For those looking to save some euros, one place to begin your research is by looking at Paris’ free museums and attractions (or those with reduced admission).

It is possible, after all, to take in a lot of the city’s culture without forking over too much cash. Here’s a quick guide to a few of our favorite free museums and tips for finding discounted admission.

Related:
• 47 ways to save on your trip to Paris
• 8 best cheap hotels in Paris for 2025

Always free museums in Paris

Some museums and many public monuments are free every day. This is great to know when you get caught in the rain and don’t want to kill time in a café.

Note that some of these have a (sometimes strongly) recommended “donation” ticket. While giving something isn’t required, it’s certainly a nice gesture.

Free museums include:

• The Musée d’Art Moderne, not far from the Eiffel Tower, is one of two modern art museums in Paris. Its special exhibitions cost 5-12 euros, but the permanent collection is completely free.
• Notre Dame Cathedral, and any church (other than Sainte Chapelle) for that matter, is fair game.
• The Musée Carnavalet in the Marais, allows you to tour the complete history of the city for free. (“Donation ticket” €5.) Temporary exhibitions can cost 10-13 euros.
• Arène de Lutèce, the city’s old Roman amphitheater, is just hanging out in the Latin Quarter waiting for visitors to drop in for a picnic while watching the local children play soccer.
• You can also walk through the courtyards and outer halls of the Hotel des Invalides and check out the canons guarding Napoleon’s tomb without paying to actually go inside.
• The Atelier Brancusi displays the sculptures of Constantin Brancusi just outside of the Centre Pompidou, including the famous sculpture l’oiseau dans l’espace. The workshop is completely free to visit.
• More museums that are free every day include: Maison de Victor Hugo, Musée de la Vie Romantique, Musée Curie, the Shoah Memorial, the Petit Palais – Musée des Beaux Arts, the Musée du Parfum-Fragonard and more. Note that many of these charge admission to special exhibits, but visiting the permanent collection is free.

Along with free fireworks over the Eiffel Tower, Bastille Day means free admission to many of the city’s museums. Photo: Yann Caradec

Sometimes free museums in Paris

If you’re planning your trip like a Cheapo, come to Paris on a weekend for the first Sunday of the month when many national museums are open for free, like the Pompidou and Musee d’Orsay.

Keep in mind that some museums will only offer the free first Sunday per month in the off-season. Look at the “practical information” section of the museum website you plan to visit and it should tell you.

To celebrate the national holiday, Bastille Day, national museums, like the Louvre, are also open for free on July 14 every year. (This could also be to distract the revolutionary-minded from storming any more prisons.)

Discounted with a Paris Museum Pass

Purchasing a Paris Museum Pass (available for 2, 4 or 6 days) will provide entrance to most national museums and monuments, including the Palace at Versailles and the Arc de Triomphe.

If you are a history and art buff, the pass will easily pay for itself. All you need to do is plan your visits in advance.

For example, a two-day museum pass costs €70. If you plan on visiting both the Conciergerie prison (where Marie Antoinette was imprisoned) and the adjacent Sainte Chapelle church, admission will cost a total of €26, if purchased independently. Throw in a ticket to the Louvre (€22), the Rodin Museum (€14), and the Centre Pompidou (€15), and in two days, you’ve saved a bit of cash.

We don’t mean to oversell the pass. However, if you are dedicated to visiting multiple museums, the pass can be a very good deal.

Free for visitors under 26 years old

• EU citizens under 26: All permanent collections of national museums and monuments are free for EU cardholders under 26 years of age.
• Other residents under 26 (with carte de sejour): Many Americans and Canadians may think this law passes them up. But wait! The thousands of study abroad students, au pairs, and English assistants who have legal residency in France or elsewhere in Europe are also covered by this law. So, if you’re under 26, head to the Musée d’Orsay or the Natural History Museum, wave your passport and carte de séjour, and you’ll get a free ticket.
• Children: Children often get into places for free. However, ages vary considerably, so be sure to ask at the ticket window.

And remember that free entry usually only applies to a museum’s permanent collections and often doesn’t cover special exhibits. However, these special exhibitions often offer discounted youth tickets.

Hotel des Invalides offers daily reduced admission rates late in the day. Photo: Jean-Pierre Dalbéra

Discounts and other deals

If a museum’s entrance is not free, you can often find various discounts if you know where to look. Work up the courage to ask if the price seems steep. Youth and “under 18” visitors can usually get reductions even if you don’t have EU paperwork, so visitors can still benefit from reductions.

