There's nothing quite like a spa experience for the ultimate relaxing vacation. Taking the waters is a serious business in central and northern Europe, and the classic spots, such as Friedrichsbad (pictured) in Germany's Baden-Baden, are publicly subsidized, often grandiose tributes to the alleged healing powers of mineral-water bathing. A 16-step bathing sequence and a soap-and-brush massage at Friedrichsbad runs to a mere $45. On the other side of the border, in Marienbad, Czech Republic, spend a few hours in King Edward's Royal Cabin at the Nove Lazné hotel. Spa packages start at $80 per day, and include a high-pressure spray-down that leaves you squeaky clean and invigorated. Copenhagen's Vandkulturhuset has multiple pools and marble steam rooms, along with a dash of Nordic let-it-all-hang-out freedom, all for $30 a day.
NEXT: How to see four cities for the price of one";
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Mediterranean captures a far more glamorous age, and you're paying in dollars for food and accommodation, no matter which port you're in. Cruising Europe is on the rise—up 42 percent in two years—driven partly by the ability for travelers to control expenses in advance, so even if the greenback keeps on sinking, cruisers have hedged their bets. Of course, this means less indulgence in on-shore food and drink, but the trick is picking the right vessel. The Western Mediterranean region contains its share of Europe's greatest hits (Barcelona, Cannes, Florence, Naples), accessible on big ships like Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas. Size does matter—megaships like those on the Carnival and Disney lines can only stop in megaports like Rome's Civitavecchia, which is two hours from the city itself. For those leery of the floating-mall feeling, the big yachts of Sea Dream Yacht Club (from $5,599 per person per week—pricey, but a fraction of what the five-star experience costs on land these days) and Star Clippers' tall ships (from $2,095 per person per week) offer intimate scale and visit islands that hurried travelers often bypass, such as Corsica and Menorca, and famous seaside villages like Portofino. Just make sure that your cruise line is based in America; European lines lose the dollar advantage.
Royal Caribbean Tel: 866 562 7625
Sea Dream Yacht Club Tel: 800 707 4911
Star Clippers Tel: 800 442 0551
NEXT: Hear the world's finest musicians—for a song
";
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Flying buttresses, soaring ceilings, heavenly acoustics—a concert at Paris's Notre-Dame cathedral is certainly heavy on the ambience. (They've been putting them on since the 11th century, after all.) And they're unbelievably cheap: Notre-Dame charges $23 to see world-class orchestras and ensembles, often less on the day of the concert. In fact, Europe's major cathedrals all have regular music programs to match their inspirational architecture. Just across the Seine is St. Sulpice in the Latin Quarter, another major player, while London's St. Martin-in-the-Fields has a decades-long tradition of free lunchtime concerts (and a world-renowned orchestra). Those massive organ pipes get regular workouts at Berlin's Dom and London's Westminster Abbey,, as well as at Dresden's rebuilt Frauenkirche. In Paris, St. Eustache's8,000-pipe organ is not to be missed. For schedules, look up individual church Web sites (usually available only in the local language) or keep your eyes open for posters in the vicinity. There are often last-minute tickets available, so serendipity may be your best bet.
NEXT: The world's best gourmet markets";
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Parmesan cheese wheels the size of car tires are stacked up in one room; legs of prosciutto fill another, while tomatoes redder than any \"Under the Tuscan Sun\" fantasy are piled high (and at $1 a pound by today's exchange rate, you can actually buy more than one). This is Turin's Eataly marketplace, a 27,000-square-foot foodie paradise in the city's Lingotto industrial district. (The awful name has not stopped this venture from expanding: A New York branch is planned for sometime in 2008.) There are eight restaurants on-site, featuring what's sold on the stands that take up the rest of the complex: local Piemontese beef, fresh Ligurian fish, more than 200 cheeses, mostly organic fresh vegetables and fruit, and a significant dose of the Slow Food philosophy. Graze at the stands or sit down for a $9 cheese and salami plate; either way, kingly food can be had for peasant prices. Similar joys await visitors to London's Borough Market, a daunting combination of indoor and outdoor spaces on the southern bank of the Thames, and Berlin's all-organic Marheineke Markthalle. All are infused with a modern spirit of respect for local produce, time-honored agricultural methods, and, most importantly for your bank balance, cheap eats.
