Enjoying Europe on a Budget COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL · 2020-03-17 · Enjoying Europe on a Budget by Reid Bramblett A mericans have such a love affair with Europe that more than eight

Enjoying Europe on a Budget

by Reid Bramblett

Americans have such a love affair with Europe that more than eight millioncross the Atlantic every year to explore its cities, discover its countryside, delightin its food and wine, meet its people, trace their roots, and soak up the incom-parable culture, history, art, and architecture.

This book can serve as your trusty guide so you can get the most out ofEurope on a budget; it provides all the hints, advice, practical information, andhistorical background you’ll need—whether your goal is to see all the Renais-sance museums of Florence, ponder life from a sidewalk table of a Parisian cafe,bask in the baroque beauty of Prague, explore the hill towns of Andalusia, or hitthe theaters of London’s West End.

1

1 About the $85-a-Day PremiseTimes—and most definitely prices—have changed since Arthur Frommerhimself published the first edition ofthis book, Europe on $5 a Day, in1957. This 46th edition of Frommer’sEurope from $85 a Day has beencompletely revised, yet it retains theever-dependable Frommer’s emphasis:finding great value for your money.

This guide is not about just barelyscraping by, but about traveling com-fortably on a reasonable budget.Spend too little and you suck all thefun out of travel; you shortchangeyourself, your vacation, and yourexperiences. Spend too much and youinsulate yourself from the local side ofEurope.

Frommer’s Europe from $85 a Daytakes you down the middle road, wherethe joys and experiences of Europe openwide to let you in. Doing Europe “from$85 a day” means $85 is the averagestarting amount per person you’ll needto spend on accommodations and meals

only; transportation, sightseeing, shop-ping, souvenirs, entertainment, andother expenses are not included. Expectto use a little over half your $85 eachday on accommodations. Obviously,two people can travel within this budgetmore easily than one—$90 for a doubleroom and $40 each for meals.

Of course, since our budget is from$85 a day, we don’t limit our hotel andrestaurant recommendations to onlythe rock-bottom places. You’ll also findmoderately priced choices as well asmore expensive options for those who’dlike to splurge here and there—say on aromantic dinner in Paris or a roomoverlooking the Grand Canal in Venice.

This chapter and chapter 2, “Plan-ning an Affordable Trip to Europe,”will show you how to squeeze themost out of your budget. Refer to theindividual city chapters for specifics,such as when to go, where to stay,what to do, and how to save moneyonce you arrive.

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COPYRIG

HTED M

ATERIAL

F R O M M E R ’ S M O N E Y- S A V I N G S T R AT E G I E S 11

2 Frommer’s Money-Saving StrategiesGETTING THE BEST DEAL ON ACCOMMODATIONSMost tourist offices, some travelagents, and often hotel reservationbooths at airports or train stationsprovide listings of B&Bs, inns, roomsfor rent in homes, farmhouses, andsmall hotels where a couple mightspend only $30 to $80 for a double.Besides the more traditional optionsbelow, creative travel alternatives inwhich lodging costs nothing or next tonothing include home exchanges andeducational vacations (see “Educa-tional Travel,” in chapter 2).

BRINGING THE RATES DOWNKeep prices low by traveling off seasonand off the beaten track. In cities, seekout local, not touristy, neighborhoodsor those frequented largely by students(often around the train station). Smallfamily-run B&Bs, inns, and pensionstend to be cheaper—not to mentionfriendlier—than larger hotels. Althoughyou’ll find more and more propertiesin Europe sporting the familiar namesof American chains, they’re almostalways standardized business hotelswith rates two to four times higherthan what the same chain charges inthe States.

Getting a good rate at any hotel isan exercise in trade-offs. You can getlower prices by looking for hotelsaway from the town center or optingfor a smaller room, one without a pri-vate bathroom, or one without a TV

or other amenities. Ask to see severalrooms—desk clerks will often try tomove the most expensive or leastappealing rooms first, so let themknow you’re a smart shopper who willstay only in a room you approve ofand that’s a fair price. Politely negoti-ate the rates—especially off season orif you sense the hotel has plenty ofempty rooms—and you might payaround 25% less. Always ask aboutdiscounts for stays of 3 or more days,for stays over the weekend, or for stu-dents or seniors.

If you haven’t reserved a roombefore leaving home, call around to afew hotels before you begin visitingthem to gauge how full the city’s innsseem to be. If there are plenty of extrarooms, you’ve got more bargainingleverage. If one proprietor isn’t easilypersuaded to give you a worthwhiledeal, try elsewhere. If, however, hotelsin town seem booked, bed down inthe first reasonable place and hope forbetter bargaining luck next time. Pickyour top few choices from the reviewsin this book before you hit town (per-haps on the train ride in); when youarrive at the train station of a newtown, buy a phone card from a news-paper stand (that’s always wherethey’re sold) and head over to the payphones to start calling those hotelchoices for an available room (or headto the station’s room reservations deskif there is one). This way you get a

A Note on Special RatesIn a couple of chapters you’ll see that some hotels offer special rates “forFrommer’s readers.” We don’t solicit these rates or offer anything (like aguaranteed rosy write-up) in return, but hoteliers sometimes offer them,and we’re only too happy to accept on your behalf! The hotel ownersrequest that you please make it clear on booking or arrival (or both) thatyou’re a Frommer’s reader, in order to avoid confusion about those specialrates. Note that the actual rates might have changed by the time you planyour trip, but the hotels will still offer our readers a discount.

Tips

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C H A P T E R 1 . E N J O Y I N G E U R O P E O N A B U D G E T12

Frankfurtam Main

Bonn

Milan

Florence

Bern

London

Dublin

Belfast

Liverpool

Edinburgh

Glasgow

Aberdeen

Paris

Le Havre

BordeauxGeneva

Strasbourg

Marseille

Amsterdam

Nice

Brussels

Arles

Bruges

Liège

Bath

Salisbury

Perth

Innsbruck

Rothenburgob der Tauber

Augsburg

Madrid

Lisbon

Seville

Porto

Bilbao

Barcelona

Valencia

Malaga

Córdoba

Granada

Hamburg

Cagliari

Tunis

Algiers

RabatOran

Casablanca

Bergen

Oxford

Stonehenge

CORSICA(France)

SARDINIA(Italy)

BALEARIC ISLANDS

FAROE ISLANDS(Denmark)

SHETLANDISLANDS

ORKNEYISLANDS

NorwegianSea

NorthSea

Bay of Bi scay

Engl i sh Channel

NORTH

ATLANTIC

OCEAN

M e d i t e r r a n e a n S e a

PROVENCE

ANDALUSIA

COTSWOLDS

TUSCANY

COUNTYKERRY

DinglePeninsula

ALGARVE

BERNEROBERLAND

GRAMPIAN

TAYSIDE

LOIRE VALLEY

Côted’Azur

Costa del Sol

SPAIN

MOROCCO ALGERIA TUNISIA

FRANCE

PORTUGAL

U.K.THETHENETHERLANDSNETHERLANDSTHENETHERLANDS

BELGIUM

IRELAND

SWITZERLAND

DENMARK

NORWAY

GERMANY

LUX.

