We’re here to help, with a round-up of private tours that specialize in specific aspects of visiting the French capital. These guides are vetted and approved by us, and worth a little splurge in Paris.

Related: Free walking tours in Paris

Discover Paris

Explore Paris’ black history with Monique Wells. Tours focus on various black cultures that became part of Paris, including African-American culture during the early 1900s. Visit haunts made famous by Josephine Baker, Langston Hughes, and other notable black figures. They also have self-guided walking tours that you can download.

Walking tours last about two hours; email for prices.
Visit the website

Pedal through quaint French villages with an expert guide with French Mystique Bike Tours. Photo: French Mystique Bike Tours

French Mystique Bike Tours

There are numerous bike tours in Paris, but few actually take you outside the city. Bruce McAleer at French Mystique Tours takes small groups just outside Paris by train to bike the beautiful Parisian countryside, including small towns and chateaus. He also offers quirkier tours in Paris if you’d like.

Tours from three hours, from €150 for the entire group.
Visit the website

The Gay Locals tour will show you LGBT history in surprising places, like this plaque on rue Montorgueil. Photo: The Gay Locals

The Gay Locals

The Gay Locals offers gay or lesbian travelers (and their friends), an LGBT-focused tour that covers gay and lesbian sights, issues, and history beyond just the bars of the Marais. (Although tours hit up the bars, as well!) Private tours are available through one or several neighborhoods. (Note: Send me any questions about these tours, as I’m one of the tour guides for the Gay Locals.)

€350 for a 4-hour neighborhood tour for up to 8 people (including admissions and transit).
Visit the website

Ghost Tours of Paris

For something a little different, the team at Mysteries of Paris tour attempts to take a more frightful approach to the city. Ghost and vampire tours in the evening may be a good option for teenagers and those who might not care as much about history and cheese.

Groups up to 25, €25 per ticket (€20 when booked in advance online).
Visit the website

Take a cooking class or a tasting tour through Paris with La Cuisine. Photo: La Cuisine

La Cuisine

The team at La Cuisine started off with cooking classes, including one that tours a local market. But they also organize a food tours in Paris, including a sweets tour of the Marais and a tour through the old market district Les Halles. They also host a unique trip out to Versailles to learn how the royalty ate at this former royal palace.

Tours from three-hour shopping and cooking, from €95.
Visit the website

A group enjoying the tastes of the Latin Quarter food tour by Paris By Mouth. Photo: Paris By Mouth

Paris By Mouth

Few people can claim the culinary capital amassed by the team at Paris By Mouth. Their tours take visitors to the city’s most iconic neighborhoods, tasting along the way. Group and private tours are also available. Come hungry.

Three-hour tours (with tastings) from €95.
Visit the website

Reduced mobility travelers can book planning services or a tour from Paris for Seniors. Photo: Paris for Seniors

Paris for Seniors

Walking tours aren’t accessible to everyone, but this company thinks that sightseeing in Paris shouldn’t be physically daunting. Genevieve Spicer has created a company that helps reduced mobility travelers in Paris. From knowing how to get around, to hiring a car and a private guide, she can take care of it all.

Half-day tours from €400.
Visit the website

Running past the Eiffel Tower is just one of the highlights of Paris Running Tours. Photo: Paris Running Tours

Paris Running Tours

If you’re looking for both a city tour and a way to burn off those pastries, this company can help. Their experienced local runners will jog you around Paris, showing you some of the best sights along the way. Culture and calorie burning? Sign me up, please.

One-hour tours run from €55 per person.
Visit the website

Exploring a flea market during the Secrets of Paris tour. Photo: Secrets of Paris

Secrets of Paris

Heather Stimmler-Hall, the creator of Secret of Paris, is a Franco-American who has been touring the city for years. If you’re looking to get off the beaten track, she customizes every tour to your needs and expectations, so there’s no script that she’ll be rattling through.

Two-hour tours €250 (up to 6 guests); half-day tours €300-500 (1-6 guests), including admissions.
Visit the website

Get up close to your favorite scenes with a tour from Set in Paris. Photo: Set in Paris

Set in Paris

Paris can often seem like a giant Hollywood back lot, with big productions shooting in the streets and sidewalks, from Funny Face to Midnight in Paris. Movie buffs might appreciate this tour company that focuses on visiting the scenes of some of Hollywood’s most memorable Paris scenes. They offer walks through different districts, and even offer the chance to design a tour based off your favorite movies.

