You might think that this world-class sporting event would be out of the reach of a budget traveler — but it’s not!

With tickets starting at only €15 and the venue accessible by the Metro, the French Open is surprisingly affordable if you plan ahead. Read on for tips from our recent trip to Roland Garros.

Paris travel tips:
• 50 Ways to save on your trip to Paris
• Our favorite 15 cheap hotels in Paris
• 8 Fantastic day trips less than an hour from Paris

How to attend the French Open on a budget

Full disclosure: I love tennis, so it should be no surprise that passionate tennis fans will be in heaven at Roland Garros. But even if you’ve never even picked up a racket, the French Open offers a special experience that you can only find in Paris.

With daylight stretching past 10 pm, spring is a wonderful time to visit as the city comes alive after a long winter. The people watching is amazing at Roland Garros, and if you need a break from the action on the courts, you can always splurge for a glass of Champagne and shop for fun souvenirs. And who knows? If you catch Roland Garros fever, you might even come away with making the French Open an annual tradition.

Related: When is the best time to visit Paris?

Getting tickets

I purchased a ticket on the official Roland Garros website for the first round of action when they went on sale in March. My €40 ticket got me a reserved seat with a great view in Court 1 (affectionately known as the “Bullring”) for four matches (two women’s and two men’s games). It also gave me access to 17 other courts for the whole day. And unlike American sporting events where Ticketmaster can gouge you with extra charges, the online fee was only €2 per ticket. Not a bad deal for nine hours of tennis!

If €30 or €40 is too much for your budget, you can find much cheaper options. Tickets can go as low as €15 for general admission (or even lower for students). And they’re not as hard to get as you might think. Even if you’re in Paris without tickets during the French Open, it’s worth seeing what’s available. There were several tickets available during each day of the tournament when I was there. You can check for tickets online.

The main venue at Roland Garros, Court Philippe Chatrier. Photo: Craig Nelson

Getting there

The easiest way to get to Roland Garros is by Metro. The nearest stations, Michel-Ange – Molitor or Boulogne – Jean Jaurès on the 10 line and Exelmans on the 9 line, are all about a 10-minute walk from the venue. There’s lots of security, so make sure to factor in extra time if you’re trying to catch an early match. You can check out the Roland Garros map to see all the points of entry and nearby transit stops.

Related: 8 Tips for riding the Metro in Paris like a local

Book a hotel near Roland Garros

Since the Metro is easily accessible from almost anywhere in Paris, you can stay close to the 10 Metro line near the Jardin du Luxembourg or Sorbonne . The Latin Quarter offers quick access and a classic neighborhood to enjoy.

Alternatively, you can cut your morning commute time by booking a hotel near the French Open. Not surprisingly, prices will spike during the tournament, but if you book way in advance, you can find some good deals.

Search for hotels near Roland Garros

The scene outside Court Suzanne Lenglen. Photo: Craig Nelson

What to bring (and what to leave at your hotel)

Although there is heavy security, you can still bring a bag to the event. Big backpacks are not allowed, but they do have a place to check items right outside the gates which is very convenient. You can also bring a water bottle up 1.5 liters. But leave the wine behind because no alcohol is allowed. You can read more about what is prohibited on the official Roland Garros website.

Pack a lunch

Unlike some sporting events (we’re looking at you US Open!), you can bring in food and waters. If you plan on spending a full day at Roland Garros, this will save you a suitcase full of euros. We suggest picking up a baguette sandwich, a bottle of water (plastic only), and maybe some dessert before hopping on the Metro.

However, if you don’t bring anything, Cheapos won’t be stuck. Surprisingly tasty sandwiches and salads range from  €5-9, a very reasonable price.  Throw in a beer or glass of wine for €5-7, and you’ll have an ideal Parisian lunch. You can also upgrade to Champagne, but that’s a little outside the cheapo budget. Being Europe, they add an extra euro to your bill for a beverage to encourage you to return your plastic cup for a refund. Don’t leave without getting that euro coin back!

