The view from the rooftop terrace at the Albergo del Sole, near the Campo de' Fiori.
When choosing the right place to stay on a budget in expensive cities like Rome, location sometimes takes a back seat to price. This isn’t always a great strategy, however. While a far-flung hotel may be initially inexpensive, if its location is inconvenient, you may end up spending too much money (or time) on transportation. » Read more
Tim Leffel, editor of "Perceptive Travel."
In today’s installment of “4 Cheapo Questions for…” we interview Tim Leffel, an award-winning travel writer, editor of the narrative webzine Perceptive Travel, and all around knower of budget travel tips. When we last chatted with Tim back in June at the Travel Blog Exchange conference in Keystone, CO, he was hard at work wrapping up » Read more
Aix-en-Provence makes a debut appearance on the Eurostar network in May 2013. Photo: Andrea C.
Eurostar is the slick train service that has for almost 20 years provided a reliable high-speed link between London and two capital cities on the continent: Paris and Brussels. Fair fares and high speed With adult return fares from London to Brussels and Paris currently available from £59 return, budget-conscious British travelers are well aware » Read more
What are you reading to understand Paris? Photo: Marcus Meissner
Now is the time to plan your next trip to Paris while the Parisians are suffering through cold wet days under dreary gray skies. It’s a mess here. Come now if you must, but otherwise take a bit of time to prepare your next trip by reading up on those who have already explored the » Read more
Barcelona's "Rabajas", or sales, run through January and even into February at some stores. Photo: Felix Burnet
If you still have some spare euros left over from the holidays, then Barcelona is the spot to spend it these days. Deep sales (called “rebajas”) happen just twice a year; in January after the Epiphany and July right before everyone goes on vacation. So we’re right in the middle of prime sales time now. » Read more
Orthodox architecture on display at the Rila Monastery. Photo: Donald Judge
There is a lovely anecdote in the introduction to Annie Kay’s Bradt Guide to Bulgaria. It tells how God was dividing up the Earth between all the different peoples. True to form, the Bulgarians turned up late and there was nothing left. But the good Lord took pity on the Bulgarians and gave them a » Read more
Explore the food markets to save money. Photo: Paul and Jill
This is a guest post from budget traveler extraordinaire, Matt Kepnes. Keep up with his travels and read his advice at NomadicMatt.com For the last five years, I’ve spent every summer traveling around Europe. My first summer riding the train through the European countryside enamored me with the continent and I couldn’t resist coming back….repeatedly. » Read more
Celebrate 400 years of the canal ring in 2013. Photo: Gforbes
The city of Amsterdam is abuzz with the planning of celebrations for 2013, as the year is studded with anniversaries marking great milestones in Dutch culture. From the reopening of the city’s top museums, to celebrations marking the founding of concert halls (and even canal systems), the year promises to attract visitors for a wide » Read more
Explore the entire Southern network on trips out from London with a DaySave pass for just 12 pounds. Photo © hidden europe
Like us, you are probably already planning rail trips for 2013. Our New Year resolutions are to remember the slow train (always much more fun than the high-speed services) and give time to those smaller communities through which we have so often passed but which we have never taken time to explore. Europe at speed » Read more
Birthday girl! Notre Dame turns 850 in 2013. Photo: Jadeilyn
The New Year is upon us and it’s once again time to start planning that next trip to Paris, n’est-ce pas? Start searching for cheap airfare and the perfect hotel (in our Paris guide, naturally!) and, in case you need a little push, consider some of these 13 reasons to visit Paris in 2013: 1. » Read more
London to Paris for £4 on Megabus. Photo: Eastleighbusman
Last week we looked at how the liberalization of regulations around long-distance coach services is reshaping the transport map of Europe. We noted in particular how big changes are afoot in Germany. Now let’s take a peek at a new network of services linking England with France and beyond. In recent months, budget coach operators » Read more
Ice skate on the Leidseplein through January 13. Photo: Dutchamsterdam.nl
Compared to the shop-til-you-drop chaos that surrounds North American come Christmas, Amsterdam’s holiday habits are easygoing, painless, and mellow. But while the Dutch stay modest with the wrapping paper, they still indulge in outdoor illuminating settings and sounds. Here are 10 ways to get into Holland’s holiday spirit, EuroCheapo-style: 1. Ice skating Through January 13, » Read more
Britain's National Express coach service may be coming soon to Germany. Photo: Ell Brown
So here’s a prediction for the year ahead. Looking at European trends in budget travel, we are confident that 2013 will be the year of the long-distance coach. Following liberalization of coach transport elsewhere in Europe, big changes are now afoot in Germany, with the scrapping (on Jan 1, 2013) of an 80-year-old law that » Read more
The life-size nativity scene at St. Peter's Square is one of the city's most popular Christmas traditions. Photo: Hebe
Rome is a great place to visit in the holiday season. Thanks to the mild winter temperatures, the city stays vibrant and alive even during the coldest months of the year. There is something magical about strolling along the cobbled streets in the evening, eating chestnuts and admiring the lights strung up around the historical » Read more
Time to renew the passport. Happy New Year's, Cheapos! Photo: hjl
There are many things we love about the end of the year. Eggnog, HD yule log apps and the subtle but certain scent of travel plans in the new year to name a few. But what we really love are lists. Big honking end-of-the-year recapapaloozas that rehash what we learned in the past 12 months and what » Read more
The proposed journey from Avignon - Nice - Ventimiglia - Genoa - Pisa - Florence.