Also, museums often work in tandem to offer discounts. For example, if you present your ticket to Palais Garnier when you visit the Musée d’Orsay, you’ll receive a discount (if you visit within 8 days). Obviously, right? Check out the offers posted at the ticket booth.

More info

The Paris Tourism Office has a website in English that can be useful for finding up-to-date information for any museum in Paris. Search by museum name, and soon you’ll realize how much money you can save (and how many Mona Lisa mugs you’ll finally be able to buy at the Louvre gift shop!). They even have an incredibly comprehensive list of all free and reduced admission museums and times.

Looking for even more free ideas? Here’s a list of 25 free things in Paris that we love and 7 things in Paris that are always free.

The post Paris: A list of free and discounted museums appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Like most major cities, Paris can be quite pricey, especially for first-time visitors who don’t know the little “tricks of the Cheapo trade.”  Fortunately, a little bit of planning before you land can help you save some serious euros while still experiencing the best the city has to offer.

More tips for Paris:

• 50 Ways to save on your vacation in Paris
• The 15 Best cheap hotels in Paris
• 25 Free attractions and things to do in Paris

10 Budget tips for Paris first-time visitors

Here’s a quick “Top 10” list of ways to save for first-timers in Paris:

1. Restaurants: Feast away… at lunch.

Paris and food go hand in hand. While yummy baguette sandwiches and pastries are everywhere – and they’re cheap – you’ll want to sit down at a restaurant eventually. You can do some research on Yelp or ParisbyMouth.com and find a nice restaurant for lunch instead of dinner to save some euros. Fixed lunch menus are usually cheaper, and you won’t usually need a reservation for popular places, plus you’ll get to sit for a while and enjoy your meal. Here are 5 set lunch menus we like under €12.

Related: Read more topics about saving on food in Paris.

2. Affordable lodging: Think central.

Pick a central hotel to avoid constantly taking the Metro. While the Metro is inexpensive and efficient, the costs can add up, in both euros and time. Often it’s better to book a central hotel that’s €20-30 more expensive to avoid buying an extra few “carnets” of Metro tickets. You’ll also save your feet the extra miles of walking.

Check out our cheapo guide to saving on hotels in Paris, and this smaller list of budget hotels with great, central locations and 8 favorites under €80.

3. Metro: “Un carnet, s’il vous plait.”

So when you do take the Metro inside Paris (not to the airport or to Versailles), make sure you buy a “carnet” of tickets (unless you decide to get a Mobilis pass). This set of 10 tickets will save you about 20% per ticket instead of buying them individually. But use up those paper tickets soon because they will expire in 2021. The city is moving to a new system, Navigo Easy, to replace the paper tickets. Good news though, you’ll still be able to get the 10-ride discount!

Related: 10 Tips for riding the Paris Metro like a local

4. Nightlife: Plan ahead.

Do some nightlife research and take advantage of happy hour(s). While Paris may not be a party town like Berlin or New York, there are still plenty of things to do at night. The challenge is to find them. Happy hour specials abound, sometimes until 11 pm, when drinks are significantly cheaper.

But if you want to hear jazz, go dancing, or experience other nightlife, it’s best to know where you’re heading ahead of time; otherwise, you might find yourself on the Champs-Elysées paying a €30 cover charge for a tacky club.

Read more about saving on Paris’s nightlife at bars and clubs and entertainment.

5. Museums: Should you “pass”?

Plan your museum trips ahead of time if you are planning to purchase a museum pass. It’s best to know how many museums you’ll actually be able to see during the few days that your pass will be valid. Otherwise, if you are buying tickets for each museum, visit the Louvre and the Orsay during their night openings (Louvre: Wednesday and Friday, Orsay: Thursday) in order to save on cheaper tickets and deal with smaller crowds.

Don’t forget the litany of free museums that may not hold any Mona Lisa’s but are just as memorable. The Carnavalet, the Pavillon de l’Arsenal, and the Victor Hugo museum are all favorites in the Marais that are worth a visit. (Read more tips for sightseeing in Paris.)

Related: 7 Tips for surviving the Louvre

6. Fixed costs: No getting around ’em.

Plan fixed costs ahead of time. The Eiffel Tower and a tour of the Opera, for example, offer no shortcuts or reduced fees (aside from booking your Eiffel Tower tickets in advance to save time), so you’ll have to pay full price.

