First opened in 1831, Dublin Zoo is one of the world’s oldest zoos and today is home to over 600 animals, many of which are endangered. The zoo is located in Phoenix Park, outside of the city center, but is easily accessible by bus or the LUAS tram (plus a short walk).

Ready to see the African Savanna or witness a sea lion feeding? Here are some tips for visiting Dublin Zoo:

Planning a Visit
Web site

Dublin Zoo is open all year long, but opening hours vary depending on the season. Make the most of your admission ticket by arriving early—the zoo opens every day at 9:30 a.m. and the last admission is one hour before closing time.

Tickets can be booked in advance online (receive your e-ticket by e-mail and print it out). In advance of your visit, you might want to check the zoo’s Twitter feed for deals and current updates.

Who doesn’t love an elephant? Photo: Sean MacEntee

Ticket costs

Adults: €15.50
Children age 3 – 16: €11
Children under 3: free
Family of 2 adults and 2 kids: €44.50

Daily talks and activities

Dublin Zoo is spread out over about 69 acres (28 hectares), a large enough size that a strategy for visiting is essential.

Begin with checking out the schedule for daily talks and feedings. You might only attend one or two of these daily talks, and looking at the schedule in advance will make sure you don’t miss the Chimpanzee Chat or Rhino feedings.

These daily activities can also help you map out your day at the zoo, directing what you see and when.

No vexing the animals! Photo: Mlle Peterson

Time for a snack

When it’s time to sit down for a snack, there are several options. One of the most fun is the Meerkat Restaurant, where inquisitive little meerkats watch your every bite.

For Cheapos who are pinching their euros, there are lawns and picnic tables where you can sit down for a picnic. On a sunny day, pick up some sandwiches or other picnic supplies while in the city center. The zoo map will easily direct you to picnic areas.

What to see

Every zoo visitor will have a list of favorite animals to see. From the baby piglets to the peacocks, the sea lions to the penguins, this zoo is full of interesting animals you can see up close and learn about too.

To help you narrow down what to see, check out the webcams on the zoo’s Web site prior to visiting.

Your zoo tips?

Do you have a tip for visiting the Dublin Zoo? Have you visited the Zoo? Tell us about your experience in the comments section.

Also in our guide: Planning a trip to Dublin and looking for an inexpensive place to sleep? Stop by our Dublin city guide, where you can read our reviews of the best affordable hotels in Dublin, all visited, inspected and reviewed by our editors.

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1. Walk aimlessly

I’m a walker, and one of the many reasons I like living in Prague is because it’s a great city to get lost in. Just pick a starting point, start walking and see where the path takes you. It’s a great way to explore the city and stumble upon any of Prague’s myriad treasures.

2. Drink a beer outside

After walking for a while, you’ll naturally get thirsty. Of course there aren’t as many outdoor beer gardens open now as there will be in the summer, but I just passed one yesterday and the people looked like they were in Czech beer heaven. Sipping a brew outside is one of the country’s greatest pleasures; if you don’t do it, well, you just haven’t experienced the Czech Republic. Na zdraví! (That’s “cheers!” in Czech.)

3. Find a park bench

Prague has a number of parks, squares and even little corners with benches to relax, and from which you can watch the world go by. When the temperatures warm up residents emerge from their apartments and take in the sun on their favorite park bench. It’s great people watching!

4. Head to the farmer’s market

Last year a host of farmer’s markets popped up in various locations in the city. They were so popular that they’re doing it again this year, and the season has just begun. At the markets you can find cheeses, breads, fruits, veggies and a variety of Czech specialties. Check out the official Web site (in Czech, but you can translate it online) for info about when and where to find the markets.

5. See what’s in bloom at the Botanical Gardens

Head on up to Prague Botanical Gardens. Open throughout the year, the area includes a Japanese Garden, the Fata Morgana greenhouse and St. Claire’s Vineyard, where you can sample local wines in a lovely wine bar. The gardens are located in a residential area above the city center called Troja, which is an area you might otherwise miss. While there, why not stop by the nearby Zoo and Troja Chateau. Bonus: From March 18- 27, 2011, the Fata Morgana greenhouse is hosting an orchid exhibit.

