A concert at Amsterdam's Concertgebouw. Photo by ioniriq

By Audrey Sykes in Amsterdam—

The Dutch thrive on a passion for deal-making, and Amsterdam’s lively theater and music scene is, fortunately, not immune to great deals. Locals in search of half-price tickets to a wide-variety of entertainment events (from high to low-end), head straight to the Last-Minute Ticket Shop.

Always half off, no more, no less

Located at the southwest corner of the Leidseplein (Leidseplein 26, trams: 1, 2 and 10 from Central Station), the Last Minute Ticket Shop offers same-day half-price tickets to the theater, classical and rock concerts, cabaret acts, comedy shows, movies, and more.

It’s wise to show up early as tickets are limited (hours are daily from 12.00 to 19.30), yet ticket lines are rarely long. Chances of getting tickets are good, as you are only able to snag the half-priced tickets from the shop in person. Note that the shop’s ticket phone line (+31 (0) 900-0191) and website are reserved for those paying full price. (However, you can check out the website to view the day’s half-priced offerings.)

At the shop, large computer screens list available shows, listing artists, show times, locations, genres, language options, prices and ticket availability. The helpful staff is ready to answer questions about translation and events. Individuals may be limited to the number of tickets they can purchase, depending on availability. Cash, major credit cards, and EU debit cards are accepted, and the shop charges a €1 service charge per ticket.

An all-Amsterdam affair

Participating venues range from Amsterdam’s most famous concert halls to local stages. Whether it’s opera at the glamorous Concertgebouw or rock fests at Melkweg, the Last-Minute Ticket Shop offers a wide variety of options… at a great discount. Classical orchestra performances for €22, local comedy theater for €7.50, and feature flicks at the Filmmuseum for €5 are just some of the many offers we’ve seen.

Tell us: Have you ever bought a discounted seat or know other ways to score cheap tickets in Amsterdam? Leave your comment below!

About the author: Audrey Sykes hopped across the pond from the US three years ago for a Masters degree in global journalism. Since then, she’s lived all over Europe, reporting and editing for music sites, snowboard mags, and travel media.

Popularity: 11% [?]

The hills are alive in Salzburg, with the sound of Mozart, the von Trapp family, and music programs! The high note to most any performance, too, is that the guides and programs can be picked up for a song, or for free.

Note-worthy souvenirs

Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, is home to numerous music festivals, classical concerts, and innumerable musical performances.

The Slazburger Festspiele (Salzburg Festival), from late July to the end of August, is the year’s biggest musical celebration. Events take place daily in locations around the city and music ranges from the delicate and regal sounds of the pianoforte to the more pedestrian picks of the electric guitar. And, drum roll… all the programs have, err, programs! Take a few home so you’ll never forget the sounds of Salzburg.

You can also grab copies of concert schedules, guides, flyers, and pamphlets inside the Schloss Mirabell palace as well as in the Domplatz (Cathedral Square).

Cheapo tip: Don’t forget to take note of the unique street musicians in Salzburg. Most artists sell their own CDs for less than €10.

While you’re at it…

Rock some Amadeus! Take home a few Mozartkugal chocolate balls. First concocted in 1890 by Paul Fürst, the kugal is a ball of green pistachio marzipan covered in a layer of nougat, then dunked in dark chocolate. Das ist sehr lecker! Fürst has four confectionaries located around Salzburg. Ten pieces cost $12 USD.

Photo above by LinksmanJD; A kiosk advertises musical concerts in Salzburg.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Prague boasts a world-class music scene, with concerts, operas, and ballets performed throughout the year in the city’s famous theaters. Best of all, tickets to these events are within even a Cheapo’s reach, as they cost a fraction of the going rate in other capital cities. You may even be able to score one for under $10.

If you’re planning a trip to Prague and are a fan of the performing arts, you owe it to yourself to check out performance schedules before you arrive, as you’ll want to consider all of your options. Of course, you could wait until you arrive to book last-minute tickets, but why limit your chances of securing a good deal?

