Like us, many of our readers are American. And regardless of nationality, probably all of our readers are aware of the unfortunate exchange rate currently greeting US travelers abroad. Today, for instance, the euro costs US $1.58. Yet we’re still traveling to Europe.

Newspapers and magazines have been abuzz lately with articles about stretching the dollar abroad. Some of our favorites include The Seattle Times, Budget Travel Magazine, Philadelphia Inquirer, The Daily News, and the Austin American-Statesman. As pro-cheapo travelers, we’re happy to see so much interest in budget travel, although saddened to think that many potential travelers might feel discouraged and choose not to travel to Europe at all.

“Maybe next year I’ll get to Spain,” one of my friends told me last week. “I can’t afford it now.” Alas!

Pete, Meredith and I just returned from two weeks in Europe, traveling from Berlin to Brussels, and then Bruges. Yes, I was quickly struck by the inflated prices of small, everyday items. But I was also amazed that we pulled off the trip so affordably. It’s as if we had been preconditioned to expect the absolute worst. When we returned and tallied up all of our costs, it wasn’t so bad, after all. Ironically, we overspent on the little stuff and kept our spending down on the big, obvious expenditures, like hotels and meals.

Looking over our costs, post-trip, I have some basic advice to those planning their trips to Europe. Please excuse anything that seems obvious—if it helps one traveler save, it’s worth repeating!

1) Watch out for the small stuff!

Those little, incidental purchases got us, biting away at our budgets. Why? Because we spent without thinking. Cups of coffee, bottles of water, chocolate bars, little snacks, the newspaper… each only cost two or three euros, but they added up very quickly. I felt like I was leaking euro coins everywhere I went.

These are “invisible costs,” because you don’t remember spending the money and you don’t have anything to show for the purchases afterward. Some of these things, like water, you need. But you need to be smart about where to buy it. After draining my pockets of a week’s worth of euros, I got smart in Bruges and started buying water and snacks at a grocery store near my hotel. Who knew that Evian could be purchased for less than a euro per bottle? (Above, I’m doing a week’s worth of laundry in Brussels for about €5.)

2) Hunt for your meal

Each night, the three of us roamed the city, taking in the sights and sounds, but also looking for dining deals. In the end, because we were “on alert,” our dinners were surprisingly affordable. We converted menu prices into dollar amounts (not simply imagining a dollar sign in place of the euro!) and steered clear of the pricier eateries.

In Berlin, meal prices are fortunately already low, so this wasn’t a problem. In pricey Brussels, however, we checked out plenty of charming restaurants—most of them quite crowded—and hit the road as soon as we saw a bloated menu. €18 starter plates? That’s $27… I don’t think so! We took time every night to find affordable set-price menus, and usually found something for less than €15, which at about $22, was in our budget. Of course, you have to be careful to avoid tourist traps (like the rue du Bouchers in Brussels, pictured above), which lure you in with low set-price menus, serve mediocre food, and charge you like mad for every incidental item. It’s best to ask the locals. 

3) Lighten up at lunch

This won’t be for everyone, but we chose to make only dinner a sit-down affair. In years past, when hotel hunting I would often treat myself to a nice relaxed lunch, sometimes accompanied with a little red wine. It was so euro. This year, I slimmed down, stopping for a quick sandwich or salad and a bottle of water. It was cheaper, faster, and dare I say, better for my afternoon hotel visits!

Pete and Mere did the same in Brussels. Pete lunched several days in a row at “Mer du Nord,” an outdoor oyster and fish soup joint on Place St. Catherine, where a bowl of soupe du poisson could be had for €3.50. (See photo.)

4) Take advantage of breakfast… or not!

Breakfast is another time to save cash. In all four of our hotels, in Brussels and Bruges, a buffet breakfast was included in the price of the room. Thus, we could fill up at breakfast, making the light lunch more bearable.

This is different in every city. In Paris, for instance, breakfast is rarely included and, when offered, is usually quite expensive for what you get. Rather than fork over the cash for a dismal hotel breakfast, head to a cafe or, better yet, to the grocery store or outdoor market.

5) Sleep cheap!

This seems rather obvious, as this is EuroCheapo, but come on, Cheapos, watch that hotel bill! When searching for your hotel, if you’re American, choose to see hotel rates in US dollars. (On CheapoSearch, prices show in dollars by default.) This will prevent you from momentarily pretending that the euro and dollars are “roughly the same.”

