mez05

Hi everyone

We will be spending 8 glorious days in Paris at the end of July and then a week split between Venice and Rome at the end of August. We are stretching our budget to its limits to make it to these places (the rest of our time will be in East/Central Europe, where life is a little more affordable!) so are keen to spend as much time as possible taking in the culture without our giving out the euros!

Here's what I have got so far

mez05

Oops! Pressed post my reply by mistake. More to follow.....

mez05

Sorry for that. Here is what I have collected so far by way of free activities in Paris, Venice and Rome. I'd be grateful for any other suggestions....

Paris
- Rue Mouffetard on Sunday morning for street performers and market
- The passages walk (thanks Degas if you are still out there!)
- walk along the left bank of the seine
- Jardin du Luxembourg
- Promenade du plante on top of viaduct des arts
- flea markets
- wander around ile st louis and ile de la cite (especially place dauphine)
- picnic at parc des buttes chaumont
- sacre coeur steps
- explore montmartre, especially Amelie sites

Venice
- get lost!
- Rialto markets
- picnic on a bench in a square
- window shop for masks, jewellry and glass

Rome
- Aventino Hill (does anyone know if this is accessible by public transport?)
- Explore area around piazza navona, jewish quarter and trastevere
- Spanish steps and Trevi Fountain
- The Roman Forum
- View from Piazza Campidoglio


What have I missed?

Thanks!

Mez

motor_city_girl

mez...St. Peter's has free entrance. Also, the gardens at the Borghese are nice for picnics.

StCirq

The Place Beaubourg in Paris, at the Centre Pompidou, also has street performers and artists.

The rue Buci market, held every day

Other parks - Parc Monceau, Jardin des Plantes, Tuileries, St-Cloud, Bois de Boulogne....

The Mosquée de Paris - I think you can still get in free (also a tour option)

Walk along the Canal St-Martin

Père Lachaise cemetery

Grinisa

St. Peter's Basilica is free, but the the Vatican Museums and climbing to the Dome or visiting the Treasury at St. Peter's is not free. All of Rome's churches have free entrance (although it's nice to leave a small donation). You can see masterpieces in the churches like the Caravaggios in St. Luigi and Santa Maria di Popolo; Bernini sculptures in Santa Maria della Vittoria, San Francesco Ripa and San Andrea delle Fratte. See the Lippi Fresco cycle and Michelangelo's Risen Christ in Santa Maria Sopra Minerva; Michelangelo's Moses and the chains that held St. Peter are in the church of San Pietro Vincoli.
To access the Aventine (and peek through the keyhole at the Knights of Malta for an interesting view of St. Peter's Dome)take a bus to Santa Maria in Cosmedin where you can, for free, stick your hand in the Mouth of Truth, then cross the street, Via della Greca and walk up the hill.

SuzieC

THe museum of Paris' history, the Carnavalet in the 4th arr. also is free.

suze

How about Paris Plage, where for 1 month they close off a street near the river & put sand to make a "beach". Also featuring live music venues I've been told. Sorry don't know more details and am only assuming it is free or low cost.

suze

Begins July 21st for one month, a quick 'google' will get you more info if you're interested.

ga9497

Don't forget Piazza Navona in Rome

There are plenty of places to spend money there but the kids enjoyed the fountains and watching the street performers. We did have them sit for a potrait done by one of the artists there and it came out wonderful. I love looking it every day and remember the day we had it done

HowardR

Put Pere Lachaise Cemetery at the top of your Paris list. It's a great way to spend several fascinating hours....and it's free!

MelissaHI

A Paris resident once told me that during the summer, they put a big screen up in the park (not sure which one) and show movies for free. He'd just pack a picnic, bring something to sit on, and he was set. Not sure if they still do that??

jprov

When will you be in Rome? On the last Sunday of every month, certain museums are free. If you go to the Vatican Museum be prepared for long lines. This past May we went on a free Sunday, got in line at 10:00 and finally got in at 11:45. It took another 45min to see the Sistine Chapel. And it was hot! One woman fainted in line.

faredolce

On Enjoy Rome's website, they have this great page dedicated to things to see in Rome for free. Cut and paste this link into your browser and check it out for sure:
http://www.enjoyrome.com/tourist/cit....for.free.html

Brazilnut

In Paris, you can go to the top of the Institute de Monde Arabe to have a marvelous free view of the Ile St Louis. You have to pay to visit the Institute's collections, but the view from the top is free. You can also roam through the gift shop: they have beautiful things there and you don't pay to look.

Entrance to Notre Dame is also free, and so it is to the Centre Georges Pompidou.

Go to L'Etoile, see the Arc du Triomphe, and then walk up and down the Avenue des Champs Elisées to window shop at Cartier, Louis Vouton (the store is being redone now, but you can see the huge suitcases decorating the construction site), etc.

You can also spend 4 euros for a cup of expresso (or a little less of a bottle of mineral water) and nurse it for hours in a sidewalk café watching people walk by...

aspalm

Rome:
Pantheon is free, as are a number of interesting religious sites, many of which are listed by a previous poster. "Sacred Steps", "St. Peter in Chains", etc.
Cappuchin Crypt is by donation only, and certainly a unique experience.

SusanP

ttt

Lynn_Gibson

Paris on Sunday mornings - free organ concert at St. Suplice.

Dave_in_Paris

In Paris, there are many free concerts in the parks during the summer (the tourist office of the Champs Elysees will have schedules if you can't find them elsewhere). Also, on weekends, there are free movies outdoors in the La Villette park. And there is Paris Plage -- a quay of the Seine closed to traffic, sand trucked in, and palam trees "planted." Fun just to stroll it. And there are the food markets and small antique shows on the streets. One of the great food markets is on Sunday morning, on Boulevard Richard Lenoir, just off the Place de La Bastille. If you'd like to look at antiques, the magazine Aladin will list the street shows. There's no admission charge.

(By the way, the promenade atop the Viaduc des Arts is know as the coulee verte.)

mez05

These are fabulous suggestions - I am cutting and pasting them all into my notes. Thank you SO much everyone!!!!!!!!!!

The only one I definitely won't be doing is the Pere Lachaise cemetary ...I went to Paris once when I was younger and all I remember about it is the dead people I saw everywhere - every famous building seemed to have a crypt in the basement, the churces all had people buried under the marble, I also went to the Pere Lachaise cemetary and the catacombs. I didn't set out to see nothing but dead people, but somehow that's how it ended up! This time, my trip to Paris will be dedicated to the living! Can't wait!!!!!!!!!