We take lots of photos while visiting hotels in Europe.  While most of them look fine and accurately capture each hotel, every now and then we notice something unexpected in the corner of the frame.  Something lurking in the shadows.  Something creepy.

That’s right Cheapos:  sometimes we take pictures of budget hotel ghosts!

Think we’re kidding?  Just have a look at the photos below and see if you notice anything peculiar… mwaaahaaahaaa!

#1.  Creepy toilet

This bathroom shot was taken on a sunny day, in a room filled with natural light. So why does this toilet give us the creeps? Because it’s haunted!

#2. Floating leg in shower!

Looks like a typical bathroom scene in a trendy London hotel, right? Everything looks up to snuff, until you notice the floating GHOST LEG in the shower!

3. Haunted London bedroom!

This was nearly a “hotel crush,” until we developed this shot and noticed the menacing ghost orb floating above the bed—and the greenish pillow stains of guests long gone… (Editor’s note:  This hotel did not make our final cut…)

 4. Phantom in Brussels!

This photo was taken by Meredith while making her rounds in Brussels last spring. So who’s that man in the corner? A G-H-O-S-T!

5. Ghost orb in Dublin bathtub!

Another orb appears… this time in a Dublin bathtub. We shouldn’t have been surprised. ORBS TAKE BATHS!

6. Pioneer man in Paris pension!

We swear, we were alone in the room when snapping this shot in the Latin Quarter. Who gave him a key? GHOSTS DON’T NEED KEYS!

7. Maverick looking out the window!

Imagine our shock when we studied this shot of an un-named London youth hostel (located “steps from the British Museum”). How did she get there? No wait, she’s just a figment of our imagination, VANISHING BEFORE OUR EYES!

SEND US YOUR CREEPY SHOTS!

Have any spooks shown up unexpectedly in your photos? Email them, we’ll post ‘em! Happy Halloween, Cheapos!

Popularity: 6% [?]

Wine for sale. Photo by hummeline.

France’s independent wineries are taking their bottles on the road November 2008-March 2009 in the country’s Independent Wine Growers Expo (”Les Salons des Vins des Vignerons Indépendants”). Of interest to discerning Cheapos, the expo only costs €6! (About the cost of one decent glass of wine back home.)

The three-day events, held on subsequent weekends in eight cities across France, are delicious ways to meet growers and taste wines from the France’s 12 wine regions. Hundreds of wineries, hailing from Alsace to the Vallee du Rhone, will be manning booths, pouring samples, and selling their wares.

The wine expo travels around France, making the following stops:

2008

Lyon: October 30-November 3 (Halle Tony Garnier)
Reims: November 7-10 (Parc des Expos)
Lille: November 14-17 (Grand Palais)
Paris: November 27-December 1 (Porte de Versailles)

2009 - websites not yet available

Rennes: January 30-February 1(Parc Expo)
Strasbourg: February 13-16 (Wacken/Hall 20)
Lyon: February 27-March 1 (Eurexpo - Hall 10)
Bordeaux: March 13-15 (Parc Expo)

Check out the Independent Wine Growers Expo website for more information (in French). The site allows you to research attendees by wine region, by appellation, and by winery. You can find their booth in advance, and even print out a map of the expo.

A votre santé! And see you there…

Popularity: 6% [?]

The Alte Pinakothek Museum in Munich. Photo by Clare and Ben

You don’t want to leave Munich without visiting some of the city’s wonderful art, history, and science museums. Aside from traditional museum, visitors to Munchen have no shortage of other sightseeing options, from flea markets to cafes and the Hofbrauhaus.

Here’s our “Cheapo Strategy”: During the week, keep busy with biergartens and Bavarian buildings. But on the weekend, take advantage of the several city museums that charge only €1!

Art on a shoestring

Each Sunday, many of Munich’s best-known museums offer reduced entrance fares to visitors.

For instance, you can tour the Alte Pinakothek’s collection of European art, the modern art at the Lenbachhaus, Roman and Greek architecture at the Glyptothek, and the sculpture and musical instruments at the Bayerisches National Museum’s, each for a small €1 admission charge.