Booking your seats online in advance directly with the performance halls gives you the most options for available seats, including the super-cheap seats. Also, when researching shows, consider choosing an afternoon performance, when seats can be less than half the price of an evening show.

Prague’s main performance halls 

Prague has three main venues for opera, ballet, and concerts: The National Theatre (Narodni Divadlo), the Prague State Opera, and the Estates Theatre.

The National Theater

Located along the Vltava River, the National Theater produces dramas, ballets, and operas, and is the most important theater in Prague. The neoclassical building, its golden rooftop gleaming, was constructed between 1868 and 1881.

The Estates Theatre

The charming and regal Estates Theater was built in 1783 and produces ballets and operas. It was here that Mozart conducted his Don Giovanni in 1787, and still today the Estates produces mostly Mozart operas.

Tickets for the National and Estates: You can book tickets for both venues through the National Theater’s website. Click the ”Tickets” link at the top to see the current season and check availability. Tickets are available in seven price categories. You will first need to create a free user account, before paying with a credit card or simply reserving the seats and paying for them in cash when you arrive at the theater. (Be careful: It’s so easy, in fact, that we accidentally reserved two seats for “Falstaff” in October while doing our research!)

You may also purchase tickets, without surcharge, through the Bohemia Tickets website. Tickets can be picked up at their offices in central Prague, emailed to you (for free), or they can send them to your hotel, for 200 CZK ($13).

The Prague State Opera

The city’s second most important opera house, the grandiose State Opera was built in 1888 and is situated just off Wenceslas Square. Opera performances here are often crowd-pleasers by the likes of Mozart, Puccini, and Verdi, in addition to special festivities around Christmas and New Year’s Eve. The State Opera performs ten months a year, with no performances during the summer.

Booking: Book tickets in advance directly from the State Opera’s website. There you can view performance schedules and click “buy tickets” to see available seats. The State Opera sells e-tickets directly through their site. When you buy an e-ticket, there is no need to exchange your email confirmation for an actual ticket at the theater.  

As with the National and Estates, you can also book, without surcharge, through “Bohemia Ticket.” 

Prices for all three theaters: Ticket prices vary, but can go as low as 100 CZK ($6.50) for the cheapest (and highest) seats. First and second-tier balcony seats are often in the 300-600 CZK ($19-48) range, while the most expensive orchestra (and prime mezzanine) seats normally cost 800-1,000 CZK ($51-$64).

A note about other ticket booking sites

In researching this post, we came across many other ticket booking websites. Put simply, we would always stick to the official theater websites or to their official partner “Bohemia Tickets.” Other sites often only sell the more expensive seats (not even bothering to offer the cheapies), then tack on “handling charges” and additional delivery charges. One site that we found would either deliver the ticket to your hotel or personally greet you with the tickets at the theater (holding a sign) for about $20.  Not so fast.

Have other tips for finding a cheap seat in Prague? Let us know!

Popularity: 16% [?]

Venice, city of gondolas and canals, can get expensive. Thankfully, however, it need not break your budget. Here are five free things to do in Venice: 

Hang out in Piazza San Marco.

While we don’t recommend Cheapos splurge for the touristy restaurants and cafés lining San Marco’s square, we do think that parking yourself just outside the Basilica to people-watch is one of the best free things to do in Venice. Head inside to the Basilica (open from March to October, Monday through Friday from 9:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and on Sundays from 2-4:45 p.m.; from April to September, Monday through Friday from 9:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 2-5 p.m.), and take in 10th-Century relics for just €1.50. Snap a few photos. Just don’t feed the pigeons. These days, that pasttime is off-limits.  

Cross the Ponte di Rialto.

The Rialto Bridge could be the most famous bridge in Italy (we hear you grumbling, Florence!). It also affords one of the best canal views in the city, and is a perfect starting point for travelers ready to lose themselves in Venice. Spend some time wandering through the well-known Rialto Market—which is closeby—and where fishmongers, and fruit and vegetable dealers convene daily (from early morning until nearly 11 p.m.). Browse the wares for free or haggle with a seller.

