For years we’ve steered clear of these pricey cities (and the country in general), assuming that Switzerland was simply inhospitable to budget travelers. With many hotels starting north of $250, how could any Cheapo afford to visit?

It’s the kind of budget travel challenge we love, however. After pounding the (immaculately clean) pavement in both cities, we’re thrilled to announce our new guides. Here are a few things we found along the way:

Rooms at Zurich's Anwand Lodge offer wooden beams and flat-screens for as low as $110 a night.

Hotel prices

We found several Geneva hotels under $125 a night, (CHF 125) including some in the heart of the Old Town. Visit during the spring and fall for the lowest rates, and remember that, as Geneva’s hotels are often packed with business travelers, weekends tend to be cheaper.

Although Zurich can even be more expensive than Geneva, we found 10 central hotels in Zurich with rates under $130 a night (CHF 130), including some three-star hotels. Rates are similarly cheaper during the shoulder season and weekends, and clear of convention dates. (Check out the convention schedule ahead of time on Zurich’s Web site.)

Hit up Geneva's flea market for cheap souvenir options. Photo: Chaney Kwak

Easy ways to save

We were happy to find that most museums in Geneva charge less than CHF 10 (about $10) for admission, and many charged quite a bit less. Even better, as we note in our budget tips article, many museums are free to enter, including the Maison Tavel, Musée d’Art et d’Histoire, Musée de Carouge and the Natural History Museum!

Zurich’s museums are surprisingly affordable, with most charging about CHF 10-15 (about $10-15). However, we recommend that serious sightseers spring for the ZurichCARD, which covers admission to all city museums and public transportation, and even offers some shopping and dining discounts. Read more in our Zurich budget tips article.

Transportation savings

Geneva’s efficient public transit is a gift to budget travelers: Anyone staying in a hotel, hostel or campground is given a Geneva Transport Card, granting free transportation on the city’s buses, trams and trolleys. Read more about getting around Geneva.

Zurich charges CHF 5.20 (about $5) for a daily transportation pass (or CHF 25.60 for six days, about $25), although many sights are accessibly by foot. However, Cheapos are encouraged to hop on Zurich’s free bike program. Pedal off some of that delicious rösti! (Read more about Zurich transportation.)

So, Cheapos…

What are you waiting for? With a little advance planning, both Geneva and Zurich can be on your budget travel itinerary. There’s simply no reason to miss Swiss.

When winter strikes

In three of the last five winters, we have had at least one trip where we were seriously delayed on journeys back to our Berlin base, in each case not reaching home until a day later than anticipated. And that is just what happened last weekend: what should have been a routine journey from London to Berlin turned out to be a 25-hour epic.

"Hop on the Next Train" stamped on the back of a ticket.

The key to getting the best out of Europe’s railways is having a through ticket from origin to destination, which was just what we had on Saturday when we set out from London with through tickets to Berlin (a snip at just €49 per person).

Stuck in Brussels

Eurostar was as magnificent as ever, speeding us through the Channel Tunnel and on through wintry Flanders to Brussels Midi where we arrived just after 2 p.m. But the onward connecting train to Germany was cancelled due to bad weather, and many other services were heavily delayed.

Western Europe’s principal rail operators cooperate in an alliance called Railteam. And if things go wrong, you can ask to be rerouted on other Railteam member trains to reach your final destination.

Railteam: Hop on the next train

Many cheaper European rail tickets (the ones we love) restrict you to specific trains and routes. But when trains are canceled or connections missed due to a late-running train, you can ask any railway official to stamp the reverse side of your ticket. This confirms that you have encountered problems along the way, and that you are now entitled to use alternative trains or even a very different route to reach your final destination.

The Railteam stamp (nicely embellished with the slogan “Hop on the Next Train”) is your passport to flexibility in times of trouble.

Onward via Paris

We were rerouted from Brussels on a stylish Thalys train (all lush vibrant pink and purple velour) to Paris, where there was just time for a quick supper before hopping on an overnight City Night Line (CNL) train to Germany.

The Paris to Berlin sleeper would have been our first choice, but that was booked out, so we opted for the CNL train to Hamburg where luck was very much on our side as we grabbed the last remaining two-berth sleeper (for which we paid a supplementary sleeper charge – crisp linen sheets come at a cost, but we do like our creature comforts).

