This year, there are a number of Oscar-nominated films that take place in Europe. Here are some of our favorites:

-In Bruges (Bruges, Belgium): We saw this film just as we were putting the finishing touches on our Cheapo guide to Bruges. Now, while we weren’t huge fans of the plot - or the script - we always enjoy a flick that makes a city more than just a background, but more like an additional character. The gratuitous canal scenes were great, and of course, it doesn’t hurt to watch Colin Farrell do anything, especially in a storybook town.

-The Reader (Berlin, Germany): We read the book first and were blown away. The movie’s high intensity takes place mostly in post World War II Germany, namely Berlin. Though it’s hard to exactly enjoy a harsh, morality tale, the film is beautiful and it’s truly fascinating to see Hollywood’s depiction of things like post-war train cars (Hanna Schmitz, Kate Winslet’s character, plays a ticket taker).  Hamburg-born David Kross, who plays Hanna’s lover, is a delightful newcomer to the Hollywood film scene. The musical score is breathtaking, composed and arranged by 26-year-old  Nico Muhly, a prodigy of Philip Glass, and a resident of New York City.

-Vicky Christina Barcelona (Barcelona, Spain): If you haven’t seen this film, rent it now! We saw it twice. Penelope Cruz is nominated for her role as the hot tempered Maria Elena (fabulous!). You’ll love the requisite scenes in Gaudi’s Parc Guell. And, if you’ve ever studied abroad, well, let’s just say there are a few inside jokes.

-The Duchess, (London, and more far-flung England): This is what you call a good ol’ fashioned British costume drama! It doesn’t hurt, however, that the acting is spot on (!) and, for romantics, the story is moving and enthralling. Though most of the film takes place in the English countryside - Devonshire to be exact - there are some terrific period scenes in London, circa the late 1700s.

-Happy-Go-Lucky, (London): So, we’d venture to say we were the only people who didn’t really like Mike Leigh’s acclaimed Happy-Go-Lucky. (Side note: Does this mean we want to hurt puppies and small kittens? Some of our friends think so.) What we did like about this flick was that it rendered a realistic portrait of London, the gritty city. We were drawn in watching Sally Hawkins bike through busy streets and a gray landscape, and loved all those great pub scenes.

-The Class (Paris, France): Though we haven’t seen this one yet, a few French friends have recommended it saying it’s, “a highly moving portrait” of middle school students and their determined teacher. Apparently, much of the movie is unscripted too making it a work of astounding improvisation.

-Revanche, (Vienna, and the Austrian countryside): We are excited to see Revanche when it comes to our local Brooklyn theater in a few weeks. It promises bank robberies, seedy scandals, and much more. It’s this year’s official entry from Austria and is up for Best Foreign Language film. Fun fact: Screenwriter Götz Spielmann grew up in Vienna.

Will you be watching the 81st Annual Academy Awards? Do you host an Oscar party? Tell us here.

Oh, and don’t forget the popcorn!

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Photo of a lace display in Bruges, courtesy of LinksmanJD

You simply can’t leave Bruges without strolling along the canals, stopping at a chocolate shop, and of course, paying tribute to the ancient tradition of lacemaking.

Tracing lace

Many believe that the history of lace can be traced to Egyptian times, but the material was likely first made popular in Europe by Flemish artisans in Bruges and Ghent, Belgium. It is said that Joan of Navarre, the wife of King Philip IV (France), arrived in Bruges in 1300 and was smitten with the intricate designs of local lace merchants’ wares. She soon brought the fashion back to France.

A taste for lace

A must-see in Bruges is the Lace Center, Kantcentrum (Peperstraat 3-A; entrance next to Jerusalem Church), where tourists can attend lacemaking workshops, browse exhibits on the history of lace in Belgium, and then buy souvenir accoutrements - in the form of doilies, handkerchiefs, and even wine cozies - from the gift shop. Keep in mind, the lacemaking demonstrations are in the afternoon only and take place in the on-site ‘open lace atelier’ (sounds fancy!).

A typical take-home item from the museum boutique will run you between €9 and €30. A postcard, depicting the complicated craft, or a lace design or pattern, is €1.50. Objects from local and family-run lace boutiques will run you about the same amount as in the Lace Center’s shop, and sometimes much more for larger pieces.

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Photo of a lacemaker in Bruges, courtesy of Arnie J

While you’re at it…

Head over to ‘The Face of Lace‘, a comprehensive exhibit of the craft and its long-reaching influence, at various exhibits held at five museums in Bruges. The exposition runs through March 1, 2009. Participating fashion boutiques in the Bruges’ city center also offer displays related to the exhibit. An audio guide, to be used at all museums, is available for €1. You can buy one combo ticket for all five museum exhibit entrances for €15.

And, be sure to check out all the random lacemakers who usually station themselves outside their shops, performing demonstrations, and sometimes even offering a free swag of fabric.

Also, see our list of recommended hotels in Bruges, Belgium.

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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 visited for free.

