Finland borders Russia, Norway and Sweden and forms the scrotum of the Scandinavian phallus. Helsinki, the yellow dot in the map at left, was the most expensive city I'd visited till I flew from there to Reykjavik in 2006. (Iceland has a way of putting spending in perspective.)

The downtown area, between the port, railway and bus stations, is dominated by what Wikipedia tells me is well-preserved Functionalist architecture, which gives the inner city a definite 1920s-30s vibe (after having been there, I'm not certain what the band "Architecture in Helsinki" was trying to express by naming their band as such).

I'll let your guidebook convince you why to go there and what to see. Heck, if you found this post, you've probably already decided to go. Instead, I'll focus on the nitty-gritty, oft overlooked advice only one cheap-o can provide another.

Getting There and Away

By Air

Low-budget airlines flying into Helsinki from Europe include Air Berlin, FinnComm, Blue1, Aer Lingus, airBaltic, Germanwings, and gotlandsflyg.

To get from the airport to town, skip the expensive FinnAir airport bus and climb on regional bus 615, which takes you directly to the main train station. This is currently a 3.60 euro fare.

Alternatively, you can fly RyanAir or Blue1 to Tampere and take the train (2 hours, 25 euros one-way, 4 euros bus to/from airport) from there. Note that if you take the city bus, you should not plan to arrive to the airport more than 1.5-2 hours before your flight as the terminal will be closed!

By Land

Buses run every night between St. Petersburg and Helsinki. They line up in front of the Oktyabrskaya Hotel in the evenings and are run as "tours." One-way or round-trip (returning in the afternoon of the day of arrival) costs 10 euros. There is no need to prebook; simply show up and choose your bus. Touts often stand at the above-ground metro exit kitty-corner from Moskovskii Vokzal (train station). It is probably better to find your own way over and select the bus you feel looks like it will be leaving soon rather than relying on the tout's estimation.

As with all overnight transit, you cross the border in the middle of the night, must exit the bus, claim your luggage, and pass through passport and customs control first on the Russian side, then on the Finnish side. If you're lucky, this will take 1-1.5 hours. After clearing Russian customs, the bus usually stops at the duty-free shop before proceeding to Finland. The bus arrives in Helsinki between 5 and 6 a.m.

These cheap buses are primarily used by female cigarette runners (hence the prompt return the next day). While I have only taken them to Finland, I believe you could also catch a ride in the early afternoon back to Russia for the same price. These buses park around the FinnKino, located in the downtown area of Helsinki.

If these times or the informality of these buses doesn't appeal to you, you can always go Eurolines or take the train. In Your Pocket outlines all the bus companies running between the two cities, including their contact information; Rick Steves outlines the prices and pick-up locations for these buses, as well as compares the two trains running between the cities. If you understand Russian, you can now purchase Russian train tickets online here. Eurolines runs for 33/56 euros ow/rt before any discounts. The train will currently set you back 52 euros ow.

By Sea

Helsinki has a large ferry port with regular service to/from Estonia, Sweden and Germany. You can find links to all of the companies here. Here you'll find how to reach the ferries by public transportation. Note that there are three harbors; be sure you know which harbor your ferry leaves from!

I researched this quite heavily when I needed to get to/from Tallinn. The best deals are weekday returns, which run something in the mid-20-euros range. You will need to consider your preferred departure and arrival times, how speedily you wish to travel (smaller hydrofoils take 1.5 hours while larger ferries take 3), etc. As I remember, it was cheapest to book online, I believe three days prior to travel. Note that there is a limit for luggage on the hydrofoils.

The price of the ferries to/from Sweden and Germany will depend on the size and location of your cabin in addition to the above-listed factors.

Cheap Eats

I have almost always stuck to groceries in Finland, which with their higher prices seemed to push my food budget. There is a pretty good-sized K-Supermarket on the bottom floor of the Kamppi shopping center in the downtown area. The shopping center is open 9-9 M-F and 9-6 Sat, noting that the supermarket and restaurants are open later. If you're coming from or staying near the airport, there is a huge supermarket (Prisma?) in the ginormous and aptly-named Jumbo shopping center out there.

Cheap Drinks

I don't think there is such a thing -- alcohol is one highly-taxed commodity in Scandinavia. Helsinki is where I often saw natives on the Esplanade drinking their BYOB. If you must drink, you're probably best following the natives' example and buying your own at the grocery.

Find or add more recommendations at this new blog about Helsinki.

Get a couple of first impressions of central Helsinki from Conan O'Brien. (My favorite video clip is this one, which has nothing to do with travel, but is hilarious from 2:35 remaining, when Conan loses it.)

If you want to save money on airport transportation, moral of the story is: BOOK EARLY and ONLINE.

Absolute cheapest when booked in advance is easyBus, where you can snag fares as low as £4 each way (plus 25p booking fee). Since planning for my own trip, they have changed both their price structure and their drop-off points; fares are higher across the board, but they have capped them at £13, offering the choice of Baker Street or Victoria Station in central London. Leaves every 20-30 minutes.

• EasyBus uses minibuses and relies on advance bookings; therefore, there is no guarantee that space will be available for walk-up purchase. Walk-up fares are currently £8 one-way.

Next cheapest option is Terravision, offering a flat £13 return when booked online to Victoria Station or Liverpool Street. Leaves every 30-60 minutes.

