Photo by oliviagiovetti

If you ask the older Expat Czech-set, The Globe isn’t what it used to be since it moved seven years ago from the Holesovice to the trendier address on Pstrossova, near the National Theater. Howevery you can still find them in the corner of the bookshop-slash-café that puts Borders to shame.

Browse the wide selection of English books in the storefront (including the box of freebies by the door), and don’t be shy to ask the English-speaking staff if they can order a copy of what anything don’t have in stock. After you’ve grabbed an expat (or expat-in-spirit) appropriate book, head to the back café and sit on or under its grand balcony.

The current owner has a keen eye for the aesthetic experience which works in the café’s favor, making it atmospheric without the overkill. Currently the works of Roman Zakrzewski, whose collection “The Only Woman in the World” features portraits of his wife at various ages, flirt with the eye (and can be purchased for a decidedly non-Cheapo price of $3,000 each).

A hand-picked mix of jazz, European house, and techno remixes of opera arias msehes well with the reasonably priced drinks (stop in for half-priced cocktails every day between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m), and the live music featured on Friday and Saturday nights. In addition to the print menu of beverages and desserts, there is also a dinner menu that offers great portions, wonderful flavors, and prices as friendly as the waitresses.

Johnson Castle will once again showcase the world famous Wexford Opera Festival. The festival begins today and will run through June 17.

This year’s line-up includes three breathtaking shows: Kurt Weill’s Silverlake, a combined performance of Busoni’s Alrlecchino with Stravinsky’s ballet Pulcinnella, and Dvorak’s Rusalka.

Students are in for a special treat this year, as Ireland’s Environmental Protection Agency and radio station Lyric FM have teamed up to sponsor 20 student seats for each performance. Student tickets will sell at the reduced price of only €30. Email boxoffice@wexfordopera.com for more information.

Photo by Toni_Blay

A trip to Paris without at least one walk through the Luxembourg gardens is like eating a French meal without accompanying it with a glass of wine.

While the gardens lie directly on Paris’s beaten path they still, somehow, reveal an authentic view of Parisian life. Despite the number of tourists here, parents still bring their children to play about the jungle gyms, smoking businessmen continue to people watch on park chairs, and elderly men incessantly argue points while playing the French bowling game pétanque. Simply put, there are few parks in the world as integrated into the fabric of a city as the Luxembourg gardens are in Paris.

Recommending the Luxembourg gardens to travelers will never be breaking news but visitors shouldn’t miss a place where a young Hemingway found distraction from hunger pangs, lovers flock to propose marriage, and children ride ponies and captain sail boats in the shadows of a 17th century palace.

Yes, Cheapos, the park is free, but no, you can’t sleep there.

Photo by Suzanne Russo

The historic city of York in the north of England is a must-see destination at any time with its medieval cathedral, narrow cobbled streets and city walls, evening “ghost walks,”and theYorvik Viking Center, which recreates the sights and even smells of York’s viking founders.

In June and July the city is at its very best, with an influx of festivities, including the Early Music Festival (pre-1900), the Late Music Festival, the Jazz Festival, the Festival of the Rivers, and Dance York From June 18 to July 3o, the city squares and riverside overflow with lively, colourful (and many free) performances.

For York on the cheap, the York Pass gives discounts on museums, transport and entertainment. We recommend a cruise on the River Ouse and a visit to the Castle Museum to see recreations of English Victorian and Edwardian street life. The city is within two hours London, Manchester, and Edinburgh by rail.

Photo by cassiefornia

If you’re not familiar with the work of Jack B. Yeats, brother of famed poet W.B. Yeats, now is a great time to swing by the National Gallery in Dublin. The Gallery’s impressive collection of oil paintings, watercolors, and drawings by Yeats recently moved from the Dargan Wing to the newly renovated Beit Wing, which was its home from 1999 until its recent move.

The gallery says that the smaller space provides “a more sympathetic scale” in which to showcase its collection of paintings by Yeats, Ireland’s principal 20th century visual artist. We’re no art world copy writers, but we buy it, considering the dreamy, impressionistic tone of Yeats’ work.

