Hotels, restaurants and gondola rides can quickly and adversely affect your budget.

So we decided to list 10 favorite activities that Venice offers for under €15. Who says Venice has to be expensive?

Venice travel tips
• The Best cheap hotels in Venice: 7 picks from our guide
• Italy 10-Day Itinerary: Rome, Florence and Venice
• 5 Budget hotels with canal views

10 Cheap things to do in Venice

Let’s start with some activities for art lovers:

1. Visit the Gallerie Dell’Accademia

The Accademia is the world’s greatest museum for Venetian Renaissance art. It hosts an amazingly rich collection of Venetian paintings from the Byzantine and Gothic 14th century. Feast your eyes on works by Bellini, Carpaccio, Giorgione, Veronese, Tintoretto, and Tiziano, not to mention Tiepolo and Canaletto, Guardi, Bellotto and Longhi.

Admission: €15; €2 for reduced admission or €10 for early morning arrivals before 9 am
Free entry: 1^st Sunday of the month (no online tickets) and for visitors under 18.
Hours: Mon 8:15 am – 2 pm, Tues to Sun 8:15 am – 7:15 pm (ticket office closes one hour earlier)
Entrance: Near the Vaporetto Stop: Accademia – Line 1 and 2

Website

2. Tour the Museo Arte Orientale Ca’ Pesaro

The Museo Arte Orientale Ca’ Pesaro offers one of the most important collections of Japanese art from the Edo period in Europe. The collection was acquired by Prince Henry II of Bourbon during his travels to Asia, between 1887 and 1889. You can admire more than 30,000 artifacts, like swords and daggers, Japanese armors and precious porcelains, with wide sections dedicated to Indonesian and Chinese art.

Admission: €14, reduced €11.50
Hours: Nov to March: Tues to Sun, 10 am – 5 pm, April to October: Tues to Sun, 10 am – 6 pm
Entrance: Near the Vaporetto Stop: San Stae, line 1

Website

Now for some religious activities:

Basilica San Marco is a must-see on a Venice vacation. Photo: Ivan

3. Visit the Basilica San Marco

Boasting an incredibly rich ensemble of domes, columns, statues and mosaic-covered interiors, the Basilica San Marco (“St. Mark’s Church”) is the true heart of Venice and the final resting place of Saint Mark. There are always long queues outside, but you can follow our guide on how to avoid crowds.

Admission: Church only €6, Church and St. Mark’s Museum €15, Church and Pala d’Oro €12, Church and Loggia Dei Cavalli €10, Bell Towers €12
Hours: Monday to Saturday, 9:30 am – 5:15 pm; Sunday, 9:30 am – 5:15 for Museum and Loggia Dei Cavalli, 2 p.m. – 5:15 pm for the church
Entrance: Near the Vaporetto Stop San Zaccaria – Lines 2, 51 and 41

Website

4. Take a tour of the Jewish Museum and synagogues

This is the world’s first ghetto and it hasn’t changed since it was created back in the Middle Ages. The Jewish Museum of Venice was opened in 1953 and displays valuable artifacts, sacred furnishings and the nuptial contract of the Jewish community that for centuries has lived in this neighborhood. The tour also includes a visit to the five synagogues of the city, all founded during the 16th century.

Admission: €14, reduced €12, guided tours €15 or €2 in advance
Hours: Sunday to Thursday, 10 am – 5:30 pm; Friday, 9 am – 3 pm
Entrance: Near the Vaporetto stop Ponte delle Guglie, Line 41, 42, 51, 52 or S. Marcuola, Line 1 or 2

Website

5. Visit the Chiesa dei Frari

Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari in Venice, a religious treasure situated in the middle of the Venice, makes up one of the largest groups of buildings in the city. The massive church, commonly called “Frari,” dominates the area of San Polo with its Gothic forms and creative use of bricks. Inside, gaze at amazing masterpieces by Titian, Donatello, and many more local artists.

Admission: €5, €2 reduced
Hours:  Monday to Friday 9 am – 7:30 pm; Saturday 9 am – 6 pm; Sunday 1 pm – 6 pm
Entrance: Near the Vaporetto stop San Toma, Line 1

Website

Take a vaporetto ride for a low-cost tour of the Venetian canals. Photo: Mark

How about some outdoor activities, with perfect spots for panoramic photos of Venice?

6. Take a ride to San Giorgio Island

This important Benedictine monastery was built on the small island of the same name by Andrea Palladio. It is designed around the church and two cloisters. Since 1951, it has been run by the Giorgio Cini Foundation. Take the short vaporetto ride to the island and enjoy the view.

Admission: Free for church, €6 for Bell Towers
Hours: April to October 9 am – 7 pm, November to March 8:30 am – 6 pm, Sundays closed for mass from 10:40 am – 12 pm
Getting there: Vaporetti Line 2, Isola di San Giorgio stop

Website

7. Walk the beaches of Lido

Take a boat out to the sandy beaches of Lido, where the city’s aristocrats used to stroll during the summer. If you head over during the Venice Film Festival, you might chance upon some movie stars. The beach is free and there are some very nice restaurants in the area.

