But never fear, the Cheapos are here, with a list of several spots where you can always find free Wi-Fi in New York City:

Laptops and lattes at a Starbucks in Soho. Photo: Lee Gillen

Starbucks

The unofficial “office” of many a New York-based freelancer, the coffeehouse giant makes up for outrageous drink prices with free Wi-Fi in each of its locations. Lucky for you, there are more Starbucks on the island of Manhattan than you can shake a (peppermint) stick (latte) at. Check their Web site to find the nearest location.

The Union Square East Starbucks (14th Street and Park Ave South) offers plenty of seating and a great view of the hustle and bustle along 14th Street. We also suggest the Starbucks on 63rd Street and Broadway, a place that sees its fair share of laptops given its proximity to the Fordham University and Juilliard School.

New York City parks

New York, the “concrete jungle,” is also home to tons of green space. Beginning this year, AT&T allows you to take your laptop to one of these verdant pastures to do some work or Facebooking, free of charge:

Manhattan:

• Battery Park (Battery Place and State Street)
• Central Park – Mineral Springs
• Central Park – Rumsey Playfield
• Central Park – Tavern on the Green
• Marcus Garvey Park (East 120th Street and Madison Avenue)
• Thomas Jefferson Park (FDR Dr., bet. E. 111 St. and E. 114 St.)
• Tompkins Square Park (Avenue A and East 7th Street)

Brooklyn:

• Brooklyn Bridge Park – Pier 1
• Brooklyn Bridge Park – Pier 6
• Herbert Von King Park
• McCarren Park Field House
• Prospect Park Picnic House

Bronx:

• Devoe Park in the Bronx
• Joyce Kilmer Park

Queens:

• Astoria Park

Staten Island:

• Clove Lakes Park

Once you find the network “attwifi” in these locations, you’re ready to go. No need to sign up for anything or enter any password.

And if these locations aren’t convenient, stick around; within five years, 20 parks across the five boroughs will offer free Wi-Fi. Check nycparkgov.org for updated locations.

New York Public Library at Bryant Park

Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street, nypl.org

The main branch of the New York Public Library, the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building is worth a visit for the architecture alone. Built in the Beaux-Arts style in 1911, the library’s main entrance, flanked by two lion sculptures, is iconic and has been featured in films since the 1930s.

All visitors (even those without library cards) are welcome in the library and those with laptops can set up shop in the magnificent Bill Blass Reading Room, which should certainly inspire some great emails… Simply find the network and get to work in no time.

For hours, times, and other Wi-Fi enabled libraries in New York, consult the library’s Web site.

McDonald’s

McDonald’s is no longer just a place for a post-club snack. Believe it or not, the mega-chain is adding free Internet access to its menu (and yes, you can still get fries with that).

Check the restaurant’s Web site for Wi-Fi enabled locations, but we recommend the McDonald’s near Columbus Circle on 57th Street and Eighth Avenue, as it’s one of the nicest locations in the city. The location on Sixth Avenue between 14th and 15th Street also offers plenty of seating and outlets for laptops.

Also in our guide: Planning a trip to New York City? Check out our reviews of the best cheap hotels in New York, all visited, inspected and photographed by our editors. (Some of them even have free Wi-Fi!) Read more in our New York City guide.

The post Free Wi-Fi in New York: Where to go online for free appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Cheapos rejoice! There are plenty of ways to Tweet, Dig, Tumble and surf in Barcelona for free. While many hotels and hostels in Barcelona have free Internet access (or should, anyway), here are a few options for when you want to get out of your dimly lit hotel room.

1. Biblioteques or Remember the Library?

All Barcelona libraries have Internet available for members. That’s the thing, you have to be a member, but this is easy enough to do! You can open a free membership at a Barcelona library with your passport. This is a great option if you’re planning to stay in the city for a longer period of time.

I should also mention that Barcelona libraries are awesome. There are many of them throughout town, at least one in every neighborhood. While their English selection of books varies, they always have some offering as well as CDs and DVDs in in many languages.

Or just try to pick up a signal wherever you can find one… Photo: Josh Russell

Libraries are also where to go to read the daily paper for free and browse magazines. You don’t need a membership card to just go and sit in the library and read.

More: Official Barcelona library Web site

2. City WiFi Point

Throughout Barcelona there are “WiFi points,” indicated with a illuminated blue sign resembling that of the Metro, but with a ‘W’ on it. This is where free Internet access can be found. Anyone can use it, you just have to agree to their terms and you’re on your way to surfing the net and updating your Facebook status.

I’ve never used this service, but I’ve seen other people sitting around plazas using it, laptops on their knees. That’s the catch for me; do I really want to sit in a Barcelona park with my Mac Book Pro? No, I don’t. Barcelona is known for pickpockets and Spain is in “crisis.” While I don’t want to believe that anyone would rob me of my laptop, it is a possibility.