Two-hour walking tour €20 adults, €12 children.
Visit the website

Go on a fun scavenger hunt through the Louvre with a tour from THATLou. Photo: THATLou

THATLou

How do you visit the world’s most visited museum? Why not with a specialized treasure hunt. That’s the idea behind THATLou (Treasure Hunt at the Louvre), where owner Daisy de Plume creates thematic hunts that put teams against each other while discovering many of the 35,000 pieces housed in the Louvre in an innovative way.

Private hunts (up to 15 people) €25 per person, public hunts from €18 per person.
Visit the website

The post Paris: 11 Specialty tours worth booking appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Part of the Global Greeter Network, Paris Greeters is an all-volunteer organization made up of outgoing tour guides who are passionate about their neighborhoods and anxious to share the love with you and up to five other people.

Have you already explored every corner of the city and wonder what lies beyond its borders? There are also Greeters available for tours of surrounding communities outside of Paris but accessible by Métro (departments 92, 93, and 94).

Be prepared to be surprised as you can’t choose tours by area; sign up online here. The tours are free, but post-walk online donations are accepted.

Related: For more freebie tours, check out our previous post on free walking tours in Paris.

The post Free Walking Tours with Real Parisians appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Here are some tips I’ve developed over the years for Paris “tout seul”:

Dining

It can be tricky in any city to go to a restaurant on your own. It takes guts. Those looking to eat in Paris’ trendier addresses and gourmet restaurants may find them slightly awkward for solo dining. They aren’t necessarily relaxing experiences, but more than that, these long drawn-out meals are meant to be shared, and doing it alone can be, well, a bit depressing.

Opt instead for an outdoor dining experience, like a picnic in a park if the weather allows it. If not, find a nice terrace where you can enjoy your steak frites in peace, with a bit of street theater to keep you occupied between bites. No one will look at you funny, you won’t feel pressured to give up your seat, and you won’t feel left out in a dining room full of chatting friends and acquaintances.

Nightlife

Going out alone at night is easier said than done. But fortunately in Paris, you can forget the clubs and glitzy nightlife and hunker down in one of the many bustling bars or cafés to enjoy a glass of wine or potentially meet some new people. The wine bar at Verjus, for example, is a great place to make new friends, or head to the Belle Hortense in the Marais for a drink with people spilling out onto the street at night.

In any case, if you are looking for something specific – dancing, gay nightlife, parties – do your research beforehand. Many a night has been spent wandering the streets of Paris with nary a hint of where to go when a group of out-of-towners decide they want to stay out all night.

Meeting people

Paris has plenty of options to meet new people. Meetup.com is popular in Paris, as is the Expatriates in Paris Facebook group. There’s also a website called OnVaSortir (“We’re Going Out”) that offers random group meetings from happy hours to walks along the Seine for free.

If you want to dine with new people, there are plenty of ways to do it, including Colunching, a website that allows you to lunch or dine with new people at a variety of restaurants around town. And the Jim Hayne’s dinners each Sunday were legendary ways to meet new people from across the globe while, of course, eating. Unfortunately, he passed away in January 2021.

Go on tour

Some people feel that walking tours are touristy – and they are. If you’re a tourist, there’s no shame. But they are also great ways to meet new people.

Paris Walks, for example, offers daily tours in English for just €12, and all you have to do is show up.

Paris by Mouth also offers culinary tours that will introduce you to new people and tastes – two birds with one stone, right? If nothing else, at least you’ll discover a slice of Paris you may not have known before.

Don’t worry

A big problem for people traveling alone is that they worry. It’s understandable, but try not to. Thousands of people before you have survived a visit to Paris on their own, if only for one day, and some for years, so just relax. Have some addresses jotted down and a book on hand for any downtime, and enjoy.

Your tips for enjoying Paris “tout seul”?

How have you enjoyed Paris on your own? Share your tips with other solo travelers below in our comments section.

The post Solo Travel in Paris: Simple tips for visiting Paris on your own appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

While the Irish (and music fans) recognized Glen Hansard from the popular Irish band the Frames, the two main actors were largely unknown to wider audiences. The film was shot for an incredible €130,000 and won an Academy Award in 2007 for Best Original Song, “Falling Slowly.”

In the backdrop of the success of the film and the moving music that the real-life couple (now split up) made together, is Dublin itself. One of the most memorable scenes of the film is Hansard alone, with his guitar, on Grafton Street at night. He is playing seemingly to no one, and then, “girl” (Marketa Irglova) shows up.