If you want to hold onto every last euro, Munich can be even friendlier on your wallet.

Entrance to the unique collections at the Kartoffelmuseum, the Siemens AG company museum, and the Geologisches Museum are free seven days a week.

While you’re at it

Be sure to check the museums’ websites for any upcoming events. For instance, the Glyptothek, Munich’s museum of classical Roman and Greek art, hosts a “Lange Nacht der Museen” twice a year, when the museum’s doors stay open till 2 a.m.

Tell us: Have any other Munich tourist tips? Add them below!

Popularity: 6% [?]

A bar in Paris. Photo by Bart Hoevenaars

October 28—With the US presidential election only days away, candidates aren’t the only ones scrambling to organize their schedules. Americans living and traveling abroad are also figuring out where to go next Tuesday night to watch the results come in.

We’ve heard from several wandering Cheapos about their election night plans, many of which include meeting up with other Americans to throw back (several) beers with patriotic gusto.

Listed below are a few suggestions for election night viewing parties in Paris, London, Rome,  Amsterdam, and Berlin, among other cities.

AMSTERDAM

US Election Party hosted by Amsterdam American Business Club:  An all-night event taking place at the Hilton Hotel Amsterdam, including panel discussions with Dutch and American politicians, snacks and an early morning breakfast.  Tickets required.  Apollolaan 138, 1077 BG Amsterdam.

Boom Chicago Election Night Party:  A wild and crazy evening of comedy and poll watching at this central Amsterdam laugh-house.  Tickets are required (and you might bump into EuroCheapo staffer Christopher Franco if you go!).  Leidseplein 12, 1017 PT Amsterdam.  Tel: +31 20 53 07300.

Molly Malone’s Irish Pub:  Just looking for a big bar with a giant TV?  Look no further.  Free entry.  Oudezijds Kolk 9, 1012 AL Amsterdam.  Tel: +31 20 6241150.

ATHENS

Democrats Abroad Greece: Election Night Party at the Athens Hilton, 9 pm until dawn, with a buffet, music, and video. Ambassador Speckhard is scheduled to speak. Contact pressofficer@democratsabroad.org for details.

BARCELONA

Democrats Abroad: Election Watch Party from 9:30 p.m. to 3 a.m. at Luz de Gas, Sala B, calle Muntaner 246. Contact pressofficer@democratsabroad.org for details.

Hillary, our budget travel pal from from Less Than A Shoestring, emailed us the following update for election parties in Berlin:

“There are two big open events in Berlin: one at the Amerika Haus starts in the early evening and goes only till 1 a.m.; the second starts at 10:30 p.m. and goes till the race is called, with Democrats Abroad Berlin at Babylon (Mitte). The former is free (but reservations only, and they’re totally booked); the second is 3.50 euros in advance, 5 euros at the door (but also likely to sell out quickly).”

BRUSSELS

The Renaissance Brussels Hotel is hosting an election event, sponsored by the American Club of Brussels amd The Bulletin.

BUDAPEST

From BC: I’ve called AmCham, the embassy, and a few companies. There isn’t another party that I can find. However, I’ve also called a few sports bars and Champs will play the elections on its TVs starting at 10:45 (after the champions league match). The bar technically closes at 1am but I hope it will remain open if there is a crowd. A few of us will be at Champs at 10:45. Just ask the bartenders what table is the US election party.

COPENHAGEN

The US Embassy and AmCham are having an event at the Marriott. It’s only from 10pm to 2am, so all the results won’t be in by the time the event is over. Info is at http://amcham.dk/events.php?sec=events&id=249

The American Expats in Copenhagen Meet Up is hosting a party at Cafe Globon, too - http://www.meetup.com/american-27/calendar/9059973/.

The social democratic party have election nights in all major towns in Denmark. The Facebook site for the Copenhagen event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=43546658752

DUBLIN

The Button Factory is having a party, which is now sold out.