Getting there: Lido Line 1, Lido stop

8. Park it

Immerse yourself in one of the few green spots in Venice: the Giardini, created by Napoleon (after knocking down many old churches and convents) when he conquered the city in 1807. The rubble was used to create a small hill, which now hosts the Padiglione della Biennale.

And last, but not least, two of my own favorites:

9. See how gondolas are built at Squero San Trovaso

This boatyard is located along the Rio San Trovaso and dates back to the 17th century. This squero (“boatyard”) is one of the few still operating in Venice and you can watch for free from the outside.

Also, note the unique boathouse, the building shaped like a mountain house. The reason for its sloping shape is twofold: Both the carpenters and the timber came from Cadore (a mountain area of the Dolomites); and secondly, the slope was useful in case of rain, and serves as storage for tools.

If you want to take a tour and see gondolas being built and repaired, you need a group of at least 25 people. The tour usually lasts 30 minutes. Email ahead to info@squerosantrovaso.com for more information.

Website

10. Take a Cheapo Vaporetto tour

Take Vaporetto Line 51, relax and take in the view of the lagoon. The vaporetto circles around the city and connects the Lido to Fondamenta Nove, on the northern lagoon side of Venice’s historic center. From there, it continues through the Cannaregio Canal to the train station and Piazzale Roma before heading up the Giudecca Canal with stops at San Zaccaria, Giardini, and S. Elena on its way back to the Lido. The tour only costs the price of a normal Vaporetto ticket (€9.50, valid for 75 minutes), and offers some of the most breathtaking views of the city!

Website

Your favorite cheap activities in Venice

Have anything to add to our list of great things to do in Venice on the cheap? Tell us about it in the comments section.

The post 10 Things to do in Venice on the cheap appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

That said, the line can be long, the temperatures inside less than appealing, and the entry fee isn’t exactly cheap.

More Florence travel tips:
• Best budget hotels near the Uffizi Gallery
• 10 Days in Italy: An itinerary through Rome, Florence & Venice

10 Tips for saving time and money at the Uffizi

So what’s a cheapo to do? Here are our best tips to make the most of your time and your euros at the Uffizi.

1. Get tickets from the official museum site

There are a lot of middleman and third-party sites advertising museum tickets in Florence. If there’s nothing available, and you’re desperate to go, by all means, you should consider it. Just note that you’ll pay substantially higher booking fees. The official site at firenzemusei.it is a bit more difficult to use, but you’ll get the best price. Middleman sites like Florence.net, charge an added commission.

2. Go early

If you’re willing to risk not getting a ticket for the added flexibility and a few euros in savings (€4 to be exact), be prepared to get up early and be in line at least 30 minutes before the museum opens at  8:15 am. Don’t try this during high season, as you’re unlikely to get a last-minute ticket for any time during the entire day, much less that morning.

3. Reserve in advance

Go ahead and spend the extra €4 and book a ticket online. You’ll get in guaranteed, and you’ll also get to spend your time in the museum — as opposed to in line. Just remember to show up at least 15 minutes before your ticket time.

4. Go on a free day

In Italy, state museums are free of charge on the first Sunday of every month. If you can, arrange your Uffizi visit around these dates, but expect to brave the crowds (inside and out). Go early, and bring a book and a beverage to make the most of your time in the line.

The outdoor space between the two wings at the Uffizi. Photo: Andy

5. Time your visit for off-season

From November 1st through the end of February, tickets cost approximately half as much as during peak season. Compare €12 per person for a full-price ticket in late fall and winter to the €20 rate that reigns during the warmer months of the year. Unfortunately, there’s no discount in book-ahead fees. They’re always €4 per person year-round.

6. Bring the kids

Kids under 18 accompanying their families visit the museum for “free.” Why is “free” in quotation marks? Because if you reserve your tickets ahead (and you should to avoid waiting in line with your little ones), you’ll still have to pay the €4 reservation fee.

7. Explore conscientiously

The Uffizi is packed with world-class art around every corner. But even if you were an art history major, you may not be interested in absolutely everything. To save yourself from wandering around aimlessly, check out what interests you online before your visit to come up with a game plan.

Or if you want some general advice, head to the top floor where you’ll find treasures by Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and “The Birth of Venus,” and then work your way back down to the exit. Seeing everything is overrated, especially in summer, when the Uffizi is that particularly lovely combination of crowded, hot, and stuffy.

Exploring a hallway in the Uffizi Gallery. Photo: Larry

8. Come with the shirt on your back

Don’t drag extra jackets, bags, or really anything unnecessary into the museum. It’ll save you time from having to dump your bag/coat/umbrella before your visit and collecting everything when you’re ready to leave. Of course, if you can’t avoid it, the good news is the coat check here is free.

9. Skip the audio guide

Unless you’re a huge fan of audio guides in general, skip it. For €6 extra, we’d rather read up on the official website over a cappuccino just before our visit in a café with Wi-Fi, but it’s up to you.

10. Buy a Firenze Card

Let’s face it — if you’re interested enough in art to visit the Uffizi, you’re probably also on board to see Michelangelo’s David at the Accademia Gallery and a few other museums and sites around town. The Firenze Card will get you out of reserving ahead or waiting in line pretty much everywhere but the Duomo.

