The Nice Visitors Bureau just announced the debut of their new visitor’s pass, labeled the Nice “Riviera Pass”. Is it a good deal? It depends on your trip plans. Here’s a quick overview:

The pass: The Nice “Riviera Pass” is a tourist pass that grants holders free entry into a number of the area’s attractions, as well as numerous discounts throughout the region.

What you get: Free admission to nine major sights in Nice, Antibes, Biot, Cagnes-sur-mer, and Monaco. Sights include the National Museum of Marc Chagall (Musée Chagall) and Marineland (for the 72-hour pass), the Musée Renoir, and the Musée national Fernand Leger.

Extras: The pass also includes a 60-page guidebook, unlimited transportation on the Nice “Le Grand Tour” double-decker buses (which stop at most of Nice’s main attractions and includes multi-language commentary), free daily guided tours of major sights like the Nice opera house and Castle Hill (Monday through Friday in French only, Saturdays in French and English), and discounts at dozens of restaurants, shops, and area attractions.

What it costs: The Nice Riviera Pass is offered for 24-hours (€24), 48-hours (€36), or 72-hours (€54). The pass is equipped with a “smart chip” that starts keeping time from the moment you validate it. Free entry into museums and other sights is valid for the duration of the pass, while other discounts (for restaurants, shopping, and leisure activities) are valid for one month.

How to buy it: You will soon be able to an purchase the card online. For now, buy it in person at the Nice Visitor’s Bureau, of which the main offices is at 5, Promenade des Anglais. Check out their website for more information.

The verdict: As we’d suggest with any city pass, price out your trip itinerary and compare it to the cost of the pass. (Conveniently, the card’s website shows you standard ticket prices for these attractions, making it easy to tally up.) If you’re already planning to head to the sights covered by the card, the pass will let you skip lines and bounce around town on a cute bus. It will also take you to places in Nice that you might otherwise ignore.

If, however, your plans in Nice mostly involve a beach towel, an umbrella, and a cool drink, you might “pass” on this tourist card.

Popularity: 18% [?]

Do you smell that, Cheapos? It’s the scent of summer, of rubber-soled walking shoes, and of crisp, new, glossy maps. It’s time to set foot in the land of tea and crumpets. Royal weeeeee!

Here are five fabulous walking tours in London that won’t cost you a pound. Get moving!

1) For Charles Dickens fans:

London is a virtual playground for book nerds. Using this wonderful free tour from the London Tourism Board—that comes in a convenient PDF format and can be downloaded to your computer—you’ll visit the homes of John Keats, Charles Dickens, the essayist Thomas Carlyle, and Sigmund Freud. And, since for some of the jaunt you’re in the heart of literary Bloomsbury, you can also beckon your inner Virginia Woolf.

2) For thick skins:

Jack the Ripper was one of London’s most notorious serial killers. Today, there are countless (and expensive) tourist trap tours of the life and times of “Jack-attack.” Enter Richard Jones—author, tour guide, and frequent contributor to the History and Discovery networks—who offers a DIY Ripper walk for free on his website. Visit the locations of all actual killings and get a taste for the crimes that stumped the city’s police in the 1880s. One caveat: Jones doesn’t recommend doing this walk alone after dark. Instead, he says, link up with at least three others and go during the day. (Ooooh, creepy!)

3) For those who love the Queen:

You simply cannot visit London without getting a taste of the monarchy. But, let’s face it, a ticket into Buckingham Palace is costly (£15.50, to be exact). Although Sandeman’s New London Tours normally charge for their guided tours, every other day (from April to August) and everyday from May through July, they offer a free “royalty tour.” Visit all the regal hot spots, including St. Martin in the Fields, Westminster Abbey (where Queen Elizabeth was crowned in 1953), and Nelson’s Column. Best of all, you’ll benefit from the tour guide’s expertise, although your guide may ask for a small tip at the end. Check the schedule here.