Democrats Abroad Ireland will be hosting an Election Night party at Cafe en Seine on Dawson Street in Dublin. Contact pressofficer@democratsabroad.org for details.

FLORENCE

Democrats Abroad: Watch Night Party from 6 p.m. – 4 a.m., at Saschall. There will also be a Victory Party for Thursday, November 6, 8:30 - late (location tbd). Contact pressofficer@democratsabroad.org for details.

LONDON

Yates Wine Bar:  Billing itself as “the biggest bi-partisan election night party in London,” the Yates Wine Bar in Leicester Square is open through 4 AM GMT and is providing coverage via CNN and FOX.  There’s a buffet and drink vouchers, but tickets are required.  Yates’s Wine Bar, Leicester Square, London.

MADRID

Democtat’s Abroad Election Watch Party (11 p.m until early morning): Círculo de Bellas Artes; Calle Alcalá 42. Madrid (metro: Banco de España). Live music, dancing, live election returns coverage. Contact pressofficer@democratsabroad.org for details.

MUNICH

Democrats Abroad: Election Night Party at Bushing Garden. Program: 7:00-10:00pm; Dinner for early guests with a special “Obama Menu” and a music program. From 9:00pm-till sunrise, there will be a party with music and dancing. Contact pressofficer@democratsabroad.org for details.

PARIS

“La Nuit Americaine” All-night event organized by the City Hall of the 3rd Arrondissement to “explore and understand the United States,” while tuning in to election results. (They’ll even be screening “Little Miss Sunshine,” “Crash,” and “Vertigo” before serving breakfast!).  Free entry.  Mairie de 3eme, Salle Odette Pilpoul, 2 rue Eugene Spuller, 75003, Paris.  Tel:  +33 15 30 17503.   

Americans Abroad for Obama Party: 11:30 p.m.  Free entry. Palais Maillot, 2, Place de La Porte Maillot, Paris. 

Harry’s Bar New York:  What better place to soak up election drama than at the bar that created the Bloody Mary? Harry’s also hosts a famous expat straw poll.  Free entry.  5 rue Daunou 2nd Mº Opéra, Paris, 75002.

PRAGUE

“Democrats in Prague”: Election Night Watch Parties in two locations, The Globe Bookstore and Jama Restaurant. Contact pressofficer@democratsabroad.org for details.

ROME

American International Club of Rome:  A bi-partisan, bi-lingual extravaganza at the Parco dei Principi Hotel Conference Center.  Political commentary and speakers sprawled across 4 convention halls.  Tickets required. Via G. Frescobaldi, 5, Rome.  

From Roman correspondent Annie Shapero:

“Democrats Abroad” Party in Termini Station: The group is throwing a party from 1 AM - 5 AM in Rome’s main train station (exact location will be emailed). The catered event includes an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast and American-style coffee. The event costs €20 (€15 for food, and €5 for the group). For more information email events.rome@democratsabroad.it.

STOCKHOLM

All-night election watch with dinner, discussions and entertainment at the Scandic Hotel Anglais, Humlegårdsgatan 23, Stockholm, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Contact pressofficer@democratsabroad.org for details.

VIENNA

The Democrats Abroad are having a party in the 19th District, the Lion Rampant Pub, Billrothstrasse 16: http://www.democratsabroad.org/sites/default/files/DAAElectionNight2008.pdf

Tell Us

Do you plan to watch the elections from abroad? Tell us about it. And please list any other parties you know about below!

Editor’s Note: We have listed several Democratic-leaning events above. Most of this information has been provided by Democrats Abroad. Find more information, including more parties, on their website. We have looked hard for Republican events as well, but to no avail. If you know of any, please let us know.

Popularity: 28% [?]

Pilsner Urquell and a fabulous coaster. Photo by burge5000

Tourists flock to Prague for its Gothic architecture, striking art, affordable performances, and yes… zlevneny pivo, or “cheap beer.” Once you’ve polished off a half-liter of Staropramen, why not pick up the free coaster on which it sat?

