Cheapflights.com Finds Free Fun

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwired - Oct 29, 2013) - In Cheapflights.com's recent Travel Habits survey, one of the top worries of Americans surveyed was "spending beyond your means." Whether traveling with family, friends, as a couple or on your own, managing a budget can take all the joy out of a trip. The travel experts at Cheapflights.com, the online leader in finding and publishing travel deals, are here to help you keep amusement from busting your budget with their list of Top 10 Fun Freebies to Look for While Traveling. With some research and planning and a little help from this list of creative and, best of all, free ways to keep entertained, you can focus on fun instead of finances while on vacation.

Who says nothing is free anymore? The Cheapflights crew has discovered a slew of complimentary activities from games to bike rides to hairstyles and food and drink that travelers can find while on the road. Check out five of our finds below:

• Free games - From Amsterdam's Sarphatipark to London's Soho Square to New York's Bryant Park, ping pong is in the air. Outdoor tables are actually surprisingly common in many parts of the world. There are maps to ping pong locales around Berlin and London. There is an orange table that pops up in spots throughout the city of Darwin, Australia, along with paddles and balls to borrow for a match. Bryant Park also offers all the accessories, as well as the ability to sign up for a time. In other places, you may need to bring your own gear and wait your turn. If ping pong isn't your game, keep an eye out for bocce ball and beach volleyball ball courts -- other fun, social and free ways to get to know the locals. Or, for a more mental challenge,  try places like the Chess & Checkers House in New York's Central Park, where you can sit down for a game of backgammon, dominos or, of course, chess or checkers, or the Chess Park in Santa Monica, Calif., where you can even play with giant pieces.
  
  
• Free bike rides - Bike sharing programs have gone universal, with cities around the globe offering thousands of bikes for rent for relatively small fees. They make for a fast, affordable and eco-friendly way to get around. Even better, in some major cities, including Washington, D.C., Montreal and Paris, you don't pay for the first 30 to 60 minutes of a ride. You will have to sign up for the service, but, if you just want a quick zip around town, you can have it for free. In the U.S., you may find smaller towns, like Salem, Mass., and Simsbury, Conn., that have completely free bike shares while many college communities offer free rides as well. Finally, keep an eye out around Earth Day and other local green celebrations as they can translate into free bike days!
  
  
• Free new hair style - Imagine coming back from a trip to one of the world's fashion capitals with a new look. Now, imagine doing that for free! Whether you are headed to Paris, New York, London or Milan, if you have a flexible schedule and an adventurous spirit, you can register yourself as a "model" for hairdressers-in-training at top salons. Some charge a supplies fee, especially for color, but many offer completely free cuts and styling if you call ahead and can fit into their training schedule. Just remember instructors are looking to challenge these stylists, so don't go in asking for a simple trim.
  
  
• Free boat tours - Want one of the best views of the Statue of Liberty and lower Manhattan? How about a river boat trip across the mighty Mississippi River or along the historic Savannah, Ga., waterfront? These are just some of the scenic spots where free water shuttles, designed for commuters and to cut down on car traffic, also happen to serve as great sightseeing options. The fleet of Staten Island Ferries in New York makes the five-mile, 25-minute trip right past Ellis Island and Lady Liberty more than 35,000 times a year. The Algiers Ferry in New Orleans leaves from the foot of Canal Street and drops you on the "West Bank," providing a view of New Orleans as it wraps around the river bend that gives the Crescent City its nickname. The four Savannah Belles Ferries, named for notable women from the city's past, are a practical way to get from one historic point to another or just to connect with the proud shipping and maritime tradition of this almost-300-year-old port.
  
  
• Free ice skating - They say the best way to enjoy winter is to embrace the fun of cold-weather sports. However, skiing and snowboarding can be budget-busting activities. Skating, on the other hand, is a great way to get in the spirit of the season and get some exercise. And, while it can cost some coin in touristy spots like New York's Rockefeller Center or Paris's Eiffel Tower rink, it is also often free in other places. To steer clear of rental fees, you should bring your own gear, which is worth the hassle if you are heading to real skating destinations like Ottawa, with its Rideau Canal that provides close to five miles of free ice for your enjoyment (and a handy way to get around town). Stockholm offers the choice of a spin right in the center of town at the Kungstradgarden ice rink, or a 20-minute trip out to Edsviken for a more one-with-nature experience. If you master the trail skating at Edsviken, look for other free "tour skating" tracks throughout Scandinavia, especially Finland. And, if you are headed to ice-deprived spots, look for inline skating fun like the weekly Tuesday evening rolling party in Tel Aviv, where hundreds roller blade on a 13-mile route passing numerous hot spots around town.
  
  

Rounding out our list of fun freebies are: Free splash parks; free shows; parades; free food or drink and free sporting events. To read more about these and Cheapflights.com's Top 10 Fun Freebies to Look for While Traveling, visit www.cheapflights.com/news/top-10-fun-freebies-to-look-for-while-traveling. 

About Cheapflights.com, part of the Momondo Group
Momondo Group is an online travel media and technology company that is driven by the belief that an open world is a better world. The group now serves travel search and inspiration to over 13 million visitors a month -- plus 7 million travel newsletter subscribers -- via its Cheapflights (www.cheapflights.com) and momondo (www.momondo.com) brands.

Skygate began the sourcing of complex air-travel data in 1992, while Cheapflights pioneered the online comparison of flight deals for users in 1996 and momondo launched meta-search in the Nordic countries in 2006. 

The Group has offices in London, Copenhagen, Boston and Toronto, with a consumer base across more than 20 core international markets but users all over the world.

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