Posts by author hiddeneurope
Could Google Goggles handle the Russian Steppe? Photo: Vsilv_Spb
If an article in last week’s Financial Times is to be believed then the end is nigh. Not of all life as we know it. The FT merely predicts that the days of the guidebook are numbered, as ever more travellers switch to online sources to get key information on destinations. The newspaper noted that » Read more
The Rhine Falls near Schaffhausen. Photos © hidden europe
The reputations of some of Europe’s most-visited sights are built on myths, but the stories are always interesting. We have lost count of the number of times we have read that the rail route across Lapland to the Norwegian port of Narvik is the northernmost in the world. It is not, but it is nonetheless » Read more
A canal in central Amsterdam. Photo: FromTheNorth
Europe’s culture moguls will have their eyes on Brasilia over the next fortnight, as UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee meets in the Brazilian capital to review applications for a new round of World Heritage Sites. Candidates for the 2010 UNESCO List The historic center of Amsterdam is in the running this year for one of the » Read more
A car train at Verona station. Photo © hidden europe.
There are some occasions on trips through Europe when you just know that a car is essential, but with European fuel prices through the roof, and automobile rental companies sometimes levying draconian one-way drop charges (especially for international journeys), many folks are naturally wary about opting for a vehicle. European car trains can, however, play » Read more
Sir Norman Foster's Elephant House in Copenhagen. Photo: Søren Cosmus
Most folk have definite views about zoos, and any mention inevitably brings out a string of arguments for and against the incarceration of animals. But there are other reasons for going to zoos beyond watching wild cats, apes and okapi. Zoos are great spots for people watching and, for anyone with even only a passing » Read more
June 30, 2010. As we have said before, it is not compulsory to take the fast train. On most routes through Europe, there are plenty of slow train alternatives, often more scenic and sometimes much cheaper. A great weekend bargain in Germany On the weekends, for example, travelers can roam the length and breadth of » Read more
The town of Skipton, North Yorkshire. Photo: Glen Bowman
Slow travel is suddenly in fashion. Speed was once associated with success. Less so nowadays, as travelers realize that those who travel slow savor riches that those committed to speed simply miss. Getting to know one or two places properly can be immensely more satisfying than trying to pack ten European cities into a two » Read more
A cemetery in Srebrenica. Photo by Elekeku
“Dark tourism” has come of age. Yet traveling to encounter the macabre or the gruesome is not just a modern whim. Many medieval pilgrims headed for spots where martyrs were allegedly killed. In our home city of Berlin, thousands of visitors head for the Topography of Terror, a chance to stand at the very spot » Read more
Sunset over Menton. Photo: Axel Naud
The places at the end of the road are always the most interesting. After the glitz and gloss of Antibes and Cannes, after the bustle of Nice and Monaco, you might at first think there is not much left to the French Riviera. Yet the best is yet to come. For Menton, the very last » Read more
May 1, the day when comrades used to march in solidarity in Europe’s streets, has come and gone. And in many European cities this past weekend, visitors were possibly surprised to find just how seriously local folk still take their demonstrations. From Paris to Athens, from Moscow to Milan, the streets were thronged with protesters » Read more
This travel lark takes quite a bit of courage. Heavens, just browsing through the new edition of the Rough Guide to Paris, we see the text kicks off with Notre Dame (and a handful of other sights stranded on the Île de la Cité in the middle of the River Seine), and then dives straight » Read more
The Smyril Line ship Norröna, the sole passenger ferry serving the Faroe Islands. Photo © hidden europe.
Note: The authors hoped to be in the Faroe Islands this week. That Icelandic volcano had other ideas. They reflect from Berlin on an interesting week in European travel. Air travel in Europe has taken a hard knock these past days. Media reports of all Europe being utterly paralyzed have a dash of hyperbole. Less than one » Read more
Mies van der Rohe's Pavilion in Barcelona. Photo by Fatlum.
It was only by a stroke of luck that the Eiffel Tower ended up in Paris. Gustave Eiffel designed the landmark tower for Barcelona. But the civic authorities had doubts about the appropriateness of such a tower for the Catalan city. Undaunted by the setback, Eiffel had better luck with Paris and, despite some opposition » Read more
Miramare Castle on the Adriatic coast north of Trieste. Photo © hidden europe.