When choosing a hotel, consider a 1 or 2-star hotel over the pricier 3-star option. Fewer stars doesn’t mean the hotel isn’t good and clean. It could simply mean that it doesn’t have an elevator, ground-floor reception, or certain amenities (like hairdryers, TV, telephone, etc.).

In Brussels, we stayed at The Moon Hotel, a perfectly fine 2-star sleeper two blocks from the Grand Place. Our rooms weren’t fancy (they were, in fact, kind of “dormy”), but we slept peacefully knowing that we were paying a fraction of the rate that travelers across the square in the 3 and 4-star hotels were paying. In Bruges, the lady running ‘T Keizershof, a small 1-star hotel I visited put it to me best when she explained, “When you’re sleeping, we look just like one of those big fancy hotels.”

Serious Cheapos should also consider a room or a bed in a hostel, which can cost much, much less than a hotel. Travelers visiting a city for an extending period should look into apartment rentals, and adventure travelers might also consider couch-surfing for free.

6) Do free stuff!

We always recommend that travelers head straight for the visitors information center when they arrive into town. Conveniently, many of these are located very near the main train stations or main squares. There, you can pick up a list of free or cheap activities happening in town during your stay. In both Brussels and Bruges, I walked out of the visitor centers with stacks of information, maps, and walking tours.

In Brussels, I bought a guide to the city’s comic-book themed self-guided walking tour for €3, and spent the afternoon learning about the city for next to nothing. In Bruges, the woman working at the tourist office wrote down a list of free concerts happening that week that she thought I might find interesting. All of that information was free, and most of the activities were free, as well.

7) Budget flights and rail deals

Before you book that rental car or buy that Eurail pass, consider flying between European cities on Europe’s budget airlines. Using the newly launched CheapoSearch Flights, our guide to European budget airlines, you can find some seriously low prices. Not to be outdone, the national rail companies are starting to fight back, lowering their prices for train trips booked in advance through their websites.

Check out: TGV (French) rail website, Die Bahn (German) rail website, Trenitalia (Italy) rail website, British Rail website, Renfe (Spanish) rail, SNCB (Belgian) rail

Your tips

These are just a few of the tips we’d like to share following our recent trip. What advice do you have? Please add your tips, ideas, and suggestions below! 

Berlin is one city where your euros can still pack a punch. And, perhaps even more importantly, it’s also full of art, history, sausage, and free stuff to do.

Here are six of our favorite freebies in the German capital:

The Reichstag

The official seat of the German Parliament, the Reichstag affords you (at no cost!) one of the best views of the city from its famous dome and roof terrace. Wait times can be hefty, so we’ve found it’s best to visit at night (the building stays open until midnight, although the last entry is at 10 PM). Take a quick elevator ride to the top and snap a bunch of photos. A free brochure, available as you enter the building, offers a pictorial guide to the Berlin skyline. (So, that’s the new train station!)

Brandenburg Gate

This majestic gate, called “the trademark of Berlin” by the local authorities, was built by King Wilhelm II in 1788. The Gate has seen a lot. It has survived conquests, bombings, and oppressive regimes. The monument sits at the end of the mighty Unter den Linden, and has recently received a city-sponsored cleaning. We think the best time to view this beauty is at night, when its majesty shines under soft lights.

Checkpoint Charlie

Checkpoint Charlie, the name for the passport control for visitors going between East and West Berlin, is today a major tourist draw. There’s no charge for hanging out next to the original booth once manned by Soviet and American soldiers.  Located along busy Friederichstrasse, today guards smile, pose for photos, and answer questions from tourists. Across the street, several creative vendors charge €5 for a “legitimate” stamp for your passport. Ah yes, nostalgia… (Watch out for the Segueways—see photo above.)

The Wall

There are two good spots to see what’s left of the infamous Berlin Wall. The East Side Gallery (in Kreuzberg), where artists like Keith Herring have painted over old pieces of the Wall as part of a public exhibit, is the cheerier of the two locations. This part of the Wall bursts with color, celebrates freedom and shows off the graffiti talents of many Berliners and friends of Berliners. For a more somber and realistic take on the Wall, visit the piece that’s still up near the Topography of Terror exhibit (below), in Mitte near Checkpoint Charlie.

