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 […]
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 […]
France Travel Planning French lessons – lesson 1: Greetings in French
Hi France Travel Planners! Welcome to your series of basic French for travellers. In addition to the video, each lesson will be accompanied by a downloadable vocabulary list that will build over time into a handy reference. We will also include some regular vocabulary in the Facebook group via Facebook Live so you can ask […]
The Charlie Chaplin Museum: a visit to the Musée Chaplin in Vevey Switzerland
Hi Frugalistas! I must admit I have never been a great fan of Charlie Chaplin, but when I was looking for day trips from Montreux on my trip to Switzerland last year I came across the Charlie Chaplin Museum (Chaplin World) in nearby Vevey. The Musée Chaplin is located in the Charlie Chaplin house just […]
VAT Refunds In Europe: What You Need To Know
Hi Frugalistas! Even though I don’t like to waste my money when traveling, once I get to Europe, like many of us I love to shop. Even though I don’t necessarily buy a lot (I only ever take one carry on bag) I have been known to drop some serious cash (or plastic as the […]
Europe itinerary 101: How to plan a trip to Europe
Hi Frugalistas! While some of us can’t travel to Europe at the moment, the optimists among us know that means one thing – more time to save the money and plan that perfect Europe itinerary. This post is a reworking of some (very) old blog posts on how to plan a trip to Europe, that […]
What not to do in Paris: how to avoid mistakes in Paris made by Emily in Paris
Hi Frugalistas! Did you enjoy Emily in Paris on Netflix? It was very popular with members of my France Travel Planning Facebook group (you can join here for free if you aren’t a member). It generated much discussion, especially about what not to do in Paris. Poor Emily makes so many Paris mistakes – mistakes […]