In Barcelona, and in fact all over Spain, the party seems to go on forever. While there are holidays, long vacations and festivals year-round in Spain, December is an especially merry month offering up nine days of “fiesta” instead of just the 25th and 31st/1st. So merry, it’s scary, one might say….

Not 2, but 9 celebrations

We start off the month with two holidays on the 6th and 8th of December. Since these days fall mid-week, most people take the whole week off and go skiing, or somewhere fun. Despite the economic crisis and 20% unemployment, Barcelona was very quiet last week, meaning people went out of town.

Cheapo Tip #1: Head over to the Santa Llucia Market in front of the Cathedral. While not as “Winter-Wonderland” as say, the Christmas Market in Prague, it’s a fun time all the same. Pick up a “Caga Nen,” or a “Little Shitting Boy” for your nativity scene (€5).

Christmas Eve

Then folks have a couple weeks to get presents and ingredients together for the 24th, Christmas Eve. This is an important night to spend with family, feasting on tapas or seafood dishes. Depending on the family, some gifts will be exchanged. Don’t expect a lot to be open the 24th in the afternoon and evening, as people will be with relatives.

Book ahead for a sit-down dinner, and make sure to toast with a glass of Catalan cava (like Champagne) wherever you are. If you’re religious, don’t miss Spanish mass at midnight on the 24th.

Cheapo Tip #2: Buy a bottle of Cava (€5.00) and toast with friends at your hotel or on the beach. Go to Christmas Eve Mass at Santa Maria del Mar in the Born if you’re religious.

Christmas Day

Then the Christmas Day arrives, and another feast is laid out. Families gather for lunch and chow roasted piglets and turrons, a classic, chewy Spanish dessert that I have never managed to like (the chocolate turron is OK). You can pick up a couple turrons in the Barri Gotic from one of the many artisan food vendors lining the streets the weeks leading up to Christmas. Or, pick one up in the gourmet section of the Corte Ingles in the center of town.

Again, expect a lot to be closed on Christmas. If you’d like to have a nice meal most hotel restaurants should be open and will offer a special set menu. You will want to book ahead or you may find yourself eating “Christmas kebab.” On both the 24th and 25th many people go out at night to party. Some bars will be open, though not as many as a normal weekend.

Cheapo Tip #3: Have Christmas lunch or dinner in La Barceloneta by the Sea at Restaurant Salamanca (€30 and up). Nothing says Christmas like “Paella.” Or splurge and have lunch at Hotel Colon (Av. Catedral 7, Barcelona).

December 26

Loosen your belt another notch, because the celebration is not over yet! No sir! The 26th is St. Esteve’s Day and guess what? There’s another feast!

At this point I change into sweatpants (just kidding, I would never wear sweatpants, no matter how bloated Christmas cheer has made me). St. Esteve’s Day is again celebrated with family and revolves around lunch. Traditional families will serve cannelloni stuffed with beef or with spinach and pine nuts.

Again, this is a holiday, so expect a lot to be closed. Bars and restaurants may be open, but little shops and most businesses will be shut up.

Cheapo Tip #4: Head to Cafe Absenta Bar where beers are always €1 to start your night out on the town. Cafe Absenta Bar also serves Absinthe.

Then, slowly, Barcelona wakes from its feasting coma and some people “work” from the 27th to the 31st. By the afternoon of the 31st, everything is closing down again, and people are getting ready for more eating, drinking and maybe a night on the town, too!

New Year’s Eve

Unlike in the United States, New Year’s Eve is spent with family in Barcelona. Everyone sits down to a meal together, and brings in the New Year with twelve grapes and lots of bubbly cava!

At about 12:30 a.m. or 1 a.m. young people head out for a night on the town. Expect hefty covers at all Barcelona’s clubs and long lines for cabs. Most bars are open New Year’s Eve and do not charge a cover. If you’d like to see live music on New Year’s. you’ll want to get those tickets in advance on the net or the day before at the box office. A lot sells out on New Year’s Eve and the city is crowded, but the vibe is fun and festive.

