Grass is greener on the other side

IT'S A FREE WORLD:A NUMBER of English country hotels are offering suitably genteel freebies this season.

If you stay for three nights at Bridge Househotel, in Beaminster, Dorset, up to November 3rd, you get free entry to the gardens at Mapperton House and Forde Abbey, as well as Abbotsbury's Sub-Tropical Gardens. A three-night stay for two costs £140 (€160) per room per night based on bed and breakfast.

Headlam Hall Hotelin Co Durham is discounting £60 (€68) off the price of a two-night stay, making it £89 (€102) per person per night, between October 1st and November 30th, based on dinner, B&B, afternoon tea and a bottle of wine with dinner.

Catch:lovely as we're sure it is, we're not sure tea and gingerbread cuts it in the hotel freebie stakes.

Take note: see fihotels.com

* TOPFLIGHTis offering group and family money savers on a number of its winter ski holidays. In the Portes du Soleilski region in France, for example, there are free group and child places, lift passes and equipment for children.

In Andorra, in Italy, deals include free lift passes for group leaders of 12 or more people, free places for groups in selected hotels and apartments, and free name changes for groups of 12 or more on all charter flights up to four weeks before departure.

There are free group places at the four-star Hotel St Gothard and at the sister four-star Hotel Princesa Parc and Diana Parc, both in Arinsal, Andorra. Lift passes are free for all children under 11 when booking an adult pass.

In New Hampshirein the US, children up to the age of 12 stay free and eat free, and entertainment is provided for them in selected hotels. New Hampshire is a tax-free state with two major outlet centres for shopping. One child under the age of 12 receives a free lift pass when one adult prebooks a six-day lift pass in Killington.

Catch:The freebies are available only in selected Topflight resorts.

Take note:see topflight.ie

* THERE AREways to get around New York without spending a fortune. Downtown Connection Bus(downtownny.com) is a free, year-round service and a great way to explore downtown Manhattan.

The little bus, run by the Downtown Alliance, connects South Street Seaport with Battery Park City, making several stops from river to river.

Staten Island Ferry(siferry.com) is also free year-round and provides close-up views of the Statue of Liberty, New York Harbour and lower Manhattan. On Staten Island (visitstatenisland.com), the sights include the Alice Austen House Museum (aliceausten.org), the Tibetan Museum (tibetanmuseum.org), and the Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Garden (snug-harbor.org).

The HOB Connection Trolleyin Brooklyn (heartofbrooklyn.org) runs the first Saturday of each month. The trolley bus runs between the Brooklyn museum and local spots in the surrounding neighbourhoods.

Governors Island Ferry(govisland.com) is also free every weekend until October 8th. The island was a military base for the US Army and Coast Guard and looks a bit austere, but there's redevelopment underway and events every weekend.

Catch:Make the most of the free travel because New York can be an expensive city to visit

Take note:If you're travelling to New York, check out free events on nycgo.com/free and for information on free guided tours see ilovenewyork.se.

* Found a freebie on holiday? Tell me about it. E-mail emorgan@irishtimes.com