Tickets to concerts, comedy clubs, operas and theater shows can be purchased at half price day of show. Check out Last Minute Ticket Shop at Leidseplein after 12:00 p.m. for a fresh list of entertainment for the evening with a 50 percent slash.

A list of small cafes and bars offer free music nights during the week and weekend. Mulligan’s Irish Bar is located just off Rembrandtplein and has live Irish folk sessions throughout the weekend. Leidseplein’s Jazz Café Alto has local jazz cats playing nightly with a free entrance most nights.  Just across the plaza is The Last Waterhole, another nightly live music bar and dance venue with a modest one-euro entry fee suitable for any budget.

Head to the parks during summer to catch dozens of free and entertaining performances during the day and night. Vondepark’s open air stage hosts a number of gigs from acting to live bands. Oosterpark is big on cultural festivals with endless stands of locally made products and tasty snacks. Other park happenings include outdoor cinema nights, sport games and an endless array of picnics and al frescos.

Boat rides along the canals can even come at a low cost. When spring comes along St. Nicolaas Boat Club of Amsterdam offers an exciting chance to view Amsterdam from large historic iron boats. This non-profit organization carries no fee for an afternoon outing, though tips are largely encouraged. Come alone or in groups at the northeast corner of Leidseplein in front of Boom Chicago Comedy Club.

The true experience of Amsterdam comes in the low-cost form of live concerts to dance, fun cafes to explore, luscious parks to relax, and carefree canal cruises to enjoy.

To get a sense of the city, walk the graceful curving boardwalk which stretches along the Bay of Biscayne. On the far end, be sure to check out the outdoor sculptures by Eduardo Chillida, a native artist whose collection of works are housed in their own museum just outside of San Sebastian at the Museo Chillida Leku.

Tempted to picnic on the beach? Pick up food at the Mercado de la Brexta, a large underground supermarket, and head to the beautiful Playa de la Concha beach—considered one of the best in Spain – to enjoy the water and mountain views while you eat.

Not to be missed is the Old Town, or Parte Vieja. Here, you’ll find a concentration of restaurants and pintxos (tapas) bars, as well as the stunning Plaza de la Constitucion. After wandering the narrow cobblestone streets of this area, continue on to the Plaza de Gipuzkoa. Located in the city center, this public space is quite pretty and peaceful. Take in the Belle-Epoque architecture, a reminder of what a grand summer resort town San Sebastian was in the late 19^th century.

Visit the elegant palace, Palacio de Miramar, which was the royal residence of Queen Isabel II at the time when San Sebastian took off as a beach resort for the well-heeled looking to escape from the summer heat. Entrance is free.

For dining, you’ll want to stick with pintxos. San Sebastien has a high number of Michelin-starred restaurants and has become in recent years, ground-zero for star chefs who love to highlight Basque cuisine. However, if you “eat like a local” and pick from the pintxos plates, you’ll be able to eat for under 7€.

Am Tunnel: This contemporary art museum is creative not only with exhibitions but also building design. Situated in an underground tunnel part of the city’s historic fortress, the museum is also connected to a bank museum open to enter. The art at Am Tunnel is always unique and defining, but the casemate chambers itself are an ideal way to go back to the 18^th century and really see why Luxembourg’s fortifications are a unique addition to UNESCO’s World Heritage Site list. Entrance is free.

National Museum of Natural History: This museum is a successful attempt to combine science with entertaining education. Since its conception in 1850 the museum has expanded and now hosts collection displays and laboratories. A hands-on look at everything from botany to paleontology and zoology creates an exciting afternoon for families and anyone interested in Europe’s scientific wonders and accomplishments. Entrance if €4.5 for adults, students and children are €3.

Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial: Dedicated to thousands of Americans who died in battle during World War II, the cemetery holds over 5,000 headstones. This peaceful and moving area is decorated with rose bushes, a chapel and countless memorials honoring military brothers, generals and the like. The setting is on the outskirts of the city yet well worth the visit via car or bus. Entrance is free.

Mudam: Modern art lovers will be impressed by the exhibitions Mudam holds. The newness of the building compliments the progressive elements that create an overall cosmopolitan feel throughout the museum. Since its 2006 opening the museum has held exhibitions from over 40 world renown artists has holds a visitor record of over 12 million. Entrance is €5.