Plan for rain and/or sun

Springtime in Paris is absolutely beautiful. But it can also bring rain and thunderstorms. Matches are frequently delayed or postponed, so be prepared for a drizzle or even a thunderstorm or two. The day I went, matches were delayed due to a steady rain, but the skies quickly cleared for the rest of the day – until a huge thunderstorm stopped the action around 8 pm.

Bring an umbrella and a jacket with you, because buying them at the Roland Garros gift shop will probably cost you more than your ticket. Also, bring sunglasses, hat, and sunscreen because the courts have very little cover. If the sun is shining, you can burn pretty quickly if you’re not prepared.

Related: What to do in Paris when it drizzles

Fans watching the action on the big screen. Photo: Craig Nelson

Soak in the atmosphere

Even if you have a seat in one of the main stadiums, make sure to walk around and see the other courts and enjoy the festive atmosphere. Grab a seat in one of the orange lounge chairs in front of the big screen to watch marquee match-ups. The day I was there, Serena Williams debuted her famous catsuit to play her first match of the tournament. And during the early rounds, you can just roam from court to court to see who’s playing. The smaller courts are an excellent way to get up close to the best tennis players in the world.

During my strolls, I encountered players being interviewed, French celebrities taking selfies with fans, and an overall feeling of joy. The staff was very helpful at every turn, even to a fan like me who speaks very little French!

Pick up a souvenir

You can’t go all the way to the French Open and not bring something back home to remember your tennis experience. There were several souvenir and apparel shops set up around the grounds. I looked past the expensive shirts and accessories to choose a tote bag and some colorful, old-school wristbands that cost about €10 each.

Strolling around Roland Garros is just as much fun as the tennis. Photo: Craig Nelson

Plan your escape route

If you stay until the last match (usually around 8 or 9 pm), be prepared for a long and slow walk back to the subway station. If you have dinner reservations or evening plans, you might want to beat the crowds and leave a little earlier. For the easiest subway route, the Roland Garros website suggests, “When leaving the stadium, choose Michel-Ange Molitor station (lines 9 and 10) to avoid the queues that often build up at other stations.”

If you plan on just wandering the neighborhood and finding an affordable restaurant, don’t stop at the first place you see. Many of the restaurants near Roland Garros are nice but spendy. Luckily, I walked a little bit farther until I stumbled upon Le Village D’Auteuil, a lively bistro with classic French eats at reasonable prices.

Your French Open tips

Have you been to the French Open? Tell us your tips for visiting Roland Garros.

The post Paris: How to experience the French Open on a budget appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

You might wonder why the site of a sporting event ranked high on my list of must-see attractions in this “city of art and culture”, but this is no ordinary tennis stadium. Host to the French Open, one of the four majors of the sport, Roland Garros is rivaled only by Wimbledon in history and charm. (All apologies to partisans of Melbourne and Flushing Meadows.)

A view over the practice courts at Roland Garros

With its leafy campus outside of the city center and just adjacent to the massive Bois de Boulogne park, Roland Garros is a pleasant spot for an urban escape.  During the French Open, of course, the scene is probably much more hectic, but we were visiting the complex while all the stars of tennis were busy at the U.S. Open back in New York.

Touring Roland Garros

I had expected the tour to include a stroll through the striking red-clay courts that tennis fans know so well, and perhaps a visit to center court. Rather, the hour-plus tour was a sweep of the entire campus, including visits to the press boxes, media rooms, and players’ locker rooms, finishing up with a visit to the French Federation of Tennis Museum.

Your 2013 French Open champion, Brendan Linard! (Or so I got to pretend.)

Visitors can sit in the press room and pretend they won the championship, while an audio recording of the most recent final adds the proper ambiance to the center court visit.  And no, unfortunately you don’t get to walk on the clay court itself (the groundskeepers would be beside themselves).

Filled with history and interesting anecdotes about players ranging from Suzanne Lenglen to Steffi Graf and Rafael Nadal, the tour will be appreciated by any tennis fan visiting Paris. Even non-fans will feel the historical significance of the complex.

Tours cost €10.50 per person (€8.50 for children and students) and a combined tour/museum ticket runs €15.50. English-language tours depart at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (plus Tuesdays and Thursdays during French school holidays). Check out the Roland Garros website for more information.