4) For bridge-hopping:

We’ve recently come across a great site, London for Free, that features a fantastic “bridges walking tour.” Take in Westminster Bridge, the famous London Bridge, and Tower Bridge, plus many others, on an easy-to-use trail laid out by the LFF’s experts. Also included: little known trivia facts that will complement the sightseeing. (For example, did you know that for years London Bridge was the only working bridge in London? Or that because residents relied so heavily on ferries to cross the river, today’s ”EastEnders” still occasionally refer to the West End of London as “up West.”)

5) For the outdoorsy types:

If you just want to get up and go, then get thee to Visit London’s latest venture, “London Outdoors“.  Tons of free information, including how to get to and from walking tour locations, trail maps, and more are available on the site. If you’re already in London, we recommend you head to the London Tourist Information Center, at 1 Lower Regent Street (closest tube station is Piccadilly Circus), and just ask for a free walking tour and map. Then, get hoofing!

Popularity: 22% [?]

Sandeman’s New Europe, the travel company whose free walking tours have already taken Berlin, Munich, Amsterdam, and London by storm, has come to Paris. Every day, rain or shine, tours start at 11 a.m. in front of the St. Michel fountain (metro St. Michel, line 4). No sign-ups are necessary. Prospective tourers just need to show up at St. Michel at 11.

Tours last about three hours and are totally free. The only catch is that the guides work for tips only. We trust Cheapos can figure out that tipping a tour guide is much less expensive than paying outrageous fees to a traditional tour company. The tour is hilarious and hugely informative, and the guides are all Anglophones.

We view these tours as probably the most entertaining (and certainly the cheapest!) way to get to know Paris in an afternoon.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Photo courtesy by Melanie Clatanoff

The 11th arrondissement is an unpretentious yet trendy Parisian district. Its heart is rue Oberkampf. Drinks and food along this street run about half what they do in more touristy areas like Saint Michel and the Latin Quarter. Happy Hour in most bars runs from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., with cocktails going for around €4 and pints at €3. Oberkampf is also one of the few thoroughfares in Paris where it’s easy to find snack food after 3 a.m.

More importantly, this hilly and quaint neighborhood has retained a real Parisian atmosphere, with narrow winding streets and family owned cafés.

The most action-packed few blocks of rue Oberkampf are between the Avenue de la République and rue Moret. To absorb some Oberkampf action, we suggest taking the metro to Parmentier (line 3) and strolling up the hill until you find a café (or three) suiting your mood. Some suggestions: Chez Justine, at number 96; Café Charbon, at number 111; the jazz bar Le Styx, at number 126.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Photo by Mandy Pearce

The Paris Transportation Authority runs a bike rental service called Roue Libre. It has three locations (Les Halles, Bastille, or Alésia) where bikes can be rented. A four hour rental runs €10, and a whole day costs €10 during the week and €15 on weekends. In addition, there are package prices for weekend or week-long rentals.

Roue Libre locations are open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Since April 15, it’s also been possible to rent a biking-specific TAOcity. This pocket-sized computer contains information about 700 sites of Paris, an interactive map, and lists of good bars and restaurants for every neighborhood. It’s available at the Bastille and Les Halles rental locations in English, Spanish, French, or Japanese. It’s a pretty great way to see the whole city for under €20!

Popularity: 5% [?]

photograph courtesy of Tom Meyers

It’s perfectly obvo that we’re big fans of Web sites that help you see more for less in Europe. So imagine our delight when we happened across the Lisbon Tourism Office’s sleek new Web site, full of city guides and tourist information.

The self-guided city walks in Lisbon section of the site is our favorite. The tourism office provides information for walking tours of Baixa Chiado, Bairro Alto, Estrela, Castelo Alfama, and Belem. Each of these ‘hoods is on any tourist’s must-visit list.

Walking directions (”Start by taking the Santa Justa Elevator (1) up to the ruins of the Carmo Convent (2), destroyed in the 1755 earthquake…”) are greatly aided by color maps detailing every move.

Well done, Lisboa!

Popularity: 8% [?]