Are you traveling Rome on a budget? Check out the stunning Piazza Novana in Rome for free - Photo: © Andrey Anisimov

When in Rome there are hundreds of things to do and places to see – but do all of them mean spending a small fortune? Think again. There are loads of awesome sightseeing activities that you can do and they are all virtually free. Here are some suggestions for a thrifty but still fun way to enjoy Rome.

Go to church – at the St. Peter’s Basilica, you can walk around the cavernous halls when there is no Mass, explore the grounds or visit the Vatican Museum, which offers free admission every last Sunday of the month. Rome has hundreds of churches with impressive architecture to boot so get out your map and start walking.

Take a fitness test – walk up the 138-steps of Scalinata della Trinita dei Monti (the Spanish Steps), the longest and widest staircase in Europe. Once you get to the top, you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the whole city.

Pyramid of Cestius - Photo: © Jacek Cudak

See Egypt in Rome – or one of Egypt’s iconic figures, the Pyramid of Cestius. The 87-foot tall structure is one of the best-preserved monuments in Rome and is a popular tourist attraction.

Enjoy nature – on a sunny day there is nothing better to do than to be in a lovely park such as the Villa Borghese. Take a stroll in the heart-shaped park, read a book or take a nap under one of the trees.

Take an ancient polygraph test – the Bocca della Verita is an ancient sewer grate with a rather dreadful legendary power. According to old tales, if you place your hand inside its mouth and tell a lie, your hand gets bitten off.

Be in the center of everything – in Rome, the Piazze are where most people converge and chances are there will be free events happening. Walk around the Piazza Navona and enjoy watching the fountains or the Piazza Campo dei Fiori where there is always a local market.

Rome's Pantheon and Fontana del Pantheon - Photo: © Ben Savill

Soak up on Roman history – visit the Pantheon, an ancient pagan temple turned into a burial ground. Built in 27 BC, it is one of the best-preserved Roman monuments. Or stroll through the ruins of Foro Romano – the center of government, religion and commerce in ancient Rome. Another leisurely walk to enjoy would be down the old road out of Rome, along the Appia Antica.

Get a free pass to the museums and galleries – check out calendars or websites and find out when they are open free to the public. The Musei Capitolini, for instance, offers free admission on the last Sunday of the month.

Explore the eerie and unusual side of Rome – visit the Capuchin Crypt in the Santa Maria della Concezione with its collection of the bodies of 4,000 Capuchin friars.

Enjoy open-air music and shows – mark your calendar for special festivals and holidays where there will be parades and performances throughout the city. During summer, there is the Estate Romana where Rome is transformed into an outdoor event spectacle – concerts, film showings, dances and art on display are often offered free to the public.

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Moscow's Red Square. Photo: © Olga Demchishina

Having received decades of free publicity from a large number of espionage movies, it’s hard to find a film-exposed individual who hasn’t heard about the Red Square. Its popularity, however, is not only due to an unwarranted attention by Cold War crazed film-makers. The Red Square is massive and humbling, especially for those familiarised with crowded cities and cramped streets; the sheer open space and massive size of the buildings surrounding it will make you feel exceptionally small (ironic, considering both are products of human achievement.)

The square separates the royal citadel (the Kremlin, currently the official residence of the country’s president) from the Kitai-gorod, a merchant quarter of Moscow. Major streets radiate from its centre and turn into highways as they slither outside the city; because of this, the Red Square is often considered the centre of Moscow and, by extension, of all of Russia. The site pulls crowds throughout the year and it would be a crime to miss it on your first visit to the city.

St. Basil’s Cathedral

Saint Basil's Cathedral. Photo: © Oleg Doroshin

Standing at the South-East end of the Red Square is the St. Basil’s Cathedral. Also known as The Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed, it is one of the country’s most popular attractions and quite possible the most recognisable building in the whole of Russia. The origins of the cathedral go back to the time of Ivan the Terrible, who commissioned it to celebrate the capture of Kazan after over a century of intermittent wars with the Tartan Mongols. Named after Basil the Blessed (a holy figure whom Ivan the Terrible was fond of) the edifice was erected on the site of the old Trinity Cathedral and eventually became the final resting place of the man who had inspired its name.

St. Basil is hard to miss even from the distance; the cathedral wears an array of swirling colours that saturate its domes and redbrick towers. The layout comprises a total of nine individual chapels (the last of which houses the remains of Basil the Blessed), each built in commemoration of a battle in the long siege of Kazan. The nine chapels are topped by onion domes, each unique, which are one of the building’s most impressive features. The design pays homage to Christian symbolism and was created to become an architectural representation of the New Jerusalem.

While St. Basil’s exterior is whimsical and colourful, its interior is quite different. Once inside the church, visitors can wander through a number of small and dimly lit chapels connected by a literal maze of corridors all bathed in soothing pastel colours. The transition is abrupt but serves to put the emphasis on the themes of introspection and meditation that permeated the ethos of the Russian church during the 16th Century.

St. Basil’s Cathedral is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in winter and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in summer.

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The Grand Canal in Venice. Photo: © Oleksandr Prykhodko

Organising a holiday getaway to one of Europe’s most romantic cities isn’t easy at the best of times. Planning a trip that isn’t as clichéd as the destination is as important as the recognition of a unique relationship such a trip signifies. If it has to be Paris or Prague or Venice, at least ensure you travel in style and do something a little different. River cruises of Venice and the river Po is definitely a little different.