Snoozing to Hamburg

This was a perfect overnight journey. We both slept like logs, awakening on Sunday to see a glorious winter sunrise over northern Germany. We continued with a sleek Deutsche Bahn ICE train to Berlin, enjoying breakfast on the way and arriving home early afternoon.

What could have been a nightmare turned out to be a happily memorable journey. All thanks to the Railteam alliance.

The moral: Next time you run into trouble on the rails, make sure you get your ticket stamped to confirm the disruption. Train crews and station staff will provide the necessary stamp, and once it’s there you can exploit the flexibility of the network to reach your destination.

Don’t get flustered or annoyed. Delays are all part of traveling and with a little patience you’ll still reach your destination in the end. And perhaps with some unanticipated adventures along the way.

Here’s a quick run-down of free or cheapish events to attend in Berlin in the first half of 2012:

The 62nd Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale)
February 9-19, 2012

The Berlinale is the city’s largest cultural event, bringing in tens of thousands of film professionals, journalists and fans. Up to 400 films will be shown during the ten-day festival.

Make it a gallery weekend in April. Photo: urbanartcore.eu

Carnival in Berlin
February 12, 2012

The 11th Annual Berlin Carnival Costume Parade, featuring 60 floats, multiple marching bands, and 3,000 participants, is expected to attract about 600,000 spectators. The fun starts at 11:11 am. Dress up!

Gallery Weekend Berlin 2012
April 27-29 2012

Get closer to Berlin’s booming art scene, as 44 influential galleries offer openings, tours and parties during the Gallery Weekend.

Extended Opera and Theater Night: 1 Ticket, 50 Stages
April 28, 2012, 7 p.m. – 1 a.m.

50 of Berlin’s opera and theater companies takes center stage, offering 30-minute shows throughout throughout town for the Extended Opera and Theater Night. Shuttle buses take audiences from one stage to the next.

Berlin Biennale at Kunstwerke/Institute for Contemporary Art
April 28 until July 1, 2012

An important event for the contemporary art world, the Berlin Biennale focuses on international artists with varying artistic and political orientations. Polish artists Artur Zmijewski curates this year’s event.

Celebrate cultural diversity in May at the Carnival of Cultures. Photo: Oh-Berlin.com

Carnival of Cultures
May 25-28, 2012

The Kreuzberg neighborhood attracts nearly 1 million visitors to the Carnival of Cultures, an annual celebration of cultural diversity, performance and food. The parade (on May 27) will feature 4,000 dancers and musicians from 80 countries.

DMY International Design Festival
June 6-10, 2012

The DMY International Design Festival, celebrating innovative and contemporary design, takes place at Airport Tempelhof and includes exhibits and panel discussions.

Lesbian and Gay Street Festival
June 16-17, 2012

Nollendorf Platz in Schöneberg hosts Berlin’s Lesbian and Gay Street Festival, celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2012. Expect fun music, performances and plenty of partying at this event, taking place just one week before the Christopher Street Day Parade.

Jamming in Kreuzberg during the Fete de la Musique. Photo: silviaN

Fête de la Musique
June 21, 2012

Who doesn’t love the Fête de la Musique? Free concerts fill the night with music, with performances taking place at more than 50 (mostly open-air) venues.

Christopher Street Day
June 23, 2012

Half a million people cram the streets between Kurfürstendamm and the Brandenburg Gate to celebrate LGBT rights on Christopher Street Day. It’s guaranteed to be a fabulously fun, music-thumpin’ good time.

Classic Open Air Berlin Gendarmenmarkt
July 5-10, 2012

Classical music and opera fans descend upon Gendarmenmarkt for the Classic Open Air Berlin, a series of free outdoor performances.

Also in our guide: Heading to Berlin this year? Check out our reviews of the best cheap hotels in Berlin, all visited, inspected and photographed by our editors. Read more in our Berlin hotel guide.

This week, I decided to get on the horn with the charismatic Caroline Simonds, founder of Le Rire Medecin, a troupe of hospital clowns that are currently the focus of a free photo exhibit at the Hotel de Ville.

