Last Spring, I took a trip to Rome and navigated the city in true tourist fashion in order to find the best of the best for my readers. Rome is a beautiful, romantic, chaotic city jam packed with awe inspiring historical sights and points of beauty. The crowds of tourists and busy Romans make it a little more difficult to steal a slice of la dolce vita. In true shortcut to fabulous form, we found we found the best places to shop, eat, sleep and stroll in Roma so you can live la dolce vita.

Shop: Shopping in Rome can be expensive and overwhelming. With the global economy and availability of pretty much all Italian labels anywhere in the world, it is hard to find items to get excited about these days. We found a few unique surprises and fun items to bring back to friends and family. Our favorite shopping spot is around Trevi fountain. We found a truly fabulous handmade, leather handbag shop called Il Gancio. It is located on Via del Seminario 82-83. All of the handbags are handmade. In fact, if you enter the shop at the right time you can watch a handbag being created at the big wooden work table. The handbags are unique and range in price from around 35 Euros to over 200 Euros. You can get a cute cross body bag for about 40 Euros and the leather color selections are amazing! Another fab find close to the Trevi fountain is a shop carrying Murano glass from Venice aptly named, Original Murano Glass, located on Via del Lavatore 33. If you wont be making it to Venice, we recommend stopping in this shop to check out the beautiful glass pieces. Our favorites include the affordable jewelry pieces and small serveware pieces such as cheese spreaders and cake servers that make great gifts. If you are looking for cheap gifts, we recommend dropping in a local Italian grocery store and checking out the chocolates and jarred olives and sauces. We are sure you will find something yummy, inexpensive and with beautiful Italian packaging.

Eat: Eating in Italy is expensive and not very figure friendly. I found a few restaurants that have cheap eat, healthy options and yummy food.

• La Cuccuma- My favorite restaurant visit in all of Rome. All I heard around me was Italian and the staff did not speak English…that spells authentic. prices were reasonable…about 10 Euros for a plate. The food is served cafeteria style, so you point to the food that looks good and they dish it out, warm it up and bring it to your table. It is located on Via Merulana, 221
• Pizzeria Dar Poeta- Tucked away in a corner on Vicolo del bologna 45. The pizza here is divine and filling! They have English menus, but don’t worry you will find some locals here too.

Stay: Accommodations in Rome are super expensive. I like to save on my hotel stay so I can splurge on food, wine and shopping. My pick is Frank’s House, a simple B&B run by American Expat, Frank. I think Room 1 is the way to go and it is 85 Euros a night. The room and bathroom are clean and Frank is super nice and helpful. The location is ideal for those traveling to Rome via train as it is walking distance from the train station. The con of this place is that it is in an immigrant neighborhood and can feel seedy at night.

So, bookmark this page for your next trip to Rome and enjoy this shortcut to fabulous run in Rome!

Where to Stay:

Madeleine neighborhood
Hotel Tronchett
Hotel Massena

Where to Eat:

Lunch at fauchon le cafe
24 euro lunch pre fix with appetizer plat du jour and a glass of wine
30, place de la Madeleine 75008 Paris

La Jacobins Salon de The
Cour du Commerce Saint-Andre
59-61 Rue Saint-Andre des Artes 75006 Paris
Latin quarter restaurant perfect for a night out on the town. This is the cutest little restaurant down a narrow cobblestone street (dont wear heels to this restaurant) Have nice large salads perfect for a light dinner. 16-18 euros. Get a salad with the free bread and tap water and you have a great French dinner for around $20 USD.
My favorite salad is la jacobine. It comes with beets, olives, skinless whitemeat chicken, white asparagus, green beans and a slice of quiche on top.

What to do:

Notre Dame cathedral has a wonderful 45 minute short film in French with English subtitles. The film is shown at 9 pm daily (check to see if the film is showing daily) and there is another showing right after. I highly recommend seeing this spectacular film. It gives great insight into the architecture of this great cathedral and the historically significant events that have taken place here. The setting is beautiful and austere because the whole church is dark with the only illumination emanating from the film itself and candles lit by the faithful. The film is narrated in French with gorgeous choir music in the background.

