So come on Cheapos, it’s time to pull out all the stops and show that special someone you care with a romantic (and budget-friendly) day out in London!

Call your sweetheart, book an affordable hotel in the heart of London, and follow along for a fun-filled adventure.

1. Escape the city on a romantic walk

Many visitors to London go no further than Regent’s and Hyde Park when in search of green spaces, but to really escape the madness of the city, just head north to Hampstead Heath. This wild and rambling area of parkland is the perfect place to get away from it all and whisper sweet nothings.

The view from Hampstead Heath. Photo: Martin Deutsch

Lakes, swimming ponds, rolling hills, and woodland all make for the perfect romantic backdrop. So, if the weather is good, take along a picnic and make a day of it. Don’t miss the climb to the top of Parliament Hill, one of London’s highest points, where you can take in a spectacular view of the city’s major landmarks including The London Eye, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Canary Wharf and the Gherkin, to name but a few.

Hampstead Heath
Highgate Road NW3 7JR
Tube: Hampstead

2. Snuggle up at the movies

Make a trip to the cinema even more romantic and visit the Everyman. In each of the Everyman cinemas, you can choose to reserve a plush sofa for two complete with footrests and “sofa service” so you can sit back and enjoy a more intimate cinema experience. Although a little more pricey than a normal cinema ticket, with sofas priced at £17.50 per person, it certainly adds a touch of romance and is perfect for a special occasion.

Everyman Cinemas (several locations in London)
See website for more information.

3. Splurge on a romantic view of the city

Enjoy the ultimate romantic London experience and head for a sunset drink at the lovely Oxo Tower Bar. Whilst just thinking about dining at the Oxo Tower Restaurant or Brasserie is enough to leave most Cheapo’s out of pocket, sipping on an early evening drink is easier on your wallet and certainly worth the splurge. Located on London’s South Bank, the Oxo Tower is one of the city’s most iconic restaurants and the views across the river are unbeaten.

Oxo Tower Wharf
South Bank SE1 9PH
Tube: Waterloo / Southwark
website

4. Wine and dine by candlelight

There’s no better place to cozy up together and enjoy a great meal than at Gordon’s. Opened in 1890, this atmospheric haunt claims to be London’s oldest wine bar and offers excellent wine, exquisite cheese platters, and tasty traditional English fare at reasonable prices (meals cost between £10-13).

Gordon’s Wine Bar oozes character with low lighting and candlelit tables tucked away in the nooks and crannies of this underground cavern. It is entirely unique and is the ideal setting for that special romantic meal.

Gordon’s Wine Bar
47 Villiers Street WC2N 6NE
Tube: Embankment / Charing Cross
website

The post 4 Cheapo ways to be romantic in London appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

After all, despite enjoying all the sights and experiencing all the “must-do’s” of a foreign city, it’s those special moments you have along the way – stumbling upon a striking statue, turning the corner and discovering the beautiful façade of a building or being taken aback by yet another astounding view – that remain in your mind when you reflect on your travels.

Here are three walks in Prague that I’ve taken many a time. Each step along their paths still satisfies.

Walk 1: Below the bridge, into the park and along the river

On the west side of the Charles Bridge, take a set of stairs down and into the lovely square Na Kampe. Walk straight ahead through the square and into one of the city center’s most lovely parks, also called Kampa. Keep to the side closest to the river.

Most likely you’ll come upon a number of kids playing around three massive statues of children crawling through the park made by Czech artist David Cerny. The statues are just outside the Kampa Museum of Modern Art. For free, you can walk through the outside entryway of the museum where there are several installations. There’s also an area on the ground where you walk over water that flows through a crack in the building that provides a view of the river. Once through the area, and out by the river, walk along the path that borders the water.

You can keep strolling or take a seat on one of the benches and look out at the island just across the way, the boats and the bridges.

