In Paris, I’ll be visiting as many hotels as I can fit into five days, and I’m hoping that I won’t experience any conflicts with Fashion Week, which kicks off at the end of the week. (When there’s a big event in town, it’s harder to inspect hotel rooms. However, I don’t know how much crossover there is in the two camps

I’m also looking forward to watching/celebrating Obama’s inauguration in Paris. Thanks to Meredith for putting together today’s excellent post on where to watch the inauguration in Europe!

St. Petersburg will not be work, although I’m sure I won’t be able to avoid jotting down budget travel notes. (It’s a hard habit to break!) I plan to spend the week visiting the Hermitage, a few palaces, attending a ballet, and basically strolling about town.

Regarding Moscow: Thanks to all the Cheapos who suggested ways to visit Moscow a la cheapo. In the end, spending two nights in the city was too expensive for my inexperienced self, so I’ve dropped it from the itinerary. I’m still toying with the possibility of taking the train down for a day, and then returning to St. Petersburg, however. Stay tuned.

Moscow was dropped, but Riga was gained. I mentioned Tallinn in an earlier post as a possibility, but it didn’t work for my friend Carl who will be traveling with me. We found a €100 one-way flight on airBaltic from St. Petersburg to Riga on Friday, January 30th. We’ll spend the weekend exploring the town, and then I’ll stay on for a few days of hotel hunting.

Again, thanks for all the advice and well-wishes. I hope you’ll join me on this trip by checking in with the blog. I look forward to comments, questions, and tips from you.

And now–onto Paris!

The post Cheapos at Work: Off to Paris, St. Petersburg, and… appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Yes, we did!

On Tuesday, January 20th, 2009, Barack Obama will be sworn is as the 44th U.S. President and the world will be watching!

We’ve put together a list of places – that we currently know of – hosting inaugural day events in Europe. Fortunately, for all Europeans, the inauguration should be available in high-def at many locations.

We’ll keep adding to the list as Tuesday approaches. And, let us know – Do you still need to find a place to watch the event? Do you have another idea for a city we haven’t covered or an additional location in an existing city listed here?

Signed, sealed, delivered!

In Paris: The American Church in Paris hosts a prayer service at 7:30 PM followed by a viewing of the inauguration (one hour behind the live events) and a wine and cheese reception. Stop by and you might just see our Ed-in-Chief Tom Meyers! More info is here. You can also email Arlene Gross, the coordinator of the event, at arlbru2004@yahoo.com

For more ideas on where to hang your hat on inauguration day, check out this great forum on the Fodor’s Paris site. Other ideas include the Havane Cafe, at 70 Bis, Boulevard Auguste Blanqui (near Place d’Italie).

According to the Paris Expat Meetup group, the American Library has inauguration events planned. More info here.

In Berlin: Our friends over at BootsnAll first broke the news that Berlin would be partying down on inauguration eve. As they so aptly reminded us, it was Mr. Obama himself who said, “People of Berlin, people of the world, this is our moment. This is our time.” Rock on! Head to Goya Nightclub for an evening of celebration or head to the Amerika Haus, where they’ve been celebrating Black History month for weeks already. Check out what they have planned here.

In London: A host of events are planned in Her Majesty’s great city. For a list of a bunch of them, visit Time Out London’s web site. Might we recommend the “Bye George” comedy celebration at the Southbank Centre on the evening before Obama takes office? By George, now that’s a pleasant thought!

For a real down-home feel, check out what the Chicago Rib Shack has planned. Just for the record, this is exactly where the other resident Cheapos would be if on the other side of the pond next week! They’re in Knightsbridge, near Harrods. For more info, email info@thechicagoribshack.co.uk

In Amsterdam: One of our favorite places to catch great entertainment and share laughs, Boom Chicago, has lots of fun stuff on the docket Tuesday night. Get in the mood earlier with a comedy show called, “Bye Bye Bush!”. For more information on the inaugural fest, go here.

In St. Petersburg: Fellow Cheapo “Liz” suggests trying the folks at the Grand Hotel Europe, where events are planned. Contact: desk.concierge@grandhoteleurope.com

Other suggestions: Check out sites like Democratic Underground, your city’s local Expat Meetup site, or Democrats Abroad for ideas.

Where will you be?

Tell us where you plan to watch the inauguration and – Help! Do you know of places in Rome, Madrid, Barcelona and other major European cities where inauguration events are planned? Please leave us a message in the comment section below. We’ll be updating our results as next Tuesday approaches.

The post Where to Watch Barack Obama’s Inauguration in Europe appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.