When visiting any city, we’re always relieved to find free activities to take the burden off our wallet. We’re happy to report that enchanted, moody Dublin offers a wide-range of high class sightseeing opportunities that won’t cost you a euro-cent. Our three faves:

Dublin Castle

For die-hard history buffs, reaching the Dublin Castle is like reaching the legendary pot of gold. The impressive stone castle is perched high atop the center of Dublin, overlooking the city. Tour the 13th-century Norman Tower and take a trip through the halls of its medieval prison. Free guided tours of all buildings on the castle grounds are available daily. Check out this historical landmark’s web site, with its interactive maps, 360-degree panoramic photos, and bite-sized history lessons.

Tip: Leave time for the gift shop where crystal jewelry and one-of-a-kind Belleek china pieces abound.

Irish Museum of Modern Art 

Old meets new at the impressive national modern art museum, housed in the 17th-century Royal Hospital Kilmainham, once home to retired soldiers. The museum was founded in 1990 and has been an artfully-big hit in Dublin ever since. As a result of generous donations and grants, its doors open daily for free. (cue: applause) A bit off the beaten path—it would take you about 40 minutes on foot—we highly recommend hopping on a bus and heading west of the city to take advantage of this collection.

Tip: Guided tours are free, but fill up quickly. Phone ahead or email the museum at least three weeks in advance to book a spot.

National Gallery of Ireland

Less of a gallery and more of a giant art consortium, this collection offers masterpieces by Irish superstars and European masters, alike. Free tours and lectures are offered daily and are often pegged to national themes. (Recent offering have included Turner’s influence on 20th-century artists, and the significance of Yeats and his diverse body of work.) The National Gallery is centrally located just off Merrion Square.

Tip: Stick around for a concert! Offerings range from chamber orchestra to quartets highlighting Irish composers. Many, but not all, of the concerts are free.

Back in day, it was fairly typical to see many old Hungarian men and woman hanging out well into the night at a traditional coffee house in Budapest. Ideas were discussed and many pastries were consumed.

Today, it’s hard to narrow in on some of these ancient gems (no, we’re not talking about the old men and women), but they do still exist. And, the best part? An old coffee house or confectionery in Budapest can make for a fantastic cheapo’s night out. For the price of a cup of coffee and a yummy confection, you’ll be stepping back in time, connecting with Hungarian culture and often hanging out in a lavish turn-of-the-century building.

Here are five of our favorites:

1) Angelika                                                                                              

I. Batthyany ter 7

Open: Monday through Wednesday and on Sundays from 9 am to midnight; Thursday to Saturday from 9 am to 2 am

If the stained-glass windows, vaulted cielings and views of the Danube don’t draw you in, then the unique origin of this coffee house surely will. The Angelika, aptly named, sits inside the former crypt of St. Anne’s Church. Be sure to check out all the fabulous Buda ladies, who tend to sit here for hours sipping on the first-rate hot tea and engaging in conversation.

2) Muvesz Café
VI., Andrassy ut 29

Open: Daily from 9 am to midnight

This is a good bet if you’re planning a longer evening out as it’s one of the few old coffee houses that stays open late. They serve lots of yummy cakes and sandwiches. The décor is late 19th-century. Now, we admit, this isn’t one of the cheaper haunts, but if you want to feel like you’re in a legitimate establishment, Muvesz delivers. Look for ladies in fur hats.

3) Lukács ConfectioneryVI., Andrassy ut 70

Open: Monday through Friday from 9 am to 8 pm and weekends from 10 am to 8 pm

For years, this confectionery was a meeting place for the secret Hungarian police and served as a bank too. Today, it maintains that somewhat buttoned-up, underground vibe. You walk in through the old bank entrance and can even order a cake called the “bankar”. Lots of waitresses in fancy uniforms, pretty carpets and a huge dessert display make for fun distractions.