Walk 2: Behind the castle, through the park and down into Lesser Town

For this walk, your starting point is the Prazsky Hrad (Prague Castle) tram stop on the street Marianske Hradby. Take a right at this back entrance to the castle, onto U Prasneho mostu and then a left into one of the Castle’s gardens – Kralovska Zahrada (The Royal Garden).

Inside you’ll find several lovely buildings and some stunning views of the city below. At the end of the Garden, where Queen Anne’s Summer Palace rests, you’ll go out the open gate (back onto Marianske Hradby) and make a right. Just a few steps away and on the right, you’ll walk into a park – Chotkovy sady. Here you’ll see some hidden sculptures and be immersed in the foliage of several big, beautiful trees.

Walking straight, you’ll cross over a small bridge and then you can either keep going straight ahead and into Letna park or walk to the left and around the corner (onto the larger street Chotkova) and down a set of stairs into the charming Mala Strana or Lesser Town.

Walk 3: Along the riverfront and back up to view a cubist gem

Starting at Palackeho Namesti (just look for the tram stop of the same name on a map) cross over the street toward the river. Walk down a nearby set of stairs that will take you to the promenade along the water (walk in the direction that will have Prague Castle at your back.).

You’ll pass bikers, see boaters, and have a full view of the cityscape of Prague’s fifth district across the way. At Vyton, which is near a bridge that trains cross over (there is also a tram stop called “Vyton” that you can look for as a marker) go back up on the street and keep walking in the same direction.

Just after passing under the train track bridge, look on your left for the Kovarovic Villa – a house built in the Cubist style by architect Josef Chochol between 1912-13. On the same side of the street, you’ll also pass by the Neo-Classical house by Emil Kralicek and the Sequens Villa (named after the family that constructed it) by Otakar Novotny in a Modernist Rationalist style.

The post Prague: 3 do-it-yourself walking tours appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

A train that runs along the coastline of Dublin can change all that. This affordable option, called the DART, has stations spread throughout the center of the city. For a €2 ticket and a 20-minute train ride, Cheapos can gain a whole new perspective on the Irish capital.

I have a few favorite day trips from Dublin. I choose between them depending on how adventurous (or hungry) I’m feeling at the time.

Killiney Hill
DART south to Dalkey stop.
Web site

This day trip is for the day you wake up free of a Guinness-induced headache and have lots of energy. Climb aboard the DART heading south for the village of Dalkey. From here, consult the map at the station and walk 10 minutes to the entrance of Killiney Hill Park.

Take that “hill” part seriously–it will be a bit of a climb up to the top of the park. Views at the top are the reward. Pass blooming wildflowers and keep following the incline to emerge at the top of the hill, with incredible views north to Dublin and south along the craggy coast of the Irish Sea. (This hike can be challenging at times–good shoes are essential).

Howth
DART north to Howth stop.
Web site

This day trip is for when you’re feeling more like a serious meal than a challenging hike. Board the DART train heading north for Howth, a coastal village known for fresh seafood. After a walk on the scenic pier, it will be time to get down to the business of eating. On weekends, there is a small outdoor market, but if you plan a trip during the week there is still plenty of seafood to be had.

Cheapos might want to fill up on fish and chips from Beshoffs (17 – 18 West Pier, Howth). There are some outdoor picnic tables to soak in the views or you can take a seat at the Oyster Bar in Beshoffs Market for a few just-shucked bivalves. Some visitors might not be able to resist the classic combination of fresh oysters and a pint of Guinness.

Dun Laoghaire
DART south to Dun Laoghaire stop.
Web site

The Dublin day trip for the best of both worlds is Dun Laoghaire. Head south on the DART to this coastal village that offers two lengthy piers where you can go out for a good walk (no climbing over rocks or serious inclines required) and once you return to the village, there’s plenty to eat.

One of the best-kept secrets is a tiny pizza shop called Don Mimi (5 Old Dun Laoghaire Road, Monkstown). After your walk to the end of the pier (where you can see across the water to Howth) dig into affordable pizzas at one of three tables in this authentic shop and chat about the sailboats, seals and fishermen you saw from the pier.