If you want to have a special New Year’s Eve dinner you’ll also want to book ahead as there are not many restaurants open on the 31st, and those that are open tend to charge an arm and a leg. However, most restaurants that open offer a multi-course meal, cava, grapes, and party favors; so you’ll get bang for your buck (€40 p/person and up!). Check the Born area for some nice dining options.

Cheapo Tip 5: Skip the clubs to avoid paying a lot in cover charges. Stick with bars in El Raval and El Born for a fun night out.

New Year’s Day

As the hangover of the 31st wears off you’ll realize that it’s the New Year and that means it’s time to eat and drink some more. Families get together and have a large New Year’s Day lunch more wine, more cava, more food and probably some turrons, too. At this point most people make a New Year’s resolution to lose weight.

January 5

And then peace…..until the 5th of January, which is King’s Day Eve. This is when the three magic Kings, or Wise Men, start making their way into Barcelona atop camels and extravagant floats. The King’s Day Parade marks their arrival and takes place on  January 5 and is worth checking out. The 6th, a holiday, is when kiddies open up their presents form the Kings. This is the big gift giving day, much more so than Christmas.

And then, thank goodness, it’s over. Nine days of partying comes to an end, and Barcelona goes back to normal for a couple months. Most of us sign up for a gym membership.

The post Barcelona: Tips for celebrating Christmas and New Year’s Eve appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

For those of you with plans to ring in the New Year in Rome, the problem is not finding something to do. Rather, the real dilemma lies in narrowing down your celebratory options. Fortunately for Cheapos, Capodanno (New Year’s Eve) is one time when the city’s squares come alive with free events.

My favorite free New Year’s events include:

Free Concert at the Fori Imperiali (Imperial Forum)
New Year’s Eve
10 p.m.

New Year’s just wouldn’t be the same without its traditional Capodanno concert in Rome. Sponsored by the city, the free concert at the Imperial Forum typically has a big Italian name headlining the show.

For this year’s event, famous Roman singer Claudio Baglioni will put on a concert starting at 10 p.m. that will last about three hours. Just before midnight, the concert will be interrupted in order to do the traditional New Year’s countdown, followed by a magnificent fireworks display. The concert will take place along Via dei Fori Imperiali near Piazza Venezia. Large TV screens will be strategically positioned around the area to enable the tens of thousands of attendees to enjoy the concert.

The New Year’s Eve concert is an event definitely not to be missed. Plan to arrive early to find a good spot.

Free Classical Concert at Piazza Del Quirinale
New Year’s Eve
11 p.m.

Just off of Via Nazionale in the Piazza del Quirninale, a classical music concert is held on New Year’s Eve. The classical concert, usually attended by the Italian President (currently Giorgio Napolitano), takes place around 11 p.m. and is followed by fireworks.

Free Concert and Nativity Scenes Exhibit in Piazza del Popolo
New Year’s Eve
10 p.m.

The grandiose Piazza del Popolo will also put on a New Year’s Eve concert of its own with a mix of Italian music, street performers and fireworks. The festivities begin here roughly around 10 p.m.

Need a break from all of that rocking out? Head over to the Santa Maria del Popolo church, where just next to it is a giant exhibit of nativity scenes from nearly 100 Italian regions.

Metro Hours Extended on New Year’s Eve

Worried about how to get home after a long night taking in the capital’s festivities? Happily, the city has decided to extend the Metro’s hours of operation in order to ensure that people can make it home safely without having to resort to driving.

New Year’s Day Parade – St. Peter’s Square
New Year’s Day
From 10 a.m.

If you wake up with energy on January 1, you should consider attending the city of Rome’s fantastic New Year’s Day parade. The event kicks off at 10 a.m. at St. Peter’s Square, with the Pope’s New Year’s Day blessing. It then heads down Via della Concilliazione before winding up near the Castel Sant’Angelo. Tens of thousands of people congregate to witness the parade, with its military, civil and school marching bands and pageantry.