• The same return fare purchased at their airport counter will cost £14. One-way fares for £8, no matter where booked.

National Express will transport you for £17 return, stopping at Baker Street, Marble Arch and Victoria Station. Departures every 20 minutes. Search the web for current discount codes to save yourself an additional 5-10%.

• National Express is the only carrier offering 24-hour service. Fares (excluding discount codes) are the same whether purchased online or on-the-spot.

You'll save £2 online when booking your Stansted Express tickets to Tottenham Hale (£22 return) or Liverpool Street (£24 return). If you're flying RyanAir, save even more by purchasing return tickets from your flight attendants for £20 return. Departures four times per hour.

Seeing the Tates

Not only do the Tate Britain and Tate Modern offer free admission, they also offer free guided tours up to five times daily.

The Tate Britain shows you around at 12 and 15 everyday, with additional tours weekdays at 11 and 14. There is an additional guided interpretation of the "painting of the month" Tuesdays at 1315 and Saturdays at 1430.

The Tate Modern offers tours at 11 and 12 (meeting on level 3) and 14 and 15 (meeting on level 5) every day of the week.

Even more fun is the first Friday of every month, where the Tate Britain stays open till 22; from 18-22 runs its "Late at Tate" program, with drinks, performances, music, talks, films, and half-price exhibition entry on offer. Check out the website for more details.

Wellcome Collection

The photo exhibition "Life Before Death" (which you may have seen featured on Kottke or Dooce) is showing until the 18 May at the Wellcome Collection, near Euston Station. Admission to all exhibitions is free. The galleries are open from 10-18, Thursdays till 22. Closed Mondays.

Need an UK Plug Adapter?

Boots offers a wide variety of US-UK, Euro-UK and reverse plug adapters for only £2-3 in their electrical or travel section. If you're flying through Stansted, Boots is handily located in the insecure area at the end of check-in aisle B or in the secured area in the far left corner of the main terminal building. If necessary, you can also purchase replacement toiletries for anything confiscated by security.

Arriving to/Departing from London after Midnight and before 0530

Well, Cinder(f)ella, the Tube turns into a pumpkin overnight and you'll have to become familiar with the city's network of night buses. Use the official Journey Planner to figure out the closest or fastest route between two points.

First, Europe changed their clocks on Sunday -- I meant to blog about this before any of you could have missed your flights, buses, cruises, trains, breakfasts, what have you . . . Due to a U.S. law passed in 2005, neither springing forward nor falling back now occur at the same time in North America and Europe, meaning shoulder-season travelers must be aware of the potential for time-related mistakes. You can verify the time difference between cities of interest at Time and Date, where they have two quite detailed articles about Daylight Savings Time around the world: North America, everybody else.

Second, anyone on their way to Berlin will want to take notice of the following two points:

+ As of 1 April 2008, prices will increase on a number of local transport fares -- most importantly for visitors,

• the short hop ticket increases to 1.30 euros
• Schoenefeld Airport moves back into zone C; those traveling to the city on AB day or week passes will need to purchase an additional zone ticket at the increased price of 1.40 euros
• the Berlin ABC ticket -- for daytrips to Potsdam -- increases to 2.80 euros for a single trip, 6.50 euros for a day ticket
• the small group ticket increases to 15.90 euros for zones AB, 16.10 euros for ABC
• the introduction of a 4-trip ticket for 8 euros, a 10% savings over single tickets

If you are holding onto any unused tickets whose prices have now increased, those tickets will lose their validity on 14 April. Put another way, if you're in Berlin for the next couple days, purchase your tickets TODAY at their "discounted" price for use over the next two weeks.

+ The BVG workers have threatened to strike again, beginning at midnight the morning of 1 April. This affects all buses, trams and U-Bahn (subway) routes, but NOT S-Bahn routes. Keep abreast of the situation at the BVG homepage, where the emergency bus schedules will also be posted. I will update on the situation tomorrow as necessary.

Third, everyone is abuzz with talk about the potential benefits to travelers coming from the Open Skies agreement, which took effect yesterday. The NY Times had an article last week -- and naturally, the Cranky Flier covered all the details a full year ago. Biggest immediate effect is 130 new flights per week from cities around the U.S. to Heathrow, across Europe an 11% increase in flights between the continents in April alone. Sadly, it seems that high fuel prices are likely to keep most passengers from seeing beneficial decreases to their transatlantic fares for the time being. The good news: RyanAir has been considering an entree into the market, which would certainly shake things up for the better.

Speaking of RyanAir, they've finally launched domestic flights in France and Germany. Beginning in May, it will now be possible to fly Paris (Beauvais)-Marseille and Berlin-Frankfurt (Hahn). The latter service is twice daily; fares on both routes are currently being offered for 10 euros all inclusive.

Fourth, BoltBus launched last week and Budget Travel's Just This In was there to test out the $3 NYC-DC service. Read their full (positive, despite a few kinks to be worked out) review here. The Washington Post covered the DC-NYC leg, which reached largely the same verdict.

Finally, there's just one week left to nominate your favorite travel blogs for this year's Travvies (which, forgive me, sounds like something you could come down with on the road, relegating you to unsavory moments in your hotel's water closet). Every individual can nominate up to three blogs in each of eight categories for consideration. Quite a few of my regular readers are themselves travel bloggers -- it is allowed (and encouraged) for you to nominate yourselves. Be nice and throw the name of two of your other favorite blogs in as well, so as not to look like a total egomaniac . . .