MONACO

ANDORRA

N150 mi0

0 150 km

B

Europe

05_568906 ch01.qxd 7/26/04 1:55 PM Page 12

Leipzig

Munich

Berlin Poznan Warsaw

Krakow L’viv

Cluj-NapocaChisinau Odessa

Sofiya

Constanta

Varna

Ankara

Izmir

Bucharest

Istanbul

Zagreb

Budapest

Bratislava

Skopje

Belgrade

Sarajevo

Podgorica

Tirana

Prague

Vienna

Rome

Venice

Naples

Palermo

Ljubljana

Salzburg

Karlovy Vary(Carlsbad)

Oslo

Copenhagen

Göteborg

Gävle

Sundsvall

Stockholm

Tampere

Helsinki

Tallinn

Riga

VilniusKaliningrad

Gdansk

St. Petersburg

Moscow

Trondheim

Minsk

Kiev

Athens

Delphi

Pompeii

CYPRUS

CRETERHODES

SICILY PELOPONNESE

CYCLADES

MALTA

TyrrhenianSea

Balt icSea

BlackSea

IonianSea

Adriat icSea

AegeanSea

Lake Balaton

M e d i t e r r a n e a n S e a

D a n ube

Gu

lfo f

Bo t

h ni a

KITZBÜHEL ALPS

DANUBEVALLEY

THENETHERLANDS

SWEDENFINLAND

ESTONIA

LITHUANIA

RUSSIA

LATVIA

BELARUS

P O L A N D

U K R A I N E

ROMANIA

MOLDOVA

BULGARIA

SLOVAKIA

CROATIA

SERBIAAND

MONTENEGRO

BOSNIA ANDHERZEGOVINA

GREECE

ALBANIA TURKEY

RUSSIA

AUSTRIA

ITALY

SLOVENIA

HUNGARY

CZECHREPUBLIC

THE FORMERYUGOSLAV REPUBLIC

OF MACEDONIA

BAVARIAN

ALPS


05_568906 ch01.qxd 7/26/04 1:55 PM Page 13

jump on those who head out to searchon foot.

OVERNIGHT TRAINS One of thegreat European deals is the sleepingcouchette, where for only about $20(2nd class) you get a reserved bunk forthe night in a shared sleeping compart-ment (sometimes sleeping two, but usu-ally four to six people). When you wakeup, you’ve gotten where you’re goingwithout wasting your daylight hours ona train, plus you’ve saved yourself anight’s hotel charges—along with hotelcomfort.

PACKAGE TOURS Airlines andtour operators offer package toursthat, unlike fully escorted guidedtours, book only air transportationand hotels and leave the sightseeing upto you. It’s a good mix of the joys andfreedom of independent travel at the(sometimes) cut rates of a tour. See“Escorted General-Interest Tours,” inchapter 2, for more details.

RENTING Imagine living for aweek in a studio apartment in Londonfor $500 to $600, or in a cottage inFrance for $450 to $600. If you rent aroom, an apartment, a cottage, or afarmhouse, you can live like a Euro-pean, if only for a few days or weeks.In cities, you can often broker rentalrooms and apartments through thetourist office or a private lodging serv-ice in the train station. Rooms for rentusually offer great rates (much cheaperthan hotel rates) even for the singletraveler staying just 1 night, althoughsome might require a minimum stayof a few nights. Apartments start mak-ing economic sense when you havethree or more people and are stayingin town for a week or longer.

Renting villas, cottages, farm-houses, and the like is a much trickierbusiness, with a wide range of rates—and quality. It can be a downrightbudget option (usually, again, forgroups of three or four renting for afew weeks), or it can be a hedonistic

splurge on an overpriced historic castle.Shop around. Contact local touristoffices before leaving home; they mighthave lists or catalogs of available proper-ties. Or read through travel magazinesand newspaper supplements for ads.

Or you can try Barclay Interna-tional (& 800/845-6636; www.barclayweb.com), which since 1963 hasrepresented properties across Europe,including some 3,000 apartments and5,000 villas, many off the beaten path.Book as early as possible. Or take theguesswork out of the process by book-ing with 30-year-old Untours (& 888/868-6871; www.untours.com), whichsets you up with plane tickets, a rentalcar, an apartment in any of a dozenEuropean countries for 1 to 2 weeks,plus a local contact who will help yousettle in and is available by phone to dis-pense advice during your stay. A wee bitpricier than going it alone, perhaps, butmany readers report that it’s worth it.

HOSTELS One of the least expen-sive ways to keep a roof over your headand meet other travelers is a stay in ahostel. Although more and more fami-lies and intrepid seniors are appearing inthe common rooms lately (only those inBavaria still enforce an under-26 agelimit), hostels are still primarily studentstomping grounds. In fact, in summerespecially, they fill up early each morn-ing, often with high school and collegestudents partying their way throughEurope. If that’s not your scene, youmight want to look elsewhere.

Hostels charge around $10 to $35per night for what’s usually a bunk in adormlike room (often sex-segregated)that sleeps anywhere from 4 to 50 peo-ple or more and a single big bathroomdown the hall, college dorm–style.Happily, the recent trend at hostels hasbeen away from gymnasium-sizeddorms and toward smaller shared unitsof four to six, often with a bathroomattached to each.

There are usually lockers for yourbags, and you often must bring your


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own sleep-sack (basically a sheet foldedin half and sewn up the side to make avery thin sleeping bag) or buy one on-site. For many, you need an HI mem-bership card (see below)—at some, thecard is required for you to stay there; atothers, it gets you a discount; and atsome private hostels, the card doesn’tmatter at all.

There’s usually a lockout from morn-ing to mid-afternoon and a curfew ofaround 10pm to 1am—which can seri-ously cramp your evening plans, espe-cially since many hostels are at the edgeof town, meaning you have to finishdinner rather early to catch that longbus or metro ride back out.

Membership in Hostelling Interna-tional, 8401 Colesville Rd., Suite 600,Silver Spring, MD 20910 (& 301/495-1240; www.hiusa.org), an affiliate ofthe International Youth Hostel Federa-tion (IYH), is free for those under 18,$28 per year for people 18 to 54, $18for those 55 and older, or $250 for a lifetime membership. HI sells theannual International Guide—Europe for$13.95. But in the days of the Internet,the official website of Hostelling Inter-national (www.hihostels.com) and thatof independent www.hostels.com arefree, more up to date, and far more use-ful than any book in print.

