Europe String

Sometimes the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is referred to as the world’s first indoor shopping mall, but that’s a comparison that doesn’t do this magnificent structure justice. It connects the Piazza del Duomo to the piazza in front of La Scala opera house in the center of Milan. The ceiling consists of a glass dome, while the floor is sumptuous marble.
While most of the shops (including Prada’s flagship store) in the galleria are pretty high-end, the galleria does offer one great budget-travel activity (besides being an attraction in and of itself): a good luck spin on the bull’s balls is …read more

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If you find yourself in Switzerland (or Germany or Austria) for the holiday season, pick yourself up some of these delicious Zimtsterne, or cinnamon stars’. They are the best Christmas cookies I have ever had (with the exception of any cookies made by my grandmothers, of course).
You can get them at a variety of supermarkets and bakeries, high-end and low-end, but some of the best I’ve found are the regular store-brand ones at Coop stores, which you can find on every other corner in Swiss cities.
Not in Switzerland? You could try making them yourself. Although I’ve never had homemade ones …read more

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I really enjoyed The New York Times’ The 53 Places to Go in 2008. Plenty of European destinations made the list, including my new home of Munich. Some of the usual suspects, like Tuscany, Prague and London, make the list, but also a few ‘new’ hot destinations such as Algeria and Tokaj, Hungary.
There’s also a budget section that offers some good tips.

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The amazing Jewish Museum in Berlin reminds us that Christianity isn’t the only religion on the continent with their annual Hanukkah market, which this year is being held in the new glass courtyard behind the museum. The market offers visitors an opportunity to sample traditional Hanukkah foods as well as to learn about the holiday traditions of Jews in Germany and around the world. Both the museum (designed by architect Daniel Libeskind) and the market are well worth a visit.

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Ooooo Berlin. Possibly my favorite city in all of Europe. And it definitely delivers during the holidays. There are Christmas markets all over the city, but the most adorable one is probably the Weihnachts Zauber (“Christmas magic”) market at Gendarmenmarkt.
This is actually the only Christmas market I’ve ever been to which charged admission. Luckily it’s only one euro, so even the budget traveler can swing it. You may have to battle crowds inside, though, so if you’re not a crowd person, go early in the day (and preferably on a weekday). Don’t miss the Feuerzangenbowle (which is basically another word …read more

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From Consumer Reports Money Blog:

If you used your credit, ATM, or debit card for foreign transactions, you could be eligible for a refund of some of the currency exchange fees you paid, according to the proposed settlement of a class-action lawsuit brought against Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club, seven major banks, and affiliated companies. But you must file your request by May 30.

The settlement applies to anyone who spent time (and money) abroad between 1996 and 2006. Learn more here, and get your money back!

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The Carnival of Cities is up at The Seattle Traveler. There are some great posts from around the world, including one about saving money in Rome and another about wandering around Istanbul.
Go check it out!

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Although not one of my very favorites, the Zurich Christmas market (known as the Christkindli Markt) does have a few things going for it.
Firstly, it is indoors (in the giant hall of Zurich’s main train station), making it fun to visit even when the weather outside becomes frightful. Secondly, it boasts a gigantic tree decked out in Swarovski crystals. And thirdly, the savory cheese pie you can buy there by the slice is absolutely delicious.
The Glühwein’s pretty good, too.

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I was browsing books on Amazon (I do this a lot, given that I live in a place without easy access to giant English-language bookstores) and noticed that Rough Guide is about to come out with The Rough Guide to Europe on a Budget. I want! I’m a huge fan of Rough Guides, so this sounds fabulous to me.
But then I noticed that it’s not coming out until April 2008. Hmmmm. I guess you could pre-order it for someone as a Christmas present? But that would be a lot of delayed gratification. OK, I’ll let you know if I come …read more

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A great list of budget travel ideas for Europe this winter.

An interview with Arthur Frommer about blogging.

Eastern Europe offers your best bet for budget skiing.

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