The best things in life are free...

Being the savvy international jet-setter that I am (joking), it’s with no shame that I can admit that I’m looking for ways to stretch the holiday budget for my upcoming trip. My past two vacations involved organised coach tours, firstly in the UK (2008) and then in Europe (2009), as well as a small degree of independent travel, which meant I really didn't have to worry too much about seeing the major sites as it was pretty much organized for me.  That obviously won't be the case this time around.

Anyway, my hours of trawling travel websites and forums on the internet, has led me to find many wonderful suggestions including ‘Free Walking Tours’ which are, you guessed it FREE. You don't pay anything; however, you are encouraged to determine how much you value the services the guide provided and to tip accordingly. One of the theories behind these types of tours is that because the guides are working for tips, they try their best to make it as enjoyable as possible. Generally they have tours that run every day (regardless of the weather) and last from between 1hr 30mins – 3hrs 30mins. Of course, in some instances the tours are used as a way to entice tourists to participate in further paid tours.

Some of the free tours I’ve come across include:

Rome –

Rome Free Tour
(Walking tours to the Vatican, the Colosseum & the City Centre)

New Rome Free Tour
(Walking tour of the City Centre)

Munich –

Sandeman's New Munich Tours
(City Centre)

Budapest –

Free Budapest Walking Tours
(Tours include the City Centre; a Communist Tour; and the Jewish Quarter & the Best Pubs)

Paris –

City Free Tour
(Tours include Montmartre; Marais Bastille; Latin Quarter; Elegant Paris; Pere Lachaise; and Notre Dame)

Discovery Walks
(Tours include Paris Landmarks - Right Bank; Notre Dame and the Heart of Paris; and Latin Quarter - Left Bank)

Sandeman's New Paris Tours
(Historical sights)

Global Greeters Paris
(Local residents volunteer their time to show tourists around their local areas)

In reading the reviews of these types of tours they generally are very positive so I'll definitely try to do some while I'm in Europe.

So, if you've ever done one of these FREE TOURS, leave me a comment about your experiences.  Thanks.