“Let’s make a Cheapo day of it in Paris,” I told her. Wasting no time, she created a Big Top-worthy tour through the Marais for us. She also threw in a few shopping tips. Grab a pencil and a red rubber nose, too!

"Nez rouge, toi-meme" is on display at the Hotel de Ville through February 18, 2012

Free Exhibit: Hôtel de Ville
Open: Monday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
4th arrondissement (Metro: Hotel de Ville)

Let’s kick off our whirlwind day tour with Caroline in the City at the Hôtel de Ville, where currently there’s a month-long exhibit celebrating Le Rire Medecin’s 20th anniversary. “Nez Rouge, Toi Meme!” features 80 action shots of her clown troupe taken by the brilliant photographer Jacques Grison. (The title refers to the clowns’ red noses.)

The show remains on display through Saturday, February 18, 2012. Cheapos, if you’re in Paris, don’t miss it. It’s vibrant, exuberant and quite moving. And it’s also free!

(If you’re visiting after this date, you should still stop by the Hotel de Ville to see what free exhibit is on display.)

Send in the clowns

Created by Caroline (aka, Dr. Giraffe) in 1991, “Le Rire Medecin” (The Laugh Doctor) now includes 88 professionally trained clowns. Based in Paris, they work with hospitals all over France. Talented in music, magic, and faux farts (wildly popular!), along with play, juggling, and improvisation comedy, they consult with hospital personnel before transporting sick children and their families to a fantasy world, tailoring each experience to each kid’s needs.

The exhibit features Jacques Grison's photos of hospital clowns. Photo: Jacques Grison

As Caroline says, “We give them tools for their hospital voyage.”

There’s also a book

Yes, there’s a book and a mini-photo catalog by Bernard Mathieu and Jacques Grison. According to Caroline, “It is GA-lorious, packed with 200 pages of photos! All proceeds go to our cause.” Looking for a Saint-Valentine’s Day souvenir? This could be it! You can pick one up at the show.

Lunch: Sancho
7 Rue François Miron, 4th arrondissement (Metro: Saint-Paul)

Feeling hungry or parched after the seeing the exhibit? Caroline has a few suggestions up her sleeve, so lean in close.

“For the moment, I have a fetish for real home-made, locally sourced Japanese contemporary cuisine. The Donburi Lunch (three courses) at the Sancho is great deal at about €16. Located near the Hôtel de Ville, I go at least once a week. Last week, I ate there three times! It’s my comfort food place. The hostess is 300 per cent smiles!”

Caroline also highly recommends the smoked turkey or pastrami sandwiches at Florence Finkelstein at nearby 24 rue des Ecouffes, and La Caféothèque at 52 rue de l’Hôtel de Ville. “It’s the best coffee in the world, and the baristas make you feel at home. It’s really one of the coziest hide-outs I have!” Enough said.

Fine and funky vintage digs at FREE'P'STAR. Photo: Theadora Brack

Vintage Shopping: FREE’P’STAR
61 rue de la Verrerie, 4th arrondissement ? (Métro: Hôtel de Ville)

Now, after fortifying our body and soul, it’s time to shop! Caroline is both a Cheapo at heart and a fashionista! FREE’P’STAR is one of her top “friperies” (second-hand clothing shops) for vintage garb. Flaunting a psychedelic, trippy vibe, the boutique is decked out in neon signs, funky lighting fixtures, and original photography and paintings. Look out for the shrine dedicated to photographer Brassaï!

Here are a few of Caroline’s recent scores: “I happen to love hand-knit sweaters, especially ones that reek of a grandmother’s love. The other day, I got a fabulous turquoise one for €10. It would have cost at least €200 anywhere else. I also found an oversized, gray-striped mohair sweater for my daughter, Lailah, which can be worn as an overcoat. Again, it cost just €10!”

Cheapos, you’ll find two more FREE’P’STAR locations nearby at 61 rue de la Verrerie and at 20 rue de Rivoli. Finding treasures while saving precious time just got easier!

Caroline Simonds and Patrick Loughran. Photo: Le Rire Medecin

Tip for the road

For the love of Chanel, have you been looking for the perfect shade of classic French red lipstick while in Paris? When it comes to bright red lips, clowns are in the know—but off stage, beauty tips are no clowning matter. So as I bid farewell to Caroline, I asked her to drop the names of her favorite classic French lipstick shades and brands. So gather around and crank up the printers!