At €72, the price is up there, but it includes admission to up to 72 sites in the city in a 72-hour time frame. It’s well worth it if you plan to see three or four museums, especially during high season when entry fees nearly double. To fit in as many museums as possible, add the Firenze Card+ for €5 more so you can hop on transit and get around in a hurry.

Bonus Tip

If you find yourself in Florence and no tickets are available online, either call the Uffizi’s official reservation line or head to Orsanmichele Church (Monday-Saturday from 9 am – 4 pm) and ask if there are short-notice tickets available. You’ll still have to pay the €4 reservation fee, but you won’t have to wait in line.

Uffizi Gallery

Address: Piazzale degli Uffizi, 6
Hours: 8:15 am to 6:50 pm (Closed Monday)
Website: www.uffizi.it/en/

Have you been to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence? Share any tips or comments in the section below.

The post Florence: 10 Tips for visiting the Uffizi Gallery appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

The development of free museum nights has really taken off across Europe, with city after city opening their doors once or twice a year for a free evening. Paris usually holds its free night each year on the third Saturday in May.

This year, Cheapos headed to Paris should mark their calendar for May 19, 2018, when most museums will be free and museums will keep their doors open later than usual to give guests the experience of a lifetime.

Paris hotels:  Our favorite budget picks for 2018

“La Nuit des Musees”: Museum Night in Paris

While there will be more 1,600 museums participating throughout France, we’ve narrowed down a list of 10 museums in Paris that will be open. Follow this Museum Night guide to quench your thirst for adventure and art while exploring the different neighborhoods that Paris has to offer.

1. Le Musee Nissim de Camondo

63 Rue de Monceau
8th arrondissement
website

Have you ever wondered what kitchen looked like the housed the inspiration for the movie Ratatouille? The museum of Nissim de Camondo was given by Nissim’s father, Moise de Camondo, to the French government upon his death. After his son and only heir died in World War I, Moise de Camondo was heartbroken and dedicated his house to his son in order to carry on his child’s memory and legacy.

This museum will give you a history lesson of what it was like to live in the 1% in France during the early 1900s. Amenities include two elevators (one for the guests and one for the maids), a food lift (forget farm-to-table fresh, Moise de Camondo demanded kitchen-to-table fresh), color-coated tile bathrooms (green, blue, and white for dad, his sister, and Nissim), heated floors and walls, a grand staircase, and many more opulent perks that were simply unimaginable in the early 20th century.

2. Musee Gustave Moreau

14 Rue de la Rochefoucauld
9th arrondissement
website

After enjoying stunning architecture in the 8th, we’ll take a stroll into the 9th arrondissement to have a look at the house of the symbolist painter, Gustave Moreau. This three-floor museum is filled with his paintings that draw inspiration from the Italian Renaissance. Furthermore, you even get to see some of his unfinished paintings and sketches to truly experience the life of a Parisian artist of the mid- to late-1800s.

3. Musee de la Franc-Maconnerie

16 Rue Cadet
9th arrondissement
website

What’s a French vacation without a little conspiracy theory? The Museum of Freemasonry is also located in the 9th arrondissement, and it’s sure to scratch whatever itch you’ve had about the 14 US Presidents that were part of this organization. Yup, George Washington, the first president was indeed a Mason, and the Museum of Freemasonry will give you all the inside scoop on the French history of this secret society, complete with many paintings and drawings of the famous triangular Illuminati eye. You might have to unstrap your Ben Stiller Night at the Museum character for a more appropriate Nicholas Cage in National Treasure while you peruse through this museum.

Accommodations: Cheap Paris hotels in the 9th arrondissement

4. Musee des Arts et Metiers

60 Rue Reaumur
3rd arrondissement
website

Now that you have enjoyed the architecture, art, and organization of Paris, it’s only fitting that you also explore the scientific innovations that kept this city running. Located in 3rd arrondissement of Paris, this industrial museum of art and trade houses seven sections about the history of scientific instruments, materials, energy, mechanics, construction, communication, and transportation. You’ll get to explore early prototypes of carriages, printing presses, airplanes, industrial sewing machines, steam engines, satellites, locomotives, and many more technological inventions.

Visitors during Museum Night 2011 at Musee de la Chasse et de la Nature. Photo: Knowtex

5. Musee de la Chasse et de la Nature

62 Rue des Archives
3rd arrondissement
website

For this visit, we’ll need a bit of help from our Ben Stiller character from the Night at the Museum because this museum of “hunting and nature” is not so much about hunting as it is about animals and their relationships with humans. The exhibit has been heralded as one of the best-curated museum in Paris… as long as the animals don’t come back to life at night!

6. Musee Picasso

5 Rue de Thorigny
3rd arrondissement
website

Although he is a Spanish artist, Paris has a Picasso Museum that’s worth visiting. It includes over 5,000 works of art by Picasso including paper art, ceramics, sculptures in wood and metal, and paintings. The museum also houses the African art that inspired Picasso’s cubism style, as well as paintings that Picasso did when he was much older.