And fixed costs don’t stop with sightseeing: Train tickets to the airport on the RER B, a ticket to Versailles, and a day trip to Giverny are all non-negotiable. While none of these will break the bank, they do add up, so it’s best to know which experiences you’ll be paying full-price for.

7. Fast food: Enjoy it, French-style.

Don’t shy away from fast food – falafels and baguette sandwiches, for example – just because you might have heard that Parisians don’t eat fast food. That’s a lie. Getting a falafel (€6) on rue des Rosiers and heading to the Place des Vosges or taking a baguette sandwich (less than €5) and fruit from the market to a picnic in a garden are all perfectly acceptable and encouraged.

8. Touring: Take a freebie

Take a free tour — like these — to get introduced to the city. If you’re a first-timer, a tour will be a perfect way to break you in and familiarize yourself with the city’s layout and history. Sure, it’ll be more information than you’ll be able to retain, but you’ll meet new people and your guide, most likely a local, will have insider information to share with you — if they’re good!

If you have a few extra euros to spend, here are 11 specialty tours worth splurging on.

9. Hydrate: Drink the free stuff.

Water is one of the few truly free things in Paris – like, really free. If you go to a café and ask for a glass of water, the waiter must give you one. Never hesitate to ask for a “carafe d’eau” while at a café or restaurant, even if you just have coffee. They’re legally required to give it to you.

Also, the famous Wallace fountains keep fresh drinking water running through Paris all spring and summer long (they’re shut off in the winter to avoid freezing). If you want a bottle of Evian, head to the grocery store to browse the Mecca of water brands available for as little as 15 centimes a bottle – but be warned, cold water can cost up to €2 for a small bottle at any other bodega or snack shop.

10. Timing: What’s your style?

We’ve talked about when is the best time to visit Paris before. But we’ll stress it again: Pick your period wisely – Christmas and summer tend to be expensive, but have their own perks, so weigh your values and pros/cons. Do you want to picnic? Spend time lounging in the gardens? Fight impossible crowds at Notre Dame and the Louvre? Sounds like late spring and summer.

Or do you want to come in April or October with some warmer clothes and an umbrella and relax a bit more with fewer tourists around? If you want to cut down on hotel rates and airfare, look to the low season, just be prepared for all weather conditions.

Your first-time tips?

Have a tip for a first-timer in Paris to add to our list? Share with us in the comments section below!

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If you plan to visit at least three museums (or even just two of the more expensive ones) while in Berlin, you will almost certainly be able to save money with a museum discount card. Cheapos should consider one of the following two cards in the context of their itinerary.

Museum Pass Berlin

The classic museum lover’s money-saving secret has long been the Museum Pass Berlin, which grants you free entry to nearly 50 different museums in Berlin, including all of those run by the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (approximately 20 institutions, including everything on Museum Island). The full list of museums can be viewed here.

When you buy a museum pass, you’ll also be able to skip these ticket lines. Photo: Tom Meyers

Major museums covered:  All “Museum Island” museums (including Alte Nationalgalerie, Gemäldegalerie, Altes Museum, Bode-Museum, Neues Museum, Pergamonmuseum), Bauhaus Archive, Hamburger Bahnhof, Jewish Museum

Cost: The ticket costs €24 (for students, €12) and is valid for three consecutive calendar days only.

Cheapo tip: “Extend” the validity of your three-day ticket by having it run over a Monday—since most museums are closed that day, you can plan to visit the ones with Monday opening hours on the Monday, and thereby “gain” an extra day to visit all the other museums that are closed on Mondays.

“BASIC” annual ticket

The Staatliche Museen zu Berlin recently announced a new “BASIC” annual ticket which for the low price of €25 grants visitors free entry to all their institutions weekdays from 4 p.m. until closing, weekends entry between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. till closing.

Major museums covered: Alte Nationalgalerie, Neue Nationalgalerie, Pergamonmuseum,

Cost: The ticket costs €25 and is valid for one year, but with limited hours.

The ticket is valid for one calendar year, and although most visitors may not receive a full year of value for their investment, they will receive the relative flexibility of dipping into any of the SMB institutions over the entire length of their stay rather than being forced to group museum visits into a three-day period.

Which pass is right for you?

Given that the two schemes are approximately the same price, it’s up to you to consider which one is more beneficial for you.