(On that same thought, don’t be the guy with your laptop out on the Metro. There’s no WiFi on the Metro and you’ll be calling attention to yourself. I mention this because I often see it.)

If you are going to use the city’s WiFi points, do it in the daylight hours with other people around. It is sort of nice to have Internet access in, for example, Ciutadella Park on a sunny afternoon. The service lends itself more to iPad and small communication devices than to laptops.

More: Barcelona WIFI Website

3. Cafe amb Internet, “si us plau“

Or, “Coffee with Internet, please.” On cold and rainy fall and winter days, head to a cafe and have a cupa Joe with your Twitter. I hate to say it, but Starbucks a good choice for finding a connection, extra frap.

For something more local try Bar Qué at the beach (c/Baluard 56) which has a bohemian vibe and the same Bob Marley tape playing non-stop (kidding… sort of). They’ve got WiFi, coffees and a full bar. Lively at night.

Bar Santa Marta, right on the beach is another good bet. An Italian cafe, they serve fantastic, albeit expensive, coffee (Grau i Torras 59).

In the Born, or Gothic Quarter, connect at Cafe Born, one my preferred cafes (Pl. Comercial 10).

If you’re in the Eixample, then try new bar and art space Mitte for a beer and Google search or La Bastarda BAR (Balmes 122).

Also in our Guide: Planning a trip to Barcelona? Our editors have hunted down, inspected and reviewed the best budget hotels in Barcelona, all centrally located and clean. Check out our reviews, and trust us… we’ve been there!

The post Barcelona: Where to find free Wi-Fi in Barcelona appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Just ask and you shall (hopefully) receive:

1. Water at meals

All meals, from the ritziest restaurant to the lowliest donor kebab, should come with a free pitcher of tap water. Even an espresso comes with a glass of room temperature hydration.

If you don’t have a pitcher when your food comes, simply ask for “une carafe d’eau, s’il vous plait,” and don’t hesitate to ask for refills.

2. Bread at meals

Bread is also a staple at the table, so don’t hesitate to ask for it. In typical restaurants, mustard, salt, pepper and bread will be put on the table before you receive your meal. Of course there are many exceptions, but if you’re having a sit-down meal, asking for bread (“le pain, s’il vous plait”) will surprise no one. This is the birthplace of the baguette, after all.

3. Maps

Tourists hitting the streets of Paris with their guidebook maps are often disappointed by the missing streets and tiny Metro maps printed inside the cover of their books. Fortunately cartography is a big business in Paris. Metro maps, in both large and small formats, can be obtained for free at most Metro stations. (Simply ask for “un plan de Metro, s’il vous plait.”)

And the Galeries Lafayettes, one of Paris’ famed department stores, prints free city maps (“plan de Paris”) that can be found in the reception areas of most of Paris’ hotels and hostels, along with other major tourist sights.

4. Samples

This one’s delicate. Free samples are abundant in Paris – if you know when to ask. Many chocolate shops will offer a taste if you linger long enough, but play your cards right. If the shopkeeper can tell you’re going to buy something, he or she will have fewer qualms about offering up a sample to help you decide. And sometimes not.

When you stroll through outdoor markets, merchants are all too eager to have you taste their pineapples and mangos, so just say “Merci!” and taste away. Cheese shops will also be fairly willing to cut you a sliver if you ask to taste the difference between two choices, if you’re clearly going to purchase some fromage.

5. Toilets

While there are many free public bathrooms that look like small space pods located throughout the city, bathrooms are also available with any purchase at a café. If you purchase a café or a Perrier at the café bar (remember, it’s cheaper at the bar than at a table), you can ask for the bathroom without worries.

Note: If the bathroom door looks like it is coin-operated, simply ask for the “jeton” (token) from the server and he or she will hand you a silver coin that will open the door.

6. ATM withdrawals (for Bank of America clients)

Free money? Well, almost. If you want to avoid paying pesky bank fees, you can withdraw without charge from the BNP Paribas bank if you have a Bank of America account. If this applies to you, you will curtail any travelers’ checks or foreign exchange fees that have troubled travelers for so many years. (Read our guide to ATM bank fees for Americans abroad.)

7.  Wi-Fi

I’ve said it once and I’ve said it again: paying for the internet in Paris is a scam. With Paris’ public Wi-Fi program, and the various wireless networks available in cafés and McDonald’s, there is no reason to drop a dime to check your email.

For more information, read my previous post on where to find free Wi-Fi in Paris. Trust me, it still works as long as you have a smart phone or laptop.

Your favorite free things in Paris?

What other freebies have you found in the City of Light? Tell us, Cheapos, in the comments section.

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