Topography of Terror

OK, it sounds ominous (and well, it is), but this exhibit—in Mitte—is one of the most comprehensive one-stop shops for facing the magnitude of World War II, Berlin’s role in it, and the Holocaust. Placards with black and white photos show Hitler’s rise to power, the resurrection of the Wall, and many more key historical moments. Explanations and timelines accompany the photos and follow a clear path that leads you parallel to old S.S. Nazi police baracks. It’s a tad creepy, if you really let your mind go there. But, well worth a visit.

The Holocaust Memorial

The newly-opened “Monument to the Murdered Jews in Europe,” designed by architect Peter Eisenman, opened in 2005 and consists of 2,711 concrete slabs arranged on sloping ground. Walking through the enormous memorial can be somber, disorienting, and dizzying. An underground information center is open daily (except Monday). The outdoor monument is open and free to the public at all times.

Cheap eats

Berlin is full of cheap eats. You can hardly walk down the street without bumping into a bargain-priced doner-kabap. In any case, save a couple of euros for a good currywurst and Beck’s beer at the end of the day. You’ll need a breather after a day of intense sightseeing.

Paris can get, how do you say?, “très cher.” After dining out in Paris for two nights last week, we were ready to give our wallets a break and try a Paris night à la Cheapo.

A stroll for free

After doing a bit of research, we mapped out a fun, Seine-side stroll from St. Germain des Près (where we were staying at the lovely 2-star gem “Villa des Princes“) to the foot of the Eiffel Tower. The whole journey took about an hour as we wandered along the river, stopping at bridges, watching the tour boats, and posing for photos.

A pancake dinner

By the time we arrived, we had worked up an appetite. Sure, we were feasting on the sight of Paris by night, but that didn’t quite cut it. We got in line for fresh crèpes from a street vendor and salivated as he poured the batter, flipped the pancakes, and added our ingredients: Nutella and banana for Mere, and ham and emmental for Pete. Two crèpes set us back about €7 and we shared a Coke (€1.50).

A free light show

We timed our walk so that we’d get to the tower just as the hourly ten-minute light show sparked up the sky. Light shows start at the top of the hour, after sunset. They occur every hour until 1 am or 2 am depending on time of year.

After ingesting crèpes and stars, Seine and Eiffel, we hopped on the Metro. For €1.50, we scooted from Invalides to the Latin Quarter.

Slow sipping at the cabaret

We were ready for some good company, old fashioned standards, and the wacky feel of live cabaret, so we ventured to “Aux Trois Mailletz,” our favorite cabaret at 56, Rue Galande in the Latin Quarter. Downstairs, the fancier vaudeville show costs €25 a ticket, but upstairs in the more casual piano bar, you need only buy a drink to sip it all in. (We also found that if you tip the singer and pianist, they’ll fulfill multiple song requests.)

Cheapos could sip a Coke for €5, which isn’t cheap. Beer costs €9, while cocktails run about €11-13. Obviously, you’re paying for the tunes, but you can sip your drink as slowly as you like. We think it’s worth the inflated drink price just to take in the music, the sight of dogs in the audience, and that weird glamour of cabaret performers running about in full makeup. Bravo!

We’ve all been there—the nightmare seat on the plane. The airline staff knows the seat is terrible when they check you in, but they still assign it to you with a straight face. It’s a seat that nobody in their right mind would trade you for. That seat that will have to be endured. But how?

Earlier this week when Pete and Mere (pictured above) were flying from Paris to New York, they landed a couple of doozies. Their seats, ominously located in aisle 13, were situated up against the bathroom wall, preventing them from reclining. Rather comically, the row was windowless, offering a view of a beige wall for eight hours. Across the aisle, a fellow traveler became intoxicated and fell asleep, drooling on his chest, and upon the large Casio keyboard he brought along.

These Cheapos experienced a flash of panic as they contemplated how to deal with this unpleasant intercontinental scenario. Their solution: distraction. They whipped out one laptop and started going through the photos they had downloaded from the trip. When the battery died, they brought out their other laptop and did the same thing. This distraction, a reminder of the more pleasant aspects of travel, satisfied several hours and the rest of the time was easily filled with eating, drinking, trying to nap, and making trips to the bathroom.

The Contest: Your nightmare seats and solutions

Have you ever had a bad seat? A reeaaally bad seat? Tell us about it below. But also tell us about how you overcame the seat and made it through the trip. Did you do some airplane yoga? Get a few drinks? Make a new friend? Lock yourself in the bathroom?

