eats in Lisbon

For food on the cheap, snack on the ubiquitous Pasteis de nata, a type of creamy custard tart, or pull up a chair at a restaurant for a traditional meal of roasted piri-piri chicken or bacalhau à bras, a hearty dish of stir-fried cod with rice, black olives, onions, and scrambled eggs. Fill up for less with fixed price mid-day menus away from main streets and the riverfront.

Residencia Alegria offers a lovely atmosphere and location close to the city center of Lisbon. Photo: EuroCheapo

Sleeping on the Cheap in Lisbon

Staying the night in Lisbon shouldn’t cost you more than €60-80 per night for a centrally located, basic accommodation with private bath. For a private room for less, try guesthouses, but be prepared to share a bathroom. If you’re up for bunks and shared showers at a hostel, expect to spend €10-15 per night per person.

We like the free breakfast, linens, and Wi-Fi, as well as the central location of the Urban Garden Hostel (Rua Camilo Castel Branco n 2C). Or for a BnB feel just off this main drag, check into Residencial Alegria (Praca Da Alegria 12). The hotel features 35 rooms with private bath and a touch of style with rates starting at $69.

Related: More cheap Lisbon hotels and hostels starting at $23

Our 10-day Portugal itinerary

Lisbon is the first stop on our recommended itinerary for a 10-day trip in Portugal. Click below to continue!

Days 3 and 4: Sintra, Cascais & Coimbra

Days 5 and 6: Valença and Ponte de Lima

Days 7 and 8: Braga and Guimarães

Days 9 and 10: Porto

The post Two days in Lisbon: A 10-day Portugal Itinerary appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.