I'm still busily planning my upcoming trip to the UK and Spain -- please please PUH-LEASE contribute your tips and advice here for your chance to win fame, prizes and my undying affection. (Where else will you find that this Monday?)

Accommodation: More than once I heard (former) Venetians decry that city life had simply gotten too expensive for residents -- many of whom have been forced to move to the mainland city of Mestre to find affordable accommodation and, increasingly, work. This means Venice hustles and bustles by day when full of visitors, but around dusk (especially in January) finds itself, in stark contrast to the earlier part of the day, empty as a deflated balloon.

If you've looked at hotel prices around Venice, you'll see that the residents know what they're talking about. When it comes to booking a room, follow the Less Than a Shoestring rule of following the locals and head to Mestre yourself. For 2.20 euros in daily bus fare and a 10-15 minute ride each way (which is likely less than your daily commute), you'll find significant savings in hotel prices over those in the city. And as this is where many "Venetians" in fact live, you'll find that the nightlife here is better than that in Venice.

If you're willing to look even further afield, try Padua (Padova) or Treviso as bases for your visit. Hotels are even less expensive than in Mestre and both cities are worth visiting in their own right. Trains run regularly to/from Venice in 20-30 minutes and shouldn't cost more than 3 euros one-way.

Transportation: I have always been impressed that public transportation in Italy, as compared to most of northern Europe, is incredibly cheap. For around 1 euro, you can travel for at least an hour in any direction on buses, and regional trains, as noted above, are also quite inexpensive. 3-day passes for all transport in Bergamo, including buses to/from the airport, top out at 5 euros. You can't even get a one-day ticket in Berlin for a fiver!

This is where Venice proves to be a huge disappointment. Regional transport remains cheap, as do the buses between the city and outlying areas. But step foot on a vaporetto (the water buses plying the city's canals) -- even one measly stop -- and it's going to cost you at least 6 euros for the privilege.

The local transport authority is making all of its money off of unwitting tourists taking the boats. How? Residents of Venice are eligible for a free Cartavenezia, which entitles them to discounted prices on land/water tickets. You paid 6.50 euros for your single, maximum 60-minute boat ride while they paid 1.70 euros for 90 minutes of travel time on boats AND buses. If you live in the Veneto region or work/study in Venice, you can purchase the discount card (valid 3 years) for 10 euros. As a foreigner, this card will cost you 40 euros. Incensed yet?

Further, the ACTV offers tourists a variety of "money-saving" passes for their stay in Venice. Current prices are as follows:

• 14,00 € - 12-HOUR TRAVELCARD
• 16,00 € - 24-HOUR TRAVELCARD
• 21,00 € - 36-HOUR TRAVELCARD
• 26,00 € - 48-HOUR TRAVELCARD
• 31,00 € - 72-HOUR TRAVELCARD

That means, even at its "cheapest," Venetian transport works out to over 10 euros/day for the unwitting tourist. As if we were riding the tube in London here!

You have, as I see it, two options. If you're low on funds, Venice is easily walkable. Signs are posted on every building guiding you to the Rialto, Piazza San Marco, Accademia, and back to Piazzale Roma or the train station. It is hard to find yourself more than 30 minutes' walk from anything else. You can walk along stretches of the Grand Canal and see the palazzi, if you so desire. I spent three days in the city and never set foot on a boat.

If you have your heart set on a vaporetto ride and will be staying three days or more with regular use of the buses and boats, again follow the locals and purchase yourself a monthly Travel Card instead. For 30 euros, any and all can ride the land and water transport for a full calendar month. They are distributed at the following locations, among others:

• Venezia, Fondamente Nove
• Venezia, Piazzale Roma
• Mestre, Via Cardinal Massaia, on the corner of Via Cappuccina
• Lido, S. Maria Elisabetta near the landing stage

Be sure to ask for the mensile per due reti, or monthly ticket valid for two service networks (land and water) -- it is only slightly more expensive than just the land services card, but is the only way you as a foreigner will save money on the boats.

For those on shorter stays regularly riding the bus (especially pairs or groups), you can save one euro over regular prices by buying a pack of ten tickets (10 euros) rather than individual ones (1.10 euros each) anywhere tickets are sold.

Food: self-caterers have a more difficult but not impossible time in Venice proper. Fresh fruit, veg and seafood can be found daily at the outdoor markets, along the Grand Canal near Rialto (my map says the squares are called Campo C. Battisti and Campo della Pescaria). Prices aren't cheaper than discount stores, but selection is fresh and abundant.

I spotted a small corner store in the Calle 2 dei Saoneri between Campo dei Frari and Campo San Polo. A larger grocery with decent deli counters and a personal care aisle was located on Campo Santa Margherita near Rio Terra Canal. Bread, cakes and pastries can be purchased on nearby Campo S. Barnaba.

In Mestre, there are two large Pam supermarkets, one in the Le Barche shopping center and one on Corso del Popolo.

For restaurant goers, Readers Tips Contest winner Kama (congratulations!) recommended Brek near the train station. Unfortunately, the restaurant closed at 11 p.m. on the night I had to stay late in city, so I sought something else open at least until midnight. My guidebook directed me to Campo Santa Margherita -- near the university and generally bustling with evening merrymakers. I ended up at Ai Sportivi; my three-course meal was quite uninspired and not worthy of recommendation. That said, the place specializes in pizza and has over 80 pizzas to choose from -- I would certainly head there again on that account.

