We're thankful our A/C is working. Photo by Squid Ink

It’s so dang hot outside today that we’re having trouble concentrating.  Our office air conditioner is working over time, squirting water on customers entering the Crate & Barrel directly below, yet somehow the line at our favorite burrito cart shows no sign of letting up.

Follow Friday

To help treat this heat-induced A.D.D., we’ve turned to Twitter to find some of the best budget travel headlines from around the web:

@benjilanyado: Is London an affordable travel destination? According to Benji Lanyado’s article for the Guardian, it has always been, if you plan accordingly.

@jaunted: Want to cool off by visiting a New York City museum offering free drinks to parched guests? Jaunted has the scoop.

@frugaltraveler: Ever wish  you could go on a trip dedicated to eating good food? Then this article by the NY Times Frugal Traveler is for you!

@andrewghayes: Think Jersey (the old British one) is just a tax haven for the rich? Andy at Europealacarte has some refreshing tips for non-banking visitors.

@travelrants: Our pal Darren over at Travel Rants sounds off on the prospects of space tourism. Don’t read this if you’re Richard Branson.

@travolution: Linda Fox at Travolution has helped us stay up to date on the growing debate about fake hotel reviews on TripAdvisor.

@elliotdotorg: Meanwhile, we couldn’t believe some of Christopher Elliot’s reports about the 5 most disgusting cruise ships in the world.

Have a great weekend, Cheapos, and stay cool wherever you are!

Popularity: 5% [?]

Ahhh, there’s nothing like the first Friday after April Fools Day. It’s a chance to sit back and reflect on who pranked whom, while feeling much less anxiety about suddenly being “had.”  And it sort of makes it feel like Spring has finally arrived, don’t you agree?

This Cheapo was particularly proud of the prank he pulled on his Cheapo brother, Tom. And while no details will be provided, let’s just say it was goooooood.

Meanwhile, around the great travel blogosphere there was no shortage of pranky (and some real) travel news to keep us nice and busy:

We were initially taken aback that Gary Arndt of Everything Everywhere was truly calling it quits.  Say it ain’t so, Gary! (spoiler alert: fortunately he’s not!)

While over at Perceptive Travel they announced the launch of the “End of your life tour” which had us laughing and scratching our heads.

Meanwhile our friends at Bootnall let it all hang out and announced they ”hate Twitter” …

…Which caused us to rethink our earlier post about Twitter Travel Tips (say that fast 3 times, please) 

We were bummed out that USA Today’s “Hotel Hotsheet” has officially checked out and will no longer exist (spoiler alert: it’s actually true.)

Kevin at Travolution has an interesting post on “What Makes The Perfect Hotel Room?” - feel free to add your own comment!

We enjoyed Hotel Blogs assessment on the increasingly heated TripAdvisor / Kayak / TravelPost  saga.

And lastly, Tom was interviewed for a terrific Q&A courtesy of Guido from Happy Hotelier - check out the schmanzy photos!

Have a great weekend, Cheapos, and have fun wherever you are!

Popularity: 4% [?]

It sure feels like the travel blogging community has officially shaken off the winter doldrums and is back in the saddle. Our RSS readers are stacked full of interesting, quirky, and occassionally weird travel tales from around the globe.

So without any further ado, here are a few of our favorites to start off your weekend:

Looking for cheap but delicious souvenirs for your foodie friends back home? BudgetTravel.com’s post on food gifts from Paris had our mouths watering from the start. Mmmm… cheeeeeeeese…

Speaking of Paris, has anyone tried to rent a Velib bike but been declined because you’re using an American credit card? If so, don’t fret, for the NY Times Travel Q & A blog has the answer. Hint: keep trying.

Ever wish you didn’t drink that $7.50 bottle of Evian from your hotel mini-bar? HotelChatter’s “Hotel Room Confessions” series has a few suggestions for side-stepping the bill. (Yes, we know many Cheapos out there are scoffing at the very THOUGHT of a hotel room with a mini-bar!)

Perceptive Travel’s post on the ‘wichcraft sandwich kiosk in New York’s Bryant Park has us already dreaming about lunchtime. Too bad it’s so cold out, otherwise we’d walk on up to try it out!

For our fellow bloggers out there, we recommend this post from British pal Alex Bainbridge on “the case for and against gimmicks on travel websites.” Go Alex!

Over at USA Today’s Hotel Hotsheet blog, there’s a call for nominations for favorite hotel bathrooms as part of an annual competition. This brings to mind several shared restroom in hostels we’ve visited that will most certainly not make the list.

…and lastly, next Thursday, Feb 26th we’re hosting a “Farewell Winter” party at our office in New York. Send us an email if you’re interested in joining us, but hurry because space is limited!

Happy weekend, Cheapos!

Popularity: 6% [?]

A yummy leftover turkey sandwich. Photo by tobym.

After a cheerful Thanksgiving vacation that took Cheapos to Tennessee, Amsterdam, Virginia, Connecticut, and even to adopt a weiner dog, we’re happy to be back in the office. 

And what a week it has been!  We’ve caught up on our reading, planned several upcoming trips, rid ourselves of Beaujolais nouveau headaches, and found these headlines for your weekend pleasure:

Alex Robertson Textor, Cheapo Alumni, penned an article for the New York Post on travel tips for Toronto.  Ever the nomad, Alex just returned from a trip to Santo Domingo and posted terrific photos on his blog, have a look.

UK travel blogger extraordinaire, Darren Cronian from Travel Rants, has a fun end of year “best travel blog” contest happening through Sunday (editor’s note:  we’d love your vote for EuroCheapo as “best corporate travel blog,” but even if you don’t vote for us be sure to check out Travel-Rants.com.)

Tim Boot, an online travel guru from down under, wrote a discombobulated post featuring confusing airport signs.

We’ve been staying tuned to the fascinating comments taking place on Budget Travel’s blog about whether churches should have gift shops and coffee shops…

…while meanwhile right here on the EuroCheapo blog we have our own crazy debate raging about the legitimacy of jaw-droppingly-cheap Ryanair tickets.  There’s even a mention of eight cent trips from Cheapo favorite poetloverrebelspy - should any other Cheapos want to add their own two cents.

The National Geographic Intelligent Traveler blog launched a new series on “Celebrating the Season”, featuring local expert interviews across various cities, starting off with Paris.

And lastly, our friend Guido over at the Happy Hotelier blog posted a fun bit about wakeboarding in flooded Venice.  Be sure to watch the video, too, courtesy of the BBC.

Have a fun weekend, Cheapos!

Popularity: 5% [?]

Some pieces that sparked our interest in Sunday’s New York Times travel section:

Practical Traveler: Whether to Ask the Hotel or Hit the Web
Big online agencies such as Travelocity, Expedia and Orbitz used to be able to offer the lowest price. There are new benefits, however, in booking directly with the hotel.

Vatican Takes Steps to Control Overcrowding
The Vatican museum is shortening its hours, raising its prices, and trying to deal with larger crowds. How badly do you want to see that ceiling?

A Lisbon Suburb Turns up the Chic
Cascais, the luxurious Lisbon suburb once exclusively populated by high-rollers and heads of state, opens up to travelers of all budgets.

Check In/Check Out: Berlin - Hotel de Rome
A bit of stately swank, in the middle of Mitte.

And also of note:

Q&A: Airline Baggage - by the piece or by the pound?

Foraging: Geneva - Collection Privee

Popularity: 9% [?]