Wawel Royal Castle is an architectural marvel located in Krakow, Poland. The fortress stands prominently on Wawel Hill, an area that’s been inhabited for thousands of years. (Seriously, it’s believed that mammoth hunters lived on the hill 50,000 years ago.) During the Renaissance, King Sigismund I ”The Old” commissioned the finest artists around to decorate Wawel Castle as his royal palace. Today, the Castle, and the hill, are must-see attractions for anyone visiting Krakow.

Visiting Wawel Castle

General admission tickets to the castle, which include entrance into most rooms and exhibits, cost 15 zloty (about $7.50).  But, visit the castle on a Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (from April 1 to October 31) or on a Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (from November 1 to March 31), and your entrance is free.

What free admission allows you to see:

The Lost Wawel: This exhibit, which is permanent and first opened in 1975, showcases the archaeological findings at the base of Wawel Castle. Pass through old Renaissance kitchens and a temple for the Virgin Mary, and check out what remains of Gothic-era defense walls and fortifications.  

State Rooms: You’re free to traipse through the royal apartments, an impressive collection of rooms that could occupy your entire day. The visit includes many rooms: the suite for the Governors of Krakow with its original Renaissance wooden ceilings, the ornate “Envoy Stairs” leading up to the “Envoys’ Room” (and another well-crafted ceiling), the Governor’s parlor, the royal chapel, and the Senator’s Hall. (And, that’s just the first floor!)

Join us again tomorrow, dear Cheapos, as find something fabulous and free in Lisbon! 

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On the South bank of the Arno River, up a majestic hill and down a winding, cobblestone path known as the Viale Michelangelo, you will find the Piazza Michelangelo (sometimes referred to as Piazzale Michelangelo).

The piazza was constructed in the 1890s, beautifully landscaped and lined with copies of Michelangelo’s sculptures. Today, look past the street vendors and souvenir stands to the unbeatable view. Take in the rolling hills of Fiesole behind you, and the spectacular unobstructed Florentine cityscape below. At the square’s center is a bronze replica of Michelangelo’s David.

Take a few minutes to visit the church of San Salvatore al Monte, which still houses original Renaissance paintings and artwork. The church is free and open to the public, and remains the “kissing cousin” to the Church of San Miniato al Monte, which is a (very worthwhile) 10-15 minute walk further uphill.

Getting to Piazza Michelangelo

The walk up to Piazza Michelangelo can take awhile, depending on where you’re starting from in Florence. If you’re climbing the Viale Michelangelo, allow at least an hour, but don’t be afraid to linger longer. The trek, along a picturesque and cobbled lane, is well worth it. Once you reach the piazza, you’ll be glad you hiked it.

For help in planning your walk, we recommend the walk outlined in DK Eyewitness Travel Guide’s “Florence & Tuscany”. Their walk takes two hours and brings you to Piazzale Michelangelo, before continuing on to San Miniato al Monte.

Join us again tomorrow, Cheapos, as we travel to Krakow, and give you more free tips! And, make sure you read our other tips on how to see Michelangelo’s work for free in Florence.

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Things can get pricy pretty quickly in Copenhagen, but you can still grab some wheels for free. The city’s free bike program, called “Bycyklen Kobenhavn,” was a pioneer in the urban bike program phenomenon. The city provides 1,300 free bicycles to anyone to zip around the city center.

The program is popular with visitors and residents alike, doubles as a rehabilitation program for locals, and is environmentally progressive. (The city even gave a city bike to Bill Clinton, when he visited in 1997.) In short, the program is just another example of why the Danes are so cool.

It’s a straight-forward system:

1) Find your way to one of the city’s 125 bike parking areas. They’re all located in the city center.

2) Leave a small deposit (a DKK 20 coin, worth about $3) and ride off with your bike.

3) Stay in the city center. The bikes are easy to identify, and you might get some looks if you’re outside the central zone. According to the official website, “If you ride on a city bike outside the zone, you might get fined by the police.” Also, remember not to ride on any of the city’s pedestrian-only streets (you can walk the bike, however).

4) When you’re finished, return the bike to one of the 125 bike parking areas, whereupon you’ll get back your deposit.

The free-bike zone.

For more information on the program, visit the city’s official website for the free bike program.

So simple.

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If you’re heading to Barcelona, there’s no doubt that Antoni Gaudi’s art and architecture will be high on your list. From whimsical apartment buildings to the imposing spires of a Roman Catholic church, the Catalonian architect’s work dominates the city. You could pay €10 to scale the steps of the (perpetually-under-construction) Sagrada Familia or spend €8 to explore Gaudi’s art nouveau Casa Mila. Or, you could check out a more Cheapo-friendly option - the magnificent Parc Guell, which has free entrance.

The park is a local favorite, complete with a colorful mosaic terrace overlooking the city. Impressive columns, a sprawling staircase, and a large-scale Gaudi dragon make for an incredible ambience. Best of all, taking in this virtual garden of Catalonian color costs nothing, apart from a hearty walk across Guell’s 42 acres!

Parc Guell is open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. or dusk. Take the green line Metro to stop “Lesseps” and follow the street signs to the park’s entrance. For more information, visit the Project for Great Public Space’s Parc Guell page.

Join us again tomorrow, Cheapos, for another free tip. Next stop? Berlin!

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It’s been many years since Athens and greater Greece experienced the Hellenic Dynasty, but today the city celebrates its ancient history with the annual Hellenic Festival.

The festival, now in its 51st year, offers four months of events, from May through September. The line-up of this year’s Epidaurus Festival runs the gamut from professional stagings of plays like Oedipus and Euripides to performances by renowned artists like ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov. Many events do require tickets, which range in price from €2-40. But, installations, exhibits, and some theater workshops are free and open to the public. A few, like the theater workshop on Greek tragedies, require reservations in advance.

