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I'm paying for my whole trip. My plan is to travel cheaply and stay within my budget. I don't want to travel to Europe and feel limited, so I'm not going to be a cheap American tourist, but I definitely won't be going on extravagant shopping sprees. I ran across a blog from the NY Times that lists helpful tips for getting by on a budget. I know the basics of researching the local budget airlines, but what I didn't think about was how much money you could save by refusing taxis. Although taxis may be more convenient at certain times, they're not very cost efficient, and traffic can often be an issue in large cities. Another recommendation is to use the city-wide bike rentals. You walk up to a pay station, pay a deposit of $3.50 and ride off. When you're finished with the bike, you take it to the nearest station to get your change back. Very financially/eco-friendly. One other suggestion was to splurge at lunch, but save at dinner. Most places in Europe with offer cheaper lunch specials allowing you to sample the finer foods at a lower price. Not a bad idea!