Fiorentina’s fan base is still very proudly Florentine and is a constant topic of discussion in any coffee shop or bar of the city. Fiorentina’s team color is purple or “viola” and wearing it is the best way to display your team pride.

Here are some tips on making the best of your Sunday afternoon by heading to the stadium for some wholesome soccer and some less wholesome Florentine slang.

Choosing a game

Tickets for games are usually available about one week before the game. Games for the Italian League, called “Serie A,” are usually played on Sunday afternoons at 3 p.m., although due to scheduling problems you’ll find the odd game on Saturday, Sunday, or even Wednesday nights. You can find the schedule here.

The best games are the ones with a heated crowd, so look out for games with noted rivals such as Juventus and Milan. However do stay away from games with notoriously dangerous fans such as Napoli and Roma.

Buying tickets

Tickets are sold in some Tabaccherie (tobacco shops), although it’s hard to tell which ones. Your best bets are either at the box office, which also sells tickets to major events and concerts, which you’ll find in Via Alamanni near the train station, or at the little sports bodega, Chiosco degli Sportivi, in a small piazza off of Piazza Repubblica (via degli Anselmi).

Note: You’ll need a valid ID to be purchase your ticket, as your name is printed directly on your ticket. It’s best to bring your passport, as a driver’s license or student ID is generally not accepted. You can also buy tickets online.

Ticket prices

Ticket price depends on the type of game (regular season, the special national competition Coppa Italia or Champions League/UEFA) and the area you sit in. Prices can range from €10 to €120, but most ticket prices will be in the €10 to €40 range.

If you care less about the view of the field and more about the crowd, sit in the “Curva Fiesole,” home to the loudest fans. Tickets here are usually really cheap, but sell out quickly and don’t respect the assigned seating.

If you’re more interested in the game itself, it’s best to sit as centrally as possible on the two sides of the stadium, either “Maratona” or “Tribuna.” If the weather looks like it’s going to be nasty, the Tribuna is mostly covered although seats here are more expensive. While other areas such as the “Ferrovia” or those marked “Parterre” are much cheaper, the views suffer and the crowds can be sparse leading to a less exciting experience.

Getting to the stadium

The stadium, Stadio Artemio Franchi, is located in the Campo di Marte area, in the city’s northeast. When there’s a game, it is best reached by bus. The numbers 7, 17, and 20 all go to the stadium and you can pick them up at either the train station or in Piazza San Marco.

The buses are easy to pick out as they are usually packed with purple-clad fans! Your ticket allows you free rides on any ATAF (Florence public transit) on the day of the game, so you don’t need to worry about bus tickets. The trip takes about 20-30 minutes depending on traffic. You’ll know where to get off the bus because the stadium will be in view and the fans will all get off as well! Head towards the stadium and check your ticket for which entrance gate (marked P#) to use.

Bring ID

You will have to present photo identification at the stadium, as well. Technically only a passport is a valid ID, but I’ve had luck getting in with only a driver’s license. You’ll also have to go through a security check, so be careful of what you bring with you.

Once inside, your seat is usually marked and there are plenty of staff who can direct you to the right area. Seats in the Curva Fiesole area, however, are first come, first serve, so make sure to get there kind of early for a decent seat.

Getting home

To get home at the end of the game, there are plenty of buses that leave from Via Sette Santi that go back to the city center. To get there from the main street around the stadium, turn onto Via Mameli (the street with Viola Point in the corner) and walk up two blocks.

The area outside the stadium is great for grabbing that bright purple scarf you’ll need to hold up along with the fans as well as for that last minute sausage, onion and pepper sandwich and cold beer.

Before you go

Enjoy the top rate players and maybe look them up beforehand so get a feel for the team and its capacities.

This year, for example, the team has a new coach and the players are getting injured, so the team isn’t at the top of the league, but the season just started. So go support the team, because it needs your help!

Enjoy this clip of the teams theme song. Now go cheer on the Fiorentina!