Perhaps it was simply not the season, but gelateria were few and far between and the selection overall disappointing. A good centrally-located stop is Gelateria Millefoglie da Tarcisio, where Campo S. Rocco meets Campo dei Frari.

What it was season for, however, were frittella, a pre-Carnival specialty which you will find in coffee shops and bakeries in the month leading up to the festivities. If you find yourself in Veneto during this time, be sure to order one or three -- they are, simply put, the best custard-filled donut-like things you will ever eat (their secret? More custard, less donut). Note that if you order these in another part of Italy at a different time of year, you will likely receive something completely different (more akin to fritters, the interwebs tell me).

Shopping: The city offers more Murano glass (and evermore Chinese-produced "Murano" glass) than you can shake a stick at. Even the higher-priced originals (tip: if it seems too cheap to be real -- if that matters to you -- then it probably is) command less than 10 euros for a ring, less than 15 euros for earrings, around 20-30 euros for a large pendant, making these a great cheapo souvenir or gift. I don't really need to recommend any particular store, as you will find glass sold everywhere; that said, stores near the Galleria dell'Accademia seemed to have a better selection of non-jewelry items like lampshades, drawer knobs, mirrors, etc.

Stationers are also to be found, selling murano glass fountain pens, wax stamps and exclusive printed cards. Hand-bound books in leather or marbleized paper are also popular, but more expensive. A cheapo might consider buying a large sheet of marbleized paper and covering items themselves; approximately 1m square sheets go for around 15 euros. NB: bring your own poster tube to protect your purchase as unfortunately none of the stores sold anything like that.

Wandering Venice's tiny alleyways without purpose (beyond, perhaps, getting a bit off the beaten paths through the city), you will come across numerous small stores housing artisans of many different crafts. I much enjoyed the time I spent in these small stores, talking with their artist-owners about how they create their glass, masks or prints. A good example of such a street is the Calle Seconda dei Saoneri, near the Ponte San Polo, between Campo dei Frari and Campo San Polo. Here you'll find a handmade maskmaker, a model ship builder, a costume and hat rental store, woodworkers and glass and stone etchers. Discoveries in stores like these are truly one-of-a-kind.

A must-see for anyone with a bit of carnival mask fever is Ca' Macana, with two locations in the Calle delle Botteghe near Campo S. Barnaba. This store supplied the striking masks in the Stanley Kubrick film "Eyes Wide Shut" -- you can even watch their artists at work in a fishbowl studio down the street before selecting an alter ego for yourself, should you so desire.

One last tip: if it's raining cats and dogs and you're caught out without an umbrella, don't spend 10 euros on a cheap one from a street peddler. At the foot of the Rialto (San Polo-side), to the right facing the bridge behind the many stands is a men's clothing store, Camoli, selling large umbrellas for 5 euros, small umbrellas for 3 euros.

What have I overlooked? Chime in with your own travel-tested, budget-approved Venice advice in the comments.

Winner in the "I Can't Believe They Blogged About This" category is Jessica Hupp and her post Top 10 Competitive Eating Contests posted at Travelhacker. I must say there is something so . . . American about making eating competitive, focusing on quantity (and speed) over quality. And yet, probably because there's so much money at stake, an entire industry has blossomed around this idea. You can read more about the big names in (I swear I am not making this up) gurgitating at the Major League Eating homepage, and get one competitive eater's take on FAQs about the sport here. Find other upcoming eating events on this page.

Best deal of the month goes to Jamie at Go San Diego Card Blog, saying, "February is Museum Month in San Diego, where Macy's is offering a free pass to get 50% off all museum ticket prices for the whole month."

Best no-budget find for February goes to Alex Robertson Textor at Spendthrift Shoestring. His Nassau Layover Suggestion on where to score good food at the airport illustrates why no-budget travelers in doubt always ask (or follow) the locals.

Rookie of the week award goes to Matt Caldwell's post We’re Not in Kansas Anymore…but why? at his brand-new blog Life, Analyzed... We're looking forward to more thoughtful posts from Matt on travel in the future.

Looking for a Big Apple splurge on a little budget? Sarah of SARAHSPY recommends the Best NYC brunch spots -- my picks. My favorite thought from the post: "Does that restaurant you can't afford for dinner offer brunch?" Priceless.

For travelers headed to Eureka Springs, Arkansas (believe it or not, I found myself there in 2007), Sheila Scarborough at Family Travel: See The World With Your Kids has a budget spa idea with Photo of the Week: 1901 spa therapy still used today. Don't worry -- I'm sure you can squeeze it in after the antiquing . . .

If you're headed even further west, try the free whitewater kayak park in Reno - Not Just Divorces and Casinos posted by Susan at The Innovative Traveler.

Not sure how to get there? Lana Burris touts her favorite U.S. low-cost carrier in The Feel Good Airline: 11 Reasons to Fly Southwest posted at Happiness Quotient Headquarters.

Finally, in a piece of advice I've been known to throw around, Raymond presents Join and Participate In Hotel Rewards Programs To Earn Free Hotel Stays posted at Money Blue Book. What's great about this post is it has many of the sign-up pages in one place, for easy reference.

