While European financial markets may be collapsing, not all markets on the other side of the pond are in danger. During your next foray into foreign lands, remember: the European flea market is a recession-proof, eclectic tradition catering to shoppers on a Shoestring budget.
Dublin gets a bad rap as one of Ireland’s most expensive cities, but — if you play your cards right and do your research ahead of time — budget-friendly fun for all ages is just at the end of the rainbow. The Associated Press offers this in-depth guide to Dublin at a discount, from its 2009 St. Patrick’s Day coverage.
In France, even Michelin-starred chefs are moving to fast food, as the global recession forces top gastronomical institutions to re-evaluate in order to stay in business. In this AFP report, cheaper, quicker options from respected chefs seem to be a recessionista’s dream come true.
One restaurateur in Barcelona gets resourceful due to the recession, allowing his best customers to pay what they see fit for their meals. His story of hospitality in the face of hardship gives us hope. From the Associated Press International.
Depart from the cliche custom of honeymooning in the tropics and treat yourself and your newlywed to a romantic getaway in the heart of old Europe. These tips from the Associated Press prove that Portugal’s capital is both posh and a penny-pincher’s dream come true.
As gas prices climber higher and higher and the global economy sinks deeper and deeper into deficit, people are looking for alternative means of transportation as a way to save money, if not the environment. One trend that’s sweeping Europe is electric bicycles, and Emma Vandore of the Associated Press explores the start of a new Good Life revolution.
In the tradition of Jack Kerouac and the Beats, this is the story of three twentysomething British lads who decided to walk out the door, live off the land, and sing for their supper or shelter when money got tight, all in exchange for the freedom of life on the road.
Regardless if your wallet is threadbare, or you’re just a frugal traveler, Berlin makes an excellent budget vacation destination. Due to Berlin’s sizable student population, high unemployment rate and swelling starving artist contingent, pinching pennies isn’t just a hobby, it’s an obsession.
Finding The Good Life without going broke is easy to do in Frankfurt, where, according to this feature story from the Associated Press, free food, frugal fun, and thrifty tourism come naturally.
Check out the 10 Best Bargain Bed & Breakfasts in Brussels—near the hippest, hottest areas of Sainte-Catherine, Grand Place, Saint-Jacques, Les Sablons, and Place du Jeu de Balle—with this shoestring travel guide from Britain’s The Guardian newspaper.