The film captures something true about life in Dublin, and at the same time, depicts some of my favorite places in the city. If you want to retrace the footsteps of these two characters, all you have to do is visit a few key sights. In some of them, don’t be surprised to hear musicians, or buskers, playing for a few coins.

1. Grafton Street

The pedestrian shopping area of Dublin’s south side, Grafton Street is often considered the heart of the city. It also has a reputation for quality street performers, and many of the same musicians/bands play at the same time in the same place each day.

In the film, several scenes take place on Grafton Street, both in Glen Hansard playing his songs, and bumping into “girl” later on in the film. Memorably, there’s also the scene where a junkie attempts to steal his guitar case full of coins, resulting in a chase to nearby St. Stephen’s Green.

2. Walton’s

http://www.waltons.ie/

Viewers are introduced to the Academy Award-winning song, “Falling Slowly” in Walton’s, Dublin’s music store. This legendary Dublin music shop on Georges Street is where the two musicians sit down at a piano and discover their shared love of music. This spot also happens to be located on one of the prettiest streets in Dublin’s south side.

3. Killiney Hill

After the all-night recording session that results in some incredible musical collaboration between the two, the musicians all get in the car to listen to their new album. They drive south, to one of Dublin’s most scenic places, Killiney Hill.

In the film, you can see guy and girl looking out to the Irish Sea, with the famous Sugar Loaf Mountain behind them. This is one of my favorite places in Dublin for a picnic or a hike. You don’t need a car to get here – hop on the DART train to Dalkey and it’s a 10-minute walk away. (Read our guide to Dublin day trips for more information.)

4. Mountjoy Square

“Girl” lives in a lovely Georgian square in Dublin with the signature bright color doors. There are several parts of the city known for Georgian architecture, but this specific spot is Mountjoy Square, on the north side of the River Liffey. While it isn’t as immaculately maintained as say Merrion Square on the south side, it is still a beautiful spot to visit.

If you’re planning a trip to Dublin, watch “Once” carefully before you go. Seeing these places with your own eyes might bring new context to a favorite film.

Also in our guide: If you’re planning your trip to Dublin right now, you should swing by our reviews of budget hotels in Dublin at least, well, Once! Our editors have visited, inspected and reviewed affordable hotels all over town and have selected only the very best. Read more in our Dublin guide.

The post Once in Dublin: Movie locations from the movie “Once” appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Enter Street Art London, a small operation run by some incredibly passionate guides who seem to know all there is to know about the city’s best street art. Tours are currently running on Saturdays and Sundays and cost £15.

Street Art London

I decided to give it a go and went along to one of the Saturday tours which start at Old Street station in East London at 11 a.m. I was surprised to find another 25 people shivering away and waiting for the tour to start, a testament to the fact that London’s street art really is worth seeing.

James Cochrane paints those he’s met along the way.

The tour changes, of course, depending on whether new pieces of art have gone up, if works have been buffed over by the council or even painted over by other artists.

A sticky start

I must admit, our tour didn’t start as I’d imagined. Our guides herded us across the road and we huddled around to squint at a new piece by Ben Wilson, a street artist who solely focuses on painting miniature artworks on chewing gum stuck to the pavement. Even if you needed a magnifying glass to see the minute detail, it was pretty incredible.

The tour wound its way around Hoxton and into Brick Lane, stopping at pieces by some of the UK’s biggest street artists like Stik, who’s simple yet strangely emotive “stik” people hover in doorways and high up on billboards all over the city. We even caught a glimpse of a few perspex-covered artworks by Banksy.

Roa’s monochromatic animals lord over abandoned buildings.

We were left open-mouthed as our guides explained that while the legendary Banksy has the support of the council, he has ruffled a few feathers with other graffiti artists who set out to deface his work as soon as a new piece goes up. It was these stories that really added color – finding out where an artist is from, what their background is and what their work stands for really brought it to life.

Bastardilla’s lively pieces really stood out, but more so when our guides explained they were a commentary on the diamond trade in her native Colombia. Australian-born James Cochrane’s multi-layered portraits of locals and people he has met on his travels perfectly illustrated the high quality of the art you can find on the street.

We were also treated to numerous pieces of awe-inspiring artwork by Belgian artist, Roa. Roa’s somewhat fantastical and larger-than-life monochrome animals grace the sides of derelict buildings and peer out of forgotten corners of the city, as though London’s underworld was being run by oversized storks and snoozing warthogs.