Share your story and your advice. We’ll reward the best advice for overcoming a bad seat with a copy of the newly published “Rough Guide to Europe on a Budget,” out this month. The 1,280 page book is a budget traveler’s Bible, offering euro-saving advice for 34 countries in Europe, including top sights, cheap eats, and nightlife.

The contest deadline is Wednesday, April 2, 2008. (U.S. mailing addresses only and void where prohibited. We will be in contact with the winner by email to ask for their mailing address.)

Go ahead and post your story below!

As previously mentioned, Pete, Mere, and I returned from Europe on Monday afternoon. After attending the ITB travel conference in Berlin, we drove to Brussels (ha! more about that later) and started the “hotel hunt” part of the trip. Pete and Meredith took on Brussels and I took the train to Bruges, where I spent five days checking out the hotel scene.

First impressions of Bruges

As I had never been to Bruges, my expectations were limited. I anticipated a picturesque, small town, heavily touristed, high hotel prices, and hotel owners who might not have time for me. (In some cities, after all, hotel proprietors give you the impression that they have better things to do than, say, show you all of their rooms.) I was only partially correct.

Bruges is a gorgeous place, crisscrossed by canals, paved with cobblestones, and architecturally “preserved” to 16th-Century storybook perfection. It’s hard not to take photos — but also hard to figure out what to take photos of, as it’s all just so darn pretty. Stone bridge over canal. Pretty ivy-covered houses along canal. Antique market along canal. Fish market. Main market. Canal. Bell tower. As I was also in charge of taking photos for EuroCheapo, I gravitated toward taking pictures of tourists: reading their guidebooks in the market square, lining up for French fries, posing in front of the canal…

The tourist scene 

There were flocks of tourists, but not as many as I had feared. (”Feared” from a hotel inspection perspective. After all, it’s much more difficult to inspect hotels when all of their rooms are occupied.) Bruges, it turns out, is a place to go during the week. Tourists hit the city over the weekends—including throngs from neighboring Holland and France. During the week, however, there are fewer tourists, especially during the low season (autumn through Easter). Also, so many people visit Bruges as a day trip that the city seems to clear out at night, which is both refreshing and kind of spooky. However, during the high season, especially in the summer months, the city is packed and most of the hotels fill up.

Hotel and meal prices

I was surprised to find so many affordable hotels in the city center. Many hotels that I visited were in the €55-85 price range, making Bruges among the more affordable cities for lodging on the site. (As opposed to, say, Rome or Venice, with their €125 “cheapies”!) Best of all, most of the hotels were small, family-run affairs, most with fewer than 20 rooms.

Meal prices, however, were not so welcoming. I spent about an hour each night strolling the streets in search of a restaurant value. Of course, the main market square is lined with touristy restaurants offering semi-cheap set-price menus (some under €20). However, many of these serve sub-par food and charge you like mad for all incidentals (€8 water, €35 wine, etc.).

A welcoming city 

Finally, the hotel owners turned out to be an especially friendly lot. Being a small town, most of them know each other (or are related to each other). Bruges has over 125 family-run bed and breakfasts, most of which rent out just two or three rooms in their homes. I spent many pleasant hours in these, chatting with the owners, looking at their art collections, their unusual doll installations (you’ll be reading about that later!), and getting a better feeling for the city.

On Sunday afternoon, the proprietor of the hotel I was staying in sent me off for my last meal in town. “You haven’t yet had Belgian ‘pannenkoek‘? You need to try Rosemary’s pancakes before you leave!” She sent me to Cafe La Plaza, just north of the market. There, in a stylish Belgian restaurant (turn-tapas-bar at night), Rosemary, a friendly grandmother (and the mother-in-law of the hotel proprietor) cooks up a storm of local dishes.

It was probably one of my favorite meals of the year: Waterzooi, a chicken stew, served over puff pastry with mashed potatoes (think “Chicken a la King”’s Belgian cousin), two Jupiler beers, and Rosemary’s pancakes for dessert. Indeed, the pancakes were amazing, fluffy, buttery, folded, and stacked atop each other. I inhaled it all.

I told the waitress that I had been sent from the hotel to sample Rosemary’s wares. This was relayed to the pancake chef, who emerged from the kitchen, arms open, and embraced me. She then poured us both glasses of champagne.

