EuroCheapo's Practical Info Articles

Dec 12 Most visitors to New York these days bring along a laptop or a smartphone, handy for checking emails, finding things to do, and calling home on Skype. The trouble is, using these devices can be pricey, considering what many hotels charge to use their Wi-Fi. But never fear, the Cheapos are here, with a list » Read more

Dec 05 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

Nov 23 Okay, most folk at EuroCheapo HQ just love trains. And so do we. Exploring Europe by rail is generally civilized and convenient, but there are occasions when it just makes sense to hop on a bus or a coach. Several coaches each day speed from Riga to Tallinn in less than five hours. Just once » Read more

Nov 16 Rail travelers through Germany who have no great aptitude for languages usually manage to pick up the bare essentials after a few days. Among those essentials is the marvelously Germanic compound tongue-twister Schienenersatzverkehr (“SEV” for short). It’s not a word you’ll want to use a lot. And it’s not a word you’ll want to hear too » Read more

Nov 10 By Jessica Colley— Tourist traps are the same everywhere: Prices are higher than they should be and they’re packed with tourists instead of locals. In some cities – like Dublin – certain tourist traps change by day and by night. It isn’t enough to avoid entire areas, you need to know when to avoid them. » Read more

Nov 03 As one of the most popular destinations in the U.S., it’s no surprise that San Francisco is full of popular tourist attractions, some of which are best avoided. Some are decidedly underwhelming and some are overpriced. There are, of course, some very famous attractions that you shouldn’t pass up, even if you’re an off-the-beaten path » Read more

Nov 01 Jessica Colley— Cheapos can rejoice when it comes to tipping in Dublin. While etiquette varies according to the situation, generally locals believe in keeping their money, and tips aren’t expected like they would be in other countries (especially the United States). For example, approach a bar in Dublin and order a drink. The total will » Read more

Oct 26 It’s that time of year when we are apt to meddle with time. Most European countries adopt daylight saving time (DST).  All those that do favor seasonal DST will thus set their clocks back by an hour early next Sunday morning, October 30. This means that overnight trains in Europe next Saturday night will pause » Read more

Oct 12 Barely 20 miles separate England from France across the Strait of Dover. And though the Channel Tunnel now takes a lot of traffic that might hitherto have gone by sea, there are still plenty of ships anxious to berth in Dover – which remains Europe’s busiest ferry port. This week, we’ll take a look at ferries » Read more