Cheap Europe Vacations

Due to the size of the continent, there are extremes in temperatures all year round. Summer can be extremely warm especially in southern countries like Greece, Turkey, and Spain, attracting huge crowds. Northern Europe tends to be a little cooler and winters can be quite harsh the further east you travel. If you are touring in July, don't miss the Edinburgh Military Tattoo in front of the splendid castle, or the sounds and color of London's famous Notting Hill Carnival. The Paris Fashion week in March is a real eye-opener, but if you schedule a visit to Munich during Oktoberfest, a 200-year old beer festival, you’ll be a very happy individual.

Be amazed at the sheer number of bars on the Stratumseind in Eindhoven, with over 40 establishments filling this tiny but incredibly lively Netherlands street.

Be both scared and exhilarated at the same time on a ghost walk in Derby, said to be the most haunted city in the UK.

Jump on board a tour boat and fall in love with the breathtaking panoramic views from the largely undiscovered Lake Starnberg in southern Bavaria.

Take a train ride to Antwerp to see this Belgian city's extraordinary railway station set on four separate levels with stunning frontage and central concourse.

Feel the benefits of a dip in Europe's most celebrated thermal hot spring town at Montecatini Terme in Tuscany, while enjoying the splendor of its Art Nouveau architecture.

Hop aboard a double-decker bus for sightseeing Old Blighty on the cheap. London landmarks on bus 11, for example, include Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and St. Paul's Cathedral. Pomp and circumstance are free at Buckingham Palace's Changing of the Guard, steps from Trafalgar Square. But if witnessing the bewigged hold court suits your free-seeking fancy, head to the infamous Old Bailey. And the crown jewel of cheap London travel: Most museums are free, including the V&A, British Museum and National Gallery.

For the price of a gelato, you can saunter cinematic streets where scooters zip through rustic piazzas and the love-struck throw coins into bubbling fountains. Scale the Spanish Steps, the longest staircase in Europe, and visit the Villa Borghese's verdant (and free) gardens. Take the tykes to Park Gianicolo where traditional puppet shows are performed daily. And because this is the Eternal City, enjoy unlimited, free forays to the Pantheon, Constantine's Arch near the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain (OK, toss a coin). Pay a small admission fee to view the Vatican Museums near St Peter's Basilica, or visit on last Sundays when admission is free.

Paris woos with its museums, seduces with chocolate, and romances in Jardin des Tuileries. But a Europe vacation in Paris doesn't have to mean one big, costly affair. Even on a budget, you'll sail down the Siene between visits to the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay and Notre-Dame, and climb the steps of Sacre-Coeur in Montmartre. Bronze with the French during the annual Paris Plage, a summer event when the Right Bank becomes a free public beach.

For many years Berlin was encased in a cocoon of social and political turmoil, yet it has since emerged as the spirited, beating heart of European modernity, culture and creativity. From lazy brunching to hard partying, Berlin has you covered on your Europe travels. Buy a Berlin WelcomeCard to cover your transit needs, plus admission into over 130 of Berlin's best attractions, including the Archenhold-SternwarteTreptow and the Jewish Museum.

The city may be over 750 years old, but Krakow is still looking fine. With Renaissance architecture lining the streets and gorgeous artwork everywhere, you may be surprised to learn that Krakow is one of Poland's cheapest cultural hotspots. From the immensity of the Old Town to the WWII melancholy still felt in the former Jewish quarter, Kazimeirz, there is an abundance of attractions hidden around every corner.