Thanks to everyone for participating. Submit your blog article (or encourage your favorite travel bloggers to submit) to the next edition of Travel on a Shoestring: Americas using the carnival submission form. Next week this time we travel to Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Oceania. You can still submit your posts to that carnival till Wednesday.

Half-price tickets are being offered on Swebus Express till February 10, good on nearly every route they run. Round-trip Nyköping-Stockholm can run you as little as 108 kr (~11 euros) for students, 136 kr (~14 euros) for adults with advance purchase.

Forgot something on Swebus? Call 036 290 8080.

Nyköping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

+ It is entirely possible to sleep in Skavsta Airport, but if you'd like your own bed for the night and don't have time or money to travel to Stockholm, you can take the bus to the nearby town of Nyköping (pronounced nee-sher-ping) for 2.50 euros. The newly opened Railway Hostel in the, you guessed it, train station offers beds in a shared room for 20 euros/night. I haven't personally tried it, the website unfortunately doesn't have pictures and it's too new to have reviews online. Have you stayed there? Feel free to leave your comments below.

+ If you're going to be sticking around for awhile or if you fly through Skavsta often on your way to Stockholm and want to save money on the bus, your best option for ground transportation to Nyköping is to buy a Discount Card (Rabattkort) for 100 kr, which gets you 120 kr worth of travel (or, at current prices, approximately 6 bus rides). This can be purchased from the driver with cash; for card payments, use euros to get to town and buy your Rabattkort at the bus station. Also a money-saving option for couples or groups.

+ The museums in and around the Nyköping Castle are free and have lots of elements geared toward children. Learn more about the legendary Christmas banquet of 1317 and the dungeon key that was fished from the river hundreds of years later . . . Free tours of the King's Tower are offered in English daily in summer, Saturdays and Sundays in winter, at 2 p.m.

+ Children might enjoy skating at the little rink on the corner of Stockholmsvägen and Östra Storgatan -- bring your own skates. There is a hot dog shop nearby for refreshments afterwards.

+ In cold and warm weather alike, children and adults may welcome a swim at the local pool, Hjortensbergsbadet, with indoor and outdoor pools, diving boards, waves, waterslides, jacuzzi and more. Adult entry 50 kr, children 30 kr.

Stockholm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

+ Visit the world’s largest IKEA store, just south of Stockholm. Free buses depart from the corner of Regeringsgatan/Jakobsgatan M-F every hour on the hour between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. The free bus travels back to Stockholm every hour on the half hour.

+ Ice skating is free on the Kungsträdgården if you bring your own skates! Rentals are also available at the rink: 40 kr/hr for adults, 20 kr/hr for kids. The rink is open M-F 8:30 a.m. - 6 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays till 8 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

+ The Södermalm area (sometimes called SoFo) across the river from Gamla Stan (Old Town) -- walk along Hornsgatan and Götgatan to Folkungagatan, for starters -- is packed with funky galleries, secondhand shops and novel clothing and bag designers, as well as a fair mix of bars, salons and other stores. I found a great deal in Emmaus (Götgatan 14) on handmade used tableware, but others will probably appreciate the selection of vintage coats and dresses in this and neighboring shops more. Closest T-bana stations are Slussen or Medborgarplatsen.

+ From Slussen, walk on Hornsgatan to the Maria Magdalena Church and turn right. Meandering through the small streets towards the river, you should soon find a narrow way next to a kindergarten leading to viewing platform and walking path, affording excellent views of Gamla Stan, Riddarholmen and the City Hall building. There are spaces here designed for you to enjoy your picnic lunch while taking in the vista. Schedule it in before your feet are too exhausted from shopping!

What have I overlooked? Leave your advice in the comments.

If you haven't already, you might want to read

No-Budget Tips for London and Stockholm, Revisited

Baring My Budget: Stockholm

Other Related Posts

Ithaca (pop. ~30,000) is perhaps best known as the home of Cornell University, but the city consistently appears in lists of top U.S. cities for living and playing. Filled with waterfalls (the city puns it's gorges), Ithaca is located in New York's Finger Lakes region. The city borders Cayuga Lake and a number of natural areas, perfect for swimming, cycling, hiking and skiing.

Want to take advantage of their generosity, but not sure what you'd do with yourself? I've put together a list of things to see and do, after the jump.

+ Check out this site for all events at Cornell (sports, lectures, films, theatre, concerts and more) during the Winter Recess period. If that's not enough, see what's going on at Ithaca College too.

+ Ithaca Events has a larger list of goings-on (with pricing information).

+ Lyle Lovett may have sold out, but there are still tickets available for Taj Mahal, Nobodies of Comedy and Medeski, Martin and Wood. Performances at the State Theatre.

+ Saturday, February 16 is the 10th annual chili cook-off and WinterFest. For $10, you receive 11 tickets to eat and drink to your heart's content!

+ The area is awash in wineries, many of whom have teamed up with Winter Recess to offer discounts. For the beer drinkers, there is at least one brewery as well.

+ The forward-thinking people at the tourism office have put together a free podcast walking tour for a visit to Taughannock Falls (pictured above).

+ Ithaca spends a lot of time and civic energy supporting downtown businesses -- it has one of the nation's best and liveliest central business districts, perfect for eating, shopping and meandering. (Don't believe me? Try the webcam.) Remember your teacher status has earned you a number of discounts, so bargain hunt with less guilt!

+ If you're a vegetarian, you've no doubt heard of the Moosewood Cookbook. Have a meal where it all started: the Moosewood Restaurant.

