FrugalMonkey Discount Travel News

Tag: free travel

  • Free Attractions in Greece – See Mediterranean on a Shoestring

    We were all dreaming of a white Christmas, but now the holiday is over the chill of winter is beginning to grate. So why are you putting up with it? A vacation in Greece is a great way to escape the cold, and with plenty of free attractions it won’t cost as much as you think.

    Admittedly Greece does have a little ice and snow during winter, especially near the mountains. But the country’s Mediterranean climate ensures you’ll enjoy a mild heat along the coast. Rainfall is also minimal, so you’ll have plenty of opportunity to soak up some sunshine and see all the country has to offer.

    Fine weather is ideal for exploring the Monastiraki Flea Market, which runs every Sunday. The city’s flea market is famous for its curious mix of fresh produce, jewelry, and handicrafts. It’s the perfect place for finding presents for loved ones and souvenirs to remember your stay. Just remember that while it’s free to browse, those purchases can add up! Visit before 11 am in the morning to avoid the swarming crowds.

    Leaving the markets so early will also give you time to see the changing of the guard ceremony at the Greek Parliament building in Syntagma Square. At 11 am sharp every Sunday you’ll see the Evzone guards come from their camp at Irodou Attikou Street and take their place at the building. There they’ll stand motionless as they protect their president.

    While you’re enjoying some culture it’s worth taking in some of Greece’s free museums. Athens has some of the best, including The War Museum and the quirky Popular Musical Instruments Museum.

    It wouldn’t be a trip to Greece without visiting its historical sites, but admission fees to these key attractions can add up. However popular sites like The Acropolis, The Roman Agora, Kerameikos, and Olympeion offer free admission on special days. Visit on March 6, April 18, May 18, June 5, Sundays between November and March, and Greek national holidays to see the sights for nix.

    While you’re at the Acropolis don’t forget to check out Plaka, the oldest region in Athens. Cars aren’t allowed to drive down its streets so they’re perfect for strolling. It’s also refreshing to dine at an al fresco café without hearing the rumble of engines!

    If a lazy stroll doesn’t sound challenging enough then consider hiking to the top of Lycabettus Hill. It can be tough going, particularly when the sun is at its hottest, so it’s a trip best made early in the morning or as night falls. The 360-degree view of Athens below makes the challenging walk feel worthwhile. Just remember to take your camera with you for some snaps of the vista!

    Greece has several beautiful beaches, but unlike many countries some are private and charge an admission fee. However if you know where to go you can still enjoy your sun, sand, and surf for nothing. Vouliagmeni and Kavouri, both located on the Attica coastline half an hour’s drive from Athens, are some of Greece’s best. Make sure you stay until dusk to watch the sun setting over the sparkling Aegean Sea.

    piggy bank worldGreece loves a party, but a night on the town can drain your finances, especially if you’re indulging in cocktails. For a quieter alternative consider spending an evening at Mars Hill, or Areopagus as the Greeks call it. Religious tourists make a pilgrimage here to see the spot St. Paul the Apostle preached. In later years it was the site of meetings by The Council of Nobles and the Judicial Court. Today it’s a great spot for admiring the lights of the Parthenon as you share a bottle of wine al fresco.

    So why spend a lot of money in Greece? These free attractions should keep you busy on your Mediterranean vacation!

  • Top 10 Travel Apps – Smart Phone Programs for Your Vacation

    As more people around the world embrace smart phones and their technology, we’re learning that apps offer more than time-wasting games and novelty programs. These handy cell phone applications can help you get the most from your vacation without connecting to the internet. And best of all, many of them are free to download! Following on from last year’s travel app roundup, we take a look at ten more essential vacation apps that won’t cost you a cent.

    TripIt

    TripIt is your key to staying organized on vacation. Simply forward your flight and hotel confirmations to the TripIt e-mail before you go, and the app will create a clever itinerary. It features more than flight details and confirmation numbers; you’ll also find maps, driving directions, and heaps more. A more advanced Pro version is available for $49 a year, but most travelers should be happy with the basic app’s free features.

    Kayak

    Gone are the days where everyone books their travel well in advance, from the comfort of their own home. These days many travelers live by the seat of their pants, moving to their next destination whenever the whim takes them. It’s these travelers that Kayak is made for. The app lets you search for flights, hotels, and car rentals from your phone. So who needs to plan ahead?

    OpenTable

    Taking its cues from the website of the same name, OpenTable allows hungry holiday makers to book a table at more than 20, 000 restaurants in North America, Asia, and Europe. The app allows you to browse menus and read the opinions of other diners before you make your reservation. It’s a great tool for the United States and Canada, but the options do get a bit limited when you step outside the continent.

    Urbanspoon

    Urbanspoon can help you find your ideal restaurant with just a shake of your phone. Simply choose your city, the type of cuisine you’re after, and the amount you want to spend, and with a shake Urbanspoon will tell you where you want to go. Restaurants in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia are rated by other Urbanspoon users. And many even have tempting foodie photos!