Coast to coaster

For centuries, agricultural conditions in the Czech republic have proven ideal for growing hops. Historians place beer brewing as early as 859 AD. By 1200, most residents of the landlocked countryside had a home brew of their own. After the Velvet Revolution of 1989, investors started flooding into the Czech beer market, and the suds have been flowing ever since.

Today, the Czech population drinks an impressive (estimated) 156 liters of beer per person, per year. National brews, including Pilsner Urquell, Gambrinus, and Bernard, are served everywhere at anytime, even in breakfast cafés.

A half-liter of pivo ranges in price from CZK 24 to CZK 97 ($1.25 to $5 USD). Most pubs plunk drinks down on promotional coasters replete with enticing photos and slogans in the Western Slavik tongue. Grab yours… and maybe your neighbor’s, as well. They’ll be a hit back home.

While you’re at it…

Grab a bunch of arty Mucha postcards suitable for framing. Alfons Mucha was born in Ivancice, Moravia in 1860 and would later be attributed as the creator of the art nouveau art style. After dropping into a print shop in Paris, Mucha became an overnight sensation with his promotional poster for “Gismonda,” a popular play starring Sarah Bernhardt. Much postcards sell for CZK 12 ($.60 USD) to CZK 20 ($1 USD).

Popularity: 6% [?]

Art and Paris are forever linked—throughout history, popular culture, and in the minds of most visitors to the French capital. Reproduction posters, postcards, and vintage magazine covers allow tourists to bring home a frame-worthy piece of art history (often by the likes of Gauguin, Degas, and Toulouse-Lautrec) for a vraiment cheapo price.

Boutique or bouquiniste?

Gifts from museum shops or boutiques can be expensive. So, we suggest looking for inspiration at any of the city’s museums or art galleries, and then purchasing your souvenir posters at a riverside bouquiniste.  Similar in look to outdoor newsstands, these green stalls are located along the river Seine and sell vintage magazines and newspapers, as well as old maps of Paris, art reproductions, and French books. 

We especially love the colorful turn-of-the-century advertisements for liquor, cigarettes, cocoa, and milk, as well as the cabaret posters of the same era. Most wares will run you less than €10.

Souvenir savoir-faire

The first Seine-side salesmen appeared in the 19th century on quai Voltaire and sold many of the same items you still see sold today. In 1993, President Jacques Chirac created legal standards for the wooden stands. Today, around 250 vendors—bouquinistes—can be found in the city of light. Peppered along the right bank, on Pont Marie, at Quai du Louvre, the left bank, at Quai de la Tournelle, and the original quai Voltaire, they carry cheapo souvenirs in abundance.

Calling all Cheapos: Do you recommend buying souvenirs from a Parisian bouquiniste? Tell us about your experience below, or suggest another cheap Parisian souvenir!

Also see: Our list of recommended budget hotels in Paris.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Pastis and Pétanque. Photo by C-Reel

Nothing tastes better or more provencale, than a glass of pastis in the afternoon, before a hearty dish of bouillabaisse, or after dinner. For the love of Cheapo, when in Nice, please bring home a bottle of this delectable aperitif from the south of France.

Cheers back home

In 1915, absinthe, sometimes known as the “green fairy,” was banned in France. Pernod Fils and Ricard reformulated a drink without the illegal wormwood using less alcohol and more star anise and sugar. The strong liqueur is generally mixed with water, five parts to one. Clear on its own, pastis clouds when you add water to it. Use ice with caution as the cubes have a tendency to crystallize the pastis.

Though popular all over France, pastis is heavily associated with the lifestyle of southeastern France. You can pick up a bottle at almost any grocery store or supermarket. A 70 cl bottle will cost about €10.

NOTE: Americans may bring home 1 Liter of alcohol without paying any tariffs or taxes. More bottles may be brought back for personal use, but you will have to pay a tax. Read more on the US Customs website.

While you’re at it…

Pick up a bottle or two of rosé wine. With an emphasis on Mourvedre grapes, up to 80 percent of the wine manufactured in the Provence region is the charmingly pink-colored rosé. And don’t worry about rules governing what months are “okay” to drink rosé… it’s always a good idea, as far as we’re concerned!

