#102 Dublin for Free

I love free things, and this capital city is no exception. Dublin is quite small and a lot of things are quite easy to get around on foot. We're often listed as one of Europe's more expensive countries, but as a tourist there is plenty to do that is completely free!

Free Walking Tours
Sandemanns Walking Tours - I thought this was good, it encompassed most of the important information on the city and country as a whole, but it didn't go near O'Connell St which was disappointing.

O'Connell St and the Spire
The real stars of O'Connell St are the GPO (General Post Office) and the statues - many of which still have bullet holes from the 1916 Easter Rising almost 100 years ago (the Rising was the first in many events which eventually led to Irish independence from the British). The Spire is a new addition and a new popular landmark and symbol for Dublin - although it's not much to see, just a really big needle!

Phoenix Park
This is like the biggest metropolitan park in Europe or the world or something, but all you need to know is that it has wild deer and if you're around early in the morning you could spot one (or several)! It's also home to some other places like Dublin Zoo (good but a little expensive I think) and the residence of the President (free - see below).

Aras An Uachtarain (The official residence of the President of Ireland)
This has tours every hour from like 10am to 3pm every Saturday only. It's free, but you should be early to ensure you get a ticket.

Ha'Penny Bridge
This is one of the locations from the book Ulysses by James Joyce, and a short walk from O'Connell St in the city centre.

Ha'Penny Bridge

Leinster House (home of the Irish Parliament)
I haven't got around to this yet, but apparently there are a few tours a day Monday to Friday, but places are limited.

National Gallery of Ireland
I once overheard an American tourist refer to this as "the art centre" which was incredibly offensive. I have zero interest in art, but from what I understand there are some important pieces on display here, and it has a central location too.

Archaeology Museum

National Museum of Ireland - Archaeology
There are three national museums in Dublin (the other two being natural history and fine arts) but this one is the best, and definitely worth a visit. It boasts a big collection of Celtic and viking items, as well as a few famous pieces like the Tara Brooch, Ardagh Chalice and a few 'bog bodies' - bodies preserved for thousands of years in Irish marshland.
Natural History
This is a really old, musty museum full of dead and stuffed animals. Definitely quirky, but quite small and not worth a visit if you only have a limited time.
Fine Arts
Located in an old military barracks. I haven't had time to visit yet, will update when I do!

Chester Beatty Library
This has the worlds largest collection of Kor'ans. Or something like that? I really liked this place, it's modern and the collection is a cool mix of things from around the world.

Trinity College
This place really isn't that special these days - any Irish student can choose to go there if they wish, it's not fee paying, prestigious or only open to really smart people. But it is home to the Book of Kells (it usually costs money to go in - but grab a passing Trinity student as they have free entry and can also bring a guest for free!).

Temple Bar

Temple Bar
There really isn't much to see here, I've heard it being compared to some of the 'old towns' around Europe, but it's definitely not on par with any of these! It's popular for having cobblestoned streets and lots of bars which are incredibly overpriced and popular with tourists.

The Science Gallery
This has exhibits which change every few months, it's interesting but small and again not worth a visit if you have limited time

Irish Museum of Modern Art
I may have already mentioned my indifference towards art, and therefore I haven't made it a priority to visit here yet, so cannot comment on anything except the fact it's free ;)

Docklands

Dublin Docklands
This area was falling apart for many years, but has undergone complete redevelopment and is now home to hundreds of shiny new offices housing international companies like Google and Facebook. The area also boasts the Convention Centre, 3 Arena, and lots of new bridges. If the weathers nice and you have some free time, it would be nice for a stroll.

Shopping
The main places for shopping in South Dublin city are Grafton Street and the adjoining Stephens Green Shopping Centre, while north of the river you should visit Henry Street and the adjoining Ilac and Jervis Shopping Centres.
If you're a fan of Primark/Pennys, you'll find one of the biggest ones in the country on Henry Street, a 5min walk from the Spire on O'Connell St. You'll find Europe's first Forever 21 at Jervis Centre, and the Disney Store is on Grafton St. The main tourist gift store is Carrolls, which have a few locations around the city. Obviously it's overpriced, so maybe check out some of the smaller shops too.

#101 London

LONDON!! So just before Christmas I went on a trip to London, and I have only just got around to telling you about it. Sorry!

I went from Ireland and got the bus/boat over - it was cheap and it was good. The ferry was delayed by about 2 hours on the way over (bad weather), but I had two seats to myself on the bus (each way!) and we made regular stops at petrol stations so you could take a smoke break, pee, stretch your legs, grab a coffee etc. For the €53 it cost I can't fault it and would definitely recommend it! (Read more about it here; travelbanter.blogspot.ie/yes-it-is-cheaper-than-flying).

It wasn't my first time in London, but it was the first time as an adult so I could decide what I wanted to do! As you know I had a small budget, and I'm not fond of paying for things, so all of what I did was free! This included Camden markets, Big Ben and Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square, Tower of London and Tower bridge, British Museum, Harrods, Baker St, Buckingham Palace, Oxford St, Victoria and Albert Museum, looking at Christmas lights etc etc.

