RR Phantom
Location : Wasted Space
Job/hobbies : Cayman Islands Actuary
 |  Subject: Travel: The world's best freebies  Thu Aug 20, 2009 4:38 am | |
| The best things in life are free, they say. But it's become pretty obvious to me that "they" don't spend much time travelling.
Anyone who's spent any time on the road will know that the best
things in life - especially if you're paying for those things in pounds
or Euros - are definitely not free. All the good food, the nice
accommodation and the interesting attractions cost squillions.
In places like London or Paris, you almost have to sell off an organ to be able to afford breakfast.
But it's not all bad. Hidden amongst these expensive necessities are
a few gems, the ultimate in budget travel luxury: freebies. These are
tourist attractions that aren't just cheap - they cost absolutely
nothing.
And if there's one thing I love more than travelling, it's not spending money while I'm doing it.
So here's a list of my favourite tourist attractions and activities
around the world that will cost you absolutely squat. Just think of all
that extra cash you'll have to spend on whatever you like. (Jello
shots? Jello shots.)
London museums
Tube ticket to get there? That'll cost you an arm. Snack from the
cafeteria? Just a leg, thanks. But to merely walk through the doors of
some of the best galleries and museums in the world will cost you absolutely nothing in London. Check out dinosaur skeletons at the Natural History Museum, or priceless artworks at the Tate Modern. All for nix.
Parc Guell, Barcelona
You've got a few options if you want to check out the work of Antoni Gaudi in Barcelona. You can queue up outside La Sagrada Familia
for hours, and then pay to get in, only to realise that the best stuff
is on the outside anyway. You can line up for hours outside Casa Batllo, pay a whopping 16 euros to get in, and realise the same thing. Or, you can get yourself up to Parc Guell, walk straight in, relax, and check out Gaudi at his most bizarre.
Table Mountain, Cape Town
Lazy (read: rich) people can take the cable car
up to one of the world's most famous hilltops, but if you're really
strapped for cash, there's nothing stopping you from walking up
(except, maybe, a heart attack). I'm not saying it's going to be fun,
but the price is right, and the view from the top is exactly the same
as if you'd paid for it.
The communist all-stars, Hanoi, Moscow, Beijing
Ah, communists. They may have failed in many respects, but in their
drive to stuff and preserve their important leaders and put them on
show for the common man, they've succeeded spectacularly. Depending on
which city you're visiting, you can go shuffle past the mummified
corpses of Ho Chi Minh, Vladimir Lenin or Mao Zedong for nothing. Viva
la revolution.
Walking, anywhere
It sounds obvious, but in cities with transport options like Tubes and
subways and trams and tuk-tuks and taxis, you sometimes forget that
it's just as easy to walk from place to place (it took me about a month
to realise you could walk from Leicester Square to Piccadilly Circus).
Plus, you meet more people, discover things you wouldn't otherwise have
noticed, and save your cash. Everybody wins.
St Peter's Basilica, Vatican City
You'll have to queue for a while and subject yourself to a metal
detector and possible search, but once you're through all that, one of
the most amazing churches
in the world is absolutely free. It'll cost you to go up into the dome,
but that's not a must. Plus, if you're around at the right time, you
can even get a free 90-minute tour.
Shanghai Museum, Shanghai
Shanghai's not as cheap as you might expect. However, entry into this great museum is priced just right. There are ancient bronzes, Ming vases,
intricate calligraphy ... Although be warned, the "Chinese seals"
exhibition isn't nearly as hilarious as what I'd been picturing.
Central Park, New York
Technically, it's just a park.
But it really is a tourist attraction in itself. As well as the acres
and acres of New Yorkers and tourists at play, you've also got hundreds
of buskers, weird guys on roller skates, the famous Strawberry Fields, sculptures all over the place, and shows at the public theatre.
Food markets, anywhere
There comes a point on most trips when I stop and think to myself: WWABD? Or, What Would Anthony Bourdain
Do? And the answer is: he'd go to the local food market, and just
wander. It costs nothing to get in, and you'll see life exactly as the
locals live it. You'll also see the best food the city has to offer,
and maybe even pick yourself up some cheap lunch.
Check out a photo gallery of the best free attractions here.
Strapped for cash? What are your favourite free activities and attractions around the world?
http://blogs.smh.com.au/travel/archives/2009/08/the_worlds_best_freebies.html
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