Some of the most exciting things to do on vacation are cheap or free. The New York Convention and Visitors Bureau recently published 30 tips for bargain visits in New York. You can adapt quite a few of them to just about any important city anywhere in the world. Here are some examples:
Free entertainment. Whenever you arrive in a new city, go to whatever official office gives out visitor information-the tourist office, convention and visitors bureau or the like. (Hotels often provide tourist information too.) You’ll typically find a printed calendar of events, plus a bunch of posters and other announcements of interest.
If you’re interested in music, check out the local churches and schools-many offer free concerts. In addition, buy a local paper for your destination at an out-of-town paper stand before you leave home. A weekend edition with a “what’s going on” section is your best bet.
Scenic transit rides. With justifiable pride, New York points to the Staten Island Ferry as one of the world’s great deals in a scenic ride. Fifty cents each way gets you an unmatched view of the city’s dramatic skyline. Similar public transit ferry trips give fantastic views of harbor cities all around the world, from Hong Kong to Sydney to Venice. And scenic transit rides aren’t limited to ferries, either.
If you’ve ever envied those movie or TV types driving along California’s rugged Big Sur coastline, for example, you can duplicate the trip-at least in the summer-on Monterey Transit’s No. 22 public bus. In each new city, check with the local transit office. Quite often, public trains and buses can take you to the same places the tour buses go-at a fraction of the cost.
Ethnic food. Cheap food doesn’t necessarily mean fast food: Ethnic restaurants often feature full service at modest prices. New York’s suggestion is a dish of noodles in a Chinatown restaurant for about $4. Inexpensive Chinese is widely available throughout the U.S. and in most other countries. In San Francisco, dozens of restaurants serve a complete “rice plate” lunch with soup, main dish over rice, egg roll and tea for under $4.
In England, the cheap-ethnic-food role is filled primarily by Indian cuisine-a marvelous surprise if you haven’t tried it at home yet. In Germany, look for “Balkan” restaurants (Eastern European cuisine), and in France, for places that serve North African couscous.
Commerce and industry. You may already know that you can arrange a free tour of the New York Stock Exchange. But commercial and industrial operations around the world offer tours. Probably the best known are the tasting tours in many of the world’s wine-making regions and in many breweries.
The list of industrial and commercial tours goes far beyond those popular few, however. It’s possible to watch all sorts of industrial processes, from airplane assembly at Boeing to steelmaking. Local visitor offices should have lists of such tours. When formal tours aren’t announced, you can sometimes arrange a private session by calling a corporation’s public relations office.
Local escort. New York offers a great idea for first-time visitors: a tour guided by a local resident. There’s no charge for the Big Apple Greeters program; just call 212-669-2896. I don’t know if a comparable deal is available anywhere else; it’s such a good idea that I hope it has been copied. Again, the local visitor office should know.
