May 27, 2010. Like a good Cheapo, you’re planning to avoid currency exchange counters and head for the ATM upon arrival in Europe. But if you’re American, we have a couple of questions for you. How much does your American bank charge to withdraw money from a foreign ATM? Do they take a percentage? What’s » Read more

It is that time of year when Europeans enjoy a number of weekdays off work, variously celebrating this or that religious feast or national festival. This month has already seen public holidays associated with Mayday and the Liberation or end of World War II (the latter understandably marked more by victors than by the vanquished). » Read more

Continuing our “4 Cheapo Questions” series, this week we hop across the pond to Oslo, Norwary to say hello to our travel pal Sam Daams, co-founder of Travellerspoint.com. We had the pleasure of getting to know Sam when our paths crossed in London last year, during which time he told us the fun and interesting » Read more

Following up on hidden europe’s great post on budget air routes to the Baltic and the Balkans of two weeks ago, I thought I’d take a look at a very exciting aspect of the Air Baltic route map, namely, its inclusion of a range of former Soviet capital cities. Caucasus and Central Asian destinations For » Read more

Apparently a postcard just wouldn’t do. Last week (May 20, 2010) in Paris, a thief swathed in black picked a padlock, smashed a window and stole five masterpieces from the Musée d’Art Moderne. Taken were “Dove with Green Peas” by Picasso (1911), “La Pastorale” by Matisse (1906), “Olive Tree Near l’Estaque” by Georges Braque (1906), » Read more

While the Vatican Museums and Pantheon in Rome may keep the grown-ups enthralled, the endless “old stuff” may not captivate kids for long. So for anyone traveling with younger ones to Rome, what can the ancient city offer to keep everyone amused? Well, many things, as it turns out! Plus, many of the city’s kid-friendly » Read more

New York, Los Angeles and Paris aren’t the world’s only cinematic cities. Filmmakers love to set their films against Berlin’s exciting cityscape (which also hosts the annual Berlinale film festival). “Inglorious Basterds,” “The Bourne Supremacy” and “A Good German” are just a few of the films that have been enhanced by the city’s historic and » Read more

May 19, 2010. Europe’s recent financial troubles, propelled by the debt crisis in Greece and other countries, have given European markets the jitters in the past few weeks. As a result, many investors have turned away from the euro, causing its value to plummet against the US dollar. As of today, the US dollar is » Read more

In my opinion, the Magere Brug (the “Skinny Bridge” in English) is the best bridge in Amsterdam because of its beauty (by day and by night) and its ideal location on the Amstel River. It’s my favorite place to sit and dangle my feet in the sunlight. A trace from the Golden Age The Skinny » Read more