“Red Lizard” by Nars, and “Viva Glam” by MAC topped her list. There’s a MAC store in the Marais at 13 rue des Francs-bourgeois, and you’ll find a Sephora down the street at 75 rue de Rivoli. Caroline also fancies “Mademoiselle” by Deborah-Milano for Rouge Baiser. It’s super-affordable and can be scored at Monoprix.

Happy 20th anniversary to Caroline and the rest of Le Rire Medecin troupe! Cheapos, they also have a Facebook page, so help them spread the good word!

Winter is one of the best seasons for Cheapos to visit Dublin. Not only are airfares and hotel rates at their cheapest for the year, but the cold temperatures offer a great excuse to get snug in the pub and order up an Irish coffee.

From shopping to sports to comedy, there is plenty to do in Dublin when the cold drives Cheapos indoors. Stay warm in Dublin this winter with the following indoor activities:

Shopping

Music, literature, and design all provide insight into Irish culture. Spend a day shopping at the following stores and find great deals along with local character.

Browse at Celtic Note, a music store specializing in Irish music of yesterday and today. Shelves are packed to the brim at Books Upstairs, a wonderful little bookstore for discovering the best of Irish literature (don’t be surprised if books are signed by the author). Get to know Irish design by heading to the Loft in Powerscourt Townhouse, a space shared by multiple local designers, jewelry makers, and vintage sellers.

Weekend Sport

During the dark winter months, locals look forward to one tournament in sport: the 6 Nations Rugby Tournament. The Ireland team plays home matches in Dublin, and in 2012, will battle Wales, Italy, and Scotland at home.

While attending a game is the best way to get in on the action, the local pubs will have an electric atmosphere on match day. Get cozy – early – in a pub near the Aviva Stadium and watch the Irish team battle to be rugby champions. Check out the schedule for the 6 Nations tournament.

Winter Events

Throughout the winter cultural events keep locals entertained indoors. One favorite event is the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival, held from February 16 through February 26, 2012. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the festival and Al Pacino is confirmed to attend.

Winter is also a great season to check out the Dublin comedy scene. Venues for comedy in Dublin include Vicar Street, the Mill Theatre, the Olympia Theatre, and the Laughter Lounge.

But for bus fiends, devotees of road transport who feel inclined to coach the highways of Europe, most rail passes are of little help (although some locally sold passes, such as the Explore Wales pass, do usefully combine road and rail transport).

Euroline's London Victoria Coach Station ticket counter. Photo: Vief C.

Easy connections by road

But if trains are not your thing, or you just fancy trying something different why not opt for a pass to explore the Eurolines coach network?

If you don’t know about Eurolines, check out our article earlier this month which gave a few key facts on why coach travel can be a credible alternative to taking the train on many European journeys.

From €175 for 15 days

Current pass prices start at €175 for 15 days of unlimited low-season travel between major cities in two dozen countries across the Eurolines network. That fare holds for anyone aged under 26. For older travelers, the fare for the same 15-day pass edges up to €205. 30-day passes are also available, with the current adult pass costing €310. All passes carry premium prices during high season.

Critics of the Eurolines pass have often argued that the scheme emphasizes larger cities at the expense of smaller places (although Eurolines’ dense network really does serve many out-of-the-way spots). The Eurolines consortium responded in 2011 by adding in a few secondary cities to the pass scheme. These newcomers include Rennes, Tours, Dijon, Nancy, Alicante and Kaunas.

From Ireland to the Baltic States

Once you have your pass, you can roam at will between cities included in the scheme. The geographical coverage is impressive, extending from Dublin and Edinburgh to Rome and Bucharest. Of course, you will need to change coaches on many long journeys.

Eurolines services are intended mainly for international journeys, but there are some domestic hops that can be booked by pass holders. Barcelona to Madrid is one, and Edinburgh to London another (though Catalonian and Scottish nationalists might well argue that both journeys are international in spirit).

Reserve seats in advance

Eurolines offers a hassle-free way of exploring principal cities across Europe in comfort, but a little advance planning pays off. All seats can be reserved, and on popular routes the coach can be full. So Eurolines strongly advise that travelers reserve each leg a few days in advance. Any specific sector can only be ridden twice during the validity of a pass.