Free and cheapo visits

If you’re not willing to dish out for a tour, but you still want to take in the scenery of the Roland Garros campus, access is perfectly free for most of the year. You won’t get to see center court or the other auxiliary attractions, but the grounds themselves are worth the trip on the Metro.

During the French Open, of course, you’ll have to pay to get into Roland Garros.  There are ways, though, of getting your tennis fix on the cheap.  During the tournament (mid-May to early June each year), evening tickets start at €12. These get you access to the outside courts from 3 p.m. on or the show courts from 5 p.m. on. You might not catch a marquee match-up, at least in whole, but you’ll still get to see the pros duke it out on the challenging clay courts.

To get to Roland Garros, take Metro Line 10 to Porte d’Auteil.  The entrance is a 10-minute walk down Avenue de la Porte d’Auteuil and Avenue de Gary Bennett.

Where to eat

Our trip to Roland Garros began with a delightful brunch in the garden of the quaint and convenient Le Roland Garros restaurant, where we gorged ourselves on charcuterie, merguez and eggs “a la coque” (soft-boiled). The restaurant unfortunately does not offer Cheapo-priced meal fare, but the idyllic atmosphere might be worth a decently priced cocktail plus charcuterie, antipasti or a dessert (each at €8 – €10).

More information

This post is part of a series sponsored by Atout France – USA, the French Tourism Development Agency in New York, which is highlighting youth travel in France. On our recent trip, we traveled from Paris to Montpellier, inspecting accommodations, activities and sights that appeal to youth travelers.

For EuroCheapo’s advice on the best places to stay in Paris, check out our list of budget hotel recommendations.

The post Tennis and history on the outskirts of Paris appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

So to counteract the overindulgence, here are a few pointers on where to get fit in London. Oh, and by the way, all these options are free or dirt cheap, so don’t even try and tell me you don’t have the money to work out…

Free gyms

London has seen an increasing number of “adult playgrounds” opening up in parks over the last few years. These outdoor gyms allow you to do everything from cardio to suspension training without paying a penny.

We’ve got The Great Outdoor Gym Company and Open Gym to thank for running a huge number of outdoor gyms in some of London’s most central parks, making it practically impossible to come up with an excuse not to stop for a workout as you wander between museums. You can find your nearest gym by visiting the links above.

Fitness classes, military-style

If you’re looking for tough love, then British Military Fitness is a good place to whip you fitness levels into shape. Run by current and former members of the armed forces, these classes are notoriously tough but always good fun. You can try a class for free at any of the many London park locations, which include Hyde Park, Hampstead Heath, Richmond Park, Clapham Common, Finsbury Park and Canary Wharf.

Free group runs every Saturday morning

If running on your own doesn’t appeal to you, why not join an organized group? Park Run is a free 5 km timed run held on Saturdays at 9 a.m. in 39 parks across Greater London.

Locations include Finsbury Park, Richmond Park, Highbury Fields, Dulwich Park and Mile End Park. You just need to register online beforehand so the organizers know how many people are coming and then get ready to run! Afterwards the group grabs a celebratory coffee nearby so there’s a nice sociable element to it as well.

Tennis for free

You can suss out where to play tennis without spending up by checking out Tennis for Free. This great charity not only lists details of all the UK’s free tennis courts, but also offers free equipment loans and coaching for all ages and levels.

Not all of the courts profiled on the site need to be booked in advance, so you can just turn up without prior notice. With options like this, there really is no excuse not to start preparing for Wimbledon!

Cheap gyms in London

If the gym is your thing and you can’t face an outdoor workout in the icy winter months, there are several very affordable options in London that don’t require signing long contracts.

Pay As u Gym: Perhaps the most flexible option is Pay As U Gym. The idea is a bit like topping up a mobile phone and you use the money in your online gym account to pay for a one-day gym or swim pass at hundreds of participating health centers. You can choose from really central locations like Covent Garden and Islington, to Bethnal Green and Clapham. The benefit is that the day rate at that particular gym will either be cheaper than anywhere else or only on offer via Pay As U Gym. While there is no flat rate across all gyms, it’s a great option for people who visit London regularly and want to access gyms in different locations.

