Budget your trip before you leave. This can be difficult as you often don’t know exactly how much everything is going to cost, but you can get a rough figure. We discussed this last month. But figure out how much spending money you are willing to spend for the entire trip. This is for items like food, souvenirs, entry fees, etc., NOT hotel or airfare. Say you want to spend 500 USD for your 5 day holiday. That’s 100 USD a day. Put that hundred bucks where it is easily accessible and put the rest of your money out of sight. When the 100 USD is gone, you are done for the day. Have extra at the end of the night? Congratulations, you can splurge the next day OR bring home a little extra.

On a related note – you can help yourself budget for your next holiday, this holiday. Save the receipts for EVERYTHING you buy; even if it’s just a bottle of water or quick snack. Write down what you bought ON the receipt. Even if it seems clear to you at the time, by the time you get home and start looking at your pile of papers; it won’t seem so simple. If you don’t get a receipt, carry a small notebook to write down what you bought, or write it down on the back of another receipt. When you get home, you can go through all the receipts and identify your buying habits. Knowing how much you spent on one trip, and knowing WHAT you spent the money on, will help you to budget for the next holiday.

Photo Credit: thothe92@Flickr

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This was definitely true for me on my first trip to Amsterdam’s famous Noordermarkt. This organic farmer’s market is located in the Jordaan quarter of Amsterdam and takes place rain or shine every Saturday. The friendly vendors were happy to give me a taste of various cheeses to help me choose which ones to buy.

Even if your accommodations don’t include a kitchen, the Noordermarkt organic market is definitely worth a visit for foodies visiting Amsterdam. The experience is lively and gives a great peek into a part of daily life in the Dutch capital. And if you just can’t resist picking something up, it’s easy to assemble a picnic from the markets offerings of bread, cheese, fresh produce, and specialty items such as olives. No cooking required!

Photo source: personal collection

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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 completely free. Look for the divot in the tile mosaic near the center of the galleria. There’s often a small crowd of tourists and locals waiting to take a spin. Watch how it’s done, then jump in and take your turn.

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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 for Glühwein).

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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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Germany isn’t the only country which does Christmas markets well. Strasbourg, France, is the home to one of Europe’s largest Christmas markets (which is also France’s oldest Christmas market).

Strasbourg is a charming city worth a visit even without the Christmas market. It lies right on the boarder with Germany, and you’ll see a mixture of French, German, and a local dialect here. Important vocabulary: vin chaud is French for mulled wine (Glühwein in German).

The Strasbourg Christmas market is definitely one of Europe’s most popular (and commercial), and the crowds can get pretty intense. If you’re having a hard time finding a hotel room in the city, consider staying across the border in Baden Baden, Germany. This spa town is well connected by train to Strasbourg, and it boasts a pretty adorable Christmas market of its own.

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Actually this slide has been going on for a while now, as this article from July shows. But the big story these days seems to be the hoards of European tourists flooding New York City as they take advantage of the super-affordable Christmas shopping to be had there.

The news isn’t all bad for dollar-earners: the US currency is expected to bounce back at least a little bit as we head towards the end of the year. But the days of truly discount European travel might be a thing of the past.

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The eastern city of Dresden hosts Germany’s oldest Christmas market. Dresden is one of my favorite cities in Germany, and it is worth a visit any time of year, but if you can make it during the month of December, you’ll find the city even livelier than usual.

The regional culinary specialty of Dresden is stollen, a Christmas sweet bread with raisins and marzipan which is sold at many stands at the markets. In addition to Glühwein (hot mulled wine), you can find rum-based hot drinks, as well as warm eggnog-like concoctions. The various Christmas markets around the city each put out their own souvenir mugs in which the hot drinks are served – you can either keep the mug when you’re done with the drink, or return it for the deposit you paid up front.

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Before I have even left, I guess I can safely inform you that the function of the following items need not be questioned:  the money belt, continental travel adapter plug, luggage lock and the local SIM Card with a free starter credit.

Now, the map and the “don’t forget checklist” I would have to check out.  As soon as I return, I will inform you of my findings in detail.

While I am away, I would like you to please help me keep this blog busy.  Leave a comment and let me know WHY I SHOULD GIVE YOU A BARCELONA STUDENT TRAVEL JETPACK.  Be creative. Be funny.  Be original.  Just leave a comment and I will choose the one that strikes my fancy the most.

P.S. Make sure that you leave a valid email address so I know how to get in touch with you.

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