Accommodations: Cheap Paris hotels in the 3rd and 4th arrondissement

7. Centre Pompidou

Place Georges-Pompidou
4th arrondissement
website

The Centre Pompidou is not for the faint of heart (or legs). It is a large complex that houses three important structures: The Public Information Library, the Musee National d’Art Moderne, and Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music. Most people go for the Modern Art Museum aspect because it not only holds the largest collection of European modern art, but the top floor boasts one of the best panoramic views of Paris.

8. Musee Curie

1 Rue Pierre et Marie Curie
5th arrondissement
website

As we cross into the Rive Gauche (Left Bank), we’re met by a blast from the scientific past. Formerly Marie Curie’s laboratory, the Museum of Curie is a historical institution located in the 5th arrondissement focusing on radiological research. It holds archives and documentation about the history of radiology and oncology — the same two topics that allowed Marie Curie to become the first woman to win a Nobel Prize.

9. Musee des Arts Decoratifs

107 rue de Rivoli
1st arrondissement
website

A trip to Paris is incomplete without a visit to the Art Decoratifs. Not only does it house artifacts of decorative arts and design, but it also includes must-see exhibits that explore the Haute Couture fashion aspect of Paris (think Dior, Hermes, and Margiela). Furthermore, it even has part of the actual house of French designer, Jeanne Lanvin of the House of Lanvin! The Art Deco, as it goes by for short, houses jewelry, furniture, tableware, and carpets of the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles. It gives visitors a chance to see how the French upper class lived.

10. Musee du Louvre

Place du Carrousel
1st arrondissement
website

It’s always high on everyone’s list, so we certainly couldn’t leave the dear Louvre off of ours. Because it’s so big, it may be more beneficial to experience the Louvre when you have a full day and use Museum Night to take advantage of the smaller Parisian museums with free admission. Nonetheless, the Louvre is phenomenal and has come to represent the epitome of Paris and the resting place of Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. And it is here, at the Louvre, in the center of Paris, that we end our Museum Night journey!

One caveat: We tried getting into the Louvre at midnight during previous Nuit des Musées only to find the entrance closed at 11 pm, so check the hours in advance. Our advice? Plan ahead. Fortunately, the Louvre’s terrace bar overlooks the pyramids. And, of course, there’s the adjacent Jardin des Tuileries, with its much more hospitable hours.

Hotels: And if you need a place to stay close to this world-famous museum, you can browse our list of cheap hotels near the Louvre.

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If you are a “Museum Geek,” or at least feel more tempted by the Prado than Prada, you’ll want to keep in mind these money-saving museum tips, as visits to Madrid’s galleries can really add up fast.

Prado Museum

Opening times-
From Monday to Saturday 10 am – 8 pm
Sundays and holidays 10 am – 7 pm
Closed: January 1, May 1, and December 25
Reduced opening hours: 10 am – 2 p m: January 6, December 24 and 31.

The Prado is Madrid’s most popular museum, so be prepared to wait in line. Why is it worth the wait? Because it houses paintings such as Las Meninas by Velázquez and  The Third of May: the Executions on Príncipe Pío by Goya.

At €12 a pop (or €22 with a guided tour), it’s worth looking into the Prado’s free days and discounts. Those 65 and older, or who have the Carné Joven, or are part of a “familia numerosa” (large family) get half off, paying just €6 per person. The museum is free for everyone under the age 18, journalists, tour guides, students with a valid ID between the ages 18 -25, the unemployed, the handicapped, and members of the organizations listed here.

Plus, the Prado museum is free for all Monday to Saturday from 6 pm to 8 pm and on Sundays and holidays from 5 pm to 7 pm. On November 19 and Museum Day, the Prado is free all hours.

Reina Sofía

Opening times-
Monday – Saturday from 10 am – 9 pm
Sundays from 10 am to 2:30 pm
Tuesdays Closed
The Museum is also closed on: January 1 & 6, May 1 & 15, November 9, and December 24, 25 and 31.

The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía shows art produced from the late 19th century to present day. The museum has over 20,000 pieces and is one of the most important museums in Spain. Look for paintings and art by Alexander Calder, Joan Miró, Salvador Dalí, Picasso and Antoni Tàpies among many others.

At just €6 a ticket to see the permanent and temporary collections, this national art museum is not expensive. If you are only interested in the temporary exhibition, then it’s just €3 to get in. The museum also offers plenty of free days, including the International Museum Day, Mondays – Fridays from 7 pm to 9 pm, Saturdays from 2:30 pm to 9 pm, Sundays from 10 am to 2:30 pm, the 18th of April, the 12th of October and the 6th of December.

In addition, the museum entrance fee is waived for everyone under 18 years of age, students with a valid ID, everyone 65 and older, the handicapped, those who accompany the handicapped, tour guides and journalists.

Thyssen-Bornemisza

Opening times-
Tuesdays to Saturdays- 10 am to 11 pm.
On Sundays and Mondays, 10 am to 7 pm.
Closed Monday August 20th.

The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum offers visitors an overview of art from the 13th century to the late 20th century. In addition to a permanent collection, there are temporary exhibitions throughout the year. From June to September 2012, Hopper’s works will be on display.

