Florence around the holidays. Photo by Simona83.

By Marc Anani in Florence—

Wanna catch Florence with her pants down? Then come for a visit during the winter!

The combination of being one of the most beautiful cities in the world and being blessed with a clement climate puts Florence at the mercy of vacationer invasions from spring to fall. But the winter seems to be some kind of tourist kryptonite as the season returns the streets to the Florentines.

So, without any more prosaic stalling, here are the reasons why you should come to Florence in the winter:

1. Weather

Don’t think Tuscany is impermeable to the cold, because it isn’t. The winter can be quite damp and even showers the valley with the odd snowflake (it actually snowed last night). However, you will get some of that lemony Tuscan sun during the daytime which feels oh so good on your face. Nothing is better than a coffee outside in December. But do dress warmly as the temperatures can dip down to the mid thirties in the evenings and night.

2. Atmosphere

If the summer is when Florentines head for hills and beach, winter is when they creep back on to the streets. During the cold months you’ll hear more Italian than at any other time of the year, whether it’s browsing the outdoor markets or sitting in a cozy cafe. Finer ears will also get a good dose of Fiorentino, Florence’s own dialect.

3. Things to Do

In a city where cutting in line is a national sport, you’ll find yourself walking straight into museums and art exhibits without having to spend half your afternoons waiting to be sardined in front of paintings. Dare I say it, you could even “museum hop” while flipping through the pages of your guide book.

Should you be in need of original stocking stuffers, why not check out the Florence Christmas Market at Piazza Santa Croce. You’ll find food, wine, decorations and of course, tons of souvenirs to bring back as presents.

For an activity off the tourist menu, why not go ice skating at the Parterre of Piazza della Liberta? The outdoor rink is open from 9 AM to 8 PM and 9 PM until midnight (1 AM on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays) and is easily accessible by bus.

For music lovers, there are plenty of concerts to choose from to kick-start that Christmas spirit. For example, Chiesa San Marco on via Maggio offers daily concerts throughout the holiday season at a very affordable cost.

To ring in the new year, or “Capodanno” as they say here, meet the locals at the Fortezza da Basso, where the party begins at 10 PM on December 31 and goes all through the night until 8 AM the next day. The celebration features different styles of music and entertainment to suit every type of reveler.

Or just wander the streets admiring the sights and sounds and smells of winter in this marvelous city.

Marc Anani is a writer living in Florence. And no, it doesn’t pay the bills so he does other stuff too.

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Slovak koruna. Photo by Anthony Citrano.

On January 1, 2009, Slovakia switched its circulating currency from the koruna to the euro, making it the 16th European Union member state to join the “euro zone”.

The country was granted permission by the European Union to make the switch during the summer of 2008, when the exchange rate was pinned at 30.126 koruny to the euro. The currency, however, didn’t switch until January 1, 2009.

In the months leading up to its circulation, Slovakia hosted Euro-themed events to raise awareness and entertain, and also pay tribute to the exiting currency. (Among these, chocolate euro coins were thrown to children, and a theater troupe staged a play about the demise of the koruna.  Sad clowns.)

What it means

The introduction of the euro in Slovakia could mean that Cheapos heading to Bratislava or other Slovak cities will notice restaurant prices and hotel rates listed in both currencies (euros and Slovak koruny), a trend that will last until January of 2010.

Others may notice that prices have jumped a bit. According to a piece in Slovak Today, consumer prices increased 0.5% in the 10 days following the changeover.

In case you’ve got a koruna or two hanging around the house, banks in Slovakia will still exchange banknotes through the end of 2009 and coins through June 2009 (although they may charge you for it!).

Need help with your own euro conversion? Check out xe.com to see today’s euro exchange rate.

Traveler? Check.

Slovakia’s switch to the euro is just another great excuse for us to shine the spotlight on Bratislava, a city well-poised for day tripping. Check out our city guide articles for info on the hotel scene and for tips on finding hearty Slovak cuisine, and a whole lot more.

Then, get packing!