GETTING THE BEST DEAL ON DININGSome hotels include dinner or break-fast in their rates or offer them asextras. For dinner, this is sometimes afine meal at a good price, but you canalmost always eat just as cheaply—andfind considerably more variety—bydining at local restaurants. Hotelbreakfasts—with the exception of thecholesterol-laden minifeasts of the

British Isles—are invariably overpriced.A “continental breakfast” means a rollwith jam and coffee or tea, occasionallywith some sliced ham, cheese, or fruitto justify the $4 to $20 price. Manyhotels include breakfast in the rates,but if there’s any way you can get outof paying for it, do so. You can pick upthe same food at the corner cafe or barfor $2 to $4.

When it comes to choosing yourrestaurant, a local bistro, trattoria,taverna, or pub is not only cheaperthan a fancier restaurant, but alsooffers you the opportunity to rubelbows with Europeans. Ask locals youmeet for recommendations of placesthey like, not places they think you asa visitor would like. Pick restaurantsthat are packed with locals, not thoseabandoned or filled only with tourists.At any restaurant, the house tablewine will usually be just fine, if notexcellent, and cheap. Similarly, beer isplentiful, cheap, and excellent on theBritish Isles and in central and easterncountries (Belgium, Germany, theCzech Republic, and so on).

The fixed-price menu (or touristmenu) is a budget option that gets youa semi- to full meal at a cheaper price—but a much more limited selection—than if you ordered each dish from thefull menu. The best deals include wine(a glass or quarter carafe) or beer, coffee,and dessert along with choices for firstand second courses.

If you love fine food but not hugebills, consider patronizing top restau-rants at lunch. Outstanding placesoften serve the same or similar dishes atboth meals, but with lunch prices two-thirds to one-half of dinner prices. Plus,lunch reservations are easier to come by.


City-Specific SavingsFor city-specific savings on all these topics, see the “Getting the Best Deal”boxes throughout this guide.

Tips

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In Britain and Ireland, indulge inafternoon tea, in Spain do a tapas barcrawl, and in Italy nibble during theevening passeggiata (stroll)—all inex-pensive popular customs that’ll cut yourappetite for a huge meal later. Whereveryou eat, be sure to check the menu andask your waiter to see if a service chargeis automatically included; don’t tiptwice by accident.

In the bars and cafes of many Euro-pean countries, the price on any itemconsumed while you stand at the bar islower (sometimes by as much as half )than the price you’d pay sitting at atable, and three times lower than theprice charged at the outdoor tables.

If your day is filled with sightseeing,lunch can be as quick as local cheesesand salamis, ripe fruit, a loaf of freshlybaked bread, and a bottle of wine ormineral water eaten on the steps of thecathedral, on a park bench, or in yourhotel room. Picnic ingredients inEurope, purchased from outdoor mar-kets and tiny neighborhood shops, areultrafresh and so cheap you usuallywon’t spend more than $5 to $10 perperson.

GETTING THE BEST DEAL ON SIGHTSEEINGYou’ve heard that the best things in lifeare free. Well, some of the best things insightseeing are, too. You can’t get muchbetter than strolling through Paris’sLuxembourg Gardens or spending anafternoon in London’s British Museum.And how about peeking into Rome’smany churches or lounging on theSpanish Steps, exploring Barcelona’smedieval quarter, hiking the Alpsaround Salzburg, or relaxing on a St-Tropez beach? The website www.europeforfree.com lists hundreds offree things to see and do across Europe.Or just stroll around town, drinking inthe European ambience—city touristoffices often offer free booklets of walk-ing tours for exploring the city on foot.Also note that Frommer’s publishes

Memorable Walks in Paris andMemorable Walks in London (both$12.99).

Visit the tourist offices and pumpthem for free maps, information,brochures, and museum lists—everything you need to plan your sight-seeing. Find out if some museums offerfree entry on a particular day or reducedadmission after a certain hour, and gothen (but be prepared for crowds—you’re not the only one looking to savesome money). Keep in mind that manyEuropean museums are closed on Mon-day (in Paris, it’s Tues) and open just ahalf-day on Sunday, so check the sched-ule before you go.

Always inquire about special passesor combination tickets that includereduced admission to several or even allof a city’s museums. Sometimes thesepasses even include reduced publictransportation fares.

GETTING THE BEST DEAL ON SHOPPINGGETTING YOUR VAT REFUNDFirst the bad news: All European coun-tries charge a value-added tax (VAT) of15% to 33% on goods and services—it’s like a sales tax that’s already includedin the price. Rates vary from country tocountry, although the goal in E.U.countries is to arrive at a uniform rate ofabout 18%.

Now the good news: Non-E.U. citi-zens are entitled to have some or all ofthe VAT refunded on purchases if theyspend more than a certain amount atany one store (how much ranges from aslow as $80 in England—but somestores, like Harrods, require as much as£50/$90—up to nearly $200 in Franceand Italy). The actual amounts in eachcountry—as well as lots of VAT-freeshopping advice—are listed at the web-site of Global Refund (& 800/566-9828; www.globalrefund.com).

Ask the store for an official VATreceipt, and carry it with you. Manyshops are now part of the “Tax-Free


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for Tourists” network. (Look for thesticker in the window.) Stores partici-pating in this network issue a checkalong with your invoice at the time ofpurchase.

You actually don’t “redeem” thereceipts you’re carrying around untilyou are getting ready to leave the lastE.U. country (which includes all ofwestern Europe except Switzerland,Norway, and Iceland; and all of east-ern Europe minus Bulgaria, Romania,and Turkey—the latter three are upfor membership) you visit on yourtrip. That means you should bring allyour receipts for every E.U. country tothe airport from which you depart; soif you’re flying home from Paris, youcan take your Italian, German, andFrench receipts to the Customs agentat Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Before you even check in for yourflight, you must visit the local Customsoffice at the airport with the receiptsand the items you purchased, in case theofficer wishes to inspect your purchases(which rarely happens). The Customsagent will stamp your receipt and giveyou further directions—usually, aftergoing through check-in and security,you head to another VAT refund deskinside the airport and deal with morepaperwork there. In some cases, theygive you a refund on the spot. Moreoften, the stamped receipt is sent backto the store and your reimbursement iscredited against your credit card or sentto you by check. Either way, it can takemonths.