NEXT: Beat traffic, save money, and help save the planet";
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Pity the fool who wanders into the bicycle lane on a German city sidewalk: The red-brick paths are considered mini-autobahns by riders, and an errant pedestrian will get the dressing-down of a lifetime, or worse. For cyclists, however, it's an ideal situation: Berlin alone spends $7.7 million a year on cycling paths and facilities, and bikers can get across the city fast and safely. Combine this infrastructure with an innovative pay-as-you-go bike-rental system, Call a Bike, that has spread to Munich, Frankfurt, and Cologne, and the result is a budget traveler's delight (12 cents per minute up to a maximum of $23 per day). Telephone registration involves little more than giving credit card information; from then on, bikers pick up and ditch cycles whenever and wherever they want, entering a code to open and close the lock or pick up a new bike. (You'll need a cell phone to call the central switchboard.) The distinctive silver-and-red Call a Bike bicycles are all over the city, at most major intersections and at train stations. Tired of pushing the pedals? Just lock up the bike to a secure signpost or lamppost. It feels like the sunny side of socialism, albeit one you have to pay for. Paris has its own version, launched in 2007, called Velib, but it's priced to encourage short trips: After you pay a $2 daily fee, the first half-hour is free, but prices go up sharply if you keep a bike more than an hour at a time.
Call a Bike
Tel: 49 7000 522 5522
Vélib
Tel: 33 1 30 79 79 30
NEXT: Sleep under canvas without losing out on luxury
";
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Imagine waking up to the sound of Andalusian crickets and goats' bells, a view of your own private acre of meadow as you open the door of your ... tent. No, it's not a Boy Scout adventure, but a luxurious, eco-conscious way to get back to nature, provided by the Hoopoe Yurt Hotel (pictured) in southern Spain. For $191 per night for a two-person yurt, including breakfast, you'll have the pick of four exquisitely decorated tents that bring you close to nature without compromising comfort. Safari-inspired accommodations, it turns out, can be adapted to many spectacular environments. Canvas Chic offers high-thread-count sheets in a luxe yurt ($200 per night for two) above a river valley in France's Ardèche region, where you can take your continental breakfast in the \"cafe,\" a communal tent. Or for a yoga-heavy retreat, the Huzur Vadisi resort in southwest Turkey provides weeklong yoga sessions along with a comfortable yurt in which to rest your well-stretched body at night (from $891 per person weekly, based on double accommodations). Prices are obviously higher than for basic campsites, but compared with city living, they're hard to beat—and once you're there, pricey urban temptations are but a memory.
Hoopoe Yurt Hotel
Tel: 34 660 668 241
Canvas Chic Tel: 33 4 66 24 21 81
NEXT: Europe's secret beaches ";
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The \"Latvian Riviera\" might sound like a bit of a stretch, but Latvia's Jurmala, on the Baltic Sea, beats much of the Mediterranean for unspoiled white beaches. Croatia's Dalmatian Coast rivals Italy's Amalfi region for rugged beauty, with much cleaner water. And Turkey's Patara Beach is a 13-mile stretch of virgin sand looking out on the Mediterranean. Welcome to European beaches outside the euro zone, where a few days' vacation can cost less than a beach chair at one of St. Tropez's manicured spots. Hitting the beach outside the euro zone illustrates a larger truth: It pays to avoid the mighty euro and the superdeveloped economies that have adopted it. Even better, you're not reduced to international beach food, and can instead take advantage of fantastic local flavors, from pristine Adriatic shellfish in Croatia to the yogurt-dominated cuisine of the Black Sea resort towns of Varna or Balchik, in Bulgaria. Of course, every country is in a race to join the EU, and adopt that pesky euro. Get there before they succeed.
