Europe String

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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Should you be heading this way, check out the following links for some tips on how to have a great time with the Catalonians (the way I did above!) without breaking the bank:

Get a Barcelona Student JetPack
Shop at Zara and/or Mango
Follow Diego’s tips on how to find cheap accommodations in Barcelona
Avoid the tourist traps and look for cheap eats
Visit the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art on a Wednesday
Get Free Drinks at Port Olimipico
Watch Opera at the Liceu for only 50% the price
The lazy ones can take the bus

If you bump into me, make sure you say hi!

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You need to give yourself plenty of time to do your research before you travel to make sure that you get the best deal possible.
You may have to walk. A lot.  It’s one of the best way to discover a European city… plus, it’s the cheapest option.
You may have to wait for a better (meaning: cheaper) time to travel
After seeing that famous tourist spot, you may have to walk even further away to make sure that you do not pay thrice the amount for lunch
You need to time your visit to coincide with free entertainment offered in many cities.

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Back in 2003, I used to commute between Munich and Frankfurt a lot. There were some occasions wherein I would turn these business trips into extended weekends in Munich with my husband. He’d usually follow on a Friday by car and we’d go home together to Frankfurt on Sundays.
And even knowing that I would only be flying one-way, the company I worked for always bought round-trip tickets for me.
See, one-way fares are usually ridiculously more expensive than round-trip airfares. So rather than buy one-way ticket and pay double (in comparison to RT), I opted to just not use the return …read more

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In time for my trip to Barcelona next week,  I received  in the mail a Student Travel JetPack.  I will be bringing the whole package with me and will check out all its contents, whether they are indeed useful for budget travelers headed for Barcelona.
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 …read more

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Do you always read the fine print before you make your booking? Honestly?
I didn’t think so.
It’s that part written in very small letters or in light grey (as opposed to the black print everything else are written with). It’s where companies write the exclusions, reductions, exemptions and limitations of coverage. When booking online, these are under terms and conditions which most of us (admit it!) just skip because well, who would want to read all those which only lawyers would probably be interested to read?
Well, if you see an offer that is too cheap to be true, it …read more

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There is no better place to start an art lover’s tour than in Europe. Whichever class, form, genre, medium or style you may want to see, there is definitely no limit. Now, if you think that your budget will prevent you from taking an art lover’s tour, think again. There are ways around to it.
Here are just a couple of examples…
At the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art, visit on a Wednesday so you only pay 3.50Euros (from 6Euros).
In Cyprus, Europeans can enter museums for FREE every Sunday.
In Rome, many big museums are FREE every last Sunday of the …read more

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Looks a lot like Paris hired Santa this year as one of the most expensive cities in the world seem to be in the spirit of giving.
For the summer, Paris let people use 14,100 bikes for free.
And now that it is close to Autumn, Lynn of the Paris Traveler has informed us that Paris now has FREE PARKING, as well!!!
“There are 145,000 paid parking spaces in the City of Lights, but during this month 123,000 of them are free, and best of all, you’ll actually be able to find one!”
For the complete details, read this page. And while you …read more

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Off to Edinburgh to rock your socks off?
Well, here are a few more tips to help prevent your wallet from being emptied while you take a break from the Music Festival and check out what else Edinburgh has to offer:

Head over at the Museum of Scotland in Chambers Street and go up to the 7th floor of a FREE rooftop view of Edinburg.
Head for Inverleith Park (and its scenic views) and enjoy a nice cheap lunch. You can head for the supermarket or get something from the deli to fill you up.
Walk around rather than pay for transportation, if the …read more

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Going to a local bar could be an interesting part of your travel experience.  However, prices (especially in Sweden!) are not exactly a budget traveler’s dream. And unless you are a woman who could sashay into a bar and immediately get offered free drinks, you would have to cough up in order to get your choice of poison.
Unless…  you look for ways to hustle free drinks.
But before you go and find someone to bet with, you have to check out these videos first, to make sure that you win that bet hence, getting free drinks (or, even better, getting …read more

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