CUSTOMS For U.S. CitizensLongtime travelers rejoice! In 2003,the personal exemption rule—howmuch you can bring back into theStates without paying a duty on it—was doubled to $800 worth of goodsper person. This applies to returningU.S. citizens who have been away forat least 48 hours, and can be used onceevery 30 days. On the first $1,000worth of goods over $800, you pay aflat 3% duty. Beyond that, it works on

an item-by-item basis. There are a fewrestrictions on amount: 1 liter of alco-hol (you must be over 21), 200 ciga-rettes, and 100 cigars. Antiques morethan 100 years old and works of fineart are exempt from the $800 limit, asis anything you mail home. Once perday, you can mail yourself $200 worthof goods duty-free; mark the package“For Personal Use.” You can also mailgifts to other people without payingduty as long as the recipient doesn’treceive more than $100 worth of giftsin a single day. Label each gift package“Unsolicited Gift.” Any package muststate on the exterior a description ofthe contents and their values. You can’tmail alcohol, perfume (it containsalcohol), or tobacco products worthmore than $5.

For more information on regula-tions, check out the U.S. Customs andBorder Protection website (www.cbp.gov) or write to them at 1300 Penn-sylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC20229, to request the free Know BeforeYou Go pamphlet.

To prevent the spread of diseases,you cannot bring into the States anyplants, fruits, vegetables, meats, or mostother foodstuffs. This includes evencured meats like salami (no matter whatthe shopkeeper in Europe says). Youmay bring in the following: bakerygoods, all but the softest cheeses (therule is vague, but if the cheese is at allspreadable, don’t risk confiscation), can-dies, roasted coffee beans and dried tea,fish, seeds for veggies and flowers (butnot for trees), and mushrooms. Checkout the USDA’s website (www.aphis.usda.gov/oa/travel) for more info.

For British Citizens You can bringhome almost as many goods as youlike from any E.U. country as long asthe goods are for your own use. You’relikely to be questioned by Customs if you bring back more than 90 liters ofwine, 3,200 cigarettes, or 200 cigars. Ifyou’re returning home from a non-E.U. country or if you buy your goods


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in a duty-free shop, you’re allowed tobring home 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars,2 liters of table wine, plus 1 liter of spirits or 2 liters of fortified wine. Getin touch with Her Majesty’s Customsand Excise Office, New King’s BeamHouse, 22 Upper Ground, LondonSE1 9PJ (& 020/7620-1313; www.hmce.gov.uk), or call their Advice Service (& 0845/010-9000) for moreinformation.

For Canadian Citizens For a clearsummary of Canadian rules, write forthe booklet I Declare, issued by Rev-enue Canada, 2265 St. Laurent Blvd.,Ottawa K1G 4KE (& 800/959-2221or 613/993-0534; www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca). Canada allows citizens a C$750exemption if you’ve been out of thecountry for at least 7 days. You’reallowed to bring back duty-free 200 cigarettes, 2.2 pounds of tobacco, 40imperial ounces of liquor, 50 cigars, and1.5 liters of wine. In addition, you’reallowed to mail gifts to Canada fromabroad at the rate of C$60 a day, pro-vided they’re unsolicited and aren’t alco-hol or tobacco (write on the package“Unsolicited Gift, Under C$60 Value”).All valuables should be declared onthe Y-38 form before departure fromCanada, including serial numbers of,for example, expensive foreign camerasthat you already own. Note: TheC$500 exemption can be used onlyonce a year and only after an absence of7 days. For more information, call theAutomated Customs Service (& 800/461-9999 toll-free within Canada, or204/983-3500 outside Canada).

For Australian Citizens The duty-free allowance in Australia is A$400 or,for those under 18, A$200. Personalproperty mailed back from Europeshould be marked “Australian GoodsReturned” to avoid payment of duty.On returning to Australia, citizens canbring in 250 cigarettes or 250 grams ofloose tobacco, and 1,125ml of alcohol.If you’re returning with valuable goodsyou already own, such as foreign-madecameras, you should file form B263. Ahelpful brochure, available from Aus-tralian consulates or Customs offices, isKnow Before You Go. For more informa-tion, contact Australian Customs Serv-ices, GPO Box 8, Sydney, NSW 2001(& 1300-363-263 within Australia;02-6275-6666 from overseas; www.customs.gov.au).

For New Zealand Citizens Theduty-free allowance for New Zealand isNZ$700. Citizens over 17 years canbring in 200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or250 grams of tobacco (or a mixture ofall three if their combined weight doesn’texceed 250 grams); plus 4.5 liters ofwine or beer, or 1.125 liters of liquor.New Zealand currency doesn’t carryimport or export restrictions. Fill out acertificate of export, listing the valuablesyou are taking out of the country; thatway, you can bring them back withoutpaying duty. Most questions areanswered in a free pamphlet available atNew Zealand consulates and Customsoffices: New Zealand Customs Guide forTravellers, Notice no. 4. For more infor-mation, contact New Zealand Cus-tomshouse, 50 Anzac Ave., Box 29,


But I Bought That Before I Left Home!If you plan to travel with expensive items (especially foreign-made) youalready own, like cameras, video or computer equipment, or valuable jew-elry (particularly inadvisable), check with your home country’s Customsoffice about filing a form of ownership. If it’s undeclared beforehand,officials might assume you bought the item abroad and try to make youpay duty on it.

Tips

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Auckland, NZ (& 0800-428-786within New Zealand, 09-359-6655from overseas; www.customs.govt.nz).

BARGAINING Bargaining may bemore prevalent in parts of the worldother than Europe, but it’s still done inSpain, Portugal, Greece, and, to somedegree, Italy. In other countries, storeprices are pretty firm, but you’ll havethe opportunity to haggle in streetmarkets anywhere.

These tips will help ease theprocess: Never appear too interestedor too anxious; offer only half or evena third of the original asking price andslowly work your way up from there(the price should never jump up—itshould inch up, so take the time toinch it properly); tantalize with cashand have the exact amount you wantto pay ready in your pocket. Finally,don’t take bargaining, the vendor, oryourself too seriously. The seller willact shocked, hurt, or angry, but isn’treally; it’s all just part of the ritual.And don’t worry about taking advan-tage of the vendor; he’ll only sell theitem to you for the price he’s willing toaccept. Ideally, bargaining should befun for both parties.

GETTING THE BEST DEAL ONEVENING ENTERTAINMENTIf you’re interested in the theater, bal-let, or opera, ask at the tourist office ifdiscount or last-minute tickets areavailable and where to get them (at thetheater itself or a special outlet orbooth, like the famous “tkts” half-priceticket booth on London’s LeicesterSq.). Some theaters sell standing roomor discount seats on the day of the per-formance, and students and seniorsmay qualify for special admission.

Nightclubs tend to be expensive,but you might be able to avoid a covercharge by sitting or standing at the barrather than taking a table, or by arriv-ing before a certain hour. If you decideto splurge, keep a lid on your alcoholintake; that’s where the costs mount

astronomically. If you’ve arrived duringa public holiday or festival, theremight be abundant free entertainment,much of it in the streets. For more leadson stretching your entertainment dollar,check “Deals & Discounts” and “AfterDark” in each city chapter.