Ultimately, the best time to see famous locales like Rome, Florence and Venice is in the fall. The local feel in general is more easygoing, and while temperatures are beginning to cool the cloudy and rainy weather has yet to arrive. Top must-sees like the Vatican, Uffizi Museum and St. Marco Square have more legroom and air to breathe than spring and summer. Accommodation also offers low-season deals, starting at 20EUR in Florence, 25EUR in Rome and 30EUR in Venice

Italian winters can be best enjoyed in the mountainous north, from wonderland escapes like Livigno to well-known pearls like Torino and Bardonecchia. Try to avoid the pricey tourist hubs of Milan and Lake Como – Italy rests on the cheap side for ski resorts outside of these areas. Cold but not too bitterly uncomfortable, sunny ski days are the norm in Italy’s Alps, and the people are just as warm and cozy as the fireplace cabins and wholesome cuisine.

Spring in Tuscany brings bursts of flowers, comfortable temperatures and ideal sightseeing conditions. Cool evenings welcome pleasant gatherings by open fires amongst fields of just-blooming olive tree. Authentic vineyard villas host good deals on bed and breakfasts weekends (about 40EUR per night), and the scenic backdrop is a picture-perfect vision to experience.

Lastly, summertime in Italy should be spent along the Mediterranean. The cool seaside breeze helps douse towns with comfortable temperatures while the inland remains a literal hotspot. Head for Italy’s Cinque Terre, or escape to the islands of Sardinia or Sicily, but remember that the most affordable sea destinations remain at the southern heel and the east coast areas of Bari and Brindisi (about 20EUR a night for a private).

The Parisian métro system is simple to use and will get you anywhere you need to go.  The most inexpensive way to get about is to purchase the “ParisVisite” métro pass. The pass is available for 1, 2, 3 or 5 days use and will allow you to ride any métro, bus, RER (express subway train), or funicular in the city. Get off and on as much as you like! It also gives you discounts at a number of tourist attractions such as the Arc de Triomphe, the Bateaux Mouches, the Opéra Garnier, several museums and even Disneyland Paris!

The cost for the one day ParisVisite pass is 9€/adult; and 4.50€/child 4-11 years. Now that’s a bargain!

While the métro is the easiest way for tourists to get around, don’t neglect Paris’ terrific bus system! Traveling “overland” is a perfect way to have an informal tour of the city.  Try the bus line 63, which starts in the posh 16^th arrondissement and ends at the Gare de Lyon train station. You’ll have a fantastic view as you ride comfortably through chic Parisian neighborhoods, the beautiful Trocadéro, and the lively Latin Quarter. When you reach the end of the line, walk from the Gare de Lyon to the nearby Place de la Bastille to see where the famous prison used to stand.

The cheapest way to get around is via Vienna’s Citybike program. Over 50 stations rest around the city, each area equipped with bikes available for the renting at €1 for two hours and €4 a day. Bikes are usually quite sturdy, reliable and easy to use.

Free walking tours do exist in Vienna in a DIY style. The Vienna Tourism Board offers tours in a downloadable PDF file. Choose between a Mozart-themed tour, “Retracing the Footsteps of a Genius” or a Schönbrunn tour going into detail information on the lovely Schönbrunn Palace and its surroundings.

One of Vienna’s most thrilling experiences at a low cost is snagging a few incredibly cheap opera tickets. Those willing to stand throughout an opera’s entirety are rewarded with tickets as low as €2 or €3. This option is available at the evening box office 80 minutes before show time, and the stand room area surprisingly offers a nice view. If standing is too demanding an attempt to find satisfaction in the nosebleed section is €7 to €18, but remember a pair of binoculars.

Cheap eats are never a problem in Vienna, as the grab-and-go cuisine scene is international and varietal. Nightlife varies from clubs to pubs and everything in the middle, as it’s quite easy to find a cheap way to spend a night out, thought bars lined under metro tracks house a number of cheap options.

There are ways to satisfy curiosity while keeping expenses relatively low in Vienna, and a reasonable weekend of fun and entertainment is never an impossible deal for the tourist and the wallet.

An ideal spot to absorb the medieval architecture is the central Burg Square, yet refrain from pricey horse carriage rides and posh coffees on the terraces. Instead, grab some Belgian frites from a cart and plop down on a bench to relax.

The best food and drink at a local price can be found in the narrow alleyways shooting off from Burg Square. Pickles is a hotspot for experimenting with dozens of different frites sauces, and other cafes behind the Burg Square are better for good deals.

Sightseeing is relatively cheap to begin with as most of the buildings are free to enter. Bruges is small enough to avoid public transit necessities and make map reading an easy task. Popular attractions include Old St. John’s Hospital, City Hall, Basilica of the Holy Blood, Saint Salvator’s Cathedral, the Beguinage, and the many old city gateways and windmills bordering the old center. Weekends hold an outdoor market at Markt Square with stands holding mounds of Belgian chocolates, souvenirs and fresh produce.

