Living on a continent with 50 nation states and territories creates enough politics, enough sport and enough by way of current affairs to keep most Europeans entertained from dawn till dusk. No surprise, then, that many Europeans develop a certain geographical myopia. Look beyond the capital cities and — particularly as you move away from » Read more
Essays: Budget Travel Guide
Most Cheapos know that when in doubt while traveling, it never hurts to take a cue from the locals. One of the finest ways that Europeans spend their time on weekends is with a visit to a nearby park. While each park has a different culture, no matter where you are, you’ll likely find musical » Read more
Christmas and the New Year holidays are largely done and dusted, and this week much of Europe has returned slowly to work. For us, it is the cue for some travels. And, for those in the know, the period from about January 10 to mid-March is one of the best times of the year for » Read more
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
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
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
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
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
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
Okay Cheapos! Indulge us for two minutes. We’ve just been taking a break on an island full of surprises, a place so beguilingly beautiful that we think it’s worth a mention. There must be a thousand candidates for the accolade of “Europe’s most beautiful island.” One of our favorites is Gozo in the Med. Gozo » Read more
Photo courtesy of hidden europe magazine Cheapos clearly like to get under the skin of a city, probing well beyond the regular sights to get a feel for what makes a community tick. Faith is often still part of the fabric of European life, but getting a feel for it as a foreigner isn’t always easy – » Read more
