This Wednesday at 2 pm EST (8 pm British Summer Time) Tom will be a panelist on a live blog event panel with our friends over at Europe à la Carte.

Tom will be joining other travel bloggers to discuss the travel blog industry and respond to reader feedback about what they look for in a travel blog. Fellow participants from the South Pacific Travel Blog, Vagablond.com, Soultravelers3.com and Colliding Continents will be on deck, and Karen from Europe à la Carte will moderate.

Any Cheapos who are interested in posting questions, commenting on the travel blog industry or reading feedback from the panelists should swing on over and say hello!

What are the Cheapos reading over lunch today? Here’s a quick Tuesday flip-through:

Flight Reading

When we can’t hop on a plane and jet to Europe, we tend to pick up a good read to quell the urge. So, we were happy to be reminded by The Intelligent Traveler that “The Best American Travel Writing”, 2007 edition, which hit bookstores last fall, is chock full of essays that will take you there.

Travel Gal Pals

We’re excited for the launch of Budget Travel’s new magazine, Girlfriend Getaways. The first issue is out on newsstands now and includes a cheeky article by Ann Hood about how she and a few friends went searching for George Clooney while visiting Italy’s Lake District. We tried to find George too, while at ITB Berlin. But, only got as far as this wax figurine.

Budapest Bets 

Last week, Daily Candy emailed us about Budapest. Not only did they dish up ideas for where to get drinks, soak up the entertainment factor, and eat our hearts out, but they also recommend a few spas. Who wants to play chess in a sauna? We do!

Local Listings

We’re loving Olivia Giovetti’s (aka “High Culture on a Low Budget“) feature “Ask a Local.” This week, she asked Mike from Munich about his cheapest thrills and where he gets his doner kebab. We’ll definitely be following this series!

You read. You posted. You conquered, Cheapos.

Recently, we regaled you with the story of our lackluster plane trip home from Paris. In short, we had a really crummy seat on an American Airlines flight and were forced to come up with ways to “overcome” the seats. We then asked you for your tips on overcoming such transatlantic trials.

In witty emails, funny blog comments, and some in-person chats, we heard it all. (Including, to our relief, that we aren’t the only ones who’ve posed strategically for photos in order to snap documentation of intoxicated passengers… Thanks Henrietta!).

We also learned some innovative ways to avoid seat discomfort and annoyance, including pretending to be pregnant, tuning out with an iPod, and playing trivia with other passengers.  One reader recommended the pharma-approach: pop a couple sleeping pills and say goodnight.  Others distract themselves with in-flight movies, no matter how inane (Mouse Hunt, anyone?).

But, alas, there can only be on winner for our Rough Guide to Europe on a Budget giveaway.
 

“Poetloverrebelspy,” aka Hilary, is our winner. A true Cheapo, PLRS offered countless tips in her post—stuff worth checking out before your next overseas trip. We especially loved her shout-out to SeatGuru, a EuroCheapo favorite for mapping out the right seat before you book your flight.

In her own words:

“I’m an ethnographer at heart, so I pretty much enjoy talking with my seatmates if they’re game. I think people’s lives are fascinating, and anyone traveling across the world generally has a good story to tell. Any flight attendant who’s willing also has a lot of funny experiences and insider insights to share.

One flight I sat next to a man who chewed tobacco and spit into a bottle every five seconds for the entire nine hours.

Another flight I was seated next to a Ukrainian woman who didn’t speak a word of English. Wasn’t she lucky I spoke Russian so I could help her fill out all her immigration forms! Couldn’t I order a vodka from the flight attendant to calm her nerves (it was her first time flying)? Couldn’t I order another to settle her upset stomach? (Thankfully, this story ends here.)

Any flight these days that has a personal video screen, I have no problem finding three movies to entertain myself. I usually have magazines I’m trying to finish, a guidebook I’m scrambling to read or mind puzzles for those long waits on the runway. And there’s always the iPod to drown out the sound of your neighbor’s . . . spit.

As for not getting shafted in the seat lottery, it pays to put the day when seats for your flight open up on your calendar (usually 90 days out) and go pick yours immediately! Use Time and Date’s Date Calculator to quickly figure out which day that is. If you don’t fly often enough to know what’s what on the plane you’ll be flying on, use SeatGuru as your guide.”

Thanks, Hilary. And thanks to all the readers who submitted their tips. Check out the blog for more contests in the near future!

(tap, tap)

Is this thing on?

Ladies and gents, we’re thrilled to announce the newest addition to EuroCheapo: CheapoSearch Flights, our great, big search engine for researching budget airlines in Europe.

We’re big fans of European budget airlines, in all their quirky, bargain-ticket glory. How else could you fly from London to Rome for £10? We felt, however, that there weren’t enough reliable resources on the web to find, compare, and research the carriers and routes.

Thus, we built CheapoSearch Flights. Don’t know your Aer Arann  from your WizzAir? We’ve got you covered.

What’s special about CheapoSearch Flights?

Our flights guide includes 43 low-cost airlines in Europe, reviewed by EuroCheapo’s editors, and includes company profiles, pros and cons, luggage and boarding policy information, and direct links to their websites. While we include well known budget airlines, such as Ryanair and easyJet, we also features lesser known regional carriers, such as Intersky and ClubAir.

But wait, there’s more!