+ Other ideas can be found here. My favorite: Marilyn Terrell recommends some ice cream from the university cows at the Dairy Bar.

Getting there: Ithaca is approximately 230 miles from Toronto; 300 miles from NYC, Cleveland, Philadelphia and Washington, DC; and 400 from Boston. Ithaca is serviced by flights on US Airways and Northwest. The nearest Amtrak stations are in Rochester and Syracuse.

Worried about getting around once you're there? Why not take the bus!

From Ithaca? Love to vacation there? Leave your ideas and suggestions in the comments.

If you only have time to read one post this week, let me recommend the oddly named The Secret Lives of Travelers by Susan at The Innovative Traveler. If you liked Random Travel Tips #1 and #2, you'll love this post which is chock full of information and insider tricks for planning travel. There is seriously something for everyone here. Don't miss it!

That's not to say the other posts don't come recommended! There were a number of great submissions this week.

Those travelers considering a budget Caribbean vacation would be wise to read How to Spend under $150 a Day on Grand Cayman by Alex Robertson Textor at Spendthrift Shoestring. Alex set out to show budget travel is possible on one of the Caribbean's most expensive islands -- and recommends not following in his footsteps!

Katie Knorovsky at Intelligent Travel read my mind with her post Des Moines: Trendy? The snooty line from the article in the NY Times she cites also caught my derision -- as a proud Midwesterner (originally) and a former Iowa resident, we don't need the NYT travel section to tell us we've arrived! Katie (and her helpful commentators) does a great job of outlining what makes Des Moines so hip and where to head if you're lucky enough to find yourself there.

Janel Messenger, another Frugal Hacker over at P e a r l s, presents Frugal Friday - A Washington D.C. Vacation. This post is loaded with money- and time-saving tips for a trip to the nation's capital, and she includes a practical guide to eating on the road (a shortened version of which was inspiration for my post Fighting Hunger on the Road).

Susan is back with information on Free Travel Seminars from Rick Steves and his gang. If you're out in Washington State next weekend, this is the post for you!

In her post Tahiti Village Timeshare Presentation posted at Authentic Insight, Paula Kirsch details how to get nearly complimentary tickets to Vegas shows by attending timeshare sales meetings and recommends which companies to seek out and which to avoid. She writes, "Looking into those timeshare presentations can be rewarding whether you buy or not!"

Mark McGuire at TheLocoMono Website lays out his travel plans for the year in My 2008 Travel Challenges. Mark has a $2000 travel budget and is looking to travel domestically as often as possible. Other posts on his site describe how he uses the AirTran frequent flier points system to earn free tickets for personal travel.

Finally, Sagar presents How an Efficient Business Traveler Should Pack a Carry-On: 6 Essential Tips posted at Travelhacker.

Thanks to everyone for participating. Submit your blog article (or encourage your favorite travel bloggers to submit) to the next edition of Travel on a Shoestring: Americas using the carnival submission form. Next week this time we travel to Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Oceania. You can still submit your posts to that carnival till Wednesday.

Transportation Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

+ Ride-share, Berlin-Hamburg: 13 euros

+ local transport -- 1 single ticket @ 2.60 euros and 3 day tickets @ 5.10 euros: 17.90 euros

+ Ride-share, Hamburg-Berlin: 10 euros

Subtotal: 40.90 euros

Food and Drink Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

+ Groceries (for me): 2.61 euros

+ Lunch at the Mensa (university cafeteria): 2 euros

+ Groceries (for Thanksgiving entree): 12.36 euros

Subtotal: 16.97 euros

Other Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

+ Gifts for my hosts: 5.88 euros

Subtotal: 5.88 euros

TOTAL: 63.75 euros

Freebies included:

+ three nights accommodation (with Hospitality Club and overnight at a friend's place when I got stuck without a train "home" for the night)

+ though I bought and brought food, my HC hosts provided me with additional breakfast basics, dinner two nights (one night where I contributed an entree), hot tea and cake

+ huge Thanksgiving potluck dinner at my friend's place

+ walking around the major sites of the city, all the Christmas markets and the Hamburger Dom Fair

+ ferry ride around the harbor on the local transport ferries

Like London, this trip followed my typical no-budget rules: free accommodation, ride public transport (5.10 euros/day), eat only groceries (5 euros/day), BYOB (1 euro/day), do lots of cheap or free activities. This equals a daily budget of around 11 euros.

Germany tip: the Mensa aren't a society of brainiacs but rather university cafeterias, subsidized by tax money. Eats are cheap and filling and selection is generally pretty decent. At this page, you will find a map of German cities with universities; if you click on your city of choice, it will show you a link to the local Studentenwerk, where you can navigate to information about the cafeterias in that city. If you look young enough to be a student (30 or under), you'll probably be charged student prices; too old or having the bad luck to be asked for ID and you'll pay 20-30% more per dish. Still a steal compared to restaurant or even street food prices!

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I am calling once again on the collective knowledge of my readership for tips and tricks for Venice (and the Veneto region generally), Ljubljana (and Slovenia generally), Malta and finally Stuttgart (and Baden-Württemberg generally). Trips are planned for January and February, so you can hold onto your beach advice this time around . . .

The reader providing the most useful tip for each location will receive a small gift from the trip for their efforts. Comment away!