North or south, for a hike or a hearty meal, a ride on the DART train will reveal Dublin’s gorgeous coastal location.

Your favorite day trips from Dublin?

Have you taken any of these day trips — or would you recommend another? Tell us about it in the comments section.

The post Dublin: 3 Cheapo day trips from Dublin appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Suivez-moi, Cheapos!

Jardin des Tuileries

Métro: Tuileries, Concorde, Palais Royal/Musée du Louvre, Pyramides
(Tip: I recommend Concorde because it’s located near two English bookshops!)

Size: Sixtysomething acres on the Right Bank

One of many statues in the park

Peeks and Valleys: Created by Catherine de Médici during the 17th Century (with a slight Italian flair), the gardens were given a redo by landscape architect André Le Nôtre during the Sun King’s reign. After the Big Wigs’ move to Versailles, it became one of the first public parks. Sadly, this was also where Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were held prisoners during the French Revolution. At that time, due to years of neglect, the park was rampant with duckweed, prostitution, and angry mobs.

What’s in a name? The Jardin des Tuileries (literally, “the tileworks”) was built atop the clay pits of the former city tile factory. Back then, most of the buildings were roofed with tiles.

Multi-taskers: It’s a tile’s throw from the Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume (former Royal tennis court), Musée Les Arts Décoratifs, the Musée de la Mode et Textile, the Musée du Louvre, and the Musée de l’Orangerie!

Lust for Life: Swanky cafés, chairs, and over one hundred statues (including many by Maillol) seductively tempt. Writer Henry Miller made no secret of his profound love of the voluptuous bronzes. “Dashing here or there like a bedbug, gathering [cigarette] butts now and then, sometimes furtively, sometimes brazenly; sitting down on a bench and squeezing my guts to stop the gnawing or walking through the Jardin des Tuileries getting [suggestive term deleted] looking at the dumb statues.” It’s Miller, after all. Ooh, la la.

Snack time at the Tuileries

Where to buy reading material: Pick up a magazine or book at W.H. Smith at 248 Rue de Rivoli, or at Galignani at 224 rue de Rivoli. (Both have plenty of books in English.) Also near Place de la Concorde, you’ll find the Jardin des Tuileries Bookshop, specializing in garden books. Browse deeply. Your plants back home will thank you.

Study the masters: Prepare for your visit by getting an eyeful of Manet’s “Music in the Tuileries.” At the Lourve, you’ll find Eugéne Lami’s “Entrée de la duchesse d’Orléans dans le jardin des Tuileries.” The Jardin des Tuileries has also played muse to photographers Atget, Brassaï, and Doisneau.

Jardin du Luxembourg

Métro: Notre-Dame des Champs, Odéon, Port-Royal, Rennes, or Vavin
(Tip: I recommend the Notre-Dame des Champs Métro station because, Cheapos, as you meander your way to the park, you’ll pass a grocery store and a string of funky boutiques.)

A regal view

Size: Sixty-something acres on the Left Bank

The hoedown: Created by Marie de Médici and garden theorist Boyeau de La Bareaudière with a Florentine twist during the 17th Century, it opened to the public in 1778. Rumor has it that Hemingway hunted for pigeons here during his lean salad days. He wrote:

“When you were skipping meals at a time when you had given up journalism and were writing nothing that anyone in America would buy, the best place to do it was the Luxembourg gardens where you saw and smelled nothing to eat all the way from the Place de L’Observatoire to the rue de Vaugirard.”

At the Jardin du Luxembourg

Multi-taskers: It’s conveniently near the Musée de Cluny (Museum of the Middle Ages) and the Musée du Luxembourg (currently closed).