For cultural enlightenment I suggest a classical concert performance at one of the city’s chapels or cathedrals. You can purchase tickets for a performance at any tabac shop, usually the safest bet is to go to the tabac shop closest to the entrance of the cathedral. I recommend the earlier performance at the Saint Chapel Cathedral. The inside of this intimate chapel is like a jewel box and with the afternoon light streaming in is is breathtaking. If you wait for th evening performance you will miss the glow and the jewel box effect because there is no light to light up the stain glass.

So, bookmark this page for your next Paris rendezvous and enjoy this shortcut to fabulous Paris sees and dos.

A recent trip to Paris with the alleged ultimate Paris shopping guide made me realize that no one researches to find shopping haunts for real people, with real salaries! So, we scoured grand Paris and found some fun, affordable and chic shopportunities. Bookmark this post and print it out the next time you head to Paris.

Monoprix

- Monoprix is the closest thing France has to Target. There is a Monoprix in every arrondissement in Paris, but our favorite is the one close to the Louvre on the corner of Avenue de l’Opéra and Rue des Pyramides (metro: Pyramides). They have a grocery and prepared food section. So, this is the perfect place to shop, buy a pre-made baguette sandwich, some chips and a drink, walk down Pyramides to the Tuileries garden and have a fabulous picnic lunch. (more about that below!)
Here is a sampling of some of the goodies we found at Monoprix:

The Monoprix on rue de l’opera has a grocery section on the ground floor ad basement as well as a prepared food section. The sandwiches in the prepared section are delicious and cheap!!! My favorite is the Le Parisian which has ham, butter and cornichon pickles for 2.70 Euros. That is about 3 US dollars! I recommend going to the basement level and getting a fresh piece of fruit, a small bag of Monoprix brand tortillas (like Doritos but better…I like the gout chili flavor….it is not spicy at all!!!) and a drink. Then take your lunch to the beautiful park at the Louvre (about a five minute walk away…take a right out of the Monoprix and then the first right onto Rue des Pyramides, take it straight down to park). On a sunny day around lunchtime (I go between 1 and 2 pm), you will see young Parisians picnicing on their lunch break right next to you. Look for the people dressed in suits and professional attire. You will likely see many paper McDonalds bags, as there is one right around the corner that Parisians who work in the area frequent for their picnic lunch. Relax, enjoy your lunch and people watch….soak in the French lifestyle…and relish the fact that you are eating a fabulous lunch in Paris for under $10!

For a decent selection of cheap ties and inexpensive silk scarves check out Reflets de France: 5, Rue des Pyramides (metro: Pyramides)

For fun, fashionable and affordable jewelry and accessories shop the French accessories designer, Cecile Jeanne: Multiple locations including one in Charles De Gaulle Airport. Our favorite is at Carrousel du Louvre (metro: Palais du Louvre)

Check back soon for more fabulous Parisian food finds as well as things to do on the cheap….oh and we have other cities too!!!

Who: Mark Smith, a world train travelor founded the website to bring affordable, comfortable train and ship travel to everyone and help Americans stop getting the sucker prices on the American Eurorail website!

What: A website devoted to help you fint the best train travel options at the best prices throughout the world.

When: Whenever you are planning a vacay!

Where: http://www.seat61.com/

Why: Because we all deserve the same deals and prices as residents of the countries we visit!

So, bookmark this site in your travel folder and enjoy this shortcut to fabulous train travel!

Who: A fabulous British Company who knows the importance of a good last minute getaway!

What: Amazing last minute deals for this weekend and beyond to destinations near and far (all over the globe)!

When: Whenever you want a great deal and a great getaway!

Where: http://us.lastminute.com. Be sure to sign up for their newsletter and get travel deals departing from your hometown sent to your inbox.

Why: Because you only live once and we’re sure you don’t do enough living!

So dust off your passport, start saving your beans, pack your bags and get ready for a fun last minute vacay!

Who: UK resident, Taige Zhang, combined his love of technology and traveling to bring you this blog.

What: A blog with tips, hints and a guide on how to use your smartphone when traveling with a special section on funding internet abroad and traveling with the iphone.