In fact, once you get your transport sorted (some form of Oyster card - it's not cheap but it's 100% necessary!) you can actually visit many of the major famous places in London for free. If you're thinking of going inside somewhere, check review sites ahead of your visit, as some of them will give you a good indication if it's overpriced and mediocre.

It being Christmas we also went to Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park. And it was wonderful! It was absolutely packed full of people, craft stalls, food stalls and amusement park rides. It really was a winter wonderland, and entry was free which was the best part!

I was lucky with the weather, and the day we decided to do the outdoors sightseeing (Big Ben etc) it was blue skies! I don't think you need a bus tour or to pay in to most things - you can pretty much find all you want to do quite easily once you work out the tube!

 

I cannot remember where this was!

 

British Museum (free!)

Harrods at Christmas

Festive ice skating 

Trafalgar Square

Big Ben

London Eye

Oxford St

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

#74 France: The Travel Show

I have been to Paris four times. Once during Halloween with a youth group when I was 11, again with my family for New Years when I was about 13, with a youth group at Halloween again when I was 14, and then during Easter on a school tour when I was 16.

Shamefully, I have never been outside Paris, and I have a keen interest in returning to France, this time without a visit to the capital. I think this is probably an issue for the country - tourists fly in to Paris, stay a few days, see the major sights, and leave. France is quite a large country with a lot to offer, and I am embarrassed to have been there so many times without seeing the rest of the country.

Paris, and the Eiffel Tower

That being said, Paris is a really beautiful city. Some say the French (and in particular Parisians) are rude, but I will give them the benefit of the doubt, and say that I had a wonderful time there each time I visited. Since it uses Euro it is convenient for the Europeans out there, and although prices aren't cheap and a tiny coffee could cost you €6 or more in one of the quaint cafés, it isn't too unreasonable if you know where to look.

The most obvious highlights in Paris include the Eiffel Tower, Arc De Triomphe, Louvre Museum and Disneyland. Although Disneyland has been criticized for being an eyesore etc etc, I think it is a magical place to visit on a day out, especially if there are children or young people involved. It's impossible not to have a good time there!

Halloween decorations at Disneyland Paris

I'm not sure if things have changed much in the past 5 or so years, but the lines to go up the Eiffel Tower used to be a massive pain - you just had to line up and wait to get in. Newer attractions like SkyTree in Tokyo have a system where you buy a ticket straight away and are given a time, one or 2 hours, to return, and then you can go almost straight up without hours of queueing. Hopefully they have brought in a similar system in Paris! Also, for anyone who thinks walking it could be fun (or because the wait is shorter for the stairs than for the elevator) it's very tiring and takes a lot longer than what you think.


One of the really cool places outside Paris is Mont Saint Michel. Basically, it's like a really old town and castle built on a little island. It reminds me of something from Lord of the Rings! You can easily get to Mont St Michel from Paris, either using a day tour operator (expensive but convenient) or going yourself by getting a train and then a bus. You can get there in about 3 hours or so. I haven't been there, but since I discovered it (embarrassingly, only last year) I can't wait to visit it.

Mont Saint Michel

France also has a lot of nice lovely and quaint villages and towns, and the further south you go, you can also find some really warm weather and gorgeous beaches.

Since I am in Ireland, I have two options to get to France, I can fly to Paris and then get a train or bus, or I can get the ferry to somewhere like Cherbourg, and then go from there. France has an excellent train network, and also buses which take longer but are often much cheaper.

This article is linked to my student radio show - The Travel Show. To listen back on the show (originally aired 4th October) click here http://www.ulfm.ie/week-4-listen-back/#tabs-1701-0-4

#53 A List Of Free Things To Do In Stockholm

This is for the people who want to see Stockholm on a budget! There are so many great things to do here that don't cost money, so I will keep updating this post as I discover more fun things to do in Stockholm for free. The obvious things are walking the streets and sightseeing, but during the weekdays many museums are free in the evenings so it's good to check before your visit.

Katarina Hissen - Great viewing point of Stockholm. Located beside Slussen metro station.

Monteliusvägen - Viewing point. Take the metro to Mariatorget and then 5min walk.

Gamla Stan - The Old Town. Walk around cobbled streets. Located at Gamla Stan metro station.

Ericsson Globe Arena - The World's Most Spherical building! Metro stop Globen.

Maritime Museum - NOT to be confused with Vasa! Bus 69 from Sergels Torg to Museiparken.

Sports Museum - Bus 69 from Sergels Torg to Museiparken.

Free walking tours - Every weekend and some weekdays www.freetourstockholm.com

Changing of the guard - Located at the Royal Palace, usually Wednesdays and Sundays at 12pm

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo locations - Google it! Popular places are Fiskargatan 9 and