Matt had five major expenses: accommodation, entertainment, food, drink and transportation. We'll look at each in turn.

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Lodging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Matt stays at a bed and breakfast. Here he is served a delicious and filling breakfast every morning inclusive.

subtotal: $250.47

Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Friday night, Matt visited a gallery for free. Saturday he visited Pike's Place Market for free. Then he mysteriously "drives" around the coast. He heads back to the Olympic Sculpture Park (free), and that evening watches a hard-core band ($5). Sunday he notes the boat cruises are free, though he doesn't note if he actually goes on one or not.

subtotal: $5

Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Friday night eating took a backseat to drinking. He's also treating his sister all night.

+ first bar snacks: free

+ second bar burgers: $11

+ third bar pizza: $5.50

Friday night subtotal: $16.50

Saturday he eats a free gigantic breakfast, donuts from the Market, a disappointing salmon burger lunch and Vietnamese dinner.

Saturday subtotal: $40.26

Sunday he eats another free breakfast and grabs a better salmon burger for lunch.

Sunday subtotal: $6.95

subtotal: $63.71

Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Friday night, Matt and his sister hit four different bars. His drinking total (with tips) for this night alone is $53.50. Saturday, he had drinks with lunch and dinner but didn't mention prices, so they are included in the total above. He had a $2 beer Saturday night.

subtotal: $55.50

Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

There are two points where Matt mentions driving, yet doesn't mention WHAT he's driving. (I assume he's driving the car that he used to make his cross-country trip in a summer NYT roadtrip series.) These costs are not included in his total.

The difference between his declared total and mine based on his reporting ($374.68) is $17.71 -- the noted cab and bus fare.

subtotal: $17.71

Grand total: $392.39 + car costs

Here is where Matt can truly be frugal: entertainment. He regularly seeks out free or cheap activities in the cities he visits. Last week, he spent $32 on museum entry and tour (with coupon); this week $5 for a concert.

Here is where Matt needs to cut the fat: lodging, food and drink. For this trip, hotel costs were 64% of his total spending. He could easily bring the grand total down by finding a cheaper place to stay.

I guess the real question is this: is Matt Gross a travel writer or a FRUGAL travel writer? Because frugal travelers -- they're staying at the free wifi, free breakfast, free pool Holiday Inn Express for max $75/night, not at a $125/night bed and breakfast. Or they're camping for $10/night. Or they're on their friend's couch, or they're couch surfing. At the Holiday Inn, he's already under $300 for the weekend; free accommodation brings the total under $150.

Again, with food and drink: I'm sure the NYT finds $60/day a relatively "cheap" per diem. But is drinking $60 worth of restaurant booze in 2 days frugal? A travel writer can drink $10 martinis, a FRUGAL travel writer should be sticking to the $2 beer specials. Further, in the two days he was visiting, his sister and her husband spent $70 eating out with him! Had he cut out the drinking and stayed with his sister, his trip would have been under the $100 mark.

As I mentioned in last week's analysis, we want travel writers to eat and drink for us so we know what is splurge-worthy and what is best avoided. I don't begrudge him this too much. At the same time, however, his budget is always FAR too large. Being frugal is about making choices with the limited funds we have. Matt seemingly never has to make choices to spend below his budget. Moral of the story, NYT: stop giving the "frugal traveler" $500 per weekend. If you must, make that include airfare and let him spend the rest. Both this weekend and last, Matt could have easily gotten by with $150; cut him down under $100, and he'd have to start getting creative. This -- not $125 dinners -- is what I want to read about.

I know I could easily have a fun weekend anywhere in the world with $500. All of us with any common sense could. What most people struggle with is how to have just as much fun while getting by on 1/5 to 1/3 of this amount. Matt's intro to the article says it all: the frugal traveler's budget is only really frugal for high-tech billionaires. The rest of us are left scratching our heads and pondering the relative meaning of practicing frugality.

Read Part One in this Series:  Chicago

While there is (sadly) nothing I can do about the writers' strike, I can share a few tips on what you can do to lessen or avoid trouble during the current strikes in Paris and Germany.

The situation appears worse in Paris, where all forms of public transportation are shut down. The IHT Globespotters blog outlines the picture there and suggests getting a Velib public bicycle pass.

I would add the following links:

+ up-to-date information on the strike is available here (including how often the lines are [not] running) (French-only, but easy enough to decode)

+ here you can look up door-to-door travel instructions (so you know which lines even come into question)

+ transfers to/from CDG, Orly, and Paris are provided by Air France (private shuttle services, which you can google, start at around 20 euros/person)

+ Wear out your feet! Online walking tours are available, among others, from Frommer's (1, 2, 3) and from Citiwalks (find all 7 here).

In Germany, strikes are intermittent. Their status is updated here; the page contains links to (German only) regional pages. The "good" news is that only train travel is affected -- in larger cities, this means only the S-Bahn, which is run by Deutsche Bahn (German Railways), will be affected. Fliers take note:  it is usually the S-Bahn which connects to major airports. All other buses, trams and subway trains continue to run as normal.

For travel in Berlin specifically, check out the BVG travel planner. From this page, you can select the button "Advanced Options" which allows you to uncheck DB trains and S-Bahn trains from your travel instructions. You can easily find the regional transport website by searching "cityname public transport", but here are a few quick links to major cities:

+ Hamburg

+ Cologne/Bonn

+ Munich

+ Frankfurt

Destinations covered thus far include Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Brooklyn, Charlotte, Chicago, Kansas City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto, Twin Cities, and Washington D.C. Locals and travelers alike -- check 'em out.

London . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

+ There are so many free museums in London, I think you'd have to live there at least a year and make concerted effort to see them all. Figure out which ones are interesting to you and add one a day to your schedule.

+ Same goes for the variety of parks. Add a walk through a different one to your daily schedule.

+ London has a number of markets throughout the year. Foodies should check this list of farmers' markets. Jed at The London Traveler is covering each of the markets one by one.

+ Walking through different neighborhoods is free and interesting. The London Tourism people offer a variety of walking routes, but there are probably others online (here, for example) or in your guidebook.

+ The winner of the Reader Tips contest, Ann, mentioned that it is possible to visit famous churches for free at evensong. Westminster and St. Paul's actually hold a number of daily services which you can attend for free. Believer or no, this is an atmospheric way to see a church and after sitting respectfully through the service, it's always possible to linger and look around afterwards.

+ Other churches plan a free daily or weekly organ concert for the lunch hour. Some may, as the larger churches above, have a free evensong. If there's a church or two you're interested in seeing, try to visit during one of these concerts.

+ London Tourism again beats me to the punch with a list of free concerts, films, comedy shows and more. There's a page on scoring cheap tickets to theatre productions and concerts. They also highlight cheap food and drink options around the city.

+ The cheapest to-go food I saw on the trip was fish or chicken and chips boxes near the Tower of London. Two retailers there are advertising a price war and sell their wares for £1 only. These big boxes would have certainly cost £4 somewhere else in town.

Free things I didn't have the chance to do but plan to in the future:

+ attend a BBC taping

+ Prime Minister's Question Time

+ Tower of London Ceremony of the Keys

+ Buckingham Palace Changing of the Guard

+ Sunday morning at Speakers' Corner

+ Open House London

Getting to and from Stansted: right now, the cheapest option is Terravision at £14 return. If you book far enough in advance, easyBus may be even cheaper.

Luggage storage: near Victoria station, you will save at least £2/day by storing your luggage at the Coach Station rather than the Train Station.

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Stockholm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but all the national museums that were free in Stockholm have begun charging admissions fees under the new, more conservative government. This is unlikely to change before the next elections in 2010. Let me tell you, it really put a damper on my plans.

The other bad news about Stockholm museums is that there are generally no student discounts. Nearly every museum is free for people under 18 and there are some discounts for seniors. The exception I discovered in my travels was the Vasa Museum, which had half-priced student tickets when showing ID.

That said, there are still three free museums: the Dance Museum, the Stockholm City Museum, and the Medieval Stockholm Museum. The latter is under renovation and a small exhibition can be found in the basement of the Kulturhuset. It looks like there's a great art show (Russian artist Nicholas Roerich) on at the Dance Museum right now. The Royal Coin Cabinet is free on Mondays.

+ The Swedish Parliament offers free tours year-round.

+ Plastic and glass bottles and aluminum cans have a deposit in Sweden. Consider bringing your own refillable bottle to make sure you get your deposits back.

Getting to/from Skavsta: if you purchase a round-trip ticket with Flygbussarna, it works out as cheaply as taking public transportation and is more straightforward.

If you haven't already, you might also want to read

Baring My Budget: London

Navigating London-Stansted Airport

Baring My Budget: Stockholm

More No-Budget Tips for Stockholm and Nyköping

Other Related Posts

Transportation Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

+ Flights to/from Berlin (RyanAir): .02 euro cents

+ Additional zone to airport in Berlin, return: 2.60 euros

+ 3-day transportation ticket: 190 SKR

+ Bus, Nyköping-Stockholm: 108 SK

+ Bus, Stockholm-Skavsta Airport: 150 SKR

Subtotal: 2.62 euros and 448 SKR

Food and Drink Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

+ Groceries: 216 SKR + 6.28 euros

Subtotal: 6.28 euros and 216 SKR

Admissions Fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

+ Skansen Entrance Fee: 60 SKR

+ Vasa Museum Entrance Fee: 40 SKR

Subtotal: 100 SKR

Other Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

+ Gifts for my hosts: 3.15 euros

+ Luggage storage: 30 SKR

Subtotal: 3.15 euros and 30 SKR

TOTAL: 794 SKR and 12.05 euros

(at the present writing, $1 = 6.5 SKR = 0.70 euros)

Freebies included:

+ three nights accommodation (with Hospitality Club)

+ bus ride from Skavsta to Nyköping (the driver didn't want to accept my euros as payment, even though they are valid on the bus from the airport, so he let me ride for free)

+ Medieval Museum

+ city walking tour as outlined in my guidebook

Like London, this trip followed my typical no-budget rules: free accommodation, ride public transport (63 SKR/day), eat only groceries (72 SKR/day), BYOB (2 euros/day), do lots of cheap or free activities. A daily budget of 150 SKR ($25) is fairly respectable considering prices in Stockholm are incredibly high (hostels in the city typically cost at least $30/night). It would have been even cheaper had I brought most or all of my groceries from Germany; in this case, I only packed two lunches' worth of sandwiches, some fruit, some cake for breakfast, and my own beer (added at the airport duty-free, still cheaper than Sweden).

Since no readers offered up any Stockholm advice for the Reader Tips Contest, I'll have my own for you later this week.

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