You’ll find plenty of travel advice out there suggesting the best ways to save money on a city break. But those suggestions often come with a trade-off that means you’ll end up missing out — whether that’s giving up on convenience, skipping the best cultural attractions, or passing up on the chance to see events unique to the city you’re visiting.
For example, if you visited Rome and wanted to see the Colosseum, the GNAM Galleria Nazionale Arte Moderna, the Mausoleo di Cecilia Metella and the Museo nazionale Romano that would cost you €43 (£36) on top of already expensive flights and accommodation.
But with one of our tips below, you could do the entire itinerary without spending a penny — if you know when to visit.
Read on to find out how to pay less, but see more on your next city break.
1. Book your trip on the first weekend of the month
Many of Europe’s popular city break destinations offer free access to museums on the first Sunday of the month, making a sightseeing trip substantially cheaper if you book your trip to coincide.
For example, admission to Florence’s Uffizi and Accademia galleries is usually around €25 (£21) and €18 (£15) respectively. But you could visit both in a day for free and save over €42 (£35).
In Paris, you could visit the Musée du Louvre (usually €22), Musée d’Orsay (€16), the Musée Picasso (from €16), the Centre Pompidou (€18) among other tourist favourites for free on the first Sunday of the months. That’s a saving of €72 (£60).
And in Lisbon, you could easily visit the Fado Museum (€5) and the famous Tile Museum (from €8) in a day for free, saving you €13.
Check for any restrictions on timing at the venues you’re interested in — some only offer free admission in the morning or afternoon, and others might need you to prebook a free ticket.
Planning a trip? Read our guide to find
2. Book walking tours direct
Skip third-party sites when booking a walking tour — you’ll usually get a better deal by booking directly with the organiser or tour guide.
For example, one of our travel experts paid £2.50 per head for a walking tour via Booking.com in Bruges, only to find out it was a free walking tour by a local guide that you tip at the end. Had she cut out Booking.com, she would have saved £5.
Instead, Google local companies or use an index site to find a local tour guide and book directly.
3. Buy standby tickets for theatre and opera
If you’ve got the flexibility to turn up on the day to see an opera, theatre production or ballet, you can often nab cheaper late-release tickets.
Sometimes, you’ll have a restricted view or need to stand, so it’s worth checking that you’re comfortable with the ticket conditions before committing. But it’s often a chance to experience a city 's arts (not to mention the stunning architecture of many venues) at reduced prices.
For example, Vienna State Opera releases highly discounted Standing Room tickets from 10am on the day of a performance. You could get tickets for under €18 that could otherwise cost up to €220.
So, if a live theatre, ballet or opera venue catches your eye, check for last-minute ticket offers.
4. Book attractions and entertainment as a group
Theatres and other venues with live events often incentivise group bookings with discounts.
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5. Claim rewards if you arrived by train
6. Buy tickets to attractions on the right card
When buying tickets to an attraction or gallery, the card you use will impact the final price you pay. If you don’t pick a specialist travel credit or debit card, you could be stung by your card’s payment network exchange rate (usually 3%), plus any additional flat-fees (which can be anywhere from 50p to upwards of £1.50). That can add up throughout a holiday.
Always pay with a credit card that has a 0% non sterling transaction fee. This will prevent extra charges from eating up your spending money.
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/cheap-sightseeting-citybreaks-budget-a828t9R4sCxB