By Tom Meyers— Here’s a quick tip for you: When traveling in Paris (or really in any city in our guide), buy your bottled water at a nearby supermarket and not at a newsstand, sidewalk vendor, or train station kiosk where they will have tacked on a steep mark-up. The supermarket is the obvious “local” » Read more

By Bryan Pirolli in Paris— While many essentials in Paris, like hotels and macarons, or even plastic bags and shopping carts, come with a price, other items are surprisingly free. Knowing when to ask for basic Parisian rights can be tricky, so here’s a list of a few things for which you should never have » Read more

By Audrey Sykes in Amsterdam— A day on less than €20 in Amsterdam? Can it be done? Why, yes it can! Amsterdam might not be the cheapest Euro destination, but thanks to its outdoor happenings and entertainment freebies, it’s certainly possible. Here’s my plan for a perfect Cheapo-day: Breakfast: Head to the Heijn The local » Read more

McSorley’s Old Ale House in New York’s East Village is hardly a hidden gem. Given its status as New York’s “oldest continuously operated saloon,” most guidebooks recommend a visit and the weekend lines tend to trail out the front door. And if you visit during peak hours you’ll have a hard time finding a spot to sit, » Read more

A gorgeous terminal in Madrid’s airport. Photo by lowfatbrains. One of the things we look forward to each January is making our annual New Year’s resolutions. Call us crazy, but for whatever reason, the process of manic reinvention and self renewal just gets us excited. And while we have a number of the ol’ standbys » Read more

A reception set up in the ruins of St. Donatian’s Church, now a Crowne Plaza. Photo by the Crowne Plaza Hotel. For nearly one thousand years a massive stone church sat on Bruges’ Burg square. It was destroyed about 200 years ago, but parts of it remain today under a Crowne Plaza Hotel and can be » Read more

Photo courtesy of AndreJenny.com Ah, Vienna – land of sacher torte, carriage rides, and Mozart! The ringed city, we think, is best viewed on foot. While traditional tram rides provide a respite from hoofing it, if you want to experience the true Vienna, consider a themed walking tour. While tours through travel agencies could cost » Read more

If you can pull your gaze from the winding canals and floating gondolas, you’ll find there’s plenty of art to see in Venice. Many of the Italian masters, including Titian, Tintoretto, and Giorgione, have artwork on display around the city. While the biggest museums, such as the Gallerie dell’Accademia and the Ca’ d’Oro charge anywhere from » Read more

Photo by jamieca While a visit to Stockholm’s Royal Palace (Kungliga Slottet) requires a ticket, the palace’s guards put on a delightful daily floor show that won’t cost you a krona! The palace is located in the epicenter of Stockholm, perched above the charming island of Gamla Stan. The fact that the royal family no longer » Read more