Most of us are so utterly used to very territorial notions of citizenship that it is hard to get our heads around places that defy the norm. We have long noticed that citizens of southern Limburg, and especially in and around the city of Maastricht, seem considerably less Dutch (and conversely much more European) than » Read more
The Peterskirche in Görlitz. Photo by sunchild_dd.
It was 25 years ago this spring that Athens assumed the mantle of being Europe’s first ever “Capital of Culture,” and so kick-started a program that has developed into a mainstay of the European culture and travel calendar. Since then, cities from Bruges to Bologna, Stockholm to Sibiu, have basked in the limelight for a » Read more
Buying train tickets in Venice. Photos by Tom Meyers
Two regular contributors to EuroCheapo respond to a good question posed on our blog. Victor posted on March 11, 2010: “Hi, three of us have planned a trip to Europe from 27th June 2010 to the 10th July 2010. Our itinerary will take us from London to Paris, Amsterdam, Rome, Venice, Vienna, Berlin and back » Read more
The Eurostar train at London's St Pancras Station. Photo by garybembridge.
Some arrivals are just too good to miss. Dropping down out of the skies to land at some of Europe’s trickier airports can be challenging for even the most experienced pilots. And, even from the passenger cabin, the steep glide down into the airstrips at Innsbruck (Austria) or Lugano (Switzerland) can be very impressive. Funchal » Read more
Lübeck, near. Photo by lokenrc.
It has become fashionable for minor airports across Europe to seek prominence through association with major cities that are often many miles away. And airlines that serve these minor airports, largely because of their cheaper landing fees, are happy to join in the game. Exploring Allgäu from “Munich West” Canny Cheapos know that Germany’s Frankfurt » Read more
The Maltese capital, Valletta, seen from across the water. Photo © hidden europe.
Combing through old posts here on the EuroCheapo blog, we were surprised to notice that more than half the countries and territories in Europe have hardly had a mention. Among the lacunae are the Mediterranean outposts of Malta and Gibraltar. Malta is of course a sovereign country. Tiny Gibraltar, by comparison, is one of those » Read more
Kaliningrad's South Station. Photo ©hidden europe.
It is almost time for us to put down our quill pens and leave the scriptorium for the last time this year. Three weeks of quiet retreat are in the offing, a chance for us to recharge our batteries and plan a few journeys for 2010. So a good moment, perhaps, to look back and » Read more
Don't miss the gorgeous coastal community of De Haan. Photo: fdecomite
A surreal experience Tucked away along the Belgian coast are some quite remarkable spots. And the tram route that every 20 minutes links communities along the coast is an essay in surrealism. The tram binds René Magritte’s magnificent murals at the casino in Knokke (near the Dutch border at the northeast end of the tram route) » Read more
The lovely town square at Horsovsky Tyn. Photos © hidden europe.
Many tourists have a natural herding instinct. (Not you, of course, as you’re surely more discriminating than the average traveler!) However, the overwhelming majority of North Americans visiting the Czech Republic sadly still stay only in Prague. Until this year, Eurail train passes did not even include the Czech Republic—although holders of Eurail passes valid » Read more
Hanbury Gardens at La Mortola, photo by hiddeneurope
We know Cheapos want the best deals and aren’t necessarily keen about attractions that levy a hefty admission fee. But there are times when a modest admission fee is money well spent. And nowhere more so than in some of Europe’s finest gardens and parks, where visitors can often linger for an entire day, roaming » Read more
The Old Town of Vitebsk, Belarus. Photos ©hidden europe.
A few months back, we gave Belarus a mention here on EuroCheapo. No surprises of course that our posting opened up a mini-debate on the ethics of travel to a country that wins no awards for liberal enlightenment. Yet, it is precisely because of its unusual politics that Belarus is a top destination for European » Read more
The perfect station at Schaanwald in Liechtenstein. Photos © hidden europe.
Remember George Dubya? Here in Europe he is still revered as a remarkable pioneer in “alphabetical tourism.” After all, during his first-ever visit to Europe in June 2001, the presidential itinerary featured Spain, Sweden and Slovenia – or perhaps it was Slovakia. Even Dubya himself was a shade uncertain, but he did a grand job in » Read more