For Kids: Piazza del Popolo
New Year’s Day
10 a.m.-6 p.m.

While the big kids enjoyed the New Year’s Eve festivities, the little kids have lots more to look forward to on New Year’s Day. The city turns Piazza del Popolo into one big playground. The performances and activities include acrobats, clowns, street performers, musicians and face painters.

The post Rome: 5 free ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Santa is secondary in Barcelona. The big day for the Spanish, and Catalans, is King’s Day, January 6. Still, there is plenty of festivity going down this month in Spain’s second-largest metropolis. Here are some of the best events to look for this holiday season:

The Santa Lucia Christmas Market
December 3 – December 24, 2010
Barcelona Cathedral
Web site

It may pale in comparison to the lavish Christmas Markets of northern Europe, but the Santa Lucia Market has a Barcelona twist that makes it unique and well worth a visit. It is not common to buy a real tree in Spain, but those who do get them at this market. I love walking through Santa Lucia just to smell the scent of fresh pine needles.

You’ll also find everything you might need for your miniature Christmas Village or Nativity Scene here: wise-men, Mary, Jesus, the donkey and a little figure called Caga Nen, who appears, pants down, doing his “business.” No Catalan Nativity Scene is complete without a Caga Nen. I’m not joking. Draw your own conclusions to the “Why” behind this Catalan tradition.

Santa Lucia also has a fantastic line up of artists selling their crafts from booths around the edges of the markets. Find shawls, jewelry, soaps, oils, foods, wines, and other wonderful ceramics. I always try to buy from these vendors, as I like supporting the arts. Plus, as you are buying directly from the source, there are great deals to be had.

Shopping Drap Art at the CCCB Museum
December 17, 2010 to January 9, 2011
Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB)
Web site

Support European artists while getting a unique hand-made gift that is also recycled. Too good to be true? The International Recycling Art Festival of Catalonia and Drap Art craft fair returns this Christmas, with exhibitions open at CCCB and other venues. Drap Art has been displaying Europe’s funkiest designs for over thirteen years and will be in Barcelona just in time for the holidays and King’s Day.

I went to this festival last year, which is held in Barcelona’s center of contemporary-cool, the CCCB. I found quite a few things that I wanted to buy at Drap Art, including a purse made of tires and earrings made of pop cans. Very creative. Drap Art goes to show that where some see garbage, others see gold.

Drap-Art’10 group exhibition: December 17 – January 9, 2011, Recycled art and design fairs: December 17, 18 and 19, 2010 and January 3, 4 and 5, 2011.

New Year’s Eve…
7 Sins Bar, Muntaner 7
Web site

The most expensive night of the year? Just about. Restaurants and bars charge huge covers for New Year’s or “Noche Vieja,” as it is called here. Still, who wants to stay home (or in the hotel)? Consider a night out at 7 Sins Bar for New Year’s and music by local DJ, Glass Hat.

It may be best to be at dinner for the countdown, as is the tradition here. For the party, which kicks off at 1 a.m. after the ball drops, Glass Hat brings his signature mix of ’80s, ’90s, pop, rock and disco, plus a little salsa. I’ve heard through the grapevine that this event should sell out, so grab tickets in advance. Along the same thread, if you are planning to go out to dinner on New Year’s, make sure you have reservations ahead of time.

The post Barcelona: Celebrating Christmas and New Year’s Eve appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

The Christmas toy market at Piazza Navona

Along with the usual array of portrait painters, mime artists and peddlers that gather around Piazza Navona at any time of year, come winter you’ll find the Christmas market set up on the square. The famous Piazza is transformed into a child’s paradise with brightly colored wooden toys on display, a traditional carousel, and hot roast chestnut stalls. Look out for Befana the witch, who brings gifts to Italian children on January 6 (Epiphany and Befana’s Feast day).