It’s easy to pass Pablo Delgado’s tiny works without noticing.

Making the streets fun (and fun of the streets)

Beyond these big statement pieces, the tour also opened my eyes to previously unnoticed humorous ideas that make walking the streets of London a lot more fun. Pablo Delgado’s miniature characters that reside on the very bottom of walls, Christiaan Negal’s mushrooms that sit on top of buildings, and the mysterious ceramic pigs that have started to appear in the city… They all seem to be smirking at the busy pedestrians, who mostly pass by without noticing. They brighten up the streets and, if you spot one, will make you smile.

In the end the tour lasted five hours instead of four, giving us our money’s worth. This was largely because the guides kept thinking of more things to show us. (It might be worth taking a snack with you as there is no break for lunch.)

Most importantly, the tour lets you in on a secret. It opens your eyes to what’s right before you in the streets of London.

For more information visit Street Art London.

Also in our guide: If you’re wandering the streets of London looking for a great affordable place to sleep, check out our London guide. All of our recommended hotels have been visited, inspected and reviewed by our editors.

The post London: A street art walking tour, from Banksy to Bastardilla appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Walking leaves the discovery to you, and one of the best ways to get your bearings is to tag along on a walking tour. Paris has no shortage of private tour guides, and all sorts of themed tours are available (including the French Revolution-themed walking tour offered by “Paris Walks”, shown in the photo above).

Luckily for Cheapos, there are several companies that offer free walking tours, in which the guides work solely for tips. (Although it may seem odd not to tip a waiter in Paris but to leave money for a tour guide, that’s how these tours work.)

Here are three companies that organize well-known free walking tours in Paris:

City Free Tours

Duration: 2 hours
Reserve in advance: Yes
Website

City Free Tour has been offering a variety of two-hour tours in Paris since 2009. The knowledgeable English-speaking and expat guides cover the big sights like the Marais, Montmartre and Notre Dame. You’ll get acquainted with certain neighborhoods and you’ll have the expertise of your guide to point you on your way after the tour. Space is limited, so it’s best to secure a spot through advance reservations.

Sandemans New Paris

Duration: 3.5 hours
Reserve in advance: No
Website

Sandemans New Paris has been running their famous 3.5-hour free tour just about every day since 2004. The guides are known for adding a lot of personality to their tours, combining entertainment with history and culture. The tour is a great overview of the entire city, starting at the fountain of Saint Michel and ending by the Champs-Elysées.

No reservations are required, just show up at the meeting spot at the appointed time. The tours are free and, again, guides work on tips, but the company also offers several inexpensive paid tours, including a Versailles tour and one of Paris’ only pub crawls. English and Spanish are available for all tours.

Discover Walks

Reservation needed: No
Website

Still another company, Discover Walks, offers themed walks through Paris including a landmark tour and a Left Bank tour, all in English. They also offer a tour along the river that is ideal for lovers or those looking for love. Their array of native tour guides pride themselves on their local perspectives.

No reservations are needed unless you are coming with a group of eight or more. Just check the site for information, show up at the designated time and remember, again, that the guides work on tips.

Walking Tour Tips

Ask away: All of these tours offer great introductions to Paris’ biggest sights and most famous neighborhoods. You’ll get the layout of the land and, armed with plenty of information and know-how, you’ll be able to explore Paris like a local. In case anything doesn’t make sense, however, ask. The guides are there to answer questions and share information with you.

Dress comfortably: Remember to wear comfortable shoes and bring an umbrella. Tour guides expect you to stick with them, rain or shine, and stopping halfway through the guide’s speech on the French Revolution because your feet hurt is not appreciated.

Drink water: Also, make sure you hydrate, especially in the summer. Tours are usually not strenuous, but it can get hot in Paris, especially in the midday sun. Don’t be afraid to buy bottles of water for one euro from the men selling them out of buckets in the street. (Support the local economy, I say!)

Prepare for the sun: Finally, avoid burning by putting on some sunscreen and wearing sunglasses. There’s no real need to try to “fit in” by dressing fashionable when you’re on a tour. Be a tourist, be comfortable and worry about introducing your stilettos to the cobblestones later that night.

Your thoughts on walking tours in Paris

Have you tried any of Paris’ free tours? Do you know of any others? Share your thoughts and tips in our comments section.

The post Free Walking Tours in Paris: 3 tours for Cheapos appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Highgate Cemetery

Highgate benefits from an elevated position in the north of the city, and is regarded as one of London’s most beautiful resting places. Look out for highlights such as the Gothic catacombs, the Egyptian Avenue and the Circle of Lebanon.