4) Ruszwurm                                                                                                             <I, Szentharomsag ter 7

Open: Daily from 10 am to 8 pm (though we’ve known them to close at 7 pm if they aren’t busy)

Smack dab in the middle of the castle disctrict, this is a true example of a smallish old Baroque coffee house. It opened in 1824. Spend the evening wandering the district’s grounds and then stop in—if you can nab a seat (this place gets packed, especially in summer months). Let yourself eat cake here.

5) Gerbeaud Confectionery
V., Vorosmarty ter 7 (just off Vorosmarty Square)

Founded in 1858, Gerbeaud still has all its charm. Crystal chandeliers hang above the crowds (the Gerbeaud can hold 300 guests at one time) and pastries are of both Hungarian and Viennese origin. Try the cognac cherry cake, a concoction by former owner Emil Gerbeaud. And, if you’re tired of tourists, you can always skip the hubbub at Gerbeaud and head around the corner to Kis Gerbeaud (”Little Gerbaud”) which has cheaper pastries and less flash.

We’re always keen to dispel the myth that you must be rolling in it (money, that is) to enjoy world-class entertainment. Take the Viennese opera. This Austrian gem is well within the range of Cheapos. 

Here are our three best bets for landing a night at the Opera:

Try ’standing room only’

If you are willing to stand for the duration of the performance, then you can get some of the cheapest tickets in town.  The cost of a ”standing room only” ticket is between €2 and €3.50 per opera. These tickest are only available at the evening box office, which opens 80 minutes prior to show time.

Snag seats for a song

In the nosebleed section of the opera house, you’ll pay anywhere from €7 to €18 for a seat in the rafters (but what rafters they are!). Considering a spot in the front orchestra could cost you €200, we consider this is a huge score. Just bring some good opera glasses.

Take a tour and skip the show

If The Marriage of Figaro isn’t your idea of fun, opt for one of many daily guided tours of the ornate and scope-worthy opera house. For €5, you can get up-close and personal with the opera house, touring even the stage and the tea salon. For another euro and a half, visit the Opera’s museum, too. A recent exhibit showcased the original compositions (on-page edits and all) of Wagner’s “Ring of the Nibelung”.

And, one last note on all of this: If you’re a student, you’ll almost always benefit from additional discounts. Bravissimo!

Naturally, EuroCheapo’s Paris guide is devoted to finding the perfect budget hotels for your next visit to the city. However, if you’re in the mood for something a little more intime next time you visit, you might consider staying in a Parisian apartment.

We’re not talking about an apartment rental, mind you. We mean a real Paris apartment, inhabited by living and breathing Parisians.

“Pour Vous Paris” is a friendly group of Parisians who have opened their apartments (and their extra bedrooms) to foreign travelers. Better yet, they’re enthusiastic about practicing their English, answering questions about their city, and even taking their guests on free walking tours of their neighborhoods. And the rooms tend to be cheap — from €45-60 for a single, and €55-70 for a double, depending on neighborhood and “comfort level.”

The group is not an agency and you pay your host directly upon arrival. However, you must pay an annual membership fee of €10 to join the program (€5 if under 26 years old). The apartment selection is small, so interested participants should book well in advance.

Even if you don’t spend the night with the group, anyone who joins the group can still participate in a range of free “Pour Vous Paris”-coordinated activities, such as shopping, conversational exchanges, and even picnics (just bring a picnic). For a fee, members can cook and dine with members, and even attend a “crepes party.” We’re so there.

More information:

“Pour Vous Paris” website

Message boards, in English and French

Planning to visit London on a budget could initially give a Cheapo a nervous breakdown. But, as documented throughout our London guide, it is possible to live it up in London on a modest budget — with a little planning.