No trip to Bruges is complete without a dip into Belgian beer culture – a tourist opportunity small in cost and big in enjoyment. The Zot Brewery is Bruges’s still-running beer house, and a tour includes a free tasting. Cafe ‘t Brugs Beertje prides itself in holding over 300 different beers to choose from, and Café Vlissinghe is one of the oldest standing pubs in town, since 1515.

Overall, Bruges can be enjoyed to the fullest on a low budge, so make the one-hour trip from Brussels for a true look at Flemish culture.

The culture of the bullfight is present in Seville, perhaps more than in any other city in Spain. The Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza, built in the 18th century and remodeled in the 20th is the place to see the corrida. (Opera fans will recognize the name from “Carmen”.) Tickets can get pricey fast, but there are ways to grab a cheap seat for under 10€: opt for the sunny side of the ring and seats further back from the action, and pick a bullfight where the toreadors are not big-name stars. If you don’t want to watch a bullfight but want to learn about the history, there’s a museum on site where you can see costumes and other bullfight-related things. (Museum entrance fees 5€.)

Seville is synonymous with flamenco. A show in a tourist venue will be expensive so avoid those; instead, head to La CarboneriaSanta Cruz to see this famous and fascinating dance for the price of a drink. While you’ll want to be here in the evening for the shows, be sure to visit this neighborhood in the daytime as well. The narrow streets, small-scale public squares and window boxes overflowing with flowers make this a good example of picturesque Andalusian architecture. If you really want to learn more about flamenco, there’s a museum devoted to the art:  the Museo del Baile Flamenco, located in this neighborhood. in the old Jewish quarter of

Art lovers will want to visit the Museo de Bellas Artes, considered the best art museum in Spain after Madrid’s Prado.  Situated in a former convent, entrance is free on Sundays, 1.50€ other days.

Transport is cheap here. Metro tickets are under a euro each, but if you are planning on using the system a lot, it’s best to buy a travel pass. A day pass costs under 4 € and is good on all metros, buses, trams and funiculars.

If you are a museum-lover, don’t miss the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum. Free on Sundays, 4 € other days, this museum won’t wear you out since it’s relatively small. But don’t let its size fool you! Inside you’ll find a fascinating and eclectic collection of western and non-western art. Be sure to spend some time admiring the jewelry in the stunning Lalique Gallery.

Take advantage of being in Lisbon to learn more about azulejos, the story-telling tile work which graces many of the churches and building facades all over Portugal. The Museu Nacional do Azulejo, housed in an old convent, has a delightful display of these tiles. See how the azulejos evolved from the 15^th century to modern times. Entrance is free on Sunday, 4€ other days.

Finding an inexpensive venue to listen to the famed fado music is not easy. But what would a visit to Lisbon be without a chance to listen to this wistful song? Visit the Museo do Fado, where you can learn not only about the rich cultural history of fado, but if you time your visit right, listen to a live performance in their restaurant. The entrance fee, under 5 €, is certainly cheaper than any tourist restaurant featuring a fado performance.

Dutch bicycles are old-fashioned and easy with impact. Seats have ample cushioning, and handlebars are raised high so no crouching is necessary. Bicycles rarely have gears because most trails are flat, and most are equipped with back-pedal breaks offering a safe and more natural option for stopping.

It is almost impossible to find a culture as respectful and cautious to bicyclists as The Netherlands. Maybe there’s some special instinct that the Dutch are born with, but in the end, this society’s interaction with bicycling is as easygoing as it gets. Every town will have a separate bike lane well maintained and marked. Busy crosswalks have separate bicycle streetlights to help with traffic flow, and bikers always have the right-of-way unless otherwise posted.

Bicycle etiquette is a must-know, and there are three simple rules to follow. First, always motion your turn by pointing out your right hand for right and left hand for left. Second, keep to the right when bicycling on a busy bike lane so others in a hurry can pass. Third, don’t be afraid to ring a bicycle bell at pedestrians and anything blocking the bike lane.

Lastly, it’s crucial to properly lock up before walking away from a bicycle. There should be two locks, a back wheel lock and a snake chain lock. The back wheel lock will clasp shut, and the snake lock should loop through the bike frame, front wheel and then the bike rack or a grounded fixture.

Bikes are usually rented out for about 10€/day. Check sites like bikecity.nl and macbike.nl.