For more information, visit the Hellenic Festival’s web site.

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We like fancy costumes. Bonus if that costume has pompoms and tassels. Major bonus points if said costume requires a snazzy red hat.

So, it’s no secret then that we love to watch the changing of the Evzone Guard in Athens’ Syntagma Square. The elite Evzones make up an infantry unit stationed in Athens and meant to guard the presidential mansion and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Some people refer to them simply as the “Presidential Guard“.

Every Sunday at 11 a.m., the changing of the guard, considered by tourists and locals alike to be the best free show in Athens, kicks off (literally; check out those pompom’d feet!) at the camp of the Evzones behind Parliament and travels down Vasilissis Sofias Avenue before reaching the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. For a brief period, traffic is even blocked on Vasilissis Sofias Avenue so the Evzone guards can strut their stuff in safety.

The changing involves high kicks, military stunts, and stoic faces. Seriously. Evzones are trained to tune out the paparazzi-like tourists who beg to take their photo alongside them. If you really want your photo taken with one of them, stand in an orderly line just below the steps in Syntagma Square. Onlookers are allowed up one-at-a-time for photos opps.

And, here’s a fun fact: The Evzones wear shoes that are carefully hand-made from hard red leather. Each sole has up to 60 nails in it!

For more fun facts, check out this great post by a “bootsnall” user.

Join us again tomorrow, Cheapos, for another free tip. Next stop on our Grand Tour? Barcelona!

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You simply can’t leave Amsterdam without getting wet. While a traditional canal cruise that tours the lively and lovely harbor of Amsterdam will cost upwards of €14 depending on whether or not food is served, free ferry rides leave daily from the city center and go to some of its lesser known stopping grounds.

From either jetty 7 or 8 in Central Station, you can hop on one of three ferries: Java ferry, Adelaarsweg ferry, or the Buiksloterweg ferry. The most popular route is on Buiksloterweg (jetty 7 at Central Station); this ferry service travels to the oldest part of Amsterdam’s harbor and takes you from central Amsterdam to North-Amsterdam via IJsselmeer Lake, the body of water that separates the two areas.

We recommend taking all three boat trips, but if you only have time for one, get on the Buiksloterweg. This ride takes about five minutes, but offers a slew of photo opps and some of the best views of the canals and of the IJ shoreline.

Hey, turns out there is such a thing as a free ride! For more information, visit the Holland Tourism Board’s web site.

Join us again tomorrow, Cheapos, for another free tip. Next stop? Athens!

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Today we begin a 30-day “Grand Tour” on our blog that we’re calling “Free Europe: Cheapo by the Day!” During this time, the blog will travel throughout Europe, showcasing free things to do in each of our cities.

Along the way, we’ll show you how to go mark-free in Budapest and visit London without the extra pounds. Did you know you can visit the Duomo in Florence gratuito? (See photo above.) Hop on a free bike in Copenhagen? Get a birds-eye view of Paris without paying a euro-cent?

We’ve got you covered, with daily freebie tips for Europe’s most popular destinations. Join us, and prepare to get “Cheapo by the Day!”

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If you’ll be in Lisbon anytime soon, plan to lay low during the week (or head to the beach) and hit the major sights and museums on Sunday. Why tour on the day of rest? Because many of Lisbon’s attractions are free, for at least a few hours, every Sunday of the year.

Some museums—like the Museum of Ancient Art and the National Tile Museum— are only open for free for a few hours on Sunday, typically from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m..

We suggest you break up your day with trips to two or three museums and attractions, leaving time to stop for lunch or custard. For example, It’s easy to pack in the Maritime Museum and Monastery of the Hieronymites, in the Belem district, in a morning or afternoon. Or, spend the entire day at the Gulbenkian Museum, which is open all day Sunday for free.

Have a fun-day!

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New York City is full of freebies — especially during the summer. From free IKEA sunset cruises to the Bryant Park film series, there’s an endless variety of free activities.

One well-known freebie that we’d never experienced is the Today Show’s “Summer Concert Series” at Rockefeller Center. During the summer months, world-famous singers perform free outdoor concerts on Friday mornings. Thousands of tourists show up each week, but we’d always stayed away.

It always seemed like a big deal: wake up before 6 a.m., take the subway all the way to Rockefeller Center (these Cheapos live in Brooklyn), stand in a crazed crowd, listen to a couple of songs, and then battle the multitudes down into the subway. Why not just watch it on TV?

Well, this morning we woke up and decided to go for it. We looked at the schedule earlier in the week and noticed that Coldplay, possibly our favorite band, was set to perform at 8:30. So, we hopped on the train at 6:15 a.m. and hoped for the best.

As expected, it was insane. The crowds were thick (some fans slept overnight in order to score a spot close to the stage, while others camped out inside a nearby Dean and Deluca coffee shop), helicopters were flying overhead, and it somehow was already 80 degrees Fahrenheit and humid.

But before this we could say “I need another coffee,” Coldplay took the stage and all was forgiven. Fans were clapping. Al Roker (the Today Show’s affable weatherman) was singing. Double-decker tour buses were driving by, their normally-seated passengers erupting into dance party mode. We were still sweating, but didn’t mind. After all, this was summer in New York and we were seeing Coldplay for free. Viva les Cheapos!

The photos above and below were all taken by the two Cheapos who attended the show (there is a full album on the EuroCheapo Facebook page).

Other upcoming performers appearing later this summer include Boy George (July 7), Miley Cyrus (July 25), and Paula Abdul (August 29). See the Today Show’s website for full details.

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