If you’re under 12 years of age or unemployed then you get into Thyssen-Bornemisza for free. Otherwise, you’ll have to pay €9 for general admission and €6 if you’re a student with a student ID, 65 or older, have the Carné Joven, are a Fine Arts professor, handicapped, or part of a “familia numerosa” (large family). A combined ticket for Thyssen-Bornemisza Collections and Hopper exhibition is €15.

The only day that the museum is open to all for free is on the International Museum Day, once a year. Also, all of you out there born in 1992 get into Thyssen-Bornemisza for free during 2012 in honor of the museum’s 20th anniversary. You can buy tickets online here.

The Madrid Card

It may also pay to get a Madrid card for about €38 for 24 hours if you’re into to seeing all the museums. The Madrid Card  will get you into the three biggies listed above, plus many other museums in the city.

At this price though, you’d have to see at least four or five museums in 24 hours to make it a deal, and that’s a lot of art in a short time span, even for your most enthusiastic “Museum Geek.” Another option is Tarjeta Paseo del Arte, which gets you into the Prado, Reina Sofía and Thyssen-Bornemisza for about €22. This is probably your best bet if you can’t hit the free days or times. The Tarjeta Paseo del Arte can be purchased at any of the three museums.

Also in our guide: If you’re in the process of researching a trip to Madrid and are looking for budget-friendly hotel suggestions, be sure to swing by our Madrid guide. Our editors have visited and inspected affordable hotels all over the city’s center.

The post Madrid: Free and reduced times to visit the Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen-Bornemisza museums appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

However, as discussed is our Stockholm budget tips article, it is possible to visit Stockholm without blowing your budget. Having just spent several beautiful days in the capital, we’ve come across a few tips to keep it cheap:

The Rex Hotel offers rooms from $137 a night.

1. Find a central, cheap hotel or hostel.

First things first, aside from getting to Stockholm, your biggest expense will probably be your hotel. Surprisingly, the city offers plenty of budget hotel options, most of them situated in the center city and all clean as a whistle. While “affordable” hotels can still easily set you back $150-200, there are cheaper options. Regardless of where you stay, you can expect superior service, clean rooms and an included breakfast.

We’ve visited and reviewed dozens of budget hotels in Stockholm, from three-star charmers like the Rex Hotel in Vasastaden to the Archipelago Hostel Old Town, located in Gamla Stan (which offers both dorms and affordable private rooms). Here’s a list of recommended budget hotels in Stockholm that we’ve visited and reviewed.

2. Fill up at breakfast.

Happily, breakfast is included in the room rate at most hotels in Stockholm. And the Swedes know how to lay out a breakfast buffet. At most hotels in town, you’ll be able to stock up on several varieties of yogurt, cheeses, sliced meats (salami, ham and sausages), musli and other cereals, several kinds of jams, rolls and breads, and (of course) strong, black coffee.

Breakfast is a great opportunity to fill up for the day. It’s worth going lighter (and cheaper) at night—you can make up for it in the morning!

The Vasa Museum is included in the Stockholm Card.

3. Buy a Stockholm Card.

Planning to visit the Vasa Museum (110 SEK / $15)? Skansen Open Air Museum (140 SEK / $20)? Drottningholm Palace (145 SEK, with Chinese Pavilion / $20)? The Stockholm card has you covered at these and 75 other attractions.

The Stockholm Card not only simplifies and speeds up the sightseeing experience by allowing cardholders to skip ticket lines, it can also present some real savings, depending upon your itinerary and cultural appetite.

A three-day pass will set you back 750 SEK (about $105), while a five-day pass runs 950 SEK ($133). Admission to most of the city’s sights are included in the pass, as is public transportation around the city and city sightseeing bike rides and tours. The pass also grants special discounts on other tourist activities, such as a boat ride to Drottningholm Palace.

Read more about the card’s benefits and prices on the Stockholm Card’s Web site.

4. Reach for beer, not wine.

For a country so Absolut-ly identified with liquor, alcohol is surprisingly expensive in Stockholm and throughout Sweden. However, not all booze is priced equally, and beer is always quite a bit cheaper than wine or a mixed drink.

At many bars in central Stockholm, for example, a beer might run about 50-60 SEK ($7-9), while a glass of wine goes for about 85-100 SEK ($12-14). Fancy a mixed drink? Get ready to pour out about 110 SEK ($15)… or more.

5. Get thee early to the club.

Many clubs and trendy bars in central Stockholm charge a cover to enter once things get bumping (usually around midnight), especially on weekends and Wednesday nights (the “hot” night for going out during the week). If you don’t mind showing up when most of the locals are still at home (having much cheaper drinks before heading to the club), you can skip this charge simply by showing up early.

Your tips?

Do you have a tip to add to our list of ways to keep it cheap in Stockholm? Share with us in our comments section below!

Note: This post is part of a series sponsored by airberlin, which is promoting its flights from New York to Stockholm. For more information, including schedules and special rates, visit airberlin.com.

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Hang on to your hats, Cheapos. Follow our list and you can spend an entire week in New York museums without forking out a cent in admission fees!

Monday

Let it be known that many of the smaller museums are closed on Mondays. That being said, many do stay open, and some even for free.