The Gym: Leading the more conventional budget gym scene is The Gym. With over 30 gyms across the country and nine different centers in London, it’s a fairly accessible option, and all the gyms are open 24/7. The most central London location is Waterloo and day passes cost £5. If you’re looking for something slightly longer term you can pay a £20 joining fee and then £19.99 per month.

Pure Gym: Although slightly less central, with gyms in Oval, Greenwich and Wandsworth, Pure Gym does offer day passes for £5.99, three-day passes for £12.99 and seven-day passes for £24.99, which must be used on consecutive days.

easyGym: And finally, as if planes and hotels weren’t enough, Stelios and the Easy.com team has opened EasyGym. There are currently four locations across the UK, with just one London gym in Wood Green. Not the most central area, but a well-kitted out health center where thankfully the orange paint has been kept to a minimum. Day passes are available for a flat rate of just £5, giving access to a class and all the gym facilities.

Also in our guide

If you’re currently planning a trip to London, be sure to swing by our budget guide to London, which includes cheap hotel recommendations and lots of budget tips. Fitness ideas aside, we have plenty of strategies to share to help you keep the pounds off your travel budget, as well.

The post London fitness: Affordable gyms, classes, and group runs appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

But most of all, we love watching it all from courtside seats that only cost $23.

Come again?

No racket here, Cheapos. Without breaking the bank—or a Federer-like sweat— you can use our quick guide to getting the most out of attending the US Open and score big-time.

US Open history

Hosted at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center – the largest public tennis center in the world – in Flushing, Queens, the US Open is now in its 127th year. Over 700,000 tennis fans attend this two-week tournament at the end of August each year. Previously hosted in Newport, Rhode Island and Philadelphia prior to its New York City arrival (1968), the Open is one of four “Grand Slam” tennis tournaments, the others being Wimbledon, The French Open and The Australian Open.

The grounds and seating policy

There are 16 courts from which to watch tennis at the US Open; several hold over 1,000 spectators. The most popular matches take place at the 24,000-seat Arthur Ashe stadium, the 10,000-seat Louis Armstrong stadium, or the 6,000-seat Grandstand. While the Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong stadiums have reserved seating, all others operate on a “first come, first serve” policy for general admission ticketholders.

Large screen high-definition TVs are featured prominently throughout the Billie Jean King Tennis Center, allowing fans to stay on top of the action when not in their seats. There are concessions galore—hamburgers, seafood, and Italian, Indian, and Mexican fare. Then there are the fountains, and plenty of public space to take a break and relax between sets.

As an added benefit, the Billie Jean King Tennis Center sits on the site of the 1964 World’s Fair, providing a unique sense of adventure and a great sightseeing opportunity for attendees. The Fair’s Unisphere and observatory towers welcome visitors arriving to the nearby Mets-Willets Point subway station, also a reminder of the area’s rich history.

About those $23 courtside seats

Tickets to the US Open are available online at the US Open website or via Ticketmaster. There are a variety of daytime tickets for matches taking place at all tennis courts and stadiums, as well as for evening sessions at Arthur Ashe. Daytime seats allow fans to skip among a large number of matches, while the night sessions begin at 7 PM and feature two “main event” matches that can last well past midnight.

So, how did we get those crazy seats again???

When we attended last night’s opening session – featuring Rob Thomas singing the National Anthem, natch – we initially sat in the Upper Promenade, section 333, row S (read: “nosebleed.”) However, Arthur Ashe  makes it easy to take in a matchpoint regardless of seat location. There are no obstructed views and the stadium-style seating allows for direct sight-lines of the court, as well as viewing replays and between set dance-offs on the jumbotron.

At around 11:45 p.m., we decided it was time to call it a night and headed for the exit. On the escalator, an usher approached us with a fistfull of tickets and asked if we wanted to sit courtside. Always on the hunt for a bargain, regardless of the hour, we said “you bet.” It was at this point that we were introduced to a Cheapo’s US Open dream: the “Courtside Pass Down” ticket.