The post Prague Spring: 5 outdoor activities to celebrate the season appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Glass Tunnels and Sharks: The Aquarium

Right on Barcelona’s central Port Vell, a visit to the aquarium makes for an interesting afternoon activity. As you walk towards the aquarium, take in the enormous cruisers, wooden sailboats and million-euro yachts bobbing in the port.

The aquarium is located in the Maremagnum complex, an area with a shopping mall (the only one in the city opened on Sundays), many restaurants, a movie theater, and an iMax theater which shows 3D movies. (Movies here could also be a good family option for rainy days, though films are sure to be in Spanish.)

To tell the truth, I have been to some killer aquariums, and this one did not knock my socks off when I visited. However, the glass tunnel leading through a watery world filled with sharks was impressive (and a bit scary!).

Website
Admission: €16.50, free under 4 years
Metro: Barceloneta: L4; Drassanes: L3

Hands-On Science: CosmoCaixa

CosmoCaixa. Photo: Mataparda

The CosmoCaixa science museum, the city’s best science museum, is not in the center, so getting there takes some planning. Take the old trolly (that, incidentally, is said to have run over the architect Guadi) up Avinguda del Tibidabo and then walk ten minutes to the museum. Or take the bus 196 right to the front door. (Or, of course, you could take a cab.)

However, the journey up Avinguda del Tibidabo is half the fun (the street is full of once-exquisite mansions) and the museum, with its many family-centered exhibitions, is worth the effort it takes to get there. Kids will enjoy “Toca Toca!”, a tactile exhibit where visitors are encouraged to touch the displays.

Website
Admission: €3, free for 3 years and under
Bus: 17, 22, 58, 196

Surfs Up: the Beach

Some people try to surf along Barcelona’s Mediterranean shores, but unless there is a storm brewing, there are few waves. This makes for the perfect sea for small swimmers. Most of the city’s beaches are sandy and shallow, and there are lifeguards stationed throughout the summer. A day at the beach is a great way to spend an afternoon from June to September. Beach umbrellas and beach chairs can be rented for the day once at there.

(Note: I recommend Marbella Beach – though it is a nude beach – and do not especially recommend Barceloneta Beach for swimming. Keep an eye on your possessions while at the beach, there are many pickpockets who will run off with your bag while you take a dip!)

Metro: Barceloneta: L4; Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica L4

Lions, Tigers and Bears: the Zoo

Situated right in the center of the city off Parc de la Ciutadella, visiting Barcelona’s zoo is a cinch. See dolphins, penguins and Iberian wolves. The zoo often has activities for families during the week.

Website
Admission: €15.40, €9.30 3-12 years, free under 3 years
Metro: Barceloneta: L4; Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica L4

Cycle Tours: Bike Barcelona (with older kids)

See the city by bike! Rent your own bikes and ride by the seaside (there are bike lanes), or sign up for a bike tour of the city.

Barcelona By Bike offers Modernista architecture and Tapa bike tours in many languages. Born Bike also rents out quality cycles. Note that there are no helmet laws in Barcelona and hardly anyone uses them. All bike shops should provide helmets and other gear if asked for.

Futbol! the Barca Stadium

Camp Nou, FC Barcelona’s stadium, is a must-dvisit for young (and old) soccer fans (or “futbol” fans, as it is called here). Take the guided tour to check out the President’s Box, the players’ tunnel, dugouts, locker rooms and more. There is also a museum at Camp Nou where 100 years of FC Barcelona history is on display.

Website
Admission: €8.50; guided tour is €13
Metro: Collblanc: L5; Maria Cristina L3 Avinguda Aristides

The post Barcelona with Kids: 6 Family-friendly activities appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Zoos are great spots for people watching and, for anyone with even only a passing interest in architecture, zoos often boast some of the finest buildings in a city. Few of Europe’s leading architects have not at one time or another turned their hand to zoo buildings.

To the Alpenzoo in Innsbruck

On the top of our list of zoos for fans of great contemporary architecture is Innsbruck in the Austrian Tyrol, where even the ride from town up to the zoo is an architectural feast. The Hungerburgbahn is a funicular railway from the middle of Innsbruck, Austria to the Alpenzoo. This mountain railway was rebuilt in 2007, and Anglo-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid was commissioned to design the stations along the route. Her designs are breathtaking.