I would choose the Museum Pass Berlin if I was planning a short visit to the city and certain I would visit one or more institutions from the list that is not part of the SMB group, such as the Jewish Museum, Brücke Museum, Bauhaus Archive, or German Technology Museum.

I would choose the “BASIC” membership if I was staying in Berlin for five days or more, was primarily interested in the institutions on Museum Island or at the Kulturforum, and wanted to spread out my museum visits in a more leisurely fashion.

Berlin WelcomeCard

The discount card to avoid is the Berlin WelcomeCard, which is heavily marketed around town, but which grants you discounted rather than free admission to various museums and sites.

As a rule of thumb, city schemes such as these are rarely formulated to save tourists more money than they would spend using other discounts such as the two above, so research them carefully before buying.

Questions about the passes? Ask away in the comments section below.

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If you are a “Museum Geek,” or at least feel more tempted by the Prado than Prada, you’ll want to keep in mind these money-saving museum tips, as visits to Madrid’s galleries can really add up fast.

Prado Museum

Opening times-
From Monday to Saturday 10 am – 8 pm
Sundays and holidays 10 am – 7 pm
Closed: January 1, May 1, and December 25
Reduced opening hours: 10 am – 2 p m: January 6, December 24 and 31.

The Prado is Madrid’s most popular museum, so be prepared to wait in line. Why is it worth the wait? Because it houses paintings such as Las Meninas by Velázquez and  The Third of May: the Executions on Príncipe Pío by Goya.

At €12 a pop (or €22 with a guided tour), it’s worth looking into the Prado’s free days and discounts. Those 65 and older, or who have the Carné Joven, or are part of a “familia numerosa” (large family) get half off, paying just €6 per person. The museum is free for everyone under the age 18, journalists, tour guides, students with a valid ID between the ages 18 -25, the unemployed, the handicapped, and members of the organizations listed here.

Plus, the Prado museum is free for all Monday to Saturday from 6 pm to 8 pm and on Sundays and holidays from 5 pm to 7 pm. On November 19 and Museum Day, the Prado is free all hours.

Reina Sofía

Opening times-
Monday – Saturday from 10 am – 9 pm
Sundays from 10 am to 2:30 pm
Tuesdays Closed
The Museum is also closed on: January 1 & 6, May 1 & 15, November 9, and December 24, 25 and 31.

The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía shows art produced from the late 19th century to present day. The museum has over 20,000 pieces and is one of the most important museums in Spain. Look for paintings and art by Alexander Calder, Joan Miró, Salvador Dalí, Picasso and Antoni Tàpies among many others.

At just €6 a ticket to see the permanent and temporary collections, this national art museum is not expensive. If you are only interested in the temporary exhibition, then it’s just €3 to get in. The museum also offers plenty of free days, including the International Museum Day, Mondays – Fridays from 7 pm to 9 pm, Saturdays from 2:30 pm to 9 pm, Sundays from 10 am to 2:30 pm, the 18th of April, the 12th of October and the 6th of December.

In addition, the museum entrance fee is waived for everyone under 18 years of age, students with a valid ID, everyone 65 and older, the handicapped, those who accompany the handicapped, tour guides and journalists.

Thyssen-Bornemisza

Opening times-
Tuesdays to Saturdays- 10 am to 11 pm.
On Sundays and Mondays, 10 am to 7 pm.
Closed Monday August 20th.

The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum offers visitors an overview of art from the 13th century to the late 20th century. In addition to a permanent collection, there are temporary exhibitions throughout the year. From June to September 2012, Hopper’s works will be on display.

If you’re under 12 years of age or unemployed then you get into Thyssen-Bornemisza for free. Otherwise, you’ll have to pay €9 for general admission and €6 if you’re a student with a student ID, 65 or older, have the Carné Joven, are a Fine Arts professor, handicapped, or part of a “familia numerosa” (large family). A combined ticket for Thyssen-Bornemisza Collections and Hopper exhibition is €15.

The only day that the museum is open to all for free is on the International Museum Day, once a year. Also, all of you out there born in 1992 get into Thyssen-Bornemisza for free during 2012 in honor of the museum’s 20th anniversary. You can buy tickets online here.

The Madrid Card

It may also pay to get a Madrid card for about €38 for 24 hours if you’re into to seeing all the museums. The Madrid Card  will get you into the three biggies listed above, plus many other museums in the city.