GETTING THE BEST DEAL ONPHONE CALLS & E-MAILLOCAL CALLS In most Europeancountries these days, public phoneswork with prepaid phone cards—many don’t even take coins anymore—sold at newsstands, tobacconists, andpost offices. These cards are put out bythe phone company itself and are legit,not like the scams prevalent in theUnited States. Calls cost the samewhether made with coins or cards. Ifyou’ll be in town a while, phone cardspay off in convenience. If you’re in acountry for just a few days, you prob-ably won’t use up an entire card (butgood luck finding a coin-op phone inParis or Athens anymore).

OVERSEAS CALLS If you can avoidit, never pay European rates for atranscontinental call; American rates arecheaper, so have friends and family callyou at your hotel. AT&T, MCI, andSprint all have local (usually) free num-bers in each country that link youdirectly to an American operator, whocan place a collect call or take yourcalling-card number. You’ll find theselocal numbers under the “Telephone”entry in “Fast Facts” in every destina-tion chapter of this book, or you can geta wallet card from the phone company.

Calling cards, not to be confusedwith phone cards, are like credit cardsfor phone calls and usually offer theeasiest and cheapest way for you to callhome. They’re issued by major long-distance carriers such as AT&T, MCI,and Sprint. Since the rates and callingplans change regularly, shop around tofind out which one is currently offer-ing the best deal on Europe-to-the-U.S. rates.


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Avoid making any calls from Euro-pean hotels. They often charge exorbi-tant rates—especially for transatlanticcalls, but even for a local call like ring-ing up a nearby restaurant for reserva-tions—and they often add a “surcharge”on top of that, sometimes bringing thetotal anywhere from 200% to 400%above what the same call would costfrom a pay phone. Strangely enough,

the small, inexpensive hotels are leastlikely to charge obscenely high rates,while the plusher, pricier inns are theones that tend to hit you with thoseridiculous charges.

Calling cards are the cheapest wayto call home, but if you choose totravel without one, you have twochoices. Since phone cards (above)come in a variety of increments, you


Number, Please: Calling Europe

To make a phone call from the United States to Europe, dial the inter-national access code, 011; then the country code for the countryyou’re calling; then (sometimes) the city code for the city you’re call-ing (usually dropping the initial zero, which has conveniently been leftoff numbers in the list below); followed by the regular telephone num-ber. For an operator-assisted call, dial 01, then the country code, thecity code, and the regular telephone number; an operator will thencome on the line.

Following are codes for the countries and major cities in this guide.These are the codes you use to call from overseas or from anotherEuropean country; if you’re calling from within the country, see the“Country & City Codes” boxes within each destination chapter.

European phone systems are currently undergoing a prolonged con-fusing change. Italy, France, Spain, Monaco, Copenhagen, and Portu-gal no longer use separate city codes: The old codes are now built intoall phone numbers, and (except for France) you must always dial thatinitial zero or nine (which was previously—and still is in most othercountries—included before a city code only when dialing from anothercity within the country itself).

Austria 43Salzburg 662Vienna 1

Belgium 32Brussels 2

Czech Republic 420Prague 2

Denmark 45England 44

London 20France 33Germany 49

Berlin 30Munich 89

Greece 30Athens 1

Tips

Hungary 36Budapest 1

Ireland 353Dublin 1

Italy 39Monaco 377The Netherlands 31

Amsterdam 20Portugal 351Scotland 44

Edinburgh 131Spain 34Sweden 46

Stockholm 8Switzerland 41

Bern 31

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can buy a few of the more expensiveversions and call abroad by feedingthem into a pay phone, one after theother, as they get used up. Or go to abig-city post office where you can callhome from a little booth on a tollphone, then pay when you’re done.

E-MAIL Cybercafes have poppedup all over Europe faster than you cansay “le e-mail.” You can find one inmost cities, check your e-mail, andsend virtual postcards to your friendsback home for around 10¢ to 30¢ perminute. Most also offer temporarymailboxes you can rent for the day,

week, or month if you’ll be stickingaround town for a while. Some coun-tries (Spain, the Netherlands) alsoprovide public Internet kiosks scat-tered about town (often in postoffices), but the speed is usually excru-ciatingly slow.

The best guides to cybercafes on theWeb are www.cybercaptive.com andwww.cybercafe.com. For much moreon this subject, see “The 21st-CenturyTraveler” in chapter 2, and forspecifics, check the “Internet Access”entry in the “Fast Facts” section foreach city chapter.

G E T T I N G A R O U N D W I T H O U T G O I N G B R O K E 21

3 Getting Around Without Going BrokeBY TRAINThe train is the primary way to go inEurope. European trains are lessexpensive than those in the UnitedStates and far more advanced in manyways, and the system is much moreextensive, with over 100,000 miles ofrails. Modern high-speed trains makethe rails faster than planes for shortjourneys, and overnight trains get youwhere you’re going without wastingvaluable daylight hours—and you savemoney on lodging to boot.

If you plan on doing a lot of traintravel, Frommer’s Europe by Rail isthe official guidebook of Rail Europe.The user-friendly guide will help youplan your train trip through Europe,detailing the reservation process andhighlighting the scenic lines, the high-speed routes, and lodging, dining, andcharming stops along the way.Detailed itineraries help you make themost of your time.

For specific routes and schedules, the500-page Thomas Cook EuropeanTimetable is the definitive book listingall official European train routes andschedules. It’s available in the UnitedStates for $27.95 (plus $4.50 shippingand handling) from Forsyth TravelLibrary, P.O. Box 2975, Shawnee Mis-sion, KS 66201 (& 800/367-7984);

at travel specialty stores; or online atwww.thomascooktimetables.com.

You can get even more informationabout train travel in Europe, plusresearch schedules and fares (largelyfor major routes) online at RailEurope (& 877/272-RAIL; www.raileurope.com). For more on usingEurope’s trains, including resourcesfor finding each country’s nationalrailway website—which will includemuch more detailed schedule and fareinfo than Rail Europe, sometimeseven in English!—check out www.europetrains.org.

SUPPLEMENTS & RESERVA-TIONS Europe has a rainbow oftrain classifications ranging from localmilk runs that stop at every tiny stationto high-speed bullet trains that cruiseat 209kmph (130 mph) between majorcities. Many high-speed trains through-out Europe, including the popular ES(Eurostar), EC (EuroCity), IC (Inter-City), and EN (EuroNight), requireyou to pay a supplement of around $5to $15 in addition to the regular ticketfare. It’s included when you buy regulartickets and (on most trains) is coveredby rail passes.

The few trains that charge rail pass holders additional supple-ments (includes seat reservations) are

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Artesia (between France and Italy),Cisalpino (between Switzerland andItaly), Thalys (between Amsterdam orBrussels and Paris), Eurostar Italia(between major Italian cities), and AVE(between Madrid and Seville). If youdidn’t buy the supplement at the ticketcounter (usually a special window at oneend of the ticket banks) before boarding,the conductor will sell you the supple-ment on the train—along with a fine.

