Entertainment costs can really add up when you’re on holidays. Organised travellers can save a bundle by googling museums and galleries for their (free) open times, signing up to local deal sites and visiting tourist offices for vouchers and giveaways.
There are lots of creative ways to entertain yourself that don’t involve money. We’ve collected some of the favourite things our experts have discovered as freebies on their travels.
Free ping pong
From Amsterdam’s Sarphatipark to London to New York’s Bryant Park, free ping pong is in the air. There is an orange table that circulates around the city of Darwin, Australia, along with paddles and balls. Bryant Park in New York also offers all the accessories.
In other places, you may need to bring your own gear and wait your turn. If ping pong isn’t your game, keep an eye out for bocce ball and beach volleyball ball courts.
Free bicycles
Lots of cities have bike-sharing schemes. In cities like Washington, DC, Montreal and Paris, you don’t pay for the first 30 to 60 minutes of a ride. You will have to sign up for the service, but, if you just want a quick zip around town, you can have it for free.
In the US, you may find smaller cities like Salem, Massachusetts, and Simsbury, Connecticut, that have completely free bike shares. Many college communities offer free rides as well.
Free haircut
Imagine coming back from a trip to one of the world’s fashion capitals with a new look. If you are headed to Paris, New York, London or Milan, have a flexible schedule and an adventurous spirit, you can register yourself as a “model” for hair dressers-in-training at top salons.
Some charge a fee, especially if a colour or highlights is involved, but many offer completely free cuts and styling if you call ahead and can fit into their training schedule. Just remember instructors are looking to challenge these stylists, so don’t go in asking for a simple trim.
Free boat tours in the US
In New York, the fleet of Staten Island Ferries makes the five-mile, 25-minute trip past Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty more than 35,000 times each year.
The four Savannah Belles Ferries, named for notable women from the city’s past, are a practical way to get from one historic point to another or just to connect with the proud shipping and maritime tradition of this almost-300-year-old port.
Free ice skating
In Ottawa, Canada, you can skate five miles along the Rideau Canal free of charge. Season starts in January.
Stockholm, Sweden, offers the choice of a spin in the centre of town at the Vasaparken ice rink, or take a 20-minute trip out to Edsviken.
If you master the trail skating at Edsviken, look for other free “tour skating” tracks throughout Scandinavia, especially Finland.
And, if you are headed to ice-deprived spots, look for inline skating fun like the weekly Tuesday evening rolling party in Tel Aviv, where hundreds roller blade on a 13-mile route around town. (Bring your own gear to avoid rental charges.)
Free water parks
Look for free water features at Boston’s Greenway, where an elevated highway has been replaced by play spaces for all ages, to Theatre Square in Krasnodar, Russia, where a giant splash fountain shoots jets of water 82 feet into the air, accompanied by a classical music score.
Canada may be the most dedicated to summer splashing. Toronto has a network of more than 100 wading pools and splash pads all open for free in the summer, including a 600-jet water play area open 24 hours a day in the middle of Dundas Square.
Free shows
If you plan ahead you may be able to score free tickets to TV show tapings. Late-night shows, talk shows and game shows all film before live studio audiences. However, not every show requires a ticket.
The changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace and at Parliament Hill in Ottawa are time-honoured traditions.
The same can be said of the 11am “chiming” of the Glockenspiel in Munich. For more than 100 years, when this clock strikes that hour, a 12-15 minute show begins with a two-part story re-enacted by 32 life-sized figures.
In Las Vegas, if the bright lights aren’t enough to entertain you once you’ve blown your budget at the casino, you can always catch the Fremont Street Experience.
Parades
The ultimate in fun and free crowd-pleasing events, parades spring up year round and worldwide. Obvious times to look for parades include Carnival/Mardi Gras, New Year’s Day and St Patrick’s Day.
Gay Pride events, Saints Days, Chinese New Year, whenever a local sports team wins a championship … these are all times to listen for a marching band or investigate if a street is being blocked off.
If you love a parade, pick up a local paper and read up for such events or simply follow the crowd.
Free food / drink
In lots of places, if you walk into a bar or restaurant around 5pm, odds are you can find free food or drinks.
The Italian custom of Aperitivo calls for buffets full of free and delicious food for the enjoyment of anyone buying one drink (or more).
In the US, depending on local laws, you may find free drinks or discounted drinks and free food at happy hour.
If you are in wine country, do your research in advance to find out which tasting rooms offer free samples.
And don’t forget local food producers as a source of free eats. At the three Blue Diamond Growers shops in Northern California you taste their line-up of almonds and almond products. Or, browse a local growers’ market, like the Columbia Road Flower Market in London, both for the blooms, entertainment and occasional free snack.
Free sporting events
The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, the many stages of the Tour de France, a marathon in any major city – all free.
If that kind of crowd isn’t for you, then pay attention to the seasons and follow the lesser known sports or those in training.
Autumn is rowing season across the US, and regattas are easy and fun to watch, whether you just happen upon a race or settle in for a day on the river bank. When spring rolls around, it’s training time for US college football teams and many have a spring inter-squad game that is fun, informal and free. Many National Football League teams even roll out the red carpet for fans during summer training camp with open practices.
(Main image: khawkins04)