Cheapo Bonus: entrance to the National Gallery’s permanent collection is free, as are public tours on Saturdays (3 p.m.) and Sundays (2, 3, and 4 p.m.).

Photo by HowieHunger

Sometimes Athens in the summertime can get so gosh darn hot that even walking at a leisurely pace can sound like a bad idea. If, due to the heat or you’re simply feeling lazy and you want to check out the sights without walking or driving, consider the “Happy Train.” People riding it usually do look pretty happy.

The folks who run Happy Train must have some kind of hook-up with the city government. You’ll be sitting at a café in Thisseio marveling at the view of the Ancient Agora, Temple of Hephaestus, and Acropolis, when chug-a-chug-a-chug, along comes the Happy Train, rolling right in front of you in the five feet of space usually reserved for pedestrians.

The Happy Train takes passengers on a 40-minute ride through the heart of Athens, beginning at Plateia Monastiraki and rolling past the aforementioned and other ancient sites. If you decide to ride, you’ll pay €3 per child and €5 per adult for the convenience.

Photo by Dutch_Simba

Good news for fans of SmartWings (EuroCheapo readers may remember it as the LCC operating out of Prague that isn’t SkyEurope). the carrier is set to triple in size. Icelandair recently signed a letter of intent to buy the carrier and the company that operates it, Travel Service. The process is meant to be complete by the end of the summer, when Icelandair will acquire 50 percent of the company.

SmartWings lags behind SkyEurope in the region, though it has more of a presence in Prague’s Ruzyne airport—it’s second only to CSA there. The purchase is an encouraging sign for both SmartWings and the airport itself, which has suffered as Prague has fallen by the wayside for some carriers as a budget destination in favor of the eternally cheaper Bratislava. Perhaps LCC flights between Iceland and Prague are in the cards as well?

Photo by pippatee

If you lucky enough to be in Dublin for the June Bank Holiday Weekend (June 1 – 4), swing by the Liffey Quays down at the Docklands and join in the free fun of the Docklands Maritime Festival.

Whether you want to climb aboard the Tall Ships, shop at the fantastic outdoor market or enjoy the expert street entertainment, there is always something at the Festival to suit everyone.

Though the Docklands is only a short walk from downtown Dublin, getting there won’t be a problem with the DART, LUAS and city buses all running in this direction. Just be sure to arrive early, as crowds of over 50,000 are expected this weekend. And keep an eye on the tide too—the Tall Ships will only allow visitors when tides are low.

All aboard!

Photo by Not_forgotten

If you’re carrying any dead weight in the form of (designer) clothing when you’re in London, stop into Visa’s pop-up store, where you can donate unwanted gear and quality high street clothing. But never fear Cheapos. You won’t be giving up your designer duds simply for the sake of charity (of course we believe that you would have anyway).

Swap clothes for points loaded onto a Visa Fashion Swap Card. Then return to the pop-up store on June 16 and 17 to redeem your points for new (to you) clothing and accessories. All in the name of sustainable fashion, ecology, and of course style. Got to hand to the Brits and Visa (and then hand over your clothes).
To find out more visit the Visa Swap website.

Photo by Nick_Salmond

Louis XVI’s castle at Versailles is one of Europe’s most awe-inspiring monuments, not to mention one of the most visited tourist spots on the globe. If you’re joining the masses of tourists on the RER C from Paris out to the castle, be sure to visit Marie Antoinette’s estate while you’re there.

Yes, this fantasy-park (and the mistress who inspired it) became a lot more famous after Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film, but seriously. It was worth a visit even before that. In addition to an entirely charming make-believe peasant village, her estate also includes the two palaces of the Grand and the Petit Trianon, get-aways of Queens and royal mistresses since the 1690s.

To get to the estate,, walk through the gardens of Versailles, turn right half way down the giant reflecting pool. From there the walk takes about 15 minutes. Entrance to the Domaine de la Reine is €9. Entrance to the chateau is free for students of art, art history, architecture, and the like. The fantastic gardens of the chateau are open every day, and totally free except for special festival dates.