Claim to fame
Author of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide,” Douglas Adams, physicist Michael Faraday, novelist Stella Gibbons and the parents of Charles Dickens are all buried here.

Visiting Highgate Cemetery
Hours: Opens weekdays at 10 a.m., weekends 11 a.m.
Closes March 1-October 30 at 5 p.m. (last admission 4:30 p.m.); Closes October 31 to February 28 at 4 p.m. (last admission 3.30 p.m.)
Entry £3 per adult / £2 for students with valid ID
Tel: 020 8340 1834
Web site
Tube stop: Archway

Pitstop
The Wrestlers (020 8340 4297, open daily)
Great neighborhood pub with a roaring fire in winter and friendly staff. Especially nice for a Sunday lunch.

Brompton Cemetery

Brompton Cemetery. Photo: Gorfor

Brompton cemetery was designed by Benjamin Baud, and features a compact layout set around a central avenue leading up to a chapel. With its slightly tumbledown air and stunning stone angels, it’s a charming place for a peaceful autumnal stroll.

Claim to fame
Parts of “GoldenEye,” “Johnny English” and “The Wings of the Dove” were filmed here.

Visiting Brompton Cemetery
Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in summer, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in winter.
Free entry
Tel: 020 7352 1201
Web site
Tube stop: West Brompton

Pitstop
The Troubadour (020 7370 1434, Web site, open daily)
A cozy 50s coffeehouse/restaurant, with homely cuisine and live music in the basement. A good stop-off for a hearty feed.

Kensal Green Cemetery

Influenced by the stunning Père-Lachaise site in eastern Paris, Kensal Green features 72 acres of sprawling garden cemetery in which you can lose yourself for hours. The Friends of Kensal Green run two-hour introductory tours of the site every Sunday from March to October, and on the first and third Sundays of the month from November to February (2 p.m. start).

Claim to fame
Engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, newsagent W. H. Smith and mathematician Charles Babbage are all buried here.

Visiting Kensal Green Cemetery
Hours: April 1 to September 30: Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
October 1 to March 31: Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
(Bank Holidays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
Free entry; suggested £5 donation for guided tour
Tel: 020 8969 0152
Website
Tube stop: Kensal Green

Pitstop
The Paradise (020 8969 0098, Web site, open daily)
This sprawling public house features gorgeous fittings and great food in its romantic dining room, and it’s far enough off the Portobello Market trail to provide a relaxing break after a tour of the cemetery grounds.

The post Three stunning London cemeteries appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Get spooked, Cheapos. Here’s how:

Spooky Staten Island

Believe it or not, Staten Island is considered one of the most haunted places in the northeast. It’s worth the ferry ride (a great free way to get close to Lady Liberty!) to visit the Conference House, a simple stone building from 1680 that does not have a simple history.

It was here in 1776 that the Americans and British tried to reach an agreement that would have prevented the Revolutionary War. Several spirits are said the lurk about the place, including a few redcoats who may have been buried near the house during the war, the jilted fiancé of Captain Billopp, the original owner of the house, and a servant girl later killed by Colonel Billopp (his great-grandson). And that is only the beginning. Prepare for shivers.

Note: Admission is free to the house, $3 to enter the on-site museum.

Ghosts of Manhattan

Back in Manhattan, there are a host of ghosts and haunted spots to choose from. Start off your tour of ghoulish New York with a courage-building tipple at Bridge Cafe (279 Water St), one of the few remaining wooden buildings left in Manhattan. Built in 1794, it’s taken turns as a general store, brothel, and a bar frequented by pirates, some of whom are said to, uh, return for Halloween tricks.

But the most colorful ghost here is said to be that of Gallus Mag. Remember that fight scene in Scorsese’s Gangs of New York that took place in a tavern decorated with jars of pickled body parts? It’s an homage to the garishly tall Irish (female) bouncer who ruled Bridge Café’s former incarnation, Hole in the Wall, with iron teeth. Don’t worry, Gallus can no longer bite off your ear, but you may just hear her heavy footsteps.

Onward, take a walk north through the West Village’s Washington Square Park, well-known for its iconic arch and its role as a favorite—dare we say—haunt of folk singers and hippies. But this happening park in the middle of New York University-land was once a potter’s field where the poor were buried, and then a parade ground and gallows where criminals were executed. Just last year, in fact, a headstone of one James Jackson (died 1799) was unearthed during a renovation project. Think that the 20,000 or so people whose remains are still under the park come back for a stroll every now and then? I do.