Budget Airline Route Finder: Travelers can search for budget routes between thousands of European cities and, when there isn’t a budget route available, receive suggestions for alternative routes at nearby airports. Search results also display flight times and ticket prices for tickets bookable through our reservation partner wegolo.com.

Airport Mapping: CheapoSearch Flights maps out all departure and arrival airports for each route, so travelers can better understand distances between airports and cities. This provides a better understanding of the travel time (and transportation cost) for cities with multiple airports, and presents other airport options within a 65-mile radius.

Airline Price Comparison: In addition to budget airline prices, CheapoSearch Flights also allows travelers to easily compare airfare on major airlines that fly the same route. After all, sometimes these carriers offer lower prices or fly into more centrally-located airports.

So, cruise around on CheapoSearch Flights. If you have any comments on how we can make it better, please let us know!

Many, many thanks to the Cheapos who contributed to the creation of CheapoSearch Flights, including Alex Robertson Textor, James Ellis, Mike Cargian, and the extended EuroCheapo family who provided constructive feedback, invaluable advice, and hours of free bug testing!

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!

After a long, wintery stretch of being holed up at the office, the Cheapos are heading out for a road trip!

Next Tuesday, Tom, Pete and Meredith are flying to Berlin to attend “The World’s Leading Travel Show” at ITB Berlin. Held in the massive Messe Berlin expo center, the Cheapos will be among the 150,000+ attendees swarming through acres of travel trade show bliss. EuroCheapo will be one of thousands of companies attending the conference, which spans all regions of the world and travel categories, including cultural tourism, eco-tourism and adventure travel (although this Cheapo is personally psyched about conducting a greater-Berlin Mensa cafeteria taste test.) ITB Berlin sponsors and partners include Eurosport, PhoCusWright, CNN, Yahoo! and many others.

Following the conference, the Cheapos will be driving from Berlin to Brussels and Bruges, where they’ll be hunting down the best budget hotels to publish on EuroCheapo. Thanks to the Cheapo community for sending so many helpful emails and blog comments with tips and recommendations for hotels they think should be included in our upcoming Brussels and Bruges guides. Your feedback has been tremendous!

We will be submitting blog posts from the road throughout our travels, documenting the planned (and unplanned) events of our jaunt, so stay tuned. And if any fellow Cheapos plan on attending ITB Berlin, send us an email and let us know!

Planning to visit London on a budget could initially give a Cheapo a nervous breakdown. But, as documented throughout our London guide, it is possible to live it up in London on a modest budget — with a little planning.

How? Besides the obvious (choosing a budget hotel, eating cheaply, and getting around with an Oyster card), you’d be crazy not to take advantage of London’s free museums and attractions. Most of the nationally-run museums and art galleries are publicly financed and don’t cost visitors a pence. It’s a beautiful thing…

9 must-visit free museums:

British Library
British Museum
National Gallery
Natural History Museum
National Portrait Gallery
Science Museum
Tate Modern
The Tate Britain
Victoria and Albert Museum

9 notable, free museums:

Bank of London Museum
Imperial War Museum
London Political Cartoon Gallery
Museum of Garden History
Museum of London
National Maritime Museum
Petrie Museum of Egyption Archaeology
RIBA Architecture Gallery
Sir John Soane’s Museum

2 fun and free attractions:

The Changing of the Guard
The Ceremony of the Keys

More budget help for London:

• Our article on budget tips for London 
• The “London Free List” of free and nearly-free London attractions
• VisitLondon’s suggestions for free London attractions

Europe has its fair share of those little tiddler states – you know the ones, territories like San Marino, Monaco and Liechtenstein which, if you cut a decent pace, you can walk across in a day.

Vatican City is the tiniest of the bunch. You can stride from one end of this theocratic state to the other in the time it takes to mumble two Hail Marys. In addition to those well known microstates, there are places like the Faroes, the Åland Islands and the Bailiwick of Guernsey which function to all intents and purposes as independent states while retaining a nominal political link to another entity. Then there are the places that aspire towards independence, but whose secessionist aspirations have not yet been internationally recognised: Abkhazia, Transdniestr and – certainly one to watch in the weeks ahead – Kosovo.

Oddest of the bunch is surely Sealand, an upstart self-styled principality on an abandoned sea fort in the North Sea. No-one really takes Sealand seriously, except for the retired British army officer who ‘occupied’ this unprepossessing lump of concrete in 1967. He and his family (all now royals of course) really assert Sealand’s right to independence, and in this fortieth anniversary year of Sealand life, devoted (or gullible) fans of Europe’s quirkiest polity can purchase souvenir mugs and T-shirts.

Last year life on the offshore statelet took a turn for the worse when a fire in a generator room destroyed what few home comforts Sealand ever possessed. Unsurprisingly, the Sealand Royal Family are minded to quit and return to the English mainland. So Sealand is up for sale. If you have 750 million euros to spare, now is the chance to splash out and buy your own (presumably slightly singed) statelet.

This is the six in a series of fortnightly blog posts by the editors of hidden europe.

D-Reizen, the Dutch holiday shop chain that regularly turns in some of the cheapest deals around, currently lists a seven-night house rental in Tuscany for €24 per person, based on double occupancy.

The rental, in Marina di Bibbona, actually costs €85.50 once reservations charge, booking fee, and insurance charge are taken into account. But considering the duration of the rental (we repeat: seven nights!) and location (we repeat: in Tuscany!) we think that under €90 is a pretty damn good deal.

This rate is good for the week beginning September 8.