Bruges’ Underground Church

Back around 900 AD, the city built a fort to protect itself from pesky Vikings who were raiding the city. Not long after, the very large and central St. Donatian’s Church was built on top of the fort and remained a place of worship until Napoleon ripped it down in 1799. Soon after, parts of the church were auctioned off.

Jump ahead to 1982, when the city’s Crowne Plaza Hotel was built on the site of St. Donatian’s. During the construction and excavation process, parts of the ancient fort’s foundations were discovered. Structures from the church were also uncovered, including the choir gallery, which was excavated in 1988.

The hotel has converted the basement into conference and reception rooms, lined by the ancient walls, and lit with a touch of drama. They’ve also put on display various relics unearthed in the area, many of which belonged to the church. Paintings show St. Donatian’s in all its glory.

Touring St. Donatian’s

As long as there isn’t a conference in session, visitors can tour the ruins simply by asking at the Crowne Plaza’s front desk.

When we visited recently, a nice porter led us downstairs and turned on the lights. We checked out the ancient walls, drawings, and other relics. Granted, the fresh carpeting, new ceiling, and conference tables can detract from the history on display, but just turn your attention to those walls!

Also see: Our recommended budget hotels in Bruges.

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Some of the stories that grabbed our attention this week:

Brussels and Bruges

Back from his trip to Belgrade for the Eurovision song contest, Alex of Spendthrift Shoestring jaunted off to Brussels on the Eurostar to see how the city has changed since his last visit in 2002. We enjoyed his musings on the city’s neighborhood and vibe, having just visited Brussels in March.

And yes, Alex, we also have a fondness for the Use-It fold-out maps to Brussels (and five other Belgian cities). These map-guides are, according to their creators, “no-nonsense, non commercial, made by locals,” and thus offer some candid (and amusing!) advice. When we visited Bruges, we “Used-It” nightly to find the city’s cool restaurants, bars, and cafes. You can print your own guide off from their website.

European Ferries

BudgetTravel.com reminded us yesterday to consider taking ferries between European cities. Ferries offer a fun and cheap transportation option around much of sea-lined Europe, including the Mediterranean, destinations from London, and around the Baltic. Overnight boats can also provide a savings, shaving off one night’s hotel bill. An overnighter from London to Amsterdam, for example, can be had for €59, including your own private bedroom and shower.

See also: our article on budget cruises in the Baltic.

Free concerts at Notre Dame

Olivia, in “High Culture on a Low Budget,” emerged from her studies this week to note that Notre Dame’s 7,800-pipe organ is revved up most Sunday afternoons (around 4 PM), for free concerts. It is, according to Olivia, “the opportunity to hear some ultimate organ jams” for nothing. We be jammin.’

Ryanair’s extra baggage

Thank the skies for Hilary at “Less than a Shoestring” for straightening out those pesky Ryanair fees this week… again. After all, no week is complete without a Ryanair pricing shift! The airline’s baggage fee structure is enough to scare you away from bags altogether (which could be their intention, but isn’t very practical when you, you know, travel!).

Highlights include: Priority boarding is no longer gratis for those who take advantage of online check-in. Checking one bag will cost you €10 (and you still have to pay the €5 check-in fee as well), and then an additional €20 per bag thereafter (max three). Oh well, at least the ticket was “free.”

Have a great weekend, Cheapos!

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Like us, many of our readers are American. And regardless of nationality, probably all of our readers are aware of the unfortunate exchange rate currently greeting US travelers abroad. Today, for instance, the euro costs US $1.58. Yet we’re still traveling to Europe.

Newspapers and magazines have been abuzz lately with articles about stretching the dollar abroad. Some of our favorites include The Seattle Times, Budget Travel Magazine, Philadelphia Inquirer, The Daily News, and the Austin American-Statesman. As pro-cheapo travelers, we’re happy to see so much interest in budget travel, although saddened to think that many potential travelers might feel discouraged and choose not to travel to Europe at all.

“Maybe next year I’ll get to Spain,” one of my friends told me last week. “I can’t afford it now.” Alas!

Pete, Meredith and I just returned from two weeks in Europe, traveling from Berlin to Brussels, and then Bruges. Yes, I was quickly struck by the inflated prices of small, everyday items. But I was also amazed that we pulled off the trip so affordably. It’s as if we had been preconditioned to expect the absolute worst. When we returned and tallied up all of our costs, it wasn’t so bad, after all. Ironically, we overspent on the little stuff and kept our spending down on the big, obvious expenditures, like hotels and meals.

Looking over our costs, post-trip, I have some basic advice to those planning their trips to Europe. Please excuse anything that seems obvious—if it helps one traveler save, it’s worth repeating!

1) Watch out for the small stuff!

Those little, incidental purchases got us, biting away at our budgets. Why? Because we spent without thinking. Cups of coffee, bottles of water, chocolate bars, little snacks, the newspaper… each only cost two or three euros, but they added up very quickly. I felt like I was leaking euro coins everywhere I went.