We’ve already published many articles on the subject of booking train tickets in Europe, most of them by our go-to rail experts, the team at hidden europe magazine. I was reminded of their advice earlier this week when trying to find (and book) train tickets from Avignon, in the south of France, to Florence, Italy » Read more
Treasures await! Photo: Carl
It’s time for a French lesson in shopping. While tourists in Paris love heading to the city’s flea markets for treasures and inexpensive gifts, they might not be aware of how many different types of flea markets there really are in the city. Here’s a quick overview of the markets selling secondhand goods in Paris: » Read more
Breakfast in Barcelona is usually cheaper at a cafe than in the hotel. Photo: Lander
We recently asked our Barcelona correspondent, Regina W. Bryan, to answer some questions that we hear repeatedly by travelers heading to Barcelona. Some were of the hum-drum variety (“Do hotels have elevators?”), but others were a bit more interesting. Below are a few that popped out at us. To read the entire list, check out » Read more
All lit up on New Year's Eve in Paris. But is it a deal? Photo: Waqqas
What are you up to this New Year’s Eve, Cheapos? Hosting a whopper of a party? Running around town with friends? Showing off your boss karaoke skills with a non-stop Gangnam Style medley? If your answer is “well, I’m not sure just yet” and you’re wondering if a spontaneous getaway could still be in the » Read more
Ryanair, tasteful as always.
We’re heading over to Paris at the end of the year to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Most of our time is booked up with typical holiday plans—getting together with friends, blow out dinners (on the cheap, of course) and relishing winter in Paris. But we do have four or five days that are wide open » Read more
Sleep for cheap near Wollman Rink in Central Park. Photo: Seriousfunk
The holiday season is an enchanting time to visit New York, as lights twinkle throughout town, store windows draw crowds to Fifth Avenue, and the Rockettes line up and kick at Radio City. And we won’t even mention the shopping opportunities. Indeed, these and (many) more reasons draw multitudes of tourists to New York in » Read more
The Swiss mountain village of Gimmelwald overlooks the UNESCO world heritage listed Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn. Photos by Jessica Festa
“Do you mean Grindelwald?” This is the common response I receive when telling people about my favorite Swiss destination of Gimmelwald. While not many people have heard of it, it’s more because of its remote location than its lack of offerings. Located in the Bernese Oberland, the tiny mountain village sits at an altitude of » Read more
Skate at the Hotel de Ville for only €5. Photo © EuroCheapo.com.
Paris will again transform into a winter wonderland as the holiday season kicks into high gear. This is possibly Paris as its best, with a cup of hot wine at one of the many outdoor markets or a stroll through the lights in the various shopping districts. It’s enchanting, it’s whimsical, and, above all, it’s » Read more
Our one-day London itinerary starts with a coffee from Borough Market. Photo: Jorge Franganillo
If you found yourself in the position of only having one day to spend visiting London, how would you even know where to start? In many ways it’s an unenviable challenge, as it’s too little time to get more than a fleeting impression of the city. And yet, at the same time, you’re happy to » Read more
Art Nouveau architecture on display in Melilla. Photo: Fenand0
Back in the summer, we had a solemn moment over our evening tapas as we marked the tenth anniversary of the invasion of the island of Perejil. In July 2002, a small Moroccan force invaded this fragment of Spanish land off the coast of North Africa, only to be ousted a week later when Spain » Read more
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