At this price though, you’d have to see at least four or five museums in 24 hours to make it a deal, and that’s a lot of art in a short time span, even for your most enthusiastic “Museum Geek.” Another option is Tarjeta Paseo del Arte, which gets you into the Prado, Reina Sofía and Thyssen-Bornemisza for about €22. This is probably your best bet if you can’t hit the free days or times. The Tarjeta Paseo del Arte can be purchased at any of the three museums.

Also in our guide: If you’re in the process of researching a trip to Madrid and are looking for budget-friendly hotel suggestions, be sure to swing by our Madrid guide. Our editors have visited and inspected affordable hotels all over the city’s center.

The post Madrid: Free and reduced times to visit the Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen-Bornemisza museums appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

From the top of the Eiffel Tower to the bottom of the Catacombs the options are vast. So while you’re budgeting your euros, here are a few tips to budget your time as well to make sure you don’t waste a single second while in Paris.

1. Book your Eiffel Tower tickets in advance

Waiting in line for the Eiffel Tower can cost you hours, so book your ticket in advance on their Web site here. With this reservation, you can get in a much shorter line for the Iron Lady’s elevator and spend those hours doing something else.

2. Get a “Museum Pass” and skip the lines

Consider the Museum Pass. It may seem expensive, but if you’re planning on visiting several different monuments and museums, the pass can help you avoid waiting in ticket lines and will pay for itself if your heart is set on visiting as many museums as possible.

3. Make a dinner reservation

Make a restaurant reservation in at least one restaurant. Cheapos often like to treat themselves to one nice sit-down meal in Paris, so instead of walking around aimlessly looking for the perfect spot, do some research in advance and find a nice, little bistro to treat yourself to and book a table. Check out Paris by Mouth for some great suggestions.

4. Use the ATM

Contact your bank and use ATMs to avoid currency exchange offices. Tourists often spend time heading to American Express offices to exchange money, but this is a time waster. Talk to your bank and see what the fees are for using ATM machines and just withdraw cash (read more here). Paris has no shortage of banks and you’ll be on your way much faster.

5. Grab a quick coffee at the bar

Get your café at the bar if you need a quick caffeine fix. Sitting down at a table in a café means you’ve engaged yourself for at least 30 minutes by the time the waiter takes your order, brings your coffee, gives you the bill and takes your money. It’s a sort of ritual that can be bypassed by doing like the locals and going right to the bar for un café. It’s cheaper, too.

6. Line up early, if you must

Get in line early for activities that are must-sees for you, like the towers of Notre Dame or the Catacombs. Forgo an hour of sleep, wake up early, and queue up at least 30 minutes before the monument opens. You’ll be happy you did as you look at the line of people snaking around the block to get up the cathedral’s towers or to climb into the old mine shafts lined with 6 million Parisians skeletons.

7. Grab a sandwich for lunch and take it to go

Bakeries offer great deals for a sandwich, drink, and dessert, and you can eat it in a park or on the go as you race off to your next destination. The same sandwich in a café will take at least 30 minutes (and be more expensive).

8. Consider “nightseeing”

Certain sights are best at night. Think of checking out the evening openings at the Louvre or the Musée d’Orsay when prices are cheaper and lines are shorter. And the Eiffel Tower is open until midnight in the summer, so don’t think that 11:30 p.m. is too late to venture up for a midnight view of the city.

9. Ask for help if you need it

Everyone says Parisians are rude and impolite, but sometimes it’s worth running the risk. When a girl from Japan asked me for directions the other day in the Marais, a Parisian went out of his way to butt in, look at her map (all in Japanese) and point her in the right direction as I translated his French into English for her. He might be the exception instead of the rule, but Parisians can be helpful, and getting brusque assistance from a local is better than wandering for hours in search of the Musée Carnavalet.

10. Plan a return trip to Paris

Be ready to make concessions and start planning a return trip to Paris. You can’t do it all, and preparing mentally for this now will make things easier for everyone. I was recently with a family who looked at the line to enter Notre Dame and they all shook their heads, “No.” Instead, we went for ice cream and wandered in the Marais, much to everyone’s delight.

Your time-saving tips

There’s no shortage of happenings in Paris, and every minute can be stretched to the last second if you’re thrifty with your time. So, Cheapos, what other advice do you have for budgeting your time in Paris?

The post Paris: 10 ways to save time (and see more) in Paris appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

There are a few ways to skip the lines and minimize your admission fees. Here’s a quick overview:

Advance booking for the Uffizi Gallery and Accademia

For those who are only able to spend a few days (or less!) in Florence, you’ll certainly want to hit the city’s two most popular museums: the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia, home to Michelangelo’s David.

