Denmark, home to Hans Christian Andersen and all those friendly, tall—and it must be said—great Danes, was recently proclaimed the happiest place on earth. In a number of population studies, pollsters asked residents to rate their level of happiness and other factors, and it seems the Danes have a real twist for felicity.

All this happiness, in spite of high taxes and hefty price tags? After all, according to the Big Mac Index, a Happy Meal must cost at least $5 in Copenhagen! Yet we agree: Denmark is a happy (and happening) place!

Here are five of our favorite and free ways to boost your serotonin in Copenhagen:

1) Get cultured 

In 2006, the National Museum and the Statens Museum of Kunst became free to the public. And, every Wednesday, a number of other major museums and galleries open their doors without a charge. We suggest the Tøjhusmuseet, where the relics of the Royal Danish Arsenal are housed, and the Hirschsprungske and Ordrupgaard Collections, two museums with some of the best French and Danish art from the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. For more info and to browse current exhibitions, go to the Copenhagen Tourism’s art museum page.

2) Park yourself

Copenhagen has some of the most expansive and pretty parks in Europe. Retreats like Orsteds Park, Frederiksberg Garden or Vondelpark are free to enter and stroll. Both have incredible sculptures and fountains and a host of traveling street performers. We also recommend the Botanical Gardens.

3) Get thee to church

Seriously, not only are Copenhagen’s many religious establishments architectural marvels, but they’re free to visit, and often host free concerts. Some charge a nominal fee for truly spectacular shows, like the Danish boys choir Christmas concert at the Church of Our Lady (Vor Frue Kirke), founded in 1209.

4) Grab a bike without paying

Yes, it’s that easy. You see a bike. You need a bike? You take the bike and ride it. A minimal deposit (about $3) gets returned when you bring the bike back to any number of designated spots. The promotion runs annually from May 1st to December 15th. More info can be found here.

5) See the statues

Go for a walk near the Copenhagen harbor, and spend some time gazing at the Little Mermaid. (She can’t charge you a krone to check out her scales.) Near City Hall, visit with Hans Christian Andersen. Later, walk the stone path at the Thorvaldsens museum in Slotsholmen.

Whatever you do, take lots of photos… or take brochures. After all, they’re free!

Photo by temp13rec.

Parents! Don’t forget to take Mieze Katze, Bello der Hund, and Petzi Bär along, because the kids are flying too.

Austrian Airlines is adding another Aktion to its summer repetoire by offering free flights to all children under the age of 11. Mothers and fathers who want to bring their tots along can book through the end of June to take advantage of the Kids for Free program. The promotional fare is valid from June 30 until August 31 to destinations across the European Union, Russia, and Ukraine.

Flights can be booked online. Taxes and fees are included and booked flights count toward frequent flyer program credit.

Okay, so they’re not always that cheap. But if you sign up for The Hoxton Urban Lodge’s newsletter, you’ll be alerted when they do have room sales. Just click here, and get on the mailing list to be alerted when £1 rooms are up for the taking. Hell, even when rooms aren’t a pound, they usually hover between £59 and £79—cheap in London.

The Hoxton is on Great Eastern Street in London’s hip (if a bit too trendy) East End. Some of the best nightlife in town is within a ten minute walk. All rooms have super soft Frette sheets, free Wi-Fi, coffee, milk, water, and tea, and a heavenly waterfall shower head (plus soft towels and Pears soap.)

Room Service is reasonable and there’s a 24-hour shop in the lobby just in case you’ve forgotten anything. Rooms come complete with mini-breakfast so you won’t be starving before you leave either. And newspapers are free, to boot. Sign us up.

Photo by Simon_K

The good people at The Foundation for Tourism in Geneva and Unireso have given Cheapos another reason to visit their fair canton (as if lounging about Place du Bourg-de-Four wasn’t reason enough.) As of January, tourists staying in one of Geneva’s hotels, youth hostels, or camp sites are entitled to a free Geneva Transport Card.

The personal, credit card-style Transport Cards cover fares on all trams, buses, local CFF trains, and yellow taxi boats. The cards can only be picked up at your lodging’s check-in desk and are valid for the length of your stay.

We’d file this dispatch under “Budget Deals,” but the Foundation and Unireso plan to offer this “deal” indefinitely.

Photo by barraclough

There are two world-class opera houses in Paris, and we’re happy to report that they both sell cheap last-minute tickets. Just show up an hour before the performance and wait in line – and yes, you can wear whatever you want, even jeans. Tickets prices are quite inexpensive, ranging from €5 to €10, depending on location.

Competition for last-minute seats is fierce at the historic opera house, Opéra Garnier, but tickets are almost always available at the post-modern Opéra Bastille, especially on weeknights. Both venues are under the direction of the Opéra de Paris, and both maintain busy production schedules. In April alone, there are four operas, five ballets, and two classical concerts between the two houses: information and schedules for the productions are online.