    MetrO

    Every traveler needs a public transport app, and few have the coverage of MetrO. Individual city guides might be more comprehensive, but MetrO details the transport systems in more than 400 cities around the world. Just download the cities you’re visiting before you go and you can plan your route once you arrive without ever getting online. The app updates weekly to account for system changes.

    Yelp

    If the opinions of others matter, you’ll love Yelp. There are millions sounding off on everything from eateries to attractions and essential facilities. The app makes use of your smart phone’s GPS to help you find the sites near you. This program is great for travelers who want to experience their holiday destination as the locals do.

    WeatherBug

    Avoid leaving your hostel room without a necessary coat or umbrella with WeatherBug. The free app accesses weather stations across the United States and thousands of international locations to bring you the latest daily and weekly forecasts. The program also offers fast access to up to 10 saved locations do you can keep an eye on the conditions in your next holiday spot.

    GateGuru

    Nobody likes an extended layover, but sadly they’re one of the inevitable downsides of flying. Whether your flight was delayed, you took an inconvenient route to save cash, or you’re a victim of another airline-grounding volcano ash cloud, you’ll find the time passes more quickly with GateGuru. The program has maps marking the essential facilities of 86 American airports, 12 Canadian ones, and Heathrow in London. It also has reviews, so you know which restaurants are passable and which ones are best avoided. Unfortunately though, at this stage it’s only available for iPhone, so Android and Blackberry users are left out in the cold.

    SitOrSquat

    Another unfortunate downside to travel is that a bathroom isn’t always where you want it to be. We’ve all experienced that desperate search for amenities, and that goes double for parents traveling with children! This bathroom locator works really well in the United States, but isn’t so reliable in other international locations. Perhaps that’s where the “squat” part of the title comes in!

    Cell PhonePlayground Finder

    And finally, here’s another lifesaver for parents. Just as moms and dads often need to find a bathroom at a moment’s notice, the need to find a place to play can often be just as urgent. Reviews and photos help parents find the most exciting places for their youngsters to blow off steam.

    It’s worth noting that while all the apps above are free to download, there may be some roaming charges associated with accessing all the app features in international locations. Use your commonsense when accessing the internet around the globe to avoid cell phone bill shock later.

  • A Guide to Bench Blazing – Tips for Enjoying Free Travel Trend

    When most people think about spending a night under the stars, enjoying the great outdoors, they imagine bunkering down in a campground or RV park. But there’s an even cheaper option for the more adventurous traveler, and it doesn’t cost a cent. Welcome to the world of bench blazing.

    Bench blazers take the freedom of travel to the extreme, refusing to tie themselves down to organized accommodation and itineraries. They might sleep on the bench of a suburban park one night and on the beach the next. They’re not quite sure where they’ll make their next bed, and that’s exactly how they like it.

    On a good night, a bench blazer might find themselves with a full belly and a roof over their head thanks to the kindness of strangers. This isn’t cheating, but just another experience on the bench blazer’s improvised vacation. It’s not quite couch surfing as there’s no prior planning involved, but it does make a refreshing change of pace in inclement weather!A bench blazer

    Of course we can’t control when Good Samaritans will come along, so bench blazers often spend nights in less than favorable conditions. It takes shivering on just one wet night to become more compassionate to those less fortunate. With the money you’ve saved on accommodation perhaps you can throw a few dollars their way, or share a slap-up breakfast with your neighboring homeless folks the next morning!

    If you’re planning to bench blaze on your next vacation, make sure you travel light. Without a room to stay in, you’ll need to carry your luggage wherever you go, so you’ll want to make sure it doesn’t weigh a ton. You also don’t want your expensive electronics or entire designer wardrobe to disappear while you’re catching forty winks. Really all you need is a sleeping bag, your wallet, a flashlight, and a few outfits. This is one situation where less really is more.

    When looking for a place to stay, make sure you’re smart about it. Bench blazing is an adventure, but you don’t need to stay in a gang neighborhood to get that adrenalin rush. Parks are often quite safe, while train stations and bus depots are generally best avoided. Trust your instincts and move on if you’re uneasy about bunkering down.

    That old adage about safety in numbers is also true. A single person in a park is a loner, vulnerable to being hassled, while a group of young travelers is a party!

    Make sure you respect the local authorities and do as they say. Western Europe and Scandinavia is very accepting of bench blazers, but much of Asia, African, and the Americas is less tolerant. Learn the local rules, because a fine may cost you more than a hostel room! Many cops will let friendly bench blazers off with a warning, but it’s better not to tempt fate.

    And finally, always have a back-up plan. It’s smart to locate the local hostels and cheap hotels, just in case you can’t find a suitable sleeping place or the weather is really gnarly.

    It’s not for the faint of heart, but bench blazing can be an exhilarating way to enjoy a frugal vacation.

