Hi Frugalistas! While my generic packing list is easily adapted for Europe (or anywhere else cold for that matter) if you are struggling with that winter packing list for Europe and keeping it to one carry on bag, help is at hand! Here is my detailed packing list for a Europe winter: Winter Packing List […]
What to expect in a three star hotel in Europe
Hi Frugalistas! You’ve decided to take your first trip to Europe – how exciting! Now you need to make decisions. What airline to book, what to do, and most importantly where to stay! It’s very tempting to stick with the familiar and stay at a chain hotel. You know what to expect, what the room […]
Sagrada Familia tips: Sagrada Familia inside visit
Hi Frugalistas! I first saw the Sagrada Familia, Antonio Gaudi’s fantasy basilica in Barcelona, Spain, as a much younger traveller in the early 1990s. In those days it was not possible to book Sagrada Familia – it was just a building site. By 2012 visiting Sagrada Familia was possible. I spent an amazing morning enjoying […]
How to make a day trip to Reims
Hi Frugalistas! Reims (pronouned “rance” as in France) is an easy and convenient day trip from Paris, being only 45minutes away by TGV. What most visitors will find surprising is that a day trip to Reims is about more than champagne. Here’s my take on things to do in Reims on a day trip from […]
How to choose a hotel frugal first class travel style
Hi Frugalistas! An important part of my travel philosophy is choosing the right hotel. I know that for some people a hotel is just somewhere to sleep and leave their bags. But not me. I like to make my hotel an integral part of my experience anywhere I visit. I also want the best quality […]
Advice for first time visitors to France
Hi France Travel Planners! Many of the questions in the France Travel Planning Facebook group are first time visitors asking for advice. Advice on what to wear, where to go, planning a Paris itinerary, how to get around Paris, you name it, we get asked it. In this post I’ve gathered together some of the […]
Do it Yourself Free Madrid Walking Tour
Hi Frugalistas! It was a hot day when we arrived in Madrid. Just 24 hours in Madrid before we headed from Madrid to Barcelona by train. Despite the heat and our jetlag after the 24 hour flight we wanted to do a Madrid walk. Our do it yourself free Madrid walking tour took us through […]
Guidebooks about France: best books on Paris & France
Hi France Travel Planners! Are you enthusiastic about planning a trip to France? While France travel planning can be done online, and there’s always great advice in the France Travel Planning Facebook group, I must admit I do like a hard copy guidebook, both to plan and to travel with. So I’ve gathered together the […]
Things to do in Montreux: how to spend 48 hours in Montreux, Switzerland
Hi Frugalistas! Most people who visit western Switzerland tend to stick to Geneva then head to the mountains. But Geneva to Montreux is a mere 60 km around Lake Geneva (Lac Leman in French), so I’m surprised more people don’t visit Montreux. On my trip to Switzerland in 2019 I travelled from Interlaken to Montreux […]
Afternoon tea at Fortnum and Mason: Fortnum and Mason afternoon tea review
Hi Frugalistas! I first reviewed the afternoon tea at Fortnum and Mason in the Diamond Jubilee Tea Room in an early frugal first class travel blog post, not long after the Diamond Jubilee Tea Room opened. It was very special, and so very English. In fact it was so good, I forgot to take photos. […]