Sightseeing, visiting museums – what kind of tourist trip does without it! But in the end, it all adds up to a decent amount …But you also want to do shopping, and sit in a cafe … How to be? Our tips will help you save money on your trip and enjoy all the sights of the country!
Tip #1: Free tours from enthusiasts
Free tours are conducted by novice guides and translators (it is customary for them to leave a small tip). Leaflets about free tours can be found at reception desks in hostels and inexpensive hotels, in city information centers, information is available on the sites neweuropetours.eu (excursions in 18 cities in Europe, the Middle East and the USA), parisiendunjour.fr (Paris), runnerbeantours.com (Barcelona), freesofiatour.com (Sofia) and others. Such excursions also appeared in Ukraine: in Lviv
Tip #2: Museum Hacks
Every city has free museums. A complete list of them can be found on the official Internet portals of cities or in tourist offices. Look through this list in advance, you will surely find something interesting for yourself.
Most museums have special hours or days of the week for free admission (you can find out about them on the museum website), and on May 18, Museum Day, most of them receive visitors for free. True, here you need to be prepared for the fact that in practice you will feel the meaning of the saying “Time is money”: a free opportunity to spend time culturally will attract many, and, most likely, you will have to stand in line.
Tip #3: The Internet to the rescue
The World Wide Web can suggest interesting entertainment options in a foreign city. The main thing is to “know the places”.
Gogobot.com – here you can find information about interesting places, popular hotels, and amusement parks in different countries for every taste;
Friby.ru – a selection of “freebies” in different cities of the world; travelers themselves talk about the possibilities of obtaining free services and entertainment – the addresses and opening hours of institutions are indicated;
Foursquare.com is a search service for vacation spots in any city (coffee shops, bars, restaurants, amusement parks, etc.). The search can be thematic: the service will look for matches in user reviews. It is also convenient because it determines your location and suggests establishments that are located nearby. Experienced travelers suggest: you can often find the password for free Wi-Fi in reviews of establishments, thereby saving on the Internet;
The things to do in… service ( tripgems.com ) will tell you where to go and what to do in an unfamiliar city;
TripAdvisor.ru is an online resource that helps you navigate your vacation and collects reviews.