Lines at both museums are infamously long and unpredictable. However, you can save time by pre-booking your visits to both museums online through the Uffizi’s website. Booking ahead will cost an extra €4, but you’ll choose a time (offered in 15 minute intervals) and skip the line. (Tickets must be booked at least one day in advance.)

While this can save you a lot of time waiting in line, those extra €4 charges can add up (especially as the ticket prices tend to get inflated by additional “temporary exhibition” charges). Thus, you’ll have to decide if the extra price is worth it.

The Uffizi and Accademia are the only museums in Florence with horrible lines, so there’s no need to shell out the cash for reservations at any of the city’s other museums.

The new Florence museum card

Unfortunately, there are limited options for those wishing to visit many museums, or for those staying in town longer who’d like to visit the same museum multiple times (the several museums and gardens in the Palazzo Pitti, for example, could easily take a few days to visit).

The Florence tourism office has recently made a big fuss about the upcoming launch of the “Firenze Card”, its new 72-hour museum pass. It will grant access to 33 museums for €50, will let you skip the lines and will offer free public transport during its validity.

Note: The card was scheduled to launch on February 14, 2011, but has been delayed until some point in March. (Once launched, we’re hoping they will also launch the card’s Web site.)

I think the card will be a step in the right direction and could definitely save money during a whirlwind visit. However, I find the €50 price tag a bit steep. Add it up: A trip to both the Uffizi and the Accademia will run a little under €30 (including reservations). Throw in a trip to Palazzo Pitti (Boboli gardens included) for €11.50 (combined ticket, valid three days), and the card still hasn’t paid for itself. Notable, the card doesn’t cover any churches (which often charge entrance fees).

The only way to figure out if the card is worth it is to plan which museums you’ll be visiting and add it all up. Who knows–it could work out for you.

Amici degli Uffizi card

The real saving grace however is the Amici degli Uffizi card, a friend to students, residents and tourists alike. When you become a “friend” (amici) of the Uffizi museums for a year, you receive a flimsy little card that grants free access to almost all the museums in Florence (including the Uffizi, Accademia, Pitti and many more). And yes, it also grants you the coveted “skipping-the-line” privileges.

“Amici” membership costs €60 for adults, €40 for youth (under 26) and €100 for families. I’ve found the pass to be very affordable and a real saver of time, money and worries. It’s easy to use; you just show your card and an ID to enter the museums.  You can purchase membership online or in person at the office located within the Uffizi.

Is it worth it for your trip? That obviously depends upon your schedule and your cultural ambitions. Again, add it up. It could really pay off to become a “friend.”

Cheapest “Museum Visit”: Google Art Project

Finally, if you can’t afford the admission to the Uffizi’s or even the plane ticket to Italy, check out the Google Art Project which has a realistic (and crowd-free!) virtual tour of most rooms at the Uffizi.

The post Should you book Florence museum tickets in advance? appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

If you’re planning a trip to the Finnish capital, chances are you’ll see the Helsinki Card advertised as a must-have for visitor discounts. But at a hefty €34 for a single day of visits, the tourist pass is a bit of an investment for cost-conscious Cheapos. So, is the Helsinki Card worth it?

What it offers

The Helsinki Card includes free admission to 40 museums (including the wonderful Ateneum and Kiasma art museums), as well as unlimited travel on Helsinki’s tram, bus, and ferry system. The card also offers a free city tour and discounts on day trips to nearby city of Tallinn, Estonia.

For those planning on sampling some traditional Finnish culture, the card also offers discounts at a number of restaurants—and even the city’s famous swimming hall and sauna.

Cost

Here are the 2010 prices for the Helsinki Card:

24-hour Helsinki Card costs €34 (€13 for children under 16).
48-hour card costs €45 (€16).
72-hour card costs €55 (€19).

Should you buy it?

There are a number of things to consider before deciding if the Helsinki Card is worth the euros.

Firstly, do you plan on hitting up lots of museums during your stay? Helsinki museums charge around €8—and can skyrocket up to €16 in the event of a special exhibition (such as the Picasso event currently showing at the Ateneum).

Not so fast! Even if museums are a top priority for you, note that many museums offer free admission of the first Wednesday of the month. If you plan to visit more than five museums, or your thirst for Finnish culture can’t be quenched in one Wednesday, the Helsinki Card is your best bet.