Opéra Garnier is located at Place de l’Opéra, 8th arrondissement, metro Opéra (lines 3 & 7; the connection to line 8 reopens May 18 2007).  Finding the ticket office at Opéra Garnier is easy: walk through the main doors into the huge marble hall and go right. 

Opéra Bastille is located at Place de la Bastille, 12th arrondissement, metro Bastille (lines 1, 5, & 8). To find the ticket office, you have to walk around the building to the right of the teenagers who lounge and smoke on the giant staircase. Ah, Paris…

Photo by manna_from_the_heavens

Gucci, Fendi, and Prada … Three perfect excuses to plan a trip to Italy. You probably didn’t expect to hear those names on Eurocheapo, but we’re going to let you in on a little secret:

Twice a year, fashion retailers, from mass chains like Benetton to swanky designer boutiques, hold a sale that will blow your mind. Nearly all pricetags are slashed in half on January 15th and June 15th. Under Italian law, this is the only time such deep discounts can occur, to prevent fraud and unfair competition. The sales generally last around a month.

Those who brave the frenzied crowds on the first days will be rightfully rewarded. Italians know their fashion and the good stuff goes first!

Photograph by Tomsch

Now that spring is officially here, with daylight saving time adjusted, Austrians are up and ready for outdoor activities, including the famous open-air music festivals that fill their streets with music and tourists.

Nickelsdorf, a sleepy village in Burgenland, will be the scene of one of the biggest rock festivals in Europe, attracting visitors from the ever-expanding corners of Europe. The vast Pannonia Fields is gearing up for Nova Rock for the third time.

This year attendees will witness the reunion of Smashing Pumpkins, along with Pearl Jam. Other musicians who have confirmed their appearances are Marilyn Manson, Incubus, The Killers, Slayer, The Hives, My Chemical Romance, Mando Diao, and Frank Black. Even Hollywood actor Jared Leto’s side project 30 Seconds to Mars is slated to perform.

The festival will run from June 15 to 17. Tickets range from €179 (including camping and parking) to €30 (for the so-called Caravan ticket). For concert attendees located anywhere in Austria outside of Burgenland, Austrian Railways is offering a 25% reduction on train journeys to and from the festival. Get a hold of their EVENTticket passes by booking on their Web site.

Photograph by Stuart’s Photos

We’ve long been fans of Dutch bargain holiday boutique chains like D-Reizen, which regularly put together deals that amaze us.

A quick look today at D-Reizen’s “Last Minute TOP-10″ list turned up three particularly interesting deals. These range from the unremarkable (€87.50 for a double room at an Ibis in Ghent, Belgium) to the downright intriguing (€420.50 for a seven nights in a two-person apartment in Alanya on the Turkish Riviera, including airfare from Amsterdam.)

Our favorite of the bunch: a double room for seven nights in Mayrhofen, Austria (see above) for just €182.50. That’s not per person, either—€182.50 is the total price for a week’s stay for two.

When will travel chains outside of Europe finally begin to coordinate holiday package offerings with their European equivalents?

Photograph by Kari Hoerchler

The Tower Hotel Group has just announced a Midweek Madness deal for their Temple Bar Hotel, through April 30.

This offer is valid Sunday through Thursday nights, and with a €120 per room per night rate for up to three guests, this is a good deal for a hotel in the heart of Dublin’s entertainment district. Though cheaper digs in Dublin abound, those looking for a dependable business-class hotel with standard amenities could do a lot worse.

Millions of tourists flock to Temple Bar every year for pubs, grub, free concerts, outdoor markets, and even the occasional serenade from a sensational wandering busker. Book stalls, the Project Arts Centre, the Ark Children’s Centre, the Temple Bar Music Centre, the New Theatre all render Temple Bar Dublin’s Cultural Quarter.

With the 2007 Handel Festival just around the corner (April 13 through April 20), Cheapos might want snap up this deal before other culture vultures swoop down on this hot hotel deal.

photograph courtesy of nofranz

Vienna is no Beijing. But when it comes to bicycles, the Viennese fully support two-wheeled transport without any fuss. They take their bikes as far as they can, come rain or shine. The sight of a well-dressed exec—all in black—pedalling his way to work isn’t a novelty.

It’s this love of bikes that Citybike Wien exploits. A somewhat atypical biking rental system, Citybike Wien is an easy way to get around the city while doing the environment a big favor and getting some exercise.

Citybike already boasts 50 terminals, with five more to be added next month. Bikes can be borrowed or returned at any time at any of these automated terminals—24 hours a day, seven days a week.

What’s more, the people from Citybike make it easy for tourists to take advantage of the system. Tourists can purchase the Citybike Tourist Card by going to one of Citybike’s issuing departments: Royal Tours, Herrengasse 1-3, 1010 Vienna, (every day 9 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.) and Pedal Power, Ausstellungsstrasse 3, 1020 Vienna (every day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.). The Citybike Tourist Card can also be purchased from hotels and pensions. Pay up for a one-time borrowing fee of €2—yes, €2! can you believe it?—per day and everything’s set for a hustle-free Vienna tour.