Get Your Courtside Tickets Here!

Typically handed out during late-night matches to provide a sense of full capacity to nearby TV cameras, Courtside Pass Down tickets allow fans to grab any available seat they like. See a seat open next to Christie Brinkley? Grab it. Want a nice aisle spot right next to a sleepy executive wearing a slanket? It’s yours. True to form, we lined up Pamplona-style, and once there was a break in the action we bolted for courtside, winding up in Row A, seats 1 and 2, at midcourt directly behind Andy Roddick.

Pete courtside (literally).

The match quickly took on an entirely different pace and we didn’t seem to notice when it was 1 AM. and we were still watching tennis in Queens. Today, admittedly, we’re feeling a little tired and bleary-eyed, but the fatigue quickly disappears when we remember the $23 courtside seats from last night. And, Andy Roddick’s mumblings to the umpire. We could be wrong, but we think he said something about needing a cheap hotel in New York.

The post New York Tip: Sit Courtside at the US Open for $23! appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

On a few occasions, the crowd would respond to an amazing backhand passing shot down the line with a spirited “Hoorah!” This being Wimbledon, though, what I heard most of the day was just polite applause.

Then there’s the queue to even get into the championships. This is the fact that thousands of fans queue up (“line up” for you Yanks) at the break of dawn just for a chance to get tickets to the main courts or a day pass to the grounds. Some hardy folks even camp out over night. For tennis tickets. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge tennis fan, but this isn’t the Rolling Stones we’re talking about.

A “Guide to Queuing”

Queuing is part of the British identity—nobody complains about it, people just do it, and there are unspoken rules about how to do it. At Wimbledon, the organizers even hand out a “Guide to Queuing” that contains protocol for joining the queue.

For example, you are not allowed to reserve a place in the queue for your friend who slept in—he’ll have to go to the back of the line. And if you have to run to the toilet, you’re instructed to “negotiate your position with those around you and/or a steward.”

As I said, Brits take queuing seriously. But they also know how to make it enjoyable. Everyone around me was chatting with their neighbors, sprawled out on the grass in the sun. Picnic baskets came out; some people even cracked open beers (at 8 AM!). Every once in awhile, someone would come down the line selling newspapers.

On the ball for 2010

The championships may be wrapping up for this year, but it’s never too early to start planning for next. Here are my tips for queuing up, and avoiding the queue altogether:

Getting tickets through the ballot

Every year, a select number of tickets for the three show courts—Centre Court, Court 1 and Court 2—are sold in advance through a public ballot, or lottery. Entering is very “old school.” Anytime after Aug. 1, 2009, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:

Ticket Office; AELTC; P.O. Box 98; London SW19 5AE; United Kingdom.

You’ll receive an application for the ballot, which you must complete and mail back by Dec. 31. You can’t download it from the website. You also can’t request specific dates or courts—lottery winners are picked at random. If you’re selected, you’ll receive notification by mail and then you’ll have to pay for the tickets online at wimbledon.org. (Prices vary by day and court, from £ 33 pounds ($54) for Court 2 in the early rounds to £ 100 ($164) for the finals on Centre Court.)

Queuing up

You can also try your luck by joining the queue on the day you want to attend. For show court tickets, you really need to camp out overnight to have a good shot. There’s a park near the Wimbledon grounds at the Southfields tube stop on the District Line where campers are permitted to set up their tents. Once you get your ticket in the morning, you can store your camping gear at the Left Luggage facility outside the grounds.

There are 6,000 grounds passes available for general sale each day, too. These tickets give you access to all 16 of the outer courts and are by far the best deal on the first few days of the tournament when you have a good chance of catching top players that haven’t been scheduled on the show courts. (They cost £ 20 pounds or $33 on these days.) Even though the grounds don’t open until 10:30 AM, you need to be at the park near the Southfields tube stop at 7:30 AM at the latest. Once you join the queue, you’ll receive a card guaranteeing your spot (and preventing queue-jumping). Two things to remember: You must pay with cash. And only one small bag will be permitted per person.

The post London: What I learned from Wimbledon (and how to get tickets!) appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.