Managing a budget on holiday is much easier if you take advantage of the freebies – and most destinations have them.
Luther Vandross may have been hopelessly wrong when he stated that the best things in life are free, but there are certainly plenty of good things in life that don’t cost anything.
And the more of them you take advantage of while travelling, the more money you’ve got saved up to spend on heli-hiking a glacier or yachting around reef-fringed islands.
Some are fairly obvious – but others require a bit of savvy or creative thinking.
Obvious things travellers can do for free
Going to the beach
Sitting in the sun all day, pausing to body surf in the waves? Yeah – that’s a pretty good way to while time away at the cost of absolutely zero.
There’s a reason why several of the most popular long-haul travel destinations – Australia, Thailand, the Pacific Islands, Rio – have such a strong beach culture.
And there’s often a great range of beaches to choose from – some showy, some secluded, some surf-friendly, some duckpondesque.
Parks and gardens
There’s no law to say that lounging about in the sun has to be done on sand. Parks and gardens offer much the same experience, and often substantially more magnificent people-watching.
Go for a walk
Yes, this can mean a big trek through hillsides and rainforests with hiking boots on.
But it can just as easily be a leisurely meander through a city, checking out the architecture or following a themed trail. Many tourist boards have deliberately curated such trails, and they can either be picked up in leaflet form from the tourist information office or in online/ app form elsewhere.
You don’t have to stick to the tourist board’s chosen routes either – chances are that with some basic searching online or in the App Store, you’ll find a freebie that does much the same thing.
Market browsing
You might end up spending a fair bit if you see things on the stalls you like – and, indeed, that’s what the stallholders are hoping. But there’s nothing to stop you ambling through, soaking up the atmosphere and just seeing what’s on offer.
Free museums
Some cities are blessed with incredible free museums – Washington DC and London are the best examples – whereas others will have a smattering that operate on a suggested donation basis.
Often the freebie museums aren’t particularly exciting, but there will usually be one or two surprisingly good ones that don’t set you back a cent. To find them, use a guide book, or search “free museums” and the name of the city, then see which have decent ratings or subject matters that grab you.
Less obvious things travellers can do for free
Mall browsing
The markets may be the tourist attractions, but you can get just as much cultural insight from ambling around a shopping mall, keeping your wallet firmly in your pocket.
Some brands and shops are pretty much the same the world over, but it’s the little differences that are often fascinating.
And the greatest places of all for such browsing are supermarkets, especially when it comes to seeing what weird flavours of crisps and chocolate are seemingly en vogue.
Freebie festivals
Big cities – particularly those in wealthy countries such as the US or Australia – tend to have heaving festival calendars, with something going on most weekends. And, a lot of the time, you can just rock up to soak up the atmosphere without having to pay an entrance fee.
These might be cultural festivals put on by the local Italian or Greek community, they might be low key music festivals (jazz festivals are almost always free), they might be Shakespeare recitals in the park.
Again, the relevant local tourist board is your friend – the website will usually have a big list of events that you can browse through.
Free museum nights
Some expensive museums like to throw a sop to those who can’t afford the steep entry prices, usually in the form of offering a free entry day or evening.
This might be on a weekly or monthly basis, but if you track down when, you can plot cheapskate cultural outings around it.
For example, the Guggenheim in New York City operates on a “pay what you wish” system on Mondays and Saturdays between 4pm and 5.30pm – it’s usually $30.
Free gigs
OK, so you’re not going to catch Taylor Swift or the Killers playing a free gig where you happen to be hanging out, but bars and pubs around the world try to entice people in by hosting live music.
Often this will be a covers band (of varying quality), but sometimes you can get something a little less meat and potatoes – especially in Latin America, where it could be genuinely decent quality jazz, salsa or bossa nova.
Of course, you might end up spending a fair amount on drink…
Board games
Any good hostel will have a few dog-eared board games lying around and, on rainy days in particular, these can be a good way to pass time and get to know other travellers. And they might have some good tips and advice for you.
The same applies to pubs and cafés – increasing numbers have a stash of games in the hope that those playing them will spend good money on food and drink. But you can make one drink go a long way…
Birdwatching
This can often apply to other animals too – try and find lizards scuttling along walls in the tropics, or possums in the park in Sydney.
But birds tend to be most plentiful, and are easiest to turn into a collecting game as there are so many species.
This is basically what birdwatching is, and you don’t need massive binoculars to enjoy the basics. Invest a bit of time learning the differences in size, plumage and call, then see how many you can rack up in a couple of hours.
NB. Birdwatching is often best combined with a walk.
More travel advice
- 11 ways to get the best out of Google Maps.
- How to play the US state numberplate game.
- Why do in-flight meals taste like they do?
- Why you should do a food tour on your first day in a new city.
- 11 things not to pack for a round the world trip.