Take in a free concert.

Unfortunately, in Venice, free concerts and expositions are not widely promoted. Check for flyers in cafes and bars or look for posters hanging outside churches and museums. During culture week in May, many museums also host free events and exhibits.  For free concert listings in Italian, visit the “Music in Venice” site.

Or, check out the official site for Venice’s Suona festival (scheduled for July 6th this year), a day-long city-wide event, coinciding with the European Fete de la Musique, in which all of Venice’s squares host free concerts. Also, try the tourist center next to St. Mark’s Square, where they often have “what’s on” flyers and pamphlets.

Go to church.

Venice is packed with churches and many of them are free and open to the public daily. After you’ve seen the majestic San Marco’s Basilica, check out two of our other favorites: Santa Maria della Salute, a gorgeous, picturesque church dedicated to the Madonna, which frequently hosts free concerts, especially during the months of January and February. Next, visit the 13th-Century Gothic church of S.S. Giovanni e Paolo. Here, make sure you check out Paolo Veronese’s ceiling frescoes.

Get lost!

Hey, in Venice it’s cheap—and easy!—to get lost. Wander the cobblestone streets, absent of motorized vehicles, and traverse bridges, meander the canals, and get a real sense for the city’s 15th-Century layout. Losing yourself in the architecture of the city is one of the best ways to see the real Venice and to experience it as it was meant for travelers. In any case, try as you might, you won’t be able to avoid getting lost during your trip to Venice. You might as well make it “part of the plan.”

Popularity: 20% [?]

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!

Popularity: 13% [?]

Photo by larcenette

July 6 through 8 marks the 9th annual Solidays festival in Paris. Solidays is a giant reunion of rock, hip-hop, and metal, all designed to raise money to fight AIDS. It’s held at the racetrack of Longchamps, and the first day’s lineup includes Ms. Lauryn Hill, JoeyStarr, and our personal favorite, No One Is Innocent.

On the July 7, participating groups include Sean Lennon, Sum 41, and Zenzile. On the final day, the man everyone’s been talking about recently, Abd Al Malik, will play, along with Trust, Mass Hysteria, and others.

Tickets are expected to go very fast. Prices aren’t outrageous by any means. A three-day pass is €44, a two-day pass runs €39, and a day pass will set you back €29.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Photo by dangermain

We’ve always stood by the statement that London’s the most enjoyable city in the world… if you’re rich. That said, there are free things to do in London. In addition to the not just the free rooms at museums and galleries, there are loads of concerts and the open spaces to choose between.

Ones to watch out for are Fruitstock (see above) held by Innocent each summer and the always mad Notting Hill Carnival. In the meantime, check out the Carnival de Cuba and the Taste of London, both in June.

And then there’s the City of London Festival, a music and dance festival in “the City.” Events include free lunchtime concerts in the City’s churches or squares.

Popularity: 6% [?]

 
Photo by www.sallepleyel.fr

There are a lot of great concert venues in Paris but few can match the fine-tuned acoustics of the new Salle Pleyel. Recently reopened after an extensive two-year renovation, the Salle Playel is crisply minimalist in design and optimal in sound quality. The music hall is located at 252, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, in the glitzy 8th arrondissement.

Those looking for an ornate, old-world concert halls experience like you’d find at the Opera de Paris, won’t find it here. The Pleyel is a venue constructed around its acoustic quality. Side balconies have been created solely to improve the hall’s sound distribution, resulting in a nearly 20% optimization of the room’s volume and reverberation time. What the Salle Pleyel lacks in belle epoque touches it makes up for in its cool contemporary design and unmatched acoustics–making it a must see (and listen) for any concert-goer in Paris.

The Pleyel welcomes orchestras, jazz and traditional performers from around the world with ticket prices ranging from cheapo (€10) to extravegant (€130).

Tip: €10 stand-by tickets are available an hour prior to concerts for those under 27, over 65, and unemployed.

Popularity: 9% [?]