Moving east, take a trip through Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral (263 Mulberry St.), New York City’s oldest church. Bishop John DuBois, founder of Mt. St. Mary’s College in Maryland, was buried under the front entrance in 1842 and has been “spotted” by visitors from time to time. Also occupying the church cemetery—in spirit, at least—is Pierre Toussaint, a freed slave-cum-hairdresser who helped raise funds for the building of Old St. Pat’s and attended daily Mass for 60 years. Toussaint’s remains were moved to the new St. Patrick’s Cathedral, but the spirit of the man who may soon be America’s first black saint have stayed close to his old haunt in Nolita.

Next up? The (in)famous Hotel Chelsea (222 W. 23rd St.) is frequented by decidedly less saintly spirits, like Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols, who was accused in 1978 of killing his girlfriend Nancy in room 100 (also known as the “Sid and Nancy Room”). He can still sometimes be seen near the elevator doors. This bohemian mecca was built in 1883 and became a hotel in 1905. Over the course of its long history it’s played home to such creatives as Dylan Thomas, Janis Joplin, Eugene O’Neill, and Thomas Wolfe. Many of whom never really moved out…

Trick or treat or tour?

As for spooky stories, we’ve just hit the tip of the island. If you’re as obsessed as I am, you could shell out some cash and try out a guided ghost tour of New York. Ghosts of New York allows thrill seekers to track down the spirit of Edgar Allen Poe and Eleanor Roosevelt in Greenwich Village, or commune with John Lennon near his old home on the Upper West Side. Tours are $20 each, or $33 for two tours in the same night. Or for check out the Boroughs of the Dead tours for more spooky fun and insight into New York history.

Some freakish history

Can’t make it to New York this Halloween? Never fear! Tune in to The Bowery Boys, a free New York City history podcast hosted by Greg Young and Tom Meyers. (Full, eerie disclaimer: Tom is also the editor of EuroCheapo.) Every year the Boys give us chills with their “spooky stories” podcast. You can download all of their Halloween podcasts or read about other spooky tours here, if you dare…

The post Free Haunted Walking Tour of New York appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

We’re big fans of guided walking tours, especially when you’re lead around town by somebody who knows their stuff. Of course, we also enjoy the “do-it-yourself tour,” with a Lonely Planet or Rick Steves book in hand. But a guided tour offers the chance for dialogue with a local who can answer questions that will inevitably arise. Walking tours also let you relax (stop reading and walking!), and give you a chance to focus on the subject at hand.

Free Prague Tours

Prague Walking Tours offers two free tours daily:

The 10:30 AM “Right Bank Tour” focuses on sights to the right of the Vltava River. It starts in the Old Town Square and astronomical clock, and hits the “Powder Tower,” Wenceslas Square, Franciscan Garden, National Museum, and Jewish Ghetto. Along the way, your guide will discuss communism, the “Velvet revolution,” and Franz Kafka, among other subjects.

The 2 PM tour focuses on the sights of Prague’s Left Bank. The tour also starts in the Old Town Square, then heads to the Rudolfinum, crosses the Charles Bridge and explores Malá Strana. You’ll visit Parliament, Prague Castle (the courtyard), St. Vitus Cathedral, and the Strahov Monastery, among other places of interest.

Both tours last two and a half to three hours (depending on how quickly you walk and how many questions you ask).

Taking a walking tour

No reservations are necessary to take a walking tour with Free Prague Tours. Tours begin in the Old Town Square, at the corner of Pa?ížská street. You’ll see a small brown sign in front of the Czech Tourism Office.

Note: Although the tours are free, tipping your guide is essential. The guides are students, academics, artists, and professional guides who give these tours to supplement their incomes.

Free Prague Tours also offers a nightly “Ghost and Beer Tour” of Prague for 200 Czk (about €8).

Also see: Our guide to budget hotels in Prague.

The post Prague: Free walking tours every day appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Tours last about three hours and are totally free. The only catch is that the guides work for tips only. We trust Cheapos can figure out that tipping a tour guide is much less expensive than paying outrageous fees to a traditional tour company. The tour is hilarious and hugely informative, and the guides are all Anglophones.

We view these tours as probably the most entertaining (and certainly the cheapest!) way to get to know Paris in an afternoon.

The post Paris: Free walking tours appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.