Fête du Cinéma

Until July 3

The four-day Fête du Cinéma offers reduced priced admission on new releases in theaters around the city. This year’s 29th edition is an even better deal thanks to a new initiative that has all ticket prices at €3.50. (In previous years you had to buy one ticket at full price to get a discount.)

If you missed this year’s event, next year’s will start on the last Sunday of June and continue until the first Wednesday of July. Or if you’re planning to visit in the spring, catch sister festival Printemps du Cinéma, which has taken place every March since 2000.

Paris Cinéma president Charlotte Rampling and actor Vincent Cassel at the festival’s 2011 final showing. Photo: Yann Caradec.

Paris Cinéma

Until July 9

Paris Cinéma International Film Festival is a low-key, offbeat city-wide event that screens more than 300 films including international premieres, retrospectives and tributes, and hosts movie-themed outdoor and special events like a flea market selling movie-related collectibles on July 6 and 7 in front of MK2 Bibliothèque and “Saturday Night Fever”-themed karaoke.

All films are screened in their original versions, many with English subtitles. General admission is a budget-friendly €5.

Cinéma en plein air

July 24-August 18

An outdoor event at the Parc de la Villette that has been a summer highlight for the last 23 years, Cinéma en plein air screens a selection of international films (all in their original versions, with subtitles) every night except Mondays and Tuesdays between July 24 and August 18 starting at nightfall.

It’s free if you want to just park yourself on the grass; to rent a lawn chair and a blanket is €7, or bring along some friends or family and get 5 lawn chairs/blankets for €20. The full program can be found here.

Cinéma au clair de lune

August 1-11

Watching classic movies shot in Paris under the moonlight in movie-set-worthy Parisian settings like the Place des Vosges, the foot of the Butte Montmartre, the Jardins du Trocadéro or the Esplanade des Invalides is a surreal, romantic summer in Paris experience. The 13th edition of the Cinéma au clair de lune, presented by the Forum des Images, is a surefire antidote to the dog days of Paris in August.

Free admission, no reservations and a limited number of complimentary chairs means that it’s a good idea to get there early, and BYOB (booze and blanket). Screenings may be canceled due to rain. For details on films and screening times, go here.

The post Cheap Summer Film Festivals in Paris appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

In addition to all of the festivals and concerts, there is a little beachy oasis in the center of the city called “Paris Plages” that is not to be missed.

Paris Plages

Starting in July and running through August or September, the Paris Plages season turns the banks of the Seine and the Canal into beach (plage) havens. Paris Plages launched in 2002.  It seems just like yesterday…

On the banks of the river by the Hotel de Ville, cars are forbidden and visitors can sunbathe in a lounge chair, build castles in the temporary sand pits, play pétanque as crowds watch on, and stroll along the river as palm trees sway overhead and music floats through the air.

It’s just enough to make you feel like you’ve made it to the Mediterranean.

More plages: Bassin de la Villette

But this town has more than one plage. Along the Bassin de la Villette in the 19th arrondissement, you’ll find a more relaxed scene, as fewer tourists make the trek. There are various water-themed activities for children, in addition to outdoor concerts and even country line dancing. Locals line the vast stretches of both banks, the Quai de la Loire and the Quai de la Seine, with picnics late into the night.

For the kids…

There are plenty of events geared towards children at the “beaches.” There are small workshops and educational stands along the Seine teaching children about recycling, water and even eclipses. Once the children are bored with that, they can hop in the water and start having some fun.

Along the Seine there are paddleboats by Pont Sully, water bars to rehydrate and volleyball courts. At the Villette beach, there are various kayaks, even more paddle boats, and other nautical experiences for children and adults, including an inflatable water-bound hamster wheel that small children seem to enjoy. For those with little ones we’ve got another post on things to do with kids in Paris.

…and for the adults

For the older set, there is the ritualistic sunbathing, but also foosball tables – “babyfoot” in French – and a stage offering dance performances, from classic waltz to country ho-down.

The best part? It’s all free.

Check out the city’s Web site in English and in French for even more information on the Paris Plages, including maps of both beaches with the various activities.

The post Paris: Hit the beach at the “Paris Plages” appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Here’s a list of some of the city’s top outdoor spots to take a dip.

1. Podolí
Podolská 74, 147 50, Prague 4
Tel: 241 433 952

Plavecký Stadion Podolí, or just “Podolí” as it’s most often referred to, is located just off a main tramline street running alongside the river in Prague 4. Comprised of an indoor pool and two outdoor pools, Podolí was built over 50 years ago as one of Czechoslovakia’s preeminent grounds for swim competitions.

Today visitors sunbathe on towels on the metal bleachers bordering the pools, directly on the concrete or in a large grassy area, which is bordered by the base of a rocky hill. As with many of the public pools, it does get crowded during the summer, but Podolí is one place where you can actually get in a few laps.