Popularity: 8% [?]

 
Tee-browsing along the sidewalks of New York. Photo by John and Keturah

The “I (heart) NY” tee is a global phenomenon. Walk through any major European city and you’re bound to see one, two, or ten of the tees, known for their block lettering and bright red heart. For good reason, too. Nothing translates into “cheap souvenir” like buying five New York shirts for just $10!

We (heart) souvenirs

Created pro bono in 1977 by Milton Glaser for a marketing campaign to promote New York State, the original design for “I (heart) NY” was intended to be in the public eye for only a few months. But locals and tourists alike took hold of the black, white and red symbol. A popular souvenir movement was born.

While finding your own special tee in Times Square or around Soho has its own allure, shops around Chinatown and Madison Square Garden (in the west 30s) offer better deals. Look for street vendors with tables of tees offering crazy deals. Some vendors even sell five shirts for $10. Individual tees go for about $3 to $30, depending on quality.

While you’re at it…

Grab some of the other cheap trinkets available on the vendor tables in Soho and the Fashion District. We’re talking about mini taxi cabs, cityscape snow globes, foam Statue of Liberty crowns, Times Square playing cards, etc. Classic. 

Also see: Our recommended budget hotels in New York City.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Over the past couple years we’ve developed pretty thick skin when discussing the weakness of the dollar versus the euro or British pound.

Just this summer the euro hit an all-time high of $1.60, while the overwhelming strength of the pound introduced the budget traveler’s nightmare of $6 Cokes in London.

My, how times have changed.

As of this morning (October 22, 2008), the euro is worth $1.28 and the British pound is down to $1.62. Say what?

To put this sudden drop in exchange rates in context, the euro has not been this low since November 2006, and many economists expect it to decrease further in coming months.

While today’s euro exchange rate isn’t as low as the currency’s record low against the dollar, the stronger dollar does offer immediate relief to American tourists abroad, as well as a bit of happy economic news in an otherwise chaotic economic climate. 

Tell us: How strong will it get?

How much stronger do you think the dollar will become during the next year?  Will a stronger dollar influence your decision to take a trip to Europe? We’d love to hear from our fellow Cheapos. Please add your comments below!

Photo from davidrcichon.com.

Popularity: 7% [?]

The colorful town square of Poznan, Poland. Photo by giannisl

The main square of Poznan, Poland always has a buzz on weekend nights as the Lizard King competes with Bee Jay’s and the DV Club to transmit the loudest vibes. But the university city of Poznan, exactly half way between Berlin and Warsaw, is more than just a pizza and party town.

Poznan’s main square: a place to be

Yes, Poz is cool, cool, cool, but not just a city for electric nights out. It happens to boast a fabulous city square. Not as picture perfect as that in Zamosc perhaps, and not sacrificed to tourism like Kraków’s celebrated Rynek.

Poz does better than Kraków by saving its star attraction for the locals, though how long that will last is another matter. The big brand names have arrived in town, but for now at least their chic retail outlets are tucked away in side streets. The square is a place for fun, not for exclusive commerce. Each time we go to Poz we fear we’ll find Bulgari or Burberry boasting window space on that square. Not yet, though. The Lizard King reigns supreme.

And freebies too!

Poz is full of lively night life and free entertainment. This is a throwback to the Poland of a dozen years back. Summer nights see free alfresco screenings of classic movies out on the shores of Lake Malta. And the Lech brewery on the edge of town offers free tours all year round – a good place to bone up on brewing subtleties before a night out at the Lizard King.

And for those wanting respite from the club scene, the Brovaria hotel on Poznan’s main square is a hint of what’s to come: a stylish bar, all mirrors and restrained minimalism, with its own boutique brewery.

About the authors: Nicky Gardner and Susanne Kries, the authors of this post, are the editors of hidden europe magazine. You can preview the contents of the upcoming November issue of hidden europe here.

Popularity: 7% [?]