Seat reservations are also requiredon some of the speediest of the high-speed runs—Eurostar (between Lon-don and Paris or Brussels through theChunnel), France’s TGV, Germany’sICE, Spain’s AVE and EUROMED,Italy’s ETR/Pendolino and Eurostar,Sweden’s X2000, and any other trainmarked with an “R” on a printed trainschedule. Reservations range from $10to $50 or more (when a meal isincluded). You can almost alwaysreserve a seat within a few hours of thetrain’s departure, but to be on the safeside, you’ll probably want to book afew days in advance.

You’ll also need to reserve a sleep-ing couchette—compartments withbunk beds to sleep four (1st class) orsix (2nd class); a bunk costs around$20 and isn’t terribly comfortable, butit does get you where you’re goingwithout wasting your vacation time.Lock the couchette door, keep yourmoney belt on under your clothes,and don’t flash valuables (you’re shar-ing the couchettes with strangers).

With two exceptions, there’s noneed to buy individual train tickets ormake seat reservations before youleave the States. However, on the

high-speed Artesia run (Paris to Turinin 51⁄2 hr.), you must buy a supple-ment beforehand—on which you canget a substantial discount if you have arail pass, but only if you buy the sup-plement in the States along with thepass. It’s also wise to reserve a seat onthe Chunnel’s Eurostar, as England’sfrequent “bank holidays” (long week-ends) book the train solid with Lon-doners taking a short vacation to Paris.

TRAIN STATIONS Most Euro-pean stations are brilliantly efficientand clean, if a bit chaotic at times. Instations, you’ll find posters showingthe track number and timetables forregularly scheduled runs that passthrough (departures are often on a yel-low poster, arrivals on white). In manystations you’ll find automated ticketmachines that can save you muchstanding-in-line time. Many stationsalso have tourist office outposts andhotel reservations desks, banks withATMs, and newsstands where you canbuy phone cards, bus and metro tick-ets, city maps, English-language news-papers, and local events magazines.The bathrooms often leave much to bedesired; bring a packet of tissues withyou as well as some spare change, asmany require a nominal fee to get in.

RAIL PASSES One of the greatestvalues in European travel is the railpass, a single ticket allowing youunlimited travel—or travel on a selectnumber of days—within a set timeperiod. If you plan on getting all overEurope by train, purchasing a rail passwill be much less expensive than buy-ing individual tickets. Plus, a rail pass


Class ConsciousnessThe difference between seats in first class and second class on Europeantrains is minor—a matter of 1 or 2 inches of extra padding and maybe abit more elbow room (and only four bunks per sleeping couchette ratherthan 2nd class’s six). For up to 50% less, a second-class ticket still gets youthere at the same time.

Tips

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gives you the freedom to hop on a trainwhenever you feel like it, and unless youneed to reserve a couchette, there’s nowaiting in ticket lines. For more focusedtrips, you might want to look intonational or regional passes, or just buyindividual tickets as you go. Use RailEurope (www.raileurope.com) andEuropetrains.org (www.europetrains.org) as resources to help you work out arough trip plan and do some quickmath to see whether a pass will save youmoney.

Passes Available in the United StatesThe granddaddy of passes is the Eurail-pass, covering 17 countries (most ofwestern Europe except the U.K.; seethe “Eurail Countries” sidebar). Themore modest but flexible Selectpasscovers three to five contiguous coun-tries for more focused trips. The passesinclude bonuses such as free or reducedprices on some ferries and river cruiseboats, scenic buses, and certain privaterail lines (for example, 25% off theJungfrau train in Switzerland).

Rail passes are available in either con-secutive-day or flexipass versions (inwhich you have 2 months to use, say, 10or 15 days of train travel of your choos-ing as you go along). Consecutive-daypasses are best for those taking the trainvery frequently (every few days), cover-ing a lot of ground, and making manyshort train hops. Flexipasses are for folkswho want to travel far and wide butplan on taking their time over a longtrip and intend to stay in each city for awhile. There are also saverpasses forfamilies and small groups, and rail/drive passes that mix train days withcar-rental days.

If you’re under age 26, you can optto buy a regular first-class pass or asecond-class youth pass; if you’re 26 orover, you’re stuck with the first-classpass. Passes for kids 4 to 11 are halfprice, and kids under 4 travel free.

The rates quoted below are for 2004:

• Eurailpass: Consecutive-dayEurailpass $588 for 15 days, $762for 21 days, $946 for 1 month,$1,338 for 2 months, or $1,654for 3 months.

• Eurailpass Flexi: Good for 2months of travel, within whichyou can travel by train for 10 days(consecutive or not) for $694; or15 days for $914.

• Eurailpass Saver: Good for twoto five people traveling together,costing $498 per person for 15days, $648 for 21 days, $804 for 1month, $1,138 for 2 months, or$1,408 for 3 months.

• Eurailpass Saver Flexi: Good fortwo to five people travelingtogether, costing $592 per personfor 10 days within 2 months, or$778 per person for 15 dayswithin 2 months.

• Eurailpass Youth: The second-class rail pass for travelers under 26,costing $414 for 15 days, $534 for21 days, $664 for 1 month, $938for 2 months, or $1,160 for 3months.

• Eurailpass Youth Flexi: Only fortravelers under 26, allowing for 10days of travel within 2 months for$488; or 15 days within 2 monthsfor $642.

• Eurail Selectpass: For the mosttightly focused of trips, covering


Eurail CountriesAustria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary,Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain,Sweden, and Switzerland all participate in the Eurail system.

Note: The United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, and NorthernIreland) isn’t included.

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three to five contiguous Eurailcountries connected by rail or ship.It’s valid for 2 months, and its costvaries according to the number ofcountries you plan to visit. A passfor three countries is $356 for 5days, $394 for 6 days, $470 for 8days, and $542 for 10 days. A four-country pass costs $398 for 5 days,$436 for 6 days, $512 for 8 days,and $584 for 10 days. A pass forfive countries costs $438 for 5 days,$476 for 6 days, $552 for 8 days,$624 for 10 days, and $794 for 15days.

• Eurail Selectpass Saver: Same asthe Eurail Selectpass (and slightlyless expensive) but for two to fivepeople traveling together. Per per-son, the three-country pass is $304for 5 days, $336 for 6 days, $400for 8 days, and $460 for 10 days. Apass for four countries is $340 for 5days, $372 for 6 days, $436 for 8days, and $496 for 10 days. A five-country pass is $3,744 for 5 days,$406 for 6 days, $470 for 8 days,$530 for 10 days, and $674 for 15days.