It was probably the most memorable city exit I’ve ever made. Thank you, Bruges. And thank you, Rosemary!

Alas, after two weeks of traveling to Berlin, Brussels, and Bruges, these three Cheapos at Work had to fly home on Monday. Pete and Mere flew from Paris, and I returned from Brussels. 

Before I get into my “you won’t believe what Continental served us for breakfast” stomach-turner, I must apologize for not blogging during my six day hotel hunt in Bruges. The only excuse I can muster is that I was simply too tired to write. I hadn’t anticipated that Bruges would be so charming, friendly, and full of great hotels.

But more about Bruges tomorrow. I’m still fired up about my breakfast…

I returned to Brussels on Sunday night and woke up at 5:20 AM for my 8:20 Continental direct flight to New York. I was at the airport at 6:15, shuffled through check in, security, and along an extremely long terminal.

Leaving so early in the morning is kind of strange. It’s too early to get breakfast at the hotel, so you have to grab a bite at the airport. I managed to eat a quick croissant and coffee before boarding at 7:25, but I was ready for a proper breakfast.

We took off at 8:20. Soon after, Continental gave us honey-roasted peanuts and a drink. I should have already suspected something.

And then, at about 9:00 AM, they rolled down the aisle asking the unthinkable.

“Chicken or beef?” “Chicken or beef?” “I’ve got chicken and mashed potatoes or beef noodle.”

I was shocked, but not too shocked to note the reactions about me.

Many, after overcoming their initial confusion, simply resigned themselves to one of the meats and took their trays. One couple in front of me decided, in tandem, that they simply objected to the offer and didn’t want anything to do with the food or the server. The stewardess didn’t care.

“OK, don’t eat it. But this is an eight-hour flight. You’re going to be hungry.” She grimaced, and then rolled on.

When she came to me, I decided to dig a little for the real story.

“Excuse me, I don’t mean to be annoying,” I said, already accomplishing the task. “But why are you serving chicken and beef at 9 AM?”

She was cool. “Because it’s an eight hour flight.”

“Right. But why not serve it later, like at lunch time? Why not serve breakfast now?”

“What? We’re going to serve cereal and milk?” she laughed. “Do you want chicken or beef?”

I felt challenged. “No, but you could serve a muffin and a yogurt.”

“Look,” she said, obviously fed up. “Most people here ate breakfast at home before they left for the airport. Do you want chicken or beef?”

I was losing. “Well some people here slept in a hotel and had to be at the airport at 6 AM!”

She looked at me and shook her head. I somehow felt shame.

“Chicken.”

She rolled on and I uncovered my breakfast: One defeated chicken breast, limp atop mashed potatoes, mini carrots and green beans. All of it covered in gravy. The entree was accompanied by a lettuce salad, ranch dressing, a vacuum-packed dinner roll, and a brownie.

“Beer and wine is available for purchase for €4 or US $5. Please have correct change.”

Next time, I think I’ll fly a European carrier. You know, one that serves breakfast.

It’s been over a year since this Cheapo has been in Paris, and since I arrived on Thursday with my fellow Cheapo (and wife), Meredith, I’ve been surprised by two very noticeable changes: 1. Smokeless cafes and restaurants 2. Nifty bike rentals appearing on many, many street corners.

I’ll save commentary about smokeless cafes for a later post. Coming from a relatively recently smoke-free New York City, it’s more or less a similar effect, although seeing the bustling cafes of Saint-Germain des Pres without piles of Gauloises Blondes stacked on tables seems a little, well, weird. That said, customers are allowed - perhaps even encouraged - to smoke at outdoor tables, so maybe the change isn’t really that big of a deal.

As for Paris’ “Velib” bike rental program, though, there is no question it’s a city-wide success. Initially I thought the program would be more of a tourist draw and envisioned mobs of backpackers with Let’s Go guides doing wheelies down the Champs-Elysees, but such is not the case (especially because the bikes weigh about 50 pounds, making wheelies quite a feat to perform.) We’ve seen Parisians riding solo, groups of teenagers, businessmen heading to work, packs of friends coasting at low speeds, as well as many out of towners enjoying a ride. The late night post-bar bike scene has been particularly entertaining to observe, although I think some thought should be given to providing discounted helmets as well.