Also worth considering is how often you’ll use transportation. Helsinki is a small city, and most sights are within walking distance of one another. That said, there are a few notable exceptions located outside the city center. To reach the famous Sibelius Monument or the seaside ice-swimming Rastila camp site, you’ll need to take the tram or metro. If you’re staying in the center of town, however, there’s no need to step aboard at €2.50 a pop; the city is best explored on foot.

The bottom line

Ultimately, a realistic sense of what (and how much) you plan to see in Helsinki should inform your decision. Keep in mind that the Helsinki Card is really only worth the euros if your trip is jam-packed with sightseeing and museum-visiting.

Tip: If you do buy this tourist pass, make sure to do so online, as you’ll save €3. If you’re considering a jaunt to Tallinn or the island fortress of Suomenlinna (also covered by the card), purchase the two- or three-day Helsinki Card, so you’re able to take advantage of the card’s discounts at a more leisurely pace.

The post Is the Helsinki Card worth it? appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Two passes in particular, the Schaulust Museen Berlin pass and Berlin’s Tourism Board’s Welcomecard offer particularly good deals for quick trips.  Take a look.

SchauLUST-MuseenBERLIN ticket

With the 3-day Schaulust-Museen Berlin pass, travelers have access to about 70 Berlin museums and collections, for free! You must use the ticket for three consecutive days. The museums pass is not valid for some special exhibitions, so check with the tourism board, or via their web site, for more details. Cost: €19 (€9.50 for students with valid identification).

What museums can you visit?

Highlights of the pass include the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin,  the Preussischer Kulturbesitz (including the Bode Museum), the incredible Pergamon Museum, Egyptian Museum and Gemaldegalerie (painting gallery).

In addition, you can hit up Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin, the German Technology Museum, and the Brücke Museum. The 3-day “Museumspass” is available online and at the Berlin infostores.

Berlin’s Welcomecard

Another terrific option is the Berlin Welcomecard. It’s a great value offering free public transportation, a pocket map, and 50 percent off admission to more than 140 museums and city sights.

This year, to help mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Berlin Tourism Board launches a new 5-day Welcomecard (it’s previously only been available in 2-day and 3-day versions).

Cost:  The pass is €16.50 for a 48-hour period, and €22 for a 72-hour period. The new 5-day card costs €29.50. Also new this year, a special card that tacks on free shuttle service to and from Tegel or Schonefeld airport. Prices vary, so check the site for details.

What should you pick up?

If you plan to see museums and also see the city, the Welcomecard could be just the ticket. Since it gives you free transport for up to 5-days (depending on which type of pass you buy), you can jet around freely, stopping in at museums and other sights where you’ll also enjoy a hefty discount.

Our pick? Well, we’re art buffs and we love to ride bicycles and pound the pavenment, so no matter how cold or how far we plan to go, we’re always more likely to opt for the Schaulust-Museen Berlin pass.

Either way, neither card is a bitte pill to swallow. So, get packin’!

If you go, check out our budget hotel picks for Berlin here.

The post Berlin Money-saving Tip: Museum passes and Berlin’s Welcomecard appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Enter the sleek new website of the “Polo Museale Fiorentino,” the city’s governing board for 20 museums, including the Uffizi, the Accademia, the Pitti Palace, the Museum of San Marco, and more. On the site, you can take virtual tours of each museum, read about upcoming exhibits, verify opening hours, and map out locations.

But our favorite feature: The site now offers online ticket booking for all museums, allowing users to bypass the long queue and restricted entrance schedule.

How it works

The process is simple: You choose the museum you wish to book, pick a date, and then select an available entrance time. (At the Uffizi, for example, you may choose entrances in 15-minute intervals.) Proceed to the checkout, pay with a credit card (a €3 processing fee is added), and a confirmation will be emailed to you. Take this email with you to the museum (arriving, of course, during the scheduled time slot) and hand it over at the “pre-booked tickets” counter to pick up your tickets.

Yes, the site adds a €3 booking fee. But we’ll happily fork that over in exchange for a speedy (and guaranteed!) welcome.

Other museum ticket booking websites are out there, and we’ve recommended them in the past, but they tack on far more than €3 to your ticket. One of the most popular sites adds €11.50 to each ticket! Save it for post-museum Chianti, folks!

The post Florence: Book museum tickets online, skip the line! appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.