• Eurail Selectpass Youth: Good insecond class only for travelersunder 26. Cost varies according tothe number of countries you planto visit, but all passes are valid for2 months. For three countries, it’s$249 for 5 days, $276 for 6 days,$329 for 8 days, and $379 for 10days. A four-country pass costs$279 for 5 days, $306 for 6 days,$359 for 8 days, and $409 for 10days. A five-country pass is $307for 5 days, $334 for 6 days, $387for 8 days, $437 for 10 days, and$556 for 15 days.

• EurailDrive Pass: This pass offersthe best of both worlds, mixingtrain travel and rental cars (throughHertz or Avis) for less money thanit would cost to do them separately(and one of the only ways to getaround the high daily car-rental

rates in Europe when you rent forless than a week). You get 4 first-class rail days and 2 car days withina 2-month period. Prices (per per-son for one adult/two adults) varywith the class of the car: $452/$409economy, $481/$423 compact,$496/$431 midsize, and $531/$447 small automatic (Hertz only).You can add up to 6 extra car days($49 each economy, $64 compact,$75 midsize, $95 small automatic[Hertz only]). You have to reservethe first “car day” a week beforeleaving the States but can make theother reservations as you go (subjectto availability). If there are morethan two adults, the extra passen-gers get the car portion free butmust buy the 4-day rail pass forabout $365.

• Eurail SelectPass Drive: This pass,like the EurailDrive Pass, offerscombined train and rental cartravel, but only for very focusedtrips: within any three to fiveadjoining Eurail countries. A flexi-pass, it includes 3 days of unlim-ited, first-class rail travel and 2 daysof unlimited-mileage car rental(through Avis or Hertz) within a 2-month period. Prices (per personfor one adult/two adults) are$335/$291 economy, $365/$305compact, $392/$315 midsize, and$429/$331 small automatic. Youcan add up to 7 additional raildays for $39 each and unlimitedextra car days for $49 to $95 each,depending on the class of car.

There are also national rail passes ofvarious kinds (flexi, consecutive, rail/drive, and so on) for each country, dualcountry passes (“France ’n Italy,” or“Switzerland ’n Austria”), and regionalpasses like ScanRail (Scandinavia),BritRail (covering Great Britain—which Eurail and Europass don’t), andthe European East Pass (good in Aus-tria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia,Hungary, and Poland). Some types of


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national passes you have to buy in theStates, some you can get on either sideof the Atlantic, and still others you mustpurchase in Europe itself.

For the Eurailpass and EurorailSelectpass, you must scribble the dateon the pass as you hop on the train;you don’t have to wait in line at theticket window. However, you willneed to go to the ticket window if thetrain you want to take requires you toreserve a seat (such as the Pendolino,which, as a 1st-class train, doesn’taccept the 2nd-class youth passes) or ifyou want a spot in a sleeper couchette.The Eurailpass gets you only a 33%discount on the TGV train throughthe Chunnel from London to Paris.

The passes above are available in theUnited States through Rail Europe(& 877/272-RAIL in the U.S., 800/361-RAIL in Canada; www.raileurope.com). No matter what everyone tellsyou, they can be bought in Europe aswell (at the major train stations), butthey are more expensive. Rail Europecan also give you information on therail-and-drive versions of the passes.

Passes Available in the United King-dom Many rail passes are availablein the United Kingdom for travel inBritain and Europe.

The InterRail Pass is the mostpopular ticket for anyone who haslived in Europe at least 6 months. Itsprice depends on the trip duration andhow many of the eight “zones” youpick (covering 28 countries—but, aswith Eurail, none in the U.K.). Thezones are: Zone A (Republic of Ire-land), Zone B (Finland, Norway, Swe-den), Zone C (Austria, Denmark,

Germany, Switzerland), Zone D (Czechand Slovak republics, Croatia, Hungary,Poland), Zone E (Belgium, France,Luxembourg, Netherlands), Zone F(Morocco, Portugal, Spain), Zone G(Greece, Italy, Turkey, Slovenia), orZone H (Bulgaria, Macedonia, Roma-nia, Yugoslavia).

You can choose one zone (£182 for12 days, £219 for 22 days), two zones(£275 for a month), three zones £320for a month), or all eight zones (£379for a month). Folks under 26 pay a bitless. As with the Eurail, you’ll likelyhave to pony up a supplement for high-speed trains across Europe. You can pur-chase the pass at the U.K.’s version ofRail Europe (www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).

Another good option for travelers26 and under, BIJ tickets (Billet Inter-national de Jeunesse, French for“youth ticket”) cost 30% to 50% lessthan the standard one-way, second-class fare; are valid for a full month;and allow you to choose your ownroute to a final destination, stoppingas many times as you like along theway. Explorer tickets are slightly moreexpensive but allow you to travel fromLondon to your final destinationalong one route and back on another;you choose from a selection of prede-termined circular routes (coveringnorthern Europe, central and easternEurope, or western Europe).

BIJ tickets are sold only in Europe,under the names of Wasteels andEurotrain, but you can get furtherinformation on them at WasteelsTravel (www.wasteels.com). In Lon-don, you can get the tickets at the


A Train DiscountRemember that seniors, students, and youths can usually get discounts onEuropean trains—in some countries just by asking, in others by buying adiscount card good for a year (or whatever). Rail Europe or your travelagent can fill you in on all the details.

Tips

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Wasteels office at Victoria Station(& 020/7834-7066).

BY CARGetting around Europe by car mightnot be the pricey endeavor you imag-ine. True, rental and parking rates canbe quite high, and gasoline costs asmuch as three times more than in theStates. But once the math is done,three or more people travelingtogether can actually go cheaper by carthan by train (even with rail passes).

In addition, driving is the best way toexplore the rural and small-town sidesof Europe, like France’s Riviera, Italy’sTuscany, and southern Spain’s Andalu-sia. You might want to mix-and-matchtrain travel to get between cities and theoccasional rental car to explore a regionor two; if so, look into the rail/drive ver-sions of rail passes (see “By Train,” ear-lier in this chapter).

Never rent a car just to tool around aEuropean city—the motorists and traf-fic patterns can drive anyone crazy,parking is difficult and expensive, andthe public transportation is usuallyexcellent anyway. Never leave anythingof value in the car overnight and noth-ing visible any time you leave the car.(This applies doubly in Italy, triply inSeville.)

TAXES & INSURANCE When youreserve a car, be sure to ask if the priceincludes the E.U. value-added tax(VAT), personal accident insurance(PAI), collision-damage waiver(CDW), and any other insuranceoptions. If not, ask what these extraswill cost, because at the end of yourrental they can make a big difference inyour bottom line. The CDW—which

at around $10 to $15 a day can buy yougreat peace of mind—and other insur-ance may be covered by your credit cardif you use the card to pay for the rental;check with the card issuer to be sure anddon’t double-pay if you can avoid it!Remember that most CDWs comewith an often-hefty deductible ($500 orso), so while they can be a wallet-saver ifthe car is totaled, most bumps orscratches will still be paid for from yourpocket.