The Velib program is financed by the French advertising company JC Decaux and is managed by little ATM-ish kiosks next to each bike rental station, where passes can be purchased for a day, a week, a month or a year. Bikes can be found in clusters of 20 - 40 on many corners across Paris - they’re everywhere, especially in central Paris. The bikes are locked to a small pedastal that unlocks once a customer swipes a bike card and off they go! Bikes can be returned to the same rental stations or any of the others throughout the city, and the first 30 minutes are free.

As for the bikes themselves, they look like a Parisian version of Pee-Wee Herman’s bike: gray, somewhat bulky, super fat “I could ride over a thousand nails and not care” tires, basket and a little bell. In other words: perfect.

Now if only they could make a tandem rental with a luggage trolley to get us to the airport tomorrow morning….

There are some FAB budget hotels!

After Day #2 of braving the elements (and more than a few tour groups in search of the adorably bizarre Manneken Pis), the Cheapo squad is armed with some great finds!

We’ve found a 3 room chocolate-themed gem in the middle of town; a wild EU-inspired international themed hotel where each room is decorated in an individual country motif; a gorgeous 16 room charmer with a hoarse Jack Russel terrier named Mia who greets guests with a very low, raspy “woof”; heck, we even found the best Soupe de poisson for only 3.4 euros! (catch: you have to eat it while standing at a bar…and outside…and in the wind and rain…hmm, come to think of it, I have a slight sore throat…)

We have many more hotels to inspect in Brussels before heading off to Bruges. Onward, Cheapos!

Greetings from Berlin, which today (Thursday) has begun rather overcast and moody (see above — the view from my kitchen window in Prenzlauer Berg, overlooking Mauerpark). Yesterday, as I touched down in Tegel at 8:10 AM, I found the city blanketed in snow, a not-too-frequent occurrence this year.

I also found myself arriving on the first day of a transit strike. Trams, buses, and the U-Bahn shut-down yesterday, leaving passengers with only the above-ground S-Bahn for mass transportation. The strike continues today. My taxi driver whisked through the snow and along the back streets in Prenzlauer Berg, avoiding the congested highway.

Yesterday, in that “first day, no sleep” delirium that blesses you on your first day in Europe, Pete, Meredith and I had the good fortune to meet up with Hilary from Less Than a Shoestring, that great daily blog about serious budget (or “no budget”) travels. She’s based in Berlin and really knows how to see the town on, well, nothing!

We S-Bahned it to Unter den Linden, gawked at the Brandenburg Gate (see above, Mere smiling at the gate–after the snow had melted), and headed for the Reichstag, the seat of the German Parliament. The domed building, a must-visit for any traveler to Berlin, was still open at 6:30 PM when we arrived, and incredibly, had no line to speak of. (Also, as Hilary pointed out, the building has no admission charge to speak of, which makes it a “Cheapo Must.”) Within minutes we were climbing upward through the dome, looking out onto the twinkling capital city.

Euro-shock side note: On my Continental flight from Newark, the price for a small bottle of wine (or any other alcoholic beverage), is now “$5 or €3″! I hope that this special “Continental” exchange rate is not a reliable forecast of things to come!

Later today: A report from ITB, Berlin’s international travel expo. (Note, it, too is easily reachable by S-Bahn!)

At long last, Tom, Pete, and Mere are heading off to Berlin today to attend the ITB conference through Saturday. It should be quite an event, throwing together national and city tourist boards, travel writers, travel agencies, and other industry types for three hectic days.

The organizers of the event sent off a press release on Monday screaming that the event has sold out. We’ll see what the Berlin Messe looks like when it’s packed to its brutalist walls!

And then, as Pete noted on Friday, we’ll head to Brussels to see what the city looks like from a budget traveler’s perspective. As Pete and Meredith tackle the hotel scene there, I’ll head off to Bruges for the week to see what budget hotel options exist in that medieval playground.

Along the way, we’ll be blogging. We’ll cover the travel conference, the hotel hunt, and the state of bargain travel in Belgium. With the US dollar slipping daily against the euro (today it’s at $1.52), this will be a timely test to see how far we can stretch our euros. And I imagine that the three of us will get a bit competitive about who can stretch their budget the farthest… while still traveling with a bit of style, naturally.

During the next two weeks, we invite you to join us on the trip. And please send us your thoughts along the way about ways to save or things to do. We’ll be looking for your help!

Coming tomorrow: Hallo, Berlin!