IT'S A FREE WORLD:IT'S POSSIBLE to have a blast in the casinos of Las Vegas without actually spending any money. Most casinos host free shows and attractions to lure people in and you can casino-hop by walking the four-mile strip from Mandalay Bay at the south end to the Stratosphere at the north; or avail of a free shuttle bus that operates on the strip.
Shows include the trapeze act at the Circus Circus Hotel and Casino that’s staged every half hour or the outdoor spectacle at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino created from fountains and lights on a quarter-mile man-made lake.
There’s a wildlife habitat at Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino which has an island surrounded by streams and waterfalls with over 300 birds including, of course, a flock of flamingos. For more information visit the official tourism website, visitlasvegas.com
Catch:The lure of the crap table and slot machines might beckon.
Take note:Most casinos offer free lessons on how to play table games.
TIRED OF trying to keep up with tour guides wielding an umbrella or a silly flower? Then why not sightsee at your own pace by downloading an audio tour on your ipod, ipad, iphone, smartphone or other MP3 player?
There are lots of web sites where you can dowload free audio tours – one example is iaudioguide.com which has more than 40 free tours. When in Rome, try italyguides.it which has audio tours of the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and the Mouth of Truth. Rick Steves offers lively audio podcasts of historic buildings and museums in a number of countries including the Louvre, the Orsay Museum and Versailles in Paris. Visit the website ricksteves.com
Catch:You won't get the spontaneity or the audience reaction you get on a group guided tour.
Take note:Free audio tours vary in quality.
FREEBIES IN PARIS are there if you look hard enough – despite the city being one of the most expensive in the world. Admission to the Louvre is usually from €6-€9.50 but it’s free to all visitors under 18, disabled visitors and their helpers, teachers of art, art history and the applied arts and 18-25 year old residents of the EU, but you’ll need to bring ID. Admission is free for everyone on the first Sunday of every month. See louvre.fr for more.
Other free things to do in Paris include visiting the Musée Carnavalet in the trendy Marais district which chronicles the history of Paris and the Fragonard Perfume Museum (fragonard.com) on Rue Scribe which features perfumery artefacts through the ages.
Catch:You'll need to plan to make the most of the free attractions.
Take Note:Admission is free before midnight to Le Showcase (showcase.fr) a nightspot with live jazz and rock under the stunning Alexandre III bridge, reported to be a favourite of President Sarkozy.
THERE ARE worse reasons to visit a country than to sample the food and Brussels is famous for its chocolatiers, including Godiva, Galler and Leonidas, where shops offer a free taste and cafes often serve a piece of chocolate with your coffee.
If it’s drink you’re after, Belgiam produces over 600 beers and brewery Haacht (Haacht.com) offers a free one-hour guided tour of their sprawling facility and then a visit across the street to Brasserie Brouwershof for a free beer tasting which includes a taste of one low- and one high-fermentation beer.
In France many members of the Vignerons Indepéndants d’Aquitaine offer free cellar visits and tastings, some of them in Saint Emilion, a world heritage site in Bordeaux.
See vigneron-independant-aquitaine.com.
Catch:The staff may notice if you're lingering around the free samples a little too long.
Take note:Roquefort Papillon, is where the famous blue cheese matures in the rock crevices of Mont Combalou. Tours of the caves are free and include a nibble at the end. Visit roquefort-papillon.com.
Found a freebie on holiday? Email the details to emorgan@irishtimes.com