These are “invisible costs,” because you don’t remember spending the money and you don’t have anything to show for the purchases afterward. Some of these things, like water, you need. But you need to be smart about where to buy it. After draining my pockets of a week’s worth of euros, I got smart in Bruges and started buying water and snacks at a grocery store near my hotel. Who knew that Evian could be purchased for less than a euro per bottle? (Above, I’m doing a week’s worth of laundry in Brussels for about €5.)

2) Hunt for your meal

Each night, the three of us roamed the city, taking in the sights and sounds, but also looking for dining deals. In the end, because we were “on alert,” our dinners were surprisingly affordable. We converted menu prices into dollar amounts (not simply imagining a dollar sign in place of the euro!) and steered clear of the pricier eateries.

In Berlin, meal prices are fortunately already low, so this wasn’t a problem. In pricey Brussels, however, we checked out plenty of charming restaurants—most of them quite crowded—and hit the road as soon as we saw a bloated menu. €18 starter plates? That’s $27… I don’t think so! We took time every night to find affordable set-price menus, and usually found something for less than €15, which at about $22, was in our budget. Of course, you have to be careful to avoid tourist traps (like the rue du Bouchers in Brussels, pictured above), which lure you in with low set-price menus, serve mediocre food, and charge you like mad for every incidental item. It’s best to ask the locals. 

3) Lighten up at lunch

This won’t be for everyone, but we chose to make only dinner a sit-down affair. In years past, when hotel hunting I would often treat myself to a nice relaxed lunch, sometimes accompanied with a little red wine. It was so euro. This year, I slimmed down, stopping for a quick sandwich or salad and a bottle of water. It was cheaper, faster, and dare I say, better for my afternoon hotel visits!

Pete and Mere did the same in Brussels. Pete lunched several days in a row at “Mer du Nord,” an outdoor oyster and fish soup joint on Place St. Catherine, where a bowl of soupe du poisson could be had for €3.50. (See photo.)

4) Take advantage of breakfast… or not!

Breakfast is another time to save cash. In all four of our hotels, in Brussels and Bruges, a buffet breakfast was included in the price of the room. Thus, we could fill up at breakfast, making the light lunch more bearable.

This is different in every city. In Paris, for instance, breakfast is rarely included and, when offered, is usually quite expensive for what you get. Rather than fork over the cash for a dismal hotel breakfast, head to a cafe or, better yet, to the grocery store or outdoor market.

5) Sleep cheap!

This seems rather obvious, as this is EuroCheapo, but come on, Cheapos, watch that hotel bill! When searching for your hotel, if you’re American, choose to see hotel rates in US dollars. (On CheapoSearch, prices show in dollars by default.) This will prevent you from momentarily pretending that the euro and dollars are “roughly the same.”

When choosing a hotel, consider a 1 or 2-star hotel over the pricier 3-star option. Fewer stars doesn’t mean the hotel isn’t good and clean. It could simply mean that it doesn’t have an elevator, ground-floor reception, or certain amenities (like hairdryers, TV, telephone, etc.).

In Brussels, we stayed at The Moon Hotel, a perfectly fine 2-star sleeper two blocks from the Grand Place. Our rooms weren’t fancy (they were, in fact, kind of “dormy”), but we slept peacefully knowing that we were paying a fraction of the rate that travelers across the square in the 3 and 4-star hotels were paying. In Bruges, the lady running ‘T Keizershof, a small 1-star hotel I visited put it to me best when she explained, “When you’re sleeping, we look just like one of those big fancy hotels.”

Serious Cheapos should also consider a room or a bed in a hostel, which can cost much, much less than a hotel. Travelers visiting a city for an extending period should look into apartment rentals, and adventure travelers might also consider couch-surfing for free.

6) Do free stuff!

We always recommend that travelers head straight for the visitors information center when they arrive into town. Conveniently, many of these are located very near the main train stations or main squares. There, you can pick up a list of free or cheap activities happening in town during your stay. In both Brussels and Bruges, I walked out of the visitor centers with stacks of information, maps, and walking tours.

In Brussels, I bought a guide to the city’s comic-book themed self-guided walking tour for €3, and spent the afternoon learning about the city for next to nothing. In Bruges, the woman working at the tourist office wrote down a list of free concerts happening that week that she thought I might find interesting. All of that information was free, and most of the activities were free, as well.

7) Budget flights and rail deals

Before you book that rental car or buy that Eurail pass, consider flying between European cities on Europe’s budget airlines. Using the newly launched CheapoSearch Flights, our guide to European budget airlines, you can find some seriously low prices. Not to be outdone, the national rail companies are starting to fight back, lowering their prices for train trips booked in advance through their websites.

Check out: TGV (French) rail website, Die Bahn (German) rail website, Trenitalia (Italy) rail website, British Rail website, Renfe (Spanish) rail, SNCB (Belgian) rail

Your tips

These are just a few of the tips we’d like to share following our recent trip. What advice do you have? Please add your tips, ideas, and suggestions below! 

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