We’ve teamed up with Flight Centre to make sure you get the best of both worlds. They’ve got an Earlybird Sale happening HERE for 2017 Euro experiences so y’all can tick some life boxes without stressing about your cash flow.
If you can make the last $10 of your pay spread out over three days without diving into the nearest dumpster, you’re familiar with scraping the barrel.
You consider Mi Goreng a lifesaver, pretend your mate’s under 12 for the sake of a free meal and flood your calendar with Tinder dates just so you can score some free booze and / or other services. Oh, and when someone suggests an extended trip overseas, it truly pisses you off.
Bloody idiots they are, RIGHT?
Wrong. You’ve just gotta be smart about it in the same way you’re smart about casually forgetting your key card or non-existent cash when it comes to splitting a cab ride. Those hometown cheapskate skills really do transcend time and space, just like true love, or at least that’s what I pretend not to hear.
Behold, a really bloody long list of things you can do for free in Europe, other than, you know, taking a selfie in front of the Eiffel Tower.
FRANCE
The Louvre, Paris
If you’re under 26 / you’re a teacher / it’s the first Sunday of the month, you get free admission. How convenient considering it’s a *must-see*, hey. Don’t deprive yourself of dat iconic Mona Lisa. More info HERE.
Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris
Pay your respects to greats like writer Oscar Wilde and rockstar Jim Morrison at Paris’ largest cemetery. Would be weird to charge people for that, right? More info HERE.
Notre Dame, Paris
Open from 8am – 6.45 pm (or til 7.15 pm weekends), entry into this architectural orgasm won’t cost you a Euro. Prep yo’ hunchbacks accordingly. More info HERE.
ENGLAND
British Museum, London
Located right in the thick of it, The British Museum is dedicated to human art, history and culture and is open to the public for free all day erryday (or 10 am-5.30pm at least). Pop in why don’t ya’. More info HERE.
AUSTRIA
Schonbrunn Gardens, Vienna.
Good news you lot: one of Austria’s most important architectural, cultural and historic monuments is free. Well, from the outside at least but you’ll probs get wet over the lush gardens alone. More info HERE.
SPAIN
La Boqueria Market, Barcelona
Recognised as one of the best markets in the world, you don’t have to spend here to lap up the experience / atmosphere. You enter from La Rambla (which is like the Cavill Ave of Barcelona, only, like, with more character and general appeal) and hit two birds with a free stone. More info HERE.
La Tomatina, Valencia
Held on the last Wednesday of August every year, the world’s biggest food fight is completely free to take part in. The shampoo and conditioner for the aftermath, however, could cost a pretty penny (because no amount of washes will ever be enough, trust me). More info HERE.
Photo: Jasper Juinen / Getty Images.
Running Of The Bulls, Pamplona
It won’t cost much, just your LIFE. More info HERE.
Tapas, Granada
Tapas are debatably one of the best-ever food inventions, but those individual costs add up. However, in Spain’s Granada, you get a free tapas serving like paella, cured meats or bread with every alcoholic drink you buy. To put it into a perspective, drinks are usually around 1 Euro (or $1.50 AUD). “I didn’t pay for food for three days,” says P.TV‘s Advertising and Partnerships Manager, Chloe Patterson.
HOLLAND
Cannabis College, Amsterdam
If you don’t want to smoke the devil’s lettuce in the weed capital of the world, then maybe you should go learn about it instead at Amsterdam’s Cannabis College. It’s free and educational, because how much do we really know about what we’re smoking while kicking back to Adventure Time? More info HERE.
GERMANY
Oktoberfest, Munich
Look, let’s be honest, you’re going to spend money on beer when you go to Oktoberfest. BUT THAT’S NOT THE POINT. Admission is free, and you can’t go to Germany (espesh during Sep/Oct) without experiencing this mass beer fest. Like other iconic events, though, you have to book accomodation and transport for this one ahead of time (but more on that HERE).
Photo: Johannes Simon / Getty Images.
The Glockenspiel Show, Munich
Located at New Town Hall in Mairenplatz and showing from 11am-midday (daily) this tourist attraction, which basically consists of life-size figures engaging in song and dance, dates all the way back to 1908. May as well.
Only in Berlin would there be a community-style open-air karaoke. If you think you’ve got a cracker voice, your time to shine is every Sunday from 3pm at MauerPark. If not, pls stay seated and enjoy the talents of others more #blessed than you. More info HERE.
Photo: Facebook / Sontaggs Karoake im Mauerpark.
POLAND
Auschwitz Concentration Camp
Go here. It’s important. It was the biggest Nazi concentration camp, where over 1.1 million men, women and children died. Free entry, but you can (and probs should) pay a lil’ bit for an educated guide to answer your questions. More info HERE.
ITALY
Pantheon, Rome
Hit up, what was, the largest concrete structure in the world up until the 20th century, completely free of charge. More info HERE.
Photo: Facebook / Pantheon.
Vatican Museum, Rome
It’s free on the last Sunday of the month, but be prepared to wait in line. More info HERE.
Food, Milan.
We know you’re going to drink on your vaycay, so you may as well reap all the benefits in the process. Dubbed apervito, cute lil’ snacks are given out free with alcoholic bevvies to stimulate your appetite for dinner, which is generally had much later than in Australia. From mini panini to arracinhi balls, meats, cheeses and salads, most bars will serve a plate per drink from 7-9 pm (but not every bar, so choose your watering hole wisely).
IRELAND
Belfast Castle / Cave Hill Belfast.
Feel like ancient royalty for the day at one of the highest and most Rapunzel-esque places in Belfast. More info HERE.
BELGIUM
Comic Strip Walk, Brussels.
Who needs a tour guide, really? Just follow the map and enjoy the cartoons in all their glory, with more info HERE.
There’s also free walking tours in every major European city, pretty much. I’ve been on a few and I’ll say they’re pretty good and worth every cent (lol but srsly). You’ll learn some thangs and have no excuse not to hit one up cause they’re available every day. If you prefer to get into the underground scene of it all, there are Alternative Tours as well, from Berlin to Budapest, Amsterdam and more.
Point being, you can do Europe on the cheap. Above is by no means a definitive guide, because there’s so many more free experiences (like going to the beach, taking on the hustle and bustle of the city centres, mixing with the locals, having a picnic is the park etc etc) that’ll give you far more than a $50 meal at a la-di-da restaurant can.
Obviously, though, you’re going to need to book those flights and sort those itineraries. To keep in with the cheap theme, book with Flight Centre‘s Earlybird specials and save a bucketload of cash in the process. They can also set you up with Contiki, Topdeck and Busabout tours, should that be your flava.
Welcome, friends, to your cheapest Eurotrip ever.
Photo: Eurotrip.