How? Besides the obvious (choosing a budget hotel, eating cheaply, and getting around with an Oyster card), you’d be crazy not to take advantage of London’s free museums and attractions. Most of the nationally-run museums and art galleries are publicly financed and don’t cost visitors a pence. It’s a beautiful thing…

9 must-visit free museums:

British Library
British Museum
National Gallery
Natural History Museum
National Portrait Gallery
Science Museum
Tate Modern
The Tate Britain
Victoria and Albert Museum

9 notable, free museums:

Bank of London Museum
Imperial War Museum
London Political Cartoon Gallery
Museum of Garden History
Museum of London
National Maritime Museum
Petrie Museum of Egyption Archaeology
RIBA Architecture Gallery
Sir John Soane’s Museum

2 fun and free attractions:

The Changing of the Guard
The Ceremony of the Keys

More budget help for London:

• Our article on budget tips for London 
• The “London Free List” of free and nearly-free London attractions
• VisitLondon’s suggestions for free London attractions

The other day, a copy of “Fodor’s Budget France ‘82″ landed in our office. The cute little book, measuring no larger than a pocket-sized Agatha Christie novel, has captivated and charmed us ever since.

For one thing, it’s so simple. The 178-page book is all text, providing three maps (France, Paris, and the Metro), ten chapters, and a phrase index in the back. The only photo to be had was an advertisement on page 174 for a Fodor’s language course, audio cassette-edition. The book retailed for $5.95 (about $13.00, adjusted for 2008).

Money and prices abroad in 1982

Obviously in 1982, France used the franc, which had an exchange rate of about $.17, or 5.89 francs to the US dollar. That is, if you exchanged your travelers checks at a bank. The book explains that travelers’ checks “are still the safest and simplest way to carry money.” Today, of course, travelers’ checks have mostly been replaced by credit cards and ATM machines, which can be found in airports and on every other street corner in Paris.

MasterCard? Visa? ”Credit cards are not widely accepted in France, and you’re very unlikely to find restaurants … that accept them.” We were in mid-snicker before we realized that there are still many small hotels and restaurants in Paris that don’t accept credit cards. Some things don’t change.

Sample costs in 1982

According to the book, you could expect to pay the following prices in Paris in 1982 for these “everyday expenses”:

• A ticket to the opera - 80-200 ff ($13-34 in 1982; $29-75 adjusted for 2008)
• A “tot of whisky or gin” - 15-25 ff ($2.50-$4.25 in 1982; $5.25-9.15 in 2008)
• A woman’s shampoo and set - 60-100 ff ($10-17 in 1982; $21.50-$36.50 in 2008)

In other words, prices haven’t really changed that much, even with the dollar tanking against the euro. Perhaps that shampoo and set would cost you more today, but you could still find plenty of “tots of gin” for less than €6.30 ($9.15).

Hotels in 1982

The Fodor’s guide recommends over 40 budget hotels in Paris, categorized as either “Inexpensive” or “Moderate,” and lists them all, with impressive brevity, on just two pages! Several of the hotels mentioned can still be found 26 years later in our Paris guide. (Don’t worry–we’re reasonably certain that they’ve purchased new sheets!)

For example, here’s what they have to say about de la Sorbonne, a charming little thing in the Latin Quarter: “6 rue Victor Cousin, a Latin Quarter special, atmospheric and genuine.” Did you notice what was missing, besides room descriptions? Prices! And phone numbers!

The book explains broadly: “Inexpensive hotels will charge about 80-140 francs ($13-24, 1982) for a double room, moderate ones will charge 150-220 ($25-37, 1982).” Those really were the days. Today, as we note in our “Expect to Spend in Paris” guide, you can easily find an acceptable budget hotel for €80-130, or $116-188 ($53-87 in 1982). So yes, hotel prices seem to have outpaced inflation. Hotels, however, have probably upgraded their standards.

As for reserving that special place, well…

“Remember too that many inexpensive hotels have guests on an almost permanent basis and aren’t interested in tourists wanting accommodations for a few nights; as many of them won’t take advance reservations and don’t answer letters, your best bet is to go from hotel to hotel until you get lucky.”

So much for the good old days!