Free Walking Tours
While museums, art galleries and historic sites may be fascinating, the cost of admission at multiple attractions can be expensive. Fortunately, there's a lot that can be learned about a destination just by exploring its neighborhoods with a knowledgeable and experienced guide. A company called Sandeman's New Europe sponsors free walking tours to various cities in Europe and Great Britain.
Sandeman's New Europe
neweuropetours.eu
Off Season Ski Resorts
Breckenridge, Colorado, is famous for its ski resorts. However, its summer activities are Colorado's best-kept secret. Even better, many lodging venues drop their rates over the summer. For example, in 2009, room rates at the Fireside Inn, located on historic French Street, were as low as $28 per person in their dormitory. The rates for the Brandywine Suite, which sleeps four people, were $115 for the entire suite. The Breckenridge Heritage Alliance offers $5 tours of the town, as well as a variety of hikes to the town's historic mines. Additionally, many of the museums have free admission. When you finish exploring the town, you can hike the mountains or cycle on 10-mile drive, which is the river path connecting Breckenridge with the town of Frisco.
Fireside Inn
114 North French St.
Breckenridge, CO 80424
(970) 453-6456
firesideinn.com
Breckenridge Heritage Alliance
P.O. Box 2460
Breckenridge, CO 80424
(800) 980-1859
breckheritage.com
Teach English: Stay for Free
If you've ever wanted to go to Spain, but thought that you couldn't afford it, consider the VaughanTown program. This innovative English-language program takes place in Avila or Salamanca. The Spanish participants are involved in an intensive English-language program. They have the vocabulary. Now they just need to use it. As such, volunteers from a variety of English-speaking countries are invited to spend five days in either of these two Spanish towns. In exchange for a private room at a luxury hotel and three full meals a day, you are simply asked to converse in English with the Spanish participants, arrange improvisational plays and party at night. In addition to group activities, you will have two, daily, one-on-one sessions with a Spanish participant. Although some people do these while indoors, most prefer to go outside and hike past the farmlands and mountains. The program begins with a tapas party in Madrid. Then, the next morning, the bus takes you to your destination and brings you back to Madrid at the end of the five days. The organizers will send you a list of cheap hostels in Madrid.
VaughanTown
General Perón 38, Edificio Master's I, 2ª Planta
28020 Madrid
011 (+34) 91 748 59 50
vaughantown.com
