Even with the value of the dollar approaching that of the euro, Americans traveling in Europe on a budget still need to be creative and mindful. The following suggestions can help any traveler, but especially those who prefer traveling independently. Airfare Finding the lowest airfares to Europe can be incredibly time-consuming. I turn to a reputable travel …
As in any major metropolitan city, eating out in Paris can be pricey if you don’t know where to go or how to go about it. After sinking nearly sixteen Euros into my first morning’s breakfast, a barebones repast consisting of a café crème, a small orange juice, and two slices of charred toast, I …
Looking for traditional Japanese food in Paris? Look to Rue Sainte Anne, which runs through the first and second arrondissements, near the Opera District. With a high concentration of Japanese businesses, the street forms a Japanese haven in France’s capital city. Wander the street and sample the best of what the district has to offer, …
Before departing New York, I joke that I am going to Italy to get my Eat Pray Love on—but as soon as I step off the vaporetto (water taxi) that brings me from Marco Polo Airport, I decide these first few days in Venice will be focused on eating. Everything looks so amazingly good that …
We all know about Paris’ typical tourist haunts, but what aspects of the City of Lights appeal to locals? A few days ago, I was fortunate to interview Frédéric, a Parisian “insider.” We talked quite a bit about what this singular city has to offer, as well as his advice for tourists. Thank you for …
There are few things in life more enjoyable than having a drink and delicious eats on a patio when the weather is divine. No matter if it is spring, summer or fall, you need to experience a terrace in Paris, so it’s time to don your lunettes de soleil (sunglasses) and grab a table at one of …
Bordering the Berlin Wall, Kreuzberg borough was home to students, artists, leftist radicals and a large Turkish population throughout the 1960s-1080s. When the wall fell, the area became, once again, the center of Berlin. Though Kruezberg is still an eclectic area, rising rents are making it increasingly difficult for alternative businesses and artists to survive …
On our first trip to Paris, we climbed the steps to the landmark Sacre Coeur Basilica. And finally, I saw what I had only seen in my French class textbooks–that pure white dome, the clusters of cool, chilled out students sprawled up and down the steps, laughing and chatting animatedly while rolling cigarettes with one hand. They were undisturbed …
Last time I was in Paris, I met up with my good French friend and host sister (from my study abroad days in college) who had recently scored an amazing apartment in Paris’ coveted Montmartre neighborhood. When she asked where my husband and I would like to go for a drink, I responded that I …
In the summer of 2006, I found myself staying at the Citadines in Paris’ Place d’Italie, teaching a month-long summer language and culture course for UCLA undergraduates. I immediately fell in love with the energy of Place d’Italie, with its tall Haussmann style buildings, delicious corner bakeries, and hoards of teens and twenty-somethings sitting on the …