Hi Frugalistas! The last stop on our recent trip to Italy was Rome. It had been 30 years since I had visited Rome and Mr Frugalfirstclass had never been before, so I was keen to see whether it was still the magical city I remembered. On our Rome three day itinerary we had the opportunity […]
We spent two nights in Florence: this is what we did
Hi Frugalistas! Continuing our travels in Italy, after our relaxing stay in Tuscany we spent two nights in Florence. I had been to Florence as a day trip over 30 years ago, but Mr Frugalfirstclass had never been, so we obviously had a lot of catching up to do. This is how we spent our […]
Open the Sistine Chapel on the Vatican Keys tour
Hi Frugalistas! Have you visited the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums? It’s very crowded isn’t it? So crowded, it’s hard to hear the guide or even really appreciate the splendid art in the Vatican Museum. In some ways the Vatican Museum is one of the pin ups for over tourism – massive queues, crazy […]
Europe packing list: summer river cruise and fall
Hi Frugalistas! I’m back talking about packing lists. Mr Frugalfirstclass and I are off on a long planned river cruise in Southern France, followed by almost 3 weeks touring Paris, Normandy and Italy. While I’ve written previously about a European river cruise packing list, I need to update and rethink my plan for what to […]
Ultra light spring packing list for Europe
Hi Frugalistas! I’m heading to Europe very soon, and I’ve got a dilemma. I’m travelling alone so only want to take my tiny little Rick Steves suitcase rather than my international carry on. And I have to pack for both Copenhagen and Paris. And to add even more complexity, I’ve got business meetings in Copenhagen […]
Disneyland in a day: Disneyland Paris day trip
Hi Frugalistas! There’s always so much discussion in the France Travel Planning Facebook group (you can join here if you aren’t a member) about day trips to Disneyland Paris – while it’s not a unique bucket list idea, it’s definitely a popular place to visit. Is it worth visiting Disneyland Paris, how to daytrip to […]
My 5 favorite buildings in Europe
Hi Frugalistas! One of the things I love most about Europe is its architecture. Coming from a relatively young country, with homogeneous building styles, I love the regional and historical variation found in European architectural styles. I love the sheer age of the buildings. Early nineteenth century? That’s a “new” building. Choosing my favourite buildings has […]