Located in the north of Italy on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, Venice is a gloriously beautiful city famous for its art, culture and long history. Home to stunning cathedrals and bridges, Venice is perfect for those lovers who like to while away their time together exploring a fine old city, perusing world-class museums, eating proper Italian cuisine or simply shopping from an array of designer and local boutiques. Yes, the canals are also there for that staple souvenir picture taken from the bow of a gondola, but Venice really does have more to offer than overpriced punting trips. Venice is placed near the mouth of the river Po, a large body of water that makes up the delta in the Po valley, and this is where the cruise becomes interesting: the tributaries of the delta lead further inland to cities such as Padua, Turin, and Ferrara, and is connected to Milan via a set of channels that Leonardo da Vinci designed. A river cruise based from Venice will take you to surprising places via the delta, places where the history and romance of Italy really come to light.

Itineraries vary, but a typical package trip includes return flights to Venice, at least one day exploring the city, all meals and drinks on board, excursions to sites of interest and transfer to the vessel. Service and food on board is exemplary, certainly guaranteed to be better than a similarly-priced ‘hotel’ near the centre of town, and the views from the decks of the lagoon and the cityscape are second to none. Your stay in Venice is on board a luxury cruise liner; certainly a far cry from the usual holiday anecdotes involving dodgy B&Bs as the facilities are exceptional and the staff are warm and friendly. The itinerary offers plenty of time to explore Venice, so while the sightseeing is worth doing, take the opportunity to branch out and make your own memories of Venice. Other places the river cruise could go to include the nearby islands of Murano and Burano, famous for lacework and glass-blowing, picturesque fishing village Chioggia, and Padua, setting of Shakespeare’s surprisingly romantic play, The Taming of the Shrew.

Let your worries wash away and the romance flow: a river cruise is ideal for making the traditional romantic trip a little different. Cruising in style and comfort on a top-range liner is one of the joys of life, and makes for a holiday that is both expansive and intimate.

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Playa de las Americas, Tenerife - Photo: Gabriel A.

As they are home to some of the best resorts in Europe, Canary Islands holidays are extremely appealing making it easy to understand why thousands of British holidaymakers flock there every year. Have a look at five of the best resorts and see which one tempts you the most.

Playa de las Americas

Playa de las Americas is the premier beach resort in Tenerife and boasts everything you could possibly want for that perfect holiday away. The beaches in the 16km coastal stretch are home to golden Saharan sand and shimmering clear blue water. As you might expect there are countless water sports on offer such as diving, snorkelling and jet-skiing and even the chance to get out at sea gazing at the dolphins and whales. Playa de las Americas is also home to some of the best nightlife in the Canaries, along the famous Veronica’s Strip – so don’t forget your dancing shoes!

Puerto del Carmen

Puerto del Carmen is the longest established and for many the most well known resort in Lanzarote. It has everything holidaymakers require such as beachfront arcades, accommodation to suit all budgets and even casinos. The main beach has everything you could possibly need and the nightlife is especially vibrant.

Puerto Rico

For those making the trip to Gran Canaria, the sumptuous coastline in the resort area of Puerto Rico is not to be missed. Two main beaches, covered in golden Saharan sand, split by imposing cliffs, are the perfect place to while away the days in the sunshine working on the tan, whereas if you’re feeling a little adventurous the cliff walk between the beaches provides the most picturesque view of the coast.

Costa Calma

This resort lies at the northern end of Sotavento – for many the best beach in Fuerteventura – so it’s clear what the main attraction is. The long white sand beach stretches out as far as the eye can see. This may not be the most ideal spot for those looking to go out clubbing every night, but it’s certainly the perfect location for a quiet beach holiday. The attraction of the zoo at the nearby Oasis Park is also a nice distraction from beach life and great for the kids.

Costa Adeje

Another resort in Tenerife, Costa Adeje is home to sumptuous black sand beaches and imposing mountains and is the perfect place for a little seclusion away from some of the busier resorts on the island. Water sports are a big pastime here as is a trip to near the summit of Mount Teide, Spain’s highest peak.

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One of the many impressive beer halls at Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany

Germany is a country of contrasts, with much to offer its visitors. From world-class museums and historic architecture to fine dining and vibrant nightlife, Germany has it all, and with over 10,000 towns and cities between the Alps and the North Sea, choosing which to visit can be a daunting decision. Each of this country’s dynamic cities has a charm all of its own, so once you’ve checked out the foreign currency exchange rates (Germany’s currency is the Euro), have a look at our list of Germany’s top four cities to visit.

Berlin

The capital of Germany, Berlin is the third most visited place in Europe and is a melting pot of old and new, culture and cool, the traditional and the contemporary. A dramatic history provides an interesting backdrop to everything this city has to offer, and it is worth taking a tour of various landmarks such as the Reichstag and the Berlin Wall to get closer to the story of Berlin’s past.

Munich

Munich, much like the rest of Germany, basks in its own contradictions. As sophisticated as it is provincial, this city in the south is a strong rival to Berlin in terms of popularity and cultural cool. Munich is also home to Oktoberfest, a festival that runs from the end of September to the beginning of October and celebrates traditional German food and beer. With over five million people attending each year, Oktoberfest has become the largest fair in the world.

Cologne

Located in the west, a walk through Cologne will provide an abundance of fascinating history and beautiful architecture. The sights of this stunning city are dominated by the cathedral, a spectacular Gothic structure that was once described by UNESCO as an “exceptional work of human creative genius”. If you’re visiting in November, add a splash of color to your vacation at the Cologne Carnival. This six day party of street revelry is now one of Europe’s biggest festivals.

Hamburg

This multicultural metropolis is Germany’s biggest port and second largest city. Much of Hamburg was destroyed during the Second World War and has since been rebuilt to include buildings shaped like ocean liners, a Philharmonic hall and a modern waterside district. This cosmopolitan city is surrounded by two beautiful lakes, the Binnenalster and Aussenalster, both of which are perfect for sunlit strolls or romantic boat cruises.

What is your favorite city to visit in Germany? Make a comment below and let everybody know!

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