You will find a wealth of further information, all very impressively ordered, at www.eurolines-pass.eu and www.eurolines.com/eurolines-pass/.

Vahram Muratyan’s book Paris vs. New York: A Tally of Two Cities has been making quite an impression on big city dwellers. Debuting at Colette last year in Paris and launching in February in New York, the book visually chronicles the comparisons and contrasts between both iconic cities. Images illustrate the cultural showdown, like the macaron versus the cupcake, the baguette versus the bagel, or the bobo versus the hipster.

Recently images form the new book have been making waves across social media sites, particularly Muratyan’s map of Paris that replaces arrondissements with New York neighborhoods.

The Café Francais, in Bastille. Photo: SSedro

For those who know both cities, the comparisons are uncanny, so I thought it might be fun to see which ones are spot-on and which ones seem like a stretch:

1. Bastille – Bowery, East Village: Spot on.

The young, artsy, still up-and-coming Bastille neighborhood where the Revolution ceremoniously began (well, for some) reflects the same vibe you get walking through the gentrifying East Village – although Bastille is much better serviced by the subway system.

2. Marais – West Village, Chelsea: Spot on.

The quirky gay-friendly Marais has all of the vivacity of Chelsea and the West Village, with pricey boutiques to match.

Café Pick Me Up, East Village. Photo: Marco Mazzei

3. Latin Quarter – Greenwich Village, NYU: Stretch.

50 years ago it would have been true, but besides being student neighborhoods, the Latin Quarter feels much more like a tourist trap than the Village. It’s a place where students occasionally study and party, with none of the urban campus vibe of NYU where thousands of students actually live.

4. Montmartre – Gramercy: Spot on.

Severely gentrified since its Belle Epoque bohemian days (think Moulin Rouge) Montmartre, much like Gramercy Park, is a charming place that most people just look at with so few possessing the keys (read: money) to truly access this neighborhood.

5. Passy – Upper West Side: Stretch.

Young people live in and like the Upper West Side. Some young people live in Passy, but no one likes it.

Tourists stream down the Champs-Élysees. Photo: Caribb

6. Champs Elysées – Times Square: Spot on.

Both are equally avoided by locals. At all cost.

7. Arc de Triomphe – Washington Square: Stretch.

We get the similarities, but the Beatniks and students at the Washington Square arch have nothing in common with the Napoleonic greatness of the military-inspired Arc de Triomphe.

8. Choissy – Chinatown: Spot on.

Porte de Choissy is Paris’s liveliest Chinatown, though New  York’s version is even more vibrant.

Taking in Times Square. Photo: Ed Yourdon

9. Saint-Germain – Upper East Side: Stretch.

While they share similar qualities like museums and old rich people, Saint-Germain has many redeeming ones for locals, including great restaurants, boutiques, and endless café culture. The Upper East Side has redeeming qualities as well.  Just give me a few minutes…

10. Louvre – The Met, Union Square: Stretch.

Two big museums, OK, it was necessary. But I’m not sure about the Union Square comparison aside from the skateboarders.

11. Opéra – Theatre District: Spot on.

Locals and visitors alike flock to the area around the Opéra for a night of ballet, music, or comedy in one of the many smaller venues that fuels Paris’s theater scene. Even though theaters are found all over the city, the majestic Opéra Garnier and its little brother the nearby Opéra Comique are two of the most popular.

Your comparisons? So urban dwellers, what do you think about the comparisons between these cities?

There is a feeling among some backpackers and DIY-type travelers that tours are for, well, tourists. Granted, I don’t want to be one of 75 people following a guide’s orange flag through the city streets of Rome or London. Not only do those sorts of tours make me feel embarrassed, it’s almost impossible to hear what the guide is saying with that many people.

This is not to say I don’t like tours. I love tours. Tours with a local in Barcelona (or any city) are excellent ways to A) meet a local (the guide), B) pick his brain about where to eat dinner, and C) learn all sorts of weird stuff about the place you’re visiting.