Garden of delights: The Jardin du Luxembourg boasts a hefty collection of over 100 statues (showcasing former French queens and female saints), the Medici Fountain, the octagonal Grand Bassin surrounded by raised terraces, Bartholdi’s original State of Liberty prototype, a school for training bee keepers, and a théâtre des marionnettes! There are also pear and apple orchards, flowerbeds with gillyflowers and dahlias, orange, date, and pomegranate trees. Games include tennis, running, chess, toy boat racing, boules (lawn bowling), donkey rides, and a carrousel where kids can try to spear golden rings with little lances!

Where to buy reading material: San Francisco Books at 17 Rue Monsieur le Prince (Metro Odéon) specializes in used books in English.

Strike a pose: Luxembourg flirted with photographers Atget, Brassaï, and Doisneau. Painter Watteau paid calls too. It also had a reoccurring role in Victor Hugo’s novel “Les Misérables.”

And so Cheapos, in the words of Henry Valentine Miller, “The aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware: joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware!” So keep your eyes peeled!

[Editor’s Note: Happy birthday, Theadora! We hope you celebrate like a queen!]

The post Paris: Outdoor delights at the Jardin des Tuileries and the Jardin du Luxembourg appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

The best way to explore the bucolic rolling hills, sheep farms, and stone villages outside London is not behind the wheel of a car, but on foot.

I had my first experience with country walking last weekend. My boyfriend and I rented a City Car (London’s version of a Zipcar) and drove about an hour to the west to the Chiltern hills, where I’d read there was good walking. We grabbed a footpath map and walking directions at a shop in the village of Hambleden and off we went. Seven miles seemed like a good enough challenge. We’d be back before dinner, no problem.

I should have known it wasn’t going to be that easy from the first set of instructions on our map: “At a right-hand bend, fork left onto the right-hand of two paths (LE38), a gravel drive. Now go straight on, soon joining and following a left-hand boundary bank and ignoring a crossing path.” We must have looked for that stupid left-hand boundary bank for a good 30 minutes.

A quintessential countryside scene.

We eventually got the hang of it, though, and figuring out the directions became part of the fun. Plus, the scenery couldn’t have been more magnificent.

Because the public is legally permitted to cross all private land in the countryside, the footpath cut right through people’s farms, bringing us up close and personal with the cows and sheep. It also took us into beech-tree forests that were so dark and dense, they felt almost primeval.

Here are some tips on taking your own countryside walk:

1. Get a good map

Many footpaths are not signposted, so you need to find a map that includes very clear instructions on how to find your way. In most larger towns, you’ll be able to find one at a tourism information office; in villages, look for a food shop.

The Chiltern Society has 27 different walking maps of the hills west of London. Another good resource is the Guardian newspaper, which published an excellent series of “Great British Walks” this summer.

2. Be prepared

It should go without saying, but don’t embark on a five- or seven-mile hike without proper walking shoes, water and a cell phone in case you get lost. (Some guides even recommend bringing a compass.) The weather in England is famously unpredictable, so plan for the possibility of rain even on a sunny day.

If you do lose your way, look for a well-groomed path (the larger ones are called “bridle paths”) and follow it until you reach civilization. England is a small country—every path leads somewhere.

Admiring a cow from a safe distance.

3. Respect people’s property

When entering a farm, make sure to close and latch the gate behind you. And keep a safe distance from cattle—there have been isolated incidents of people being chased and attacked by ornery cows. Most importantly: Never get between a cow and her calf unless you are looking for a fight.

4. Dress for the conditions

Footpaths can be overgrown with grass and prickly weeds in the summer and fall, and you may have to make your way through dense vegetation or even crops. Long pants and a long-sleeved shirt are recommended.

5. Don’t drink and walk

You’ll regret having that pint of beer with lunch when you’re three miles into an afternoon trek. Save the country pub until after your walk. A great pub in Hambleden is The Stag & Huntsman, which has picnic tables in the large garden out back and serves a delicious pork and apple burger.

The post London Day Trips: Tips for countryside walks 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.

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