A New Stopover Program for Munich

I’ve written before about the advantages of an airline stopover program to get two vacations on one trip, but now there’s a new one to add to the list. Lufthansa has built one into their online reservation system to let you stay up to one week in Munich on your way to somewhere else. I had a good time there a couple of years ago and when it’s not Oktoberfest, you can walk right into the Hofbrauhaus and get a table. See more info here.

Free National Parks Entry

No, not the USA ones that have suffered price hikes and budget cuts the same year, but the often less crowded Canadian ones are offering free entry to everyone who shows up during the period when kids are out of school. This is valid from June 19 to September 7. That’s not all either. Go here to see details about getting 25% off on overnight park stays, discounts at museums, and reduced price tickets for those under 18 on Via Rail.

Shakira Beats Spain’s Tax Grab

I reported back in 2023 that Shakira paid the Spanish government 7.3 million euros in a settlement about back taxes to avoid jail time. They fined her for more than that though for a previous year (2011), saying she had spent more than 183 days in the country and was therefore a tax resident. She appealed and just won handily: the government now owes her 60 million euros including interest. They could only prove she was in the country 163 days and didn’t demonstrate that it was the base for her business.

Dissecting the “Schengen Shuffle”

Most non-EU nationalities can only stay in Europe 90 days out of 180, which leaves a lot of nomads looking for creative ways to stay on the continent (or nearby) beyond that. Many spend that time in countries that aren’t part of the zone but are still on the continent (or nearby), which necessitates a “Schengen Shuffle.” Apparently the term is becoming mainstream because last week it warranted this article in CNN.

---

A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.

05/28/26