In Barcelona I have taken quite a few tours even though I live here. These tours have opened my eyes and helped me to see a side of the city that I never would have experienced otherwise. Here are my suggestions for local, small, savvy city tours in Barcelona:

George Orwell Tours

Before booking with Alan Warren of George Orwell Tours, read Homage to Catalunya by George Orwell. Warren’s tours focus on Barcelona during the Civil War, a fascinating time in Spanish history which has not been forgotten by the older generation and has certainly shaped current culture in Barcelona and Catalonia.

Many foreigners from the United States and the United Kingdom came to Spain during the Civil War to fight for the Republic and against fascism (a little known fact), and George Orwell was one of them. Later, Orwell went on to write Homage to Catalunya about his experiences in Barcelona and on the front.

Warren’s tour takes visitors on a stroll through 1930’s Barcelona visiting important Orwell sights, such as the hotel he stayed in, battle grounds, and the George Orwell Square. If you’re interested in anarchy, the Civil War and Spanish politics, this is the tour to go on. It’s also very affordable.

Secrets and Legends Tour

Juan J. Pardo Eimil took me on one of the best tours I’ve ever done. What’s more, the tour was of the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona, an area I’ve trod extensively over the last six years. His Secrets and Legends Tour, which explores the Roman and medieval center of the metropolis, is the ideal way to get to know Barcelona. Book him on your first or second day in the city to gain your bearings.

His tour company, Juan Ciempies Turisme Cultural, offers several tour options. Those already familiar with the city may want to ask him about his El Raval neighborhood tour to see a less “touristy” part of the city, which is rich in history and incredibly trendy with young people these days.

Other tours

Here are some more options for touring around Barcelona:

Runner Bean Tours - “Free” tours of the city; tipping expected at the end.

El Moli Tours - Not in Barcelona, but just outside the city in wine country. Tours by bike and foot. Lots of wine tasting!

Barcelona By Bike - Bike tours of the city daily.

Even during the off season Amsterdam is a busy place. Lines for museums are common, stuffy buses are all too familiar, and traveling in and out of the city can take some time.

Here are 10 ways to keep you from playing the waiting game and make the most out of your trip to Amsterdam:

1. Pay in cash

Forget paying with a credit card in grocery stores, they only accept cash or Dutch debit cards. And many authentic Amsterdam cafes (and coffeeshops) only take cash. Save time by always having cash on hand, and use your credit cards for the shops and ATM machines.

2. Buy day tickets on public transportation

Yes, you can buy your ticket on the trams and buses, but save time (and annoying people behind you) and buy a day ticket if you’re taking public transport. This way you can simply “punch” your ticket when going on and off the tram or bus like everyone else. (Look for the round pads on the side of the doors that say “OV”.)

Visit the Anne Frank House Museum in the evening to avoid the line (above). Photo: Mattmangum

3. Go to Anne Frank House, late

During high tourist season the Anne Frank House Museum is open until 9 p.m. (10 p.m. on Saturdays); and during the off season until 7 p.m. (9 p.m. on Saturday). In fact, during July and August the museum doesn’t close until 10 p.m. daily. So save time and avoid that long line by coming later, about an hour before close.

4. Make dinner reservations

Since Amsterdam’s old city center is well preserved, it also means cafes and restaurants have a small capacity for patrons. Save time searching for an open table by simply reserving a place at a café. Call ahead (or stop by) during the afternoon and you should be fine.

5. Bike around

Waiting around for trams and buses gets old fast – Amsterdam public transport isn’t as frequent as other European capitals, especially on weekends. Save time (and money) by renting a bike during your stay. It’s fun, healthy, and once you learn the rules of the bike paths, it’s a breeze!

6. Party outside the center

On weekends the city center is packed with people, mostly foreigners and Dutch people coming to the Dam for a big weekend. Save time and stay away from the bars and clubs at the big party squares – you’ll spend ages waiting for a drink or club entry. Instead, hit the surrounding hoods like De Pijp, Jordaan, Oost or Westerpark. These areas are more fun, authentic and comfortably filled with locals.

7. Book train tickets in advance and use kiosks

It might sound obvious, but I wholeheartedly encourage travelers to book train tickets in advance online. Whether you have a print-out on hand or you have to use a kiosk computer at the station – both methods are so much faster than waiting in line to buy tickets at the station. (Of course, checking in for flights in advance and using self-service check in at the airport will also save you loads of time.)