The Museum at Eldridge Street (12 Eldridge Street, Manhattan) is worth visiting for the building alone. Adorned with spectacular stained-glass and 19th-century gas fixtures, the impeccably restored landmark building dates back to 1887, and its museum tells the story of generations of Jewish in New York. Admission is “pay what you wish” on Mondays from 10 am until 5 pm.

Monday is also the day to check out a “free all the time” museum:

At the Rose Museum on the second floor of Carnegie Hall (154 West 57th Street, Manhattan), you can dabble in a little music memorabilia.

Tuesday

If you’re after a bit of fresh air, you’re also, uh, free, to commune with the flowers at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (1000 Washington Ave, Brooklyn) every Tuesday during opening hours (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in winter months, until 6 p.m. from mid-March to mid-November). Admission, incidentally, is free on all weekdays in winter.

Wednesday

Wednesday is not the friendliest of weekdays to museum freeloaders in New York—or at least for those unwilling to leave Manhattan. If you head up to the Bronx, however, you can get free entry to the pre-Revoluntionary War Van Cortlandt House (Broadway at West 246th Street, Bronx). Washington himself (not to be confused with his life mask) is said to have sheltered there at the beginning and end of the war.

If the Bronx is too much of a schlep for you, today’s a good day to hit up museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the American Museum of Natural History. Both post suggested donations but technically have “open donation” policies every day.

Round out your Wednesday with some fine art at the Frick Museum (1 East 70th Street, Manhattan), housed in a gorgeous mansion. Pay what you wish is from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m.

Thursday

Thursday night kicks off a weekend of free museum festivities. Start it right with some contemporary art at the New Museum (235 Bowery, Manhattan), free from 7 pm until 9 pm.

If you didn’t get your fill at the New Museum, right across the street is the International Center of Photography (250 Bowery). Their exhibits are free on Thursdays starting at 6 pm.

Uptown, the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center is a cool public space with two vertical gardens, some impressive architecture and rotating art installations. Every week (including many Thursday evenings), there are performances open to the public at no charge. Free shows might feature anything from spoken word to country or world music, or talent from The Juilliard School, Jazz at Lincoln Center and more. In short, anything goes. Check this calendar of events to see what’s happening every night, and note that you should arrive early because capacity is limited for this popular event.

Friday

Welcome to the free museum free-for-all that is Friday night in New York City. Behold, Cheapos, the museum is your oyster:

Free admission or pay what you wish on Friday nights:

Museum of the Moving Image: 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.; 35 Avenue at 37 Street, Astoria, Queens

Museum of Modern Art: 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.; 11 West 53rd Street, Manhattan

Whitney Museum of American Art: 7 p.m. – 10 p.m.; 99 Gansevoort Street, Manhattan

New-York Historical Society: 6 pm. – 8 p.m.; 170 Central Park West, Manhattan

Cheapo pick: Or get a taste of the highbrow at the Morgan Library & Museum (29 East 36th Street, Manhattan), home to some of the rarest books and manuscripts in the world. Admission to the McKim rooms, a former private study of Pierpont Morgan himself, is free every Friday evening from 7 pm until 9 pm. Inside those gilded walls you’ll spot some of the lush original furnishings, along with precious items from the Morgan collection, including his life mask of George Washington (don’t go trying to steal that now) and copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Star-Spangled Banner.

Saturday

The massive art collection (and incredible architecture) at the Guggenheim (1071 5th Avenue, Manhattan) can be enjoyed for free on Saturday evenings from 5:45 p.m. until 7:45 p.m.

Other Saturday festivities are limited to once a month:

The Brooklyn Museum of Art (200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn) dominates first Saturdays, with free admission, plus live entertainment, from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m. Learn more here.

El Museo del Barrio (1230 5th Avenue, Manhattan) hosts “SUPER SABADO” on the third Saturday of the month, in all months except January and August. Admission is free from 11 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. and events range from film screenings to walking tours.

Sunday

For a livelier vibe, head uptown to the Studio Museum (144 West 125th Street, Manhattan) in Harlem, where Target Free Sundays grant free access to the vast and provocative collection of art, as well as access to special tours, talks and hands-on activities.

Do you have any tips for getting into museums for free? Share your comments below!

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The Guggenheim is an incredible building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The American Museum of Natural History has that huge dinosaur. And the Met is… well, the Met. All amazing and worth visiting. But with iconic museums come hefty prices. Plus, New York is home to many smaller museums that are equally fascinating, will likely be less crowded, and will definitely be cheaper.

Here are our top five picks for smaller museums in New York that pack a big punch:

1. The New York Transit Museum
Boerum Place & Schermerhorn St.
Web site

Ah, the subway. What would New York be without you? You’re a feat of architecture, engineering, and city planning that has been the heart of this city since 1904. The New York Transit Museum, housed in a historic 1936 subway station in Brooklyn Heights, dives into transportation history in New York, from trolleys to buses to the subway itself.

If you think that sounds yawn-worthy, think again: You’ll be treated to photos and artifacts from the days when the subway was new and gleaming, along with the stories of the bright, courageous, and hardworking men who built it.