NEXT: Discover Europe's offbeat—and affordable—cities
";
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If you've ever watched a cattle drive, you'll have an inkling of how the boarding process works on Europe's inexpensive intracontinental airlines. As the boarding announcement comes, passengers break into a run, hustling for unassigned seats. They're headed for places they may not have heard of a few years ago: great small-city destinations like Carcassonne in southwestern France, Cagliari on Sardinia's southern tip, and Zadar on Croatia's Dalmatian Coast. Thank discount carriers such as easyJet and Ryanair, whose Third World pricing—two cents from London to Palma de Mallorca, $15 to Riga, Latvia—has democratized formerly pricey European routes (easyJet fares from London to Paris average $40 in shoulder season). Whether you stick to the greatest hits or opt for the offbeat destinations, one-way trips let you cover a whole lot of Europe without doubling back. Once you're seated, these airlines are as serviceable as any major carrier, with new planes and friendly staff. Sites such as wegolo.com allow you to put together the ideal discount-flight itinerary, by comparing cut-rate prices. Two caveats: Major cities' second airports, such as Frankfurt's Hahn, can be hours away from their nominal cities, so it pays to do your research. And there's an art to timing London airport transfers: If you're flying into Heathrow from the States, the trick is to build in enough layover time (several hours) to get to the smaller Luton and Stansted airports without an expensive overnight.
NEXT: Why culture vultures are flying East
";
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If high culture is your game but the $250 orchestra seats at La Scala seem a little steep, then skip over to Eastern Europe. Cultural bargains abound behind the former Iron Curtain, and the institutions—museums, opera houses, symphonic halls—are real centers of national pride and symbols of renewal. Prices aren't in the fire-sale league they were 15 years ago, but Paris- and Milan-style gouging is thankfully absent here. Dresden's rebuilt skyline (pictured), the most voluptuous and baroque around and the subject of an entire school of painting, is free for the viewing. Warsaw's world-class Polish National Opera has $6 day-of seats. The Hungarian National Gallery, another international treasure, and Bratislava's Slovak National Gallery both offer $5 adult admission. It doesn't hurt that most Eastern European countries are outside the euro zone, at least for now. This applies even in the former East Germany, which is in the euro zone but whose attitude, and prices, remains stamped with Socialist patina. And it's not just the cost of culture that's cheap: The whole package, from hotel to eating to taxis, will run a lot less in Warsaw than in Vienna or Munich.
Polish National Opera
Tel: 48 22 692 02 00
Hungarian National Gallery
Tel: 36 20 4397 325
Slovak National Gallery
Tel: 421 2 5443 4587
NEXT: City transport goes sci-fi ";
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Nice is as well-known for its choking traffic and soot-covered Beaux-Arts facades as it is for its grand hotels and beaches. Now there's an alternative to waiting in those lines of cars: The city opened its new tram system in November 2007, providing quiet, cheap transport around the city's most important stops. A bonus is that the neighborhoods along the entire route have been scrubbed and given facelifts, including a revitalized Place Masséna in the center of town. Don't expect San Francisco–style trolleys—these futuristic cars are sleek, aerodynamic, and more akin to glass versions of the ultrafast TGV train ($2 a ride, or $9 for a day pass). Like its brethren in Bordeaux, which opened its tram system in 2003 ($2 a ride), and Athens, which opened its own tram line for the Olympics in 2004 (90 cents a ride), the result is a stylish way to avoid car rental. Especially high on the geek-chic meter is Athens, for its trams' design by Ferrari coachbuilder Sergio Pininfarina, while Bordeaux's ground-level power system keeps unsightly wires out of view. But beyond technology, trams provide access: Athens's Edem stop features an eponymous beachfront restaurant just steps from the tram, the ultimate in hop-on, hop-off tourism.