Attend the Midnight Mass in the Vatican

Every Christmas morning at the stroke of midnight, the Pope delivers his Christmas Mass. Tickets for the mass in St. Peter’s Basilica are free, but must be booked in advance. Visit the Vatican website for information on the mass timetable, which also includes carol services. For those who don’t have tickets, the service is broadcast live on large screens in St. Peter’s Square.

Ice skating by Castel St. Angelo on the banks of the River Tiber

Situated in one of Rome’s most beautiful settings, the Christmas ice rink under the shadow of Castel St. Angelo looks toward St. Peter’s Basilica. What could be more romantic? To get there, take either the Metro to “Lepanto,” or, better yet, take one of the many buses (such as the 30 Express or the 87) to Piazza Cavour.

Nativity scene hunting

Pop your head into any church during December and you’re guaranteed to see traditional nativity scenes on display. From the animals in the stable to the figures bearing gifts to the baby Jesus, these ancient displays are rich in detail and tradition. Don’t miss the huge one in St. Peter’s Square: Each year it has a different theme. Constructed behind curtains over the course of several weeks, it is finally unveiled in mid-December and stays on view for most of January.

Panettone and Torrone

Panettone is the traditional Christmas cake that is given to friends and relatives. Traditionally filled with candied peel, you can now find many other varieties in beautifully wrapped Christmas paper tied with ribbon. For a smaller gift, look out for the torrone, oblong chocolate bars in gift wrapping usually filled with nuts or nougat.

New Year’s Eve

Two of the main gathering places for the adult revelers are Piazza Navona and Piazza del Popolo. Many people also line the banks of the river with glasses of champagne to watch the fireworks. Try to avoid partaking in the other traditional festivity of wading drunkenly into the Trevi Fountain. It is illegal and you may find you start the New Year behind bars, instead of being in front of one.

Transportation during the holidays

Mainline and local services do operate throughout Christmas, but with a very limited service on national holidays (see below). There is a free “shopping bus” that runs between Termini and Via Del Corso during December, but you are better advised to walk than use the public transport. During this period, buses and metros are filled with at least double the capacity of intended passengers, complete with bulky purchases. Visit the Roman transit site for more information.

What’s closed when

Shops are open every day (including Sunday) during the holiday period, except for December 25 and January 1. (Note that Rome’s January sales do not start on the first weekend in January.) Most museums and attractions are closed December 25 and January 1, but are open the rest of the time. (Check online first.) Restaurants generally remain open throughout the holiday period.

Also note that in addition to Christmas and New Year’s, Italians celebrate Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, and St. Stephen’s Day on December 26. However, most shops, restaurants, and attractions remain open on these days.

The post Rome: Spending Christmas in Rome! appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

The country was granted permission by the European Union to make the switch during the summer of 2008, when the exchange rate was pinned at 30.126 koruny to the euro. The currency, however, didn’t switch until January 1, 2009.

In the months leading up to its circulation, Slovakia hosted Euro-themed events to raise awareness and entertain, and also pay tribute to the exiting currency. (Among these, chocolate euro coins were thrown to children, and a theater troupe staged a play about the demise of the koruna.  Sad clowns.)

What it means

The introduction of the euro in Slovakia could mean that Cheapos heading to Bratislava or other Slovak cities will notice restaurant prices and hotel rates listed in both currencies (euros and Slovak koruny), a trend that will last until January of 2010.

Others may notice that prices have jumped a bit. According to a piece in Slovak Today, consumer prices increased 0.5% in the 10 days following the changeover.

In case you’ve got a koruna or two hanging around the house, banks in Slovakia will still exchange banknotes through the end of 2009 and coins through June 2009 (although they may charge you for it!).

Need help with your own euro conversion? Check out xe.com to see today’s euro exchange rate.

The post Goodbye Koruna: Slovakia joins the euro club appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.