8. Get Dutch-y

Although everyone in Amsterdam speaks English and things are rather international, don’t spend time searching for your favorite chain coffee store or smoothie shop. Suppress your cravings for tacos and hot dogs – you won’t find the real deal here, and you’ll waste valuable time. Instead, get Dutch. Head for the fries stands, falafel shops and fresh orange juice. Want to taste something exotic? Try Indonesian or Surinamese cuisine – the Mexican and Chinese food of The Netherlands. (Here’s a list of our favorite late-night snacks.)

9. Don’t bother getting to the airport too early

Be early for your flight, but don’t overdo it: It takes about 20 minutes to get from Amsterdam Centraal Station to Schipol Airport. If you’re flying on a low-cost carrier to another EU destination, gate assignments don’t even appear on the departure screens until 40 minutes before takeoff. If you just have a carry on, don’t overdo your prep time for short flights. Two hours is just too long for an EasyJet flight; 60 to 90 minutes is fine.

10. Don’t wait empty handed

Face it: There will be times when you’ll just have to wait around. When you find yourself stuck in a long line, waiting for transport, or twiddling thumbs on the train, pass the time with something good. Whether it’s a book or a light-weight tablet for videos, having an extra something to keep entertained while waiting is still the best way to remedy the waiting itch.

Also in our guide: We can also save you time hunting down the best budget hotels in Amsterdam. Our editors have visited, inspected and reviewed cheap hotels in Amsterdam, all centrally located, clean and affordable. Read more in our Amsterdam hotel guide.

No international trains

Even this time last year, there were still direct trains from Greece to five other countries. But then the Greek government stepped in, anxious to limit public-sector debt, and ordered the cessation of all international rail services across the country’s borders. This woeful lack of regard to neighborly relations won Greece few friends. And it probably did not save Greece much money. Most of the carriages used on those long runs from Greece to distant capitals were provided by foreign railway administrations.

The last international services ran in mid-February last year. As a result, travelers lost links from Greece to Istanbul, Sofia, Belgrade and many other cities. Curiously, Bulgaria had just the previous month been added to the Eurail scheme, thus allowing Eurail pass-holders to follow creative new itineraries through the eastern Balkans to Greece.

Greek petulance over the question of international rail links meant that many travelers had to abort their plans and Greece thus lost visitors who would surely have helped boost the country’s ailing economy.

Cruising affordably in Greece aboard the Minoan lines. Photo: Edoardo Forneris

International alternatives by bus

When international rail services to and from Greece were suspended, it looked as though this might be a temporary affair. But now, as it is turning out to be a more permanent fixture, let’s examine the options for those still keen to visit Greece in 2012.

The capitals of Macedonia and Bulgaria are still very well connected with the wider European rail network, and both are just short hops by express coach from the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki. You will find timetables for coaches from Skopje to Thessaloniki and for coaches from Sofia to Thessaloniki and Athens in the European Rail News section of the Europe by Rail Web site.

The boat option

For travelers from western Europe, ferries from Italy are a credible option (and some give discounts or even free deck passage to holders of certain rail passes). Our preferred route is the Venice to Patras service which gives a lovely cruise on the run down the Adriatic. Minoan Lines and Anek Lines both operate this route, with journey times varying from 29 to 35 hours.

If such a leisurely approach to Greece is out of the question, look for faster crossings from Ancona, Bari and Brindisi.

Rail options inside Greece

The national rail operator in Greece is OSE. They may have scrapped all international services, but trains within Greece are still running. True there have been some changes since the financial crackdown of early 2011.

Yet there is still a very good service on the main Athens to Thessaloniki axis, and frequency is much the same as it was a year or two ago. But the fastest trains now take an hour longer than they did in 2010. On the main route east from Thessaloniki towards Thrace, until last February used by the international services to Turkey, services have been savagely cut. Where once there were six trains each day from Thessaloniki to Alexandrupoli, now there are just two.

On some branch lines, services have been completely withdrawn and elsewhere frequencies trimmed. And sleeping cars have been removed from the few remaining overnight services. There is, it seems, no place for creature comforts in the Hellenic Republic’s new austerity drive.