Nice transit
Tel: 33 892 707 407 (Office of Tourism)
Bordeaux transit
Tel: 33 5 56 00 66 00 (Office of Tourism)
Athens transit
Tel: 30 210 325 3123 (Office of Tourism)
NEXT: Stray off the beaten track on your Grand Tour ";
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Skipping London and Rome may not be part of the Grand Tour fantasy, but hiking through Europe can bring you close to the land for a pittance. Try walking the trails of Romania's Carpathian Mountains (pictured) and you'll discover pristine landscapes and dramatic mountain scenery. You'll dodge horse-drawn carts as you sidle through the town of Brasov, home of the Black Church, as well as Bran Castle, home to Vlad the Impaler and inspiration for the \"Dracula\" tale. Various tour companies offer guided hikes through this part of Transylvania, such as Pure Adventures (eight-day tours start at $1,400 per person). Tuscany is a classic walker's paradise (and a perfect location for Chianti-fueled picnics). There are numerous organized tours that can set you back as much as $5,000 a week, but we suggest you do some research, pack a picnic, and do it yourself. In France, the Lubéron area of Provence has some of the best-organized marked and preserved trails in the world. The Sentiers de Grande Randonnée are state-maintained trails that snake through the whole country, linking picturesque villages where B&Bs and hiker's huts are plentiful. Bruce LaFavour's \"France on Foot\" is the classic guide to negotiating these 110,000 miles of trails on your own, including real-deal food and inexpensive, character-filled lodging options.
NEXT: How to afford a chic hotel in Paris
";
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The words \"apartment hotel\" can be a nonstarter for many. No, you're not staying in someone's bedroom having to deal with their laundry and family photos. Western Europe has several extensive networks of business-oriented hotels that offer apartment-style accommodation, usually with a choice of services. Try Paris: In the Citea chain's Tilsitt Etoile Champs-Elysees, a typical Beaux-Arts facade hides 30 no-nonsense apartments, some with balconies that allow a peek of the Arc de Triomphe, for $182 per night for a two-person studio. The Citadines, Adina Apartment Hotels, and Pierre & Vacances chains also provide stripped-down, low-cost options throughout France, Spain, Germany, Hungary, Italy, and Denmark. Furnishings are usually sparse (think IKEA) but highly functional. Apartment sizes vary but can include multiroom affairs, which accommodate up to four people for the same price (as in the Citadines Paris Bastille location, where a four-person apartment goes for as little as $285 a night). Be aware that there's sometimes an added charge for cleaning, and make sure you check a map before you book—often the cheapest choice is on the edge of town.
Citéa
Tel: 33 1 55 37 80 00
Citadines
Tel: 33 1 41 05 79 05
Adina Apartment Hotels
Tel: 45 39 69 1000
Pierre & Vacances
Tel: 33 1 58 21 55 84";
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TRAVEL_BudgetEurope_Concierge[i++] = new Array("","Big Apple, little budget","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
TRAVEL_BudgetEurope_Concierge[i-1].body = "Big Apple, little budget
Guess where the country's most expensive hotel room is located. Nope, it's not in Vegas ... "; TRAVEL_BudgetEurope_Concierge[i++] = new Array("","Cruises 101","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TRAVEL_BudgetEurope_Concierge[i-1].body = "Cruises 101
The benefits of a cruise are many: You unpack once, someone else does the driving, and each morning you wake up in a brand-new locale. The downside? You're stuck on one ship, with one group of people; unlike at a hotel, you can't just switch. That's why it pays to be choosy, and to understand which cruise line will fit your needs and your personality. So we've created a primer to the most popular cruise lines, outlining the strengths, weaknesses, and audiences of each. Look it over before you book—make the wrong choice and you'll want to take a walk off the plank.
";
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TRAVEL_BudgetEurope_Concierge[i-1].body = "Budget beaches
We were so getting used to Jack Frost's pathetic efforts this winter. Then he stepped up to the plate and let us have it with snowstorms and temperatures in the single digits. And with our credit cards still recovering from the holidays, we thought there might be no respite—until, that is, we realized that the price to become a temporary castaway needn't break the bank."; TRAVEL_BudgetEurope_Concierge[i++] = new Array("","Green retreats","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", ""); TRAVEL_BudgetEurope_Concierge[i-1].body = "Green retreats
Al Gore was hardly the first guy to think green. If you know where to look, you'll find serene spots around the world that prove our ancestors had a strong connection to nature, and understood man's (and woman's) ability to transform it—in a good way for a change. "; // END editorial data