Open: Tuesday-Friday, Tuesday – Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday Noon to 5 p.m.
Admission: $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and children aged 3-17. (Seniors visit free on Wednesdays.)

2. Tenement Museum
97 Orchard Street
Web site

In our humble opinion, it doesn’t get much cooler than the Tenement Museum on New York’s Lower East Side. From the time it was built 1863 until the time it was closed to residential use in 1935, the building that is now the museum was home to nearly 7,000 working class immigrants. Irish, Germans, Greeks and Italians all took their turns trying to survive in the cramped apartments of this crowded building.

Hanging out at PS1. Photo: TIA

The brilliant and caring crew at the museum has carefully researched the lives of real families who lived in the building, and each tour tells the story of a few of those lives—in apartments that look like they would have then. But our favorite part may just be the room that is left at only partial excavation so that visitors can see the true palimpsest of wallpaper upon wallpaper, lives upon lives, that is New York, past and present.

Open: Daily, 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Check out the tours currently on offer.
Admission: $20 adults, $15 students and seniors, including private tour.

3. PS 1
22-25 Jackson Ave at the intersection of 46th Ave
Web site

Since it opened in 1976, the MoMA PS 1 of Queens has invited innovative, cutting-edge, and emerging artists to create installations that transform the building’s spaces into art. Which brings us to the building itself: A Revival Romanesque former public school in Long Island City, Queens, complete with a beautiful courtyard, which in the summers becomes transformed by the winning design from a talented young architect, as part of the Young Architects Program (YAP). This installation is then the setting of the popular summer music series, Warm Up, which takes place every Saturday throughout the summer.

Of course you could stay in Manhattan and see van Gogh in the MoMA, or you could venture out to Queens for some innovative art in a truly unique space. Admission is half the price of MoMA, as well!

Hours: Thursday through Monday, 12 – 6 p.m.
Admission: $10 suggested donation ($5 students and seniors).

4. The Merchant’s House Museum
29 East Fourth St
Web site

Back in Manhattan, not far from the Tenement Museum, is another treasure trove of New York history. The Merchant’s House Museum is a lovely brick row house built in 1832, and totally preserved — inside and out — since then.

How, you ask? Well, dear Cheapos, in 1835 a wealthy merchant family by the name of Tredwell moved into the house, at the time considered the elegant “uptown.” Their youngest, Gertrude, was born in that house, and there she remained, changing very little, until her death in 1933. It became a public museum three years later and today its eight rooms provide a glimpse of how the Tredwells once lived, complete with all of their belongings in place. Oh, and in case you’re still craving New York ghosts post-Halloween, this historic gem is said to have its share.

Open: Thursday through Monday, noon to 5 p.m.
Admission: $10 general admission, $5 students and seniors, and free for children under 12 accompanied by an adult.

5. National Museum of the American Indian
One Bowling Green
Web site

There are many reasons to visit the National Museum of the American Indian, not least of which is the fact that admission is, wait for it… FREE. That’s right, you can enter the historic Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House in downtown Manhattan, and explore its incredible architecture—that’s reason number two—without spending a cent.

The last, but certainly not the least, reason to visit is the museum itself: The 16th museum of the Smithsonian Institution, it is a wealth of information and extensive collections of artifacts depicting both historic and contemporary Native American life.

Open: Daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursdays.
Admission: Free

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Poggio a Caiano, a small town about 30-40 minutes northwest of Florence, is a great example of amazing Tuscan history integrated into a modern Italian town. The highlight of the town is the country villa of the Medici family, which you can visit for free!

The villa’s history

The Medici Villa in Poggio a Caiano was first built in the 15th century for Lorenzo the Magnificent, Grand Duke of Florence. It remained the summer residence of the Medici family for hundreds of years. The villa was where the Medicis’ foreign brides were received before being welcomed to Florence.

Outside the Medici Villa

Francesco I and his famous mistress Bianca Cappello were found mysteriously dead here in 1589, most likely poisoned by the grand duke’s power-hungry brother. (The livers of both were discovered hidden in the church you can see upon the hill in the distance.)

During the first years of the unified Italian Monarchy in the 19th century, the villa was used as the royal residence. Later on, during the Second World War, residents of the town took shelter in the villa’s basement as protection from the bombing.

How to get there

Start by catching one of the large blue buses that stop at the end of Via Nazionale near the train station. You can buy tickets in the small ticket office on Largo Alinari. It is best to buy two one-way tickets (€2 each) so as to be prepared for the return journey. Buses leave every 15 to 30 minutes.

You can take a bus leaving for either Poggio a Caiano, Pistoia or Quarrata, all of which will stop in front of the Villa (however, ask the driver just to be sure). You will most likely need to request your stop. Although the Villa is a popular stop, make sure to press the “stop” button on the wall when you see that you are entering Poggio a Caiano and you can see the villa walls right next to the road. Don’t worry, they’re hard to miss!

A view from the entrance

Get off of the bus right in front of the villa gates. The public entrance is slightly to the left through a small gate. Entrance to both the garden and villa are free. You can enter the villa with the assistance of an employee, who opens the doors to visitors every half hour. However, the employees are not tour guides, so if you’re very interested in learning about the history, it is best to do some research before you visit.