Unpack your trunk in Copenhagen

One of our favorite modern zoo buildings is the elephant house at Copenhagen Zoo, designed by Foster and Partners. Norman Foster is more associated with glitzy showpiece efforts, but the understated earthiness of the new structure at Copenhagen Zoo is evidently elephant bliss. One of Foster’s colleagues is reported as saying that going back to designing buildings for grumpy humans will be no fun after working on the Copenhagen elephant house.

Penguin bliss in London

The London Zoo has a galaxy of architectural gems, the the most striking of which is the seductive Penguin pool designed by the Georgian-born architect Berthold Lubetkin in 1934.

Lubetkin and his progressive architectural alliance (known as Tecton) secured many commissions for zoo buildings across Britain, of which the finest collection is at the Dudley Zoo in the English Midlands (midway between the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton).

Dudley: The Lubetkin legacy

A little improbably, Dudley thus hosts the best collection of Constructivist buildings anywhere outside the former Soviet Union. The uncompromising modernity of the Dudley Zoo took visitor’s breath away when the zoo opened in 1937.

More than 70 years later, the buildings are showing signs of age, but they alone still justify a visit to the town, though curiously the Dudley Zoo Web site makes no significant mention of what many might judge to be the zoo’s greatest asset.

Lubetkin was a star architect of the 20th century. But is it not ironic that the greatest beneficiaries of an architect so committed to a vision of a better society were not humans at all, but rather apes and penguins?

The post Apes and Architecture: Europe’s most stunning zoos appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

However, Artis Zoo, with its €18 admission fee, can be tough on the wallet, so visiting this spot might require a bit of planning ahead. Follow these tips:

Visiting the zoo

The price might be a bit out of the budget range but, on the plus side, it grants access to a vast number of places. Artis Zoo encompasses a variety of attractions which range from colorful fish species to creatures from all over the globe. There are also informational sites like the Zoological and Geological museum as well as the fancy Planetarium included in your admission. Exploring all the spots will take one full day and might be well worth the effort.

Keep in mind that since the zoo is one of the most popular places in Amsterdam, it can get packed easily. If you want to avoid the crowds, skip Saturdays and show up close to the opening time during a weekday.

Noteworthy attractions

There are, of course, a lot of animal habitats sprinkled across the zoo grounds. For something exotic, check out the African Savannah section. It features towering giraffes, springboks and even the gemboks, to name a few. Maybe drop by the Minangkabauan House for a glimpse of tiny, cute creatures. This location boasts famous animals like the world’s smallest deer as well as the doe deer. Then check out the different bird houses which are home to magnificent feathered beings like the black vultures.

The penguin section of the Artis Zoo. Photo by Marco Raaphorst.

If you have a soft spot for underwater creatures, come by the Aquarium. This impressive building is home to a number of diverse habitats including striking fish specimens from the Amazon as well as endangered fish from the tropics. For something truly bizarre, check out the tank that is a window into the underwater life of Amsterdam’s canals!

And for something more cerebral, hop over to the informational spots like the Planetarium, Geological Museum, and the Zoological Museum. At these different locations, you will find fun facts about our cosmos and quirky mother nature.

Cheap eats at the zoo

Artis Zoo does have plenty of eateries scattered throughout its premises. They include the Two Cheetahs Restaurant as well as smaller vendors like Het Friet and Swirls. Most of them are overpriced especially when compared to street food you can pick up as a quick lunch from outside.

However, since you can bring in your own packed lunch, maybe you can pick a few snacks from Febo or grab a pre-packed sandwich from a supermart like Albert Heijn before heading off to the zoo.

Admission and discounts

First, look into the various discounts offered for the zoo. The zoo offers a 25% discount that comes with using an I amsterdam card, which is certainly welcome, especially if there are quite a few in your group. Bigger groups can look into the €1.50 (per person) reduction offered by the zoo for groups of more than 20 people. It might be worth hooking up with other tourists at your hotel etc. and opt for this discount.

Here are the 2009 admission prices:
Adults: € 18.50
Seniors (65+): € 17.00
Children (3-9 years): € 15.00

Practical info

Address: Plantage Kerklaan 38-40 1018 CZ Amsterdam
(Artis, P.O. Box 20164, 1000 HD Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

Opening Hours: 9 AM to 5 PM
Summer: 9 AM to 6 PM (open longer on Saturdays in June, July and August)
Tel. : 0900-2784796
Fax : +31-20-5233481
Website:http://www.artis.nl/international/index.html
E-mail: info@artis.nl

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