The post Forza Fiorentina! Getting tickets to a soccer game in Florence appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

It’s no surprise then that Stockholm City Bikes, a bike sharing program run as a joint venture between the city of Stockholm and Clear Channel, has emerged as a popular service in Stockholm. Best of all, once you join the program, your rentals are free!

When to rent

The program offers 1,000 bikes at 80 unmanned bike stations throughout the city, many of them located in the middle of town. Bikes are available every day of the week, from 6 AM to 6 PM. Of course, touring Stockholm on a bike in the middle of the winter can be a dangerous endeavor. With this in mind, Stockholm City Bikes are only rentable from April 1st to October 31st.

The three-day card and the season pass

When renting a bike from the Stockholm City Bikes program, you have two different options. The first is the three-day rental card, which costs 125 SEK. It is valid for three days from the time you first use the card, not from the time you buy the card.

The other option is the season pass. This is valid throughout the entire season, from April through October and can be purchased at sales locations for 250 SEK, or online for 200 SEK. If you intend on biking around Stockholm for more than three days, plan ahead and buy the card online and save 50 SEK.

The most convenient sales locations include any SL Center (the public transportation company in Stockholm), Central Station, Slussen, or the Stockholm Tourist Centre. You can also buy the card online at Stockholm City Bike’s website, where, as we mentioned, you can get the season card for 200 SEK instead of 250. Unfortunately, cards cannot be purchased at the bike racks.

Getting your bike

Once you’ve purchased your card, all you have to do is find a bike stand from which to rent. At every rack, you’ll find an automatic card reader with very clear instructions. Just hold your card up against the reader, wait for it to register, and then grab your bike. You only have 30 seconds from the time your card is registered, but if you’re too slow, don’t worry, just repeat the process—albeit a little quicker this time!

Get it back on time

Rentals last three hours, at which point you are expected to return the bike to any of the city’s numerous bike stands. If three hours isn’t enough for you, you can just head to a nearby stand and re-rent the bike. The three-hour rule is strictly enforced, mostly because it is difficult to argue with the computer and the time stamp it records.

If you are late, you receive what Stockholm City Bikes refers to as a “penalty point.” Three penalty points and your card will be blocked. If you keep your bike for more than five hours, your card is automatically blocked regardless of the number of penalty points you might have already accumulated.

Stockholm City Bikes has its limitations, not being able to buy a rental card at the bike stand, for example. Regardless, the service covers almost all of Stockholm and allows tourists (and locals for that matter) a great way of getting around.

The post “City Bikes” program lets you tour Stockholm on two wheels appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

The all-volunteer boathouse has been getting New Yorkers (and visitors) into the Hudson for 10 years, and an estimated 250,000 kayak trips have been enjoyed so far. The group provides several programs: kayaking lessons, three-hour kayak adventures up the Hudson, harbor tours, and the popular “walk-up kayaking.”

Free Walk-Up Kayaking

Between May and October each year, the group offers its free walk-up kayaking program. It’s simple: walk up to any of the group’s three boathouses, sign a liability waiver, put on a life jacket, and grab a kayak and paddle. You’re restricted to paddling inside the protected waters surrounding the boathouse (so lay aside your plans to head for Lady Liberty). The staff keeps a watchful eye on the kayakers.

Rules: Anyone who can swim is permitted to kayak. Children between 16-18 years may take a kayak out on their own, if a parent or guardian is present at the boathouse. Children younger than 16 may go out, but must be accompanied by an adult in a double-kayak.

Boathouse locations and hours

The Downtown Boathouse has three locations, each with their own hours:

Pier 40 at Houston Street and the Hudson River — 9 AM to 6 PM, weekends and holidays.

Pier 96 at 56th Street and the Hudson River — 9 AM to 6 PM, weekends and holidays. Also open weekday nights from 5 PM to 7 PM, June 16 through August 29.

72nd Street and the Hudson River — 10 AM to 5 PM, weekends and holidays.

For more information, visit the New York City Downtown Boathouse’s website.

The post New York City: Kayak on the Hudson for free appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.