If your credit card doesn’t coverCDW, Travel Guard International(& 800/826-4919; www.travelguard.com) offers it for $7 per day (plus asmall plan fee). Many rental comp-anies require you to buy or have CDWand theft-protection insurance to rentin Italy and Spain.

RENTAL AGENCIES The maincar-rental companies include Avis(& 800/230-4898; www.avis.com);Budget (& 800/527-0700; www.budget.com); Dollar, known as Europ-car in Europe (& 800/800-3665;www.dollarcar.com); Hertz (& 800/654-3131; www.hertz.com); andNational (& 800/227-7368; www.nationalcar.com).

However, the best prices on rentals inEurope are usually found at AutoEurope (& 888/223-5555; www.autoeurope.com), which acts as a sort ofconsolidator for rentals—you actuallypick up your car at, say, the Avis orHertz office in the destination, but youpay a rate below what those rental agen-cies charge the public. This companywill also work out long-term leases forperiods longer than 17 days; it saves youlots over a rental, plus you get a brand-new car and full insurance coverage, as


Rent Before You GoMany car-rental companies grant discounts if you reserve in advance (usu-ally 48 hr.), and it’s always cheaper to reserve from your home country.Weekly rentals are less expensive than day rates.

Tips

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with Europe By Car (& 800/223-1516, in New York 212/581-3040;www.europebycar.com).

PERMITS & HIGHWAY STICK-ERS Although a valid U.S. state dri-ver’s license usually suffices, it’s wise tocarry an International Driving Per-mit (required in Poland, Hungary,and Spain), which costs $10 from anyAAA branch (www.aaa.com). (Youdon’t have to be a member; bring apassport-size photo.)

Some countries, like Austria andSwitzerland, require that cars on thenational highways have special stick-ers. If you rent within the country, thecar will already have one, but if you’recrossing a border, check at the crossingstation to see whether you need topurchase a sticker on the spot for anominal fee.

BY BUSBus transportation is readily availablethroughout Europe; it occasionally isless expensive than train travel, but

not usually, and covers a more exten-sive area but can be slower and muchless comfortable. European buses, likethe trains, outshine their Americancounterparts, but they’re perhaps bestused only to pick up where the exten-sive train network leaves off in somerural areas.

BY PLANEOver the past few years, air travel inEurope has gone from laughably expen-sive excess only enjoyed by businesspeo-ple with huge expense accounts to thefastest, and often cheapest, way to boparound Europe. It’s called the no-frillsairline revolution, and not only has itcaused more than a dozen new little air-lines to crop up, each selling one-waytickets that crisscross Europe for wellunder $100, but it has also forced themajor European airlines to drasticallylower their own inflated prices.

Europe’s no-frills airlines, such aseasyJet and Ryanair, were modeled onAmerican upstarts like Southwest, but


The Rules of the Road

• Drive on the right, except in England, Scotland, and Ireland, whereyou drive on the left.

• Don’t cruise in the left lane on a four-lane highway; in Europe ittruly is only for passing . . . and sports cars opened up.

• If someone comes up behind your car and flashes their lights at you,it’s a signal for you to slow and drive closer to the shoulder so theycan pass you.

• Except for portions of the German Autobahn, most highways doindeed have speed limits of around 100kmph to 135kmph (60mph–80 mph).

• Remember, everything’s measured in kilometers (mileage and speedlimits). For a rough conversion: 1km = 0.62 miles.

• Gas might look reasonably priced, but remember that the price isper liter (3.8 liters = 1 gal.), so multiply by four to estimate the per-gallon price.

• European drivers tend to be more aggressive than their Americancounterparts, so drive defensively and carefully—assume that theother drivers have a better idea of the local traffic laws and norms,and take your cues from them.

Tips

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have proven even more successful atthe concept. By keeping their over-heads down—using electronic ticket-ing, foregoing meal service, andservicing either major cities’ secondaryairports or smaller cities—these air-lines are able to offer amazingly lowfares. Now you can save time andmoney over long train hauls. Ryanaireven frequently runs promotions dur-ing which it gives away tickets for free,and many other sales on one-way tick-ets where they cost £1.99 (a little morethan $3). Seriously, this happens allthe time. Even when not on sale, theirtickets cost only around $10 to $50,tops. And flights rarely take more than2 hours—whereas the same train tripmight take 2 days.

The system is still evolving, with newplayers appearing every year and a fewfailing or, more commonly, being gob-bled up by the growing competition.The phenomenon started in London,and many companies are still basedthere (although they now also havesmaller hubs across Europe). Plus, thereare now no-frills outfits setting up shopin Brussels, across Germany, and evenin Italy and Spain. So far, only Francehas had bad luck, with its few start-upsfailing and disappearing.

The two Big Boys in the business areeasyJet (& 44-870/600-0000; www.easyjet.com), which has hubs in Lon-don, Liverpool, Bristol, Barcelona,Amsterdam, and Paris; and Ryanair(& 353-1/249-7851; www.ryanair.ie),which flies out of London, Glasgow,Dublin, Shannon, Frankfurt, Stock-holm, Brussels, and Milan.

The current shortlist of the mostdependable among the other choicesincludes: Virgin Express in Brussels(www.virgin-express.com), German-wings (www.germanwings.com) andHapag-Lloyd Express (www.hlx.com)in Germany, Volare Web (www.volareweb.com) and Air One (www.air-one.it) in Italy, Sterling (www.sterlingticket.com) and SAS’s offshootSnowflake (www.flysnowflake) inScandinavia, and Air Europa (www.air-europa.com) and Spanair (www.spanair.es) in Spain.

Of less use to casual travelers, but agrowing force among budget-savvyBrits, is bmibaby (www.bmibaby.com),which flies from several central Englishcities (East Midlands, Manchester, Tee-side), plus from Cardiff in Wales.

Be aware, though, that the namesmight change because these small air-lines are often economically vulnerableand can fail or merge with a big airline.Still, as quickly as one disappears,another takes off. Independent websiteswww.lowcostairlines.org and www.nofrillsair.com keep track of the industry.Another site, Applefares.com, will do apricing metasearch of some two dozenlow-cost European airlines, includingsome, but not all, of those listed above,plus other, smaller ones. That way, youcan see the going rate for, say, a Lon-don-to-Rome ticket—though it’s not abooking engine, but a search engine.

Lower airfares are also availablethroughout Europe on charter flightsrather than on regularly scheduledones. Look in local newspapers to findout about them. Consolidators clus-ter in cities like London and Athens.


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Enjoying Europe on a Budget COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL · 2020-03-17 · Enjoying Europe on a Budget by Reid Bramblett A mericans have such a love affair with Europe that more than eight