  • Score Free Accommodation Around the World – Volunteering, Couchsurfing, & More

    Traveling the world for free sounds too good to be true, but if you’re prepared to do a little hard work and forgo some luxuries it’s possible to find accommodation around the globe for nothing, or close to it. If you’ve got an open mind and a limited budget there are endless opportunities for free accommodation.

    We all know hostels offer affordable accommodation to travelers, but did you know some offer their guests free beds? It’s a big job to run a backpackers, so the smaller, independent establishments are often happy to reward anyone willing to lend a hand. Offer to vacuum, scrub down the bathrooms, or make beds for a few hours and you could secure a free bed or feed. Just don’t expect it to be easy work; backpackers don’t have a reputation for poor hygiene for nothing!

    If your work for the hostels has given you a taste for helping others, why not consider taking on a more formal volunteering position. Not all volunteering positions are suitable for frugal travelers though, so you’ll need to do your research. Large administration fees are common, and many don’t offer that enticing free accommodation. The7interchange, or SE7EN, is a great starting point for sourcing free and low-cost volunteering positions. Site membership costs €15 for two years, but the organization might waive that fee if you’re skint. If you have a degree or other skills behind you, you may also be eligible for a government funded program. The Australian Youth Ambassador for Development scheme in Australia and the Peace Corps in the United States are two initiatives offering considerable perks to successful applicants, including free flights and accommodation. You could be teaching English to orphans in Asia, building homes for the needy in South America, or working to save endangered wildlife before you know it!

    If you want to get back to nature, consider WWOOFing. No, it’s got nothing to do with dogs; WWOOF actually stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. The program was conceived in the United Kingdom in 1971, but just like the sustainable living it endorses has grown around the world. WWOOFers take part in daily farm life, harvesting crops, milking and feeding livestock, making compost, and chopping wood. It’s hard work with long hours, but you’ll enjoy free food and board, and learn plenty about life on the land.

    If all that sounds too strenuous for you, then consider a position as a caretaker. You could find yourself living in a historic French farmhouse or a resort property in Mexico, completely rent free. In exchange you’ll just need to look after the place. Small tasks like watering the plants and collecting mail will leave plenty of time for you to see the sights. Just make sure you negotiate the terms up front; if you need to pay for utilities or care for problem pets it may not be worth your while! Websites including House Carers and Caretaker’s Gazette are great resources for finding a caretaker position. Both sites have membership fees, but they’re less than you’d spend on a night’s accommodation in most tourist cities.

    Dollar sign in a magnifying glassThere’s less responsibility but also less privacy in couchsurfing. As its name suggests, this kind of arrangement will see you sleeping on the couch, or bed if you’re lucky, of a generous stranger. It’s completely free to join the CouchSurfing network, which connects more than two and a half million couchsurfers and hosts from around the world. Couchsurfing may not see you living in the lap of luxury, but it’s a great way to make friends and learn about local culture from folks in the know.

    So why let your dwindling bank balance stop you from taking that dream holiday? It might not be as opulent as you might have imagined, but the experience could be even richer!

  • Free Travel on Melbourne’s Red Explorer Bus

    The Australian city of Melbourne really is a capital made for tourists. As if the free City Circle Tram didn’t make getting around easy enough, visitors can also discover the city for free on the Red Explorer bus, otherwise known as the Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle.

    As there are no tickets, tourists can hop on at any station, and hop off once they spot something interesting.

    It's a great system for sightseers, as they can alight and depart at the designated stops as many times as they wish. There are 13 stops in all, which take in Melbourne's major tourist attractions. In the Melbourne Arts Precinct you'll find the NGV International and other galleries, the Sports Precinct is home to venues for cricket, Aussie Rules, and rugby league, and Chinatown is a great spot for a cheap feed. The Red Explorer bus runs every day except Good Friday and Christmas Day between 9:30 am and 4:30 pm. You'll never wait more than 30 minutes at any of the stops, so it's a very convenient and frugal way to see Victoria's most popular city!

  • Travel Around Melbourne for Free on the City Circle Tram

    The Victorian city of Melbourne is home to the largest tram network in the world, and these electric cable cars are a wonderful way to get about the capital.

      Visitors are spoiled with free travel to many major sights on the City Circle Tram. The tram follows a rectangular circuit which passes Melbourne Aquarium, Federation Square, Etihad Sports Stadium, Parliament House, and other key Melbourne tourist attractions. On board commentary informs travelers of points of interest ahead, and you can hop off at any stop for a closer look. Once you're done it's never too long until the distinctive maroon-brown colored tram comes to collect you. It arrives roughly every 12 minutes between 10 am and 6 pm most days and until 9 pm on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. However it does not run on Christmas Day, or Good Friday. The Melbourne City Circle tram is similar to Sydney's Explorer bus, but it has the advantage of being completely free!

    [Image Source: Adityo Saputra/Flickr]

    [caption id="attachment_5131" align="aligncenter" width="150"]Melbourne City Circle Tram Melbourne City Circle Tram[/caption]