Open daily 6 a.m – 9:45 p.m. A full day ticket costs 150 Kc for adults. Head there after 3 p.m. and the price is reduced to 110 Kc.

2. Pražacka
Sportovní a rekreacní areál Pražacka
Za Žižkovskou vozovnou 19/2716
CZ-130 00, Prague 3 – Žižkov
Web site

For a truly neighborhood feel, head to Prague 3’s Pražacka in the Žižkov neighborhood. Open from June through September, Pražacka’s outdoor pool measures 25 x 12.5 meters and is heated. Hang out on the newly built terrace, or lay on the grounds bordering the pool or the grassy lot. After a dip, enjoy a cold beer and klobasa.

During the week, the pool is open from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., but then closes for two hours before opening back up at 10 a.m. until 6:45 p.m. The cost for the full day is 100 Kc. Reduced admissions (60 Kc) applies after 5 p.m. (You can get in an additional 90 minutes in from 8 p.m. to 9:45 p.m.).

3. Slavia
Vladivostocká 1460/10, Praha 10
Tel: (+420) 267 311 062
Web site

Located in a residential area of Prague’s Vršovice district, Plavecký Stadion Slavia has one of the city’s largest outdoor pools at 50 meters long. As with Podolí, the center features metal bleachers and lots of Communist-era concrete architecture. Grab an ice cream or beer at one of several kiosks. Find a spot on the grounds surrounding the pool or in the grassy areas.

For those who wish to fully catch some rays, Slavia features an area for nudists (as does Podolí).

4. Divoká Šárka
Šárka Nature Reserve, Praha 6
Tram 20, 26 to the “Divoká Šárka” stop

An exceptional forest location makes this Prague pool the most enchanting. Follow a path through the trees to this swimming area, which features two large pools, including an exceptional invigorating one (due to its very cold temperatures) that is stream fed. Play ping-pong, grab a snack at the obcerstvení (snack/refreshment seller) or just dream away the day on the large grassy area while looking into the forest surrounding you.

The price is 60 kc before 4 p.m. when the price drops to 40 kc.

The post Prague Pools: Where to go swimming this summer appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

I adore its weird mosaics, spooky fairyland houses and dramatic “market” area. Touring the park gives visitors a more in-depth look at Gaudí’s genius.

While it’s a bit of a drag getting up to the park, it’s worth it, especially on a sunny, clear day when you will be able to see the entire city spread out before you like an apron tied around the tummy of the mountain.

It’s a spectacular vista indeed from the park’s 3,000 sq. meter mosaic patio, with the Mediterranean in the distance. This is where you will want to get a couple choice photos to put up on Facebook immediately. All your friends will be jealous of your fabulous Barcelona vacation.

So here are a few tips for making the most of your trip up to Gaudí’s wonderland:

Hydrate!

First of all, bring H2O or some other beverage. If not you’ll be forced to buy from the cafe on-site which is really pricey. They sell sangria at this cafe. Do yourself a favor and don’t buy it, because it’s not of good quality (most sangria is not, and most Spaniards don’t drink it, go figure).

If you’re going up to the park for the day, pack a lunch and then have a picnic off one of the trails.

Stay alert

As you’re strolling along the paths that wind through the vast park, be alert and keep an eye on your stuff.

It’s sad to say, but Barcelona has a ton of petty crime. Where there are tourists, there are thieves. Don’t wander the upper trails with your $900 camera around your neck and you should be fine.

As a woman, I don’t think I would walk those upper trails sola. That was my impression on my last visit a couple months ago, due to the men I saw lurking in the bushes and running off into the forest. However, please don’t think that Park Güell is dangerous, it’s not. Just be aware, that’s all.

Go home with Gaudi

Gaudí’s home is open to visitors and should definitely be on your “to do” list. The house was built in 1903 and the famous architect lived there for about 20 years. Many of his belongings are still exhibited in the house, and it’s an interesting look into what life was like in the early 20th century.

Go to market

Afterward, hear music by local guitarists while you admire the intricate rosette ceiling in the covered market place. The covered area is held up by 90 columns and is a sweet spot to get out of the sun and chill for a bit while hearing some, usually, very talented buskers.

Walking to and from the Metro

Walk up and back from the park from the Lesseps Metro stop. You need to be in shape to do this jaunt as it is uphill for a good 15 to 20 minutes. Coming back is easier.

Or take buses 24 – 31 – 32 – 74 – 92 which will get you close to the main gate. If there are four of you, split a cab up to the parkby far the easies way to get there.

Admission: The park was free to visit until 2013, when the city announced that they will start charging €8 to visit in October 2013.

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