When: Whenever you book a vacay!

Where: http://azitravel.com/

Why: Because travel can be even more fabulous when you bring along your gadgets and know how to use them!

There are as many fabulous places in New York City as there are people, but we decided to share our favorites with you.

Favorite Museum: The New York City Tenement Museum. This museum tells the story of America and will change your life once you visit it. The museum is housed an an actual tenement apartment building that was constructed in 1863. It has been called home by over 7,000 immigrants and some of the residents’ apartments have been restored with acutal pieces from the period in which the family lived in the apartment. To visit this museum, check out the tour options by clicking here. You can only visit the museum by going on a tour, but this makes the experience even more amazing. Go to the website, choose a family you are interested in learning more about, select a date and time and purchase your tickets. Then, meet at the museum gift shop located at 108 Orchard Street and your journey begins! They also have a neighborhood walking tour where you learn what you might have seen and experienced negotiating the streets of the Lower East Side a hundred years ago. However, my favorite tours are the ones that take you inside the apartment building and transport you to New York City at the turn of the century.

Favorite Cupcake Shop: Sweet Revenge. This fun cupcake shop has a menu of delicious and healthy-sized cupcakes with wine a beer pairings for each cupcake. What could be better than a cupcake? A cupcake with a glass of wine! The wine and beer pairings aren’t for everyone, but even if that doesn’t tickle your fancy, the cupcakes are some of the best in the city. Our favorite flavors are the Pure, Crimson & Cream and Not So Dirty. Located at 62 Carmine Street, this is a fun cupcake shop with a cool vibe and delicious cupcakes.

Favorite Candy Shop: Economy Candy located at 108 Rivington Street stocks just about any type of retro candy confection your sweet little heart could desire!

Favorite Junk Store: Pearl River in SOHO. This store is comfortable, air conditioned and large, full of Chinatownesque goods at incredible prices. Think paper lanterns, chinese tea sets, chopsticks and so much more. Located at 477 Broadway.

Favorite Vintage Shop: Zachary’s Smile, two locations in Greenwich Village and NOHO. This vintage clothing shop has decent prices, great pieces and their own collection of vintage inspired clothes.

Best Bargain Hunting Vintage Jewelry Shop: Pippin, located at 112 West 17^th Street, right by a bargain hunter’s paradise complete with a Filene’s basement, TJ Maxx and Loehmanns. This vintage jewelry shop has an amazing selection of jewelry and lots of $5 and $10 pieces!

Favorite Celebrity Chef Restaurant: Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill. We’ve tried just about every celebrity chef’s NYC restaurant and this is our favorite. The prices are moderate, the food is delicious and the atmosphere is fun and hip, but not too pretentious. Located at 102 5th Avenue in the Flatiron District, the restaurant’s central location makes it perfect for a night out on the town.

Favorite Hole in the Wall Lunch Spot: Nha Trang Vietnamese Restaurant. The lunch specials at this Chinatown eatery are out of this world and the service is snappy in the perfect NY sort of way. This is the perfect place to eat a fabulous, quick and tasty lunch for under $10 (under $6 if you have tap water). Our favorite dish is Ga Xao Cary* chicken with curry sauce. Located at 87 Baxter Street.

Favorite Restaurant with a view: The River Cafe, located at 1 Water Street in Brooklyn is worth the extra travel time because the view of Manhattan is spectacular. The foot is pricey, but delicious. Try the chef’s six course  chef’s selection ($125). They serve lunch, dinner and brunch.

Favorite Brunch: Jane Restaurant, 100 West Houston Street location. More affordable than other brunch options, this restaurant has a great atmosphere. Try the creme-brulee battered french toast. Make reservations!

Favorite Chinatown Dim Sum: Jing Fong, 20 Elizabeth Street, 2nd Fl. This is the best place in Manhattan for the full dim sum experience. There might be better dim sum in Queens, but Jing Fong is the perfect Chinatown Dim Sum spot!

So, print our favorites of NYC list and enjoy this shortcut to fabulous food, fun and shopping in Manhattan!