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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 on our list (did somebody say “less caffeine, more jogging, and only red wine instead of Weihenstephans?”), we’ve also put together some travel resolutions. Drum roll, please:

Ten resolutions for budget-friendly traveling in 2009

1. I resolve to travel more.

2. I resolve to understand my bank’s ATM and credit card fees before I go. And while I’m at it, I might even call my bank ahead of time to let them know it’s me who’s traveling, rather than my stolen identity.

3. I resolve to purchase my intra-European flights on low-cost carriers as early as possible to get wild and crazy deals.

4. I resolve to stop obsessing over the daily fluctuations of exchange rates.

5 a. I resolve to understand how much I’ll get charged before using my Blackberry abroad.

5 b. I resolve to just leave my Blackberry off while I travel.

6. I resolve to rely on my memory as much as my camera.

7. I resolve to break out of my own travel mode and welcome new destinations. (Extra credit points go to fellow Cheapo-in-Chief Tom Meyers, who blasts off for St. Petersberg, Russia, in 2 weeks…)

8. I resolve to be better about frequent flyer points and awards programs, regardless if I plan to travel a long or short distance.

9. I resolve to never take a taxi to or from an airport, no matter how tired I feel.

10. I resolve to always be in the process of planning my next trip, even if it means just reading up on the destination or looking at photos.

What are your New Year’s travel resolutions? Please add them in the comment field below!

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Now that the presents are unwrapped and most of the eggnog is gone, we’ve been spending quite a bit of time reading (and chuckling) through our many blog posts from 2008.

And what a year it has been, Cheapos! We’ve published over 300 blog posts since January, upon which you’ve provided nearly 400 comments, all of which has helped make our blog (hopefully) a useful and friendly budget travel resource for Cheapos worldwide.

But we can’t officially say goodbye to 2008 without doing an obligatory end of year wrap up of a few of our favorite posts. So join us as we tap into our inner Ryan Seacrest and present to you some of our “2008 Blog Greatest Hits!”

1. Most Popular Post:
Perhaps we shouldn’t be hugely surprised, but our most popular post in 2008 was “Top tips for a budget-friendly European vacation.” Written back in early spring, the tips are still just as relevant today - have a look.

2. Most Commented Post:
We always enjoy reading comments from our readers, but the post that generated the greatest amount of chatter was “Where to watch U.S. election results in Europe,” which had 38 comments. When we first wrote the post we included venues at 6 different cities, but with all the comments and feedback we received from you it expanded to recommendations in 17 cities across Europe (and a few outside Europe, too.)

3. Most Frequently Commenting Cheapos:
Two Cheapos, in particular, consistently submitted helpful tips and feedback to our blog posts this year and deserve special mention. They are “poetloverrebelspy” from the Less Than A Shoestring budget travel blog, and Marilyn Terrell from the National Geographic “Intelligent Travel” blog. Thanks to both of you for all of your comments in 2008 and please keep them coming in ‘09!

4. Most Constructive Budget Travel Debate Within Blog Comments:
Just the word “Ryanair” elicits all sorts of emotions within budget travelers everywhere. However, we particularly enjoyed seeing the helpful banter back and forth among several Cheapos in the comments section of our post “NYC to London for $13? Ryanair prepares for U.S. takeoff.” Any post that produces side wagers within our comments gets our vote!

5. Best Travel Photo Caption Contest:
We were delighted to read through the various entries to our “Barcelona Dog” caption contest this past May. Some of which, admittedly, even we didn’t entirely understand…

6. Best use of subtle Photoshopping within blog photos:
Our office was in full-blown wacky Halloween mode this past October 31st, which culminated with our “EuroCheapo’s Spookiest Hotel Ghost Photos” post. Ok, spoiler alert: we used a little bit of Photoshop wizardry to enhance a couple of the photos, but have a look and see if you can tell which ones.

And lastly, we’d like to say a very special thank you to Darren over at the Travel Rants blog in the UK, who hosted a consumer blog award contest that resulted in EuroCheapo being named “Best Corporate Blog.” We appreciated even being included within Darren’s nominations and we look forward to even more blogging, helpful reader comments, and Photoshop creativity that’s to come in 2009!

Happy (almost) New Year, Cheapos!

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