What to look for

Highlights of the villa include the full-sized theater on the ground floor, the 19th-century décor left over from its days as a royal residence, the elegant ceramic motif and the sweeping iron-railed staircase.

A ceramic border on the villa

Before or after you visit the interior, make sure to take a walk through the gardens. To the right of the villa you will find a pleasant “Italian-style” garden alongside the Limonaia (a greenhouse for lemon trees). Feel free to explore the gardens in the back as well. Though they have grown unkempt over the past years, it is fun to wander through and find the statues, small buildings and winding passageways from the villa’s heyday.

After winding away the afternoon in this pleasant spot, walk down the hill to the left. Here you’ll find a café which serves the ultimate Tuscan treat: the bombolone. At around 4 p.m. each day, this café bakes up fresh this Italian take on the doughnut, filled with rich cream and coated in sugar. Finish up with a hot espresso and get ready to head back into the Florence!

The Medici Villa
Piazza de Medici 14, 59016 Poggio a Caiano
Web site
+39 0552388796
Opening hours: 8:15 a.m.-6:30 p.m. (closing time varies depending on the season)
Admission: free

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Luckily, there are plenty of things to do to keep busy, and some that will really appeal to Cheapos.

Daylight on the island of Djurgården

The city of Stockholm is built on a string of islands, which makes for beautiful sightseeing. Start your day by taking advantage of the daylight and wandering around the island of Djurgården. Walk along Strandvägen on your way to the island or take bus 47 from Central Station and get off at Djurgårdsbron.

The island itself is an amazing blend of nature and history. Several museums dot the island from the famous Vasa Museum, one of the most popular museums in Stockholm, to Waldemarsudde, a beautiful art museum, to Skansen, a living outdoor museum. For Cheapos, however, Djurgården can be enjoyed without spending a dime (or krona, in this case).

Walking around Djurgården, it’s easy to forget you are in the biggest city in Sweden. That might be because as you head east on the island you’ll be staring out towards the edge of the Stockholm archipelago. Or it could be the large National Park that runs through Stockholm and Djurgården.

The area of the National Park on the island is known as “Isbladskärret” and is a beautiful place to see the birds of Sweden, most notably the herons, which can be seen flying home to their nests as the sun sets in the spring.

Off to Kulturhuset

As the sun starts to set, (remember, the days are short during the fall and winter here in Stockholm) start heading back to the city and to Kulturhuset, (The Culture House).

Kulturhuset is located right in front of Sergels torg, the large chessboard-like square. Several bus stops in the area as well as one exit from Central Station make it hard to miss Sergels torg. Coming from Djurgården, you can either walk back along Strandvägen, or take bus 47 and get off at the Sergels torg stop.

Kulturhuset is known for its free exhibitions. Keep in mind that most of the exhibitions are closed on Mondays, and on all other days they don’t open until 11 AM. Closing times vary depending on the day of the week, so be sure to check Kulturhuset’s website if you’re unsure.

Once inside, Kulturhuset has a lot to offer. Each of the five floors has something, most of which are free. You’ll always have access to the Library for Comics and Graphic Literature on the 2nd floor, and the Kidzone on the 4th floor. Revolving photo exhibitions, film festivals, musical performances, and even literature workshops can be found on the other floors throughout the year.

After having explored the natural beauty of Stockholm, as well as the cultural offerings, relax with one of the numerous global newspapers available or befriend a local and finish your day with a game of chess. You’ll have experienced Stockholm, and done so on a budget that any Cheapo would love.

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The town also offered a museum that claims to be the smallest in the world, which is actually a piece of arrant self-delusion. The Superior museum turned out to be about as exciting as the Cawker City Twine-A-Thon, but did encourage us to start combing Europe for even smaller museums.

A Parisian contender

What about the tiny Paris apartment which was the one-time home of eccentric French composer Erik Satie? Open only by appointment, the one room where Satie spent most of the last twenty-seven years of his life not only has real content (and lots of it), but it also affords insights into the mind of a man who gave his compositions bizarre names like “Préludes flasques pour un chien” (Drivelling preludes for a Dog) and “Trois Morceaux en forme de Poire” (Three pear-shaped pieces).

The Musée-Placard d’Erik Satie is packed in just the way that Satie left it when he departed this world. He owned two pianos, one kept on top of the other, a hundred umbrellas, and he was an inveterate collector of clothes, bric-a-brac, and correspondence.

But the winner is… in Macedonia!

But even better (and smaller) is a truly diminutive museum in Macedonia in the village of Dzepciste just north of Tetovo. Oddly enough, Dzepciste has that same kind of frontier feel about it as Superior in Arizona. Dzepciste is an outback place of rugged faces, cautious smiles, and expressive simplicity. Plus one fabulous museum devoted to local history and ethnography with more than a thousand artifacts that document two millennia of Macedonian civilization.

With a total exhibition space of just seven square meters, visitor rules are strict: no more than one person at a time is allowed to visit. And, best of all for Cheapos, it is absolutely free. It is no bad thing, though, to leave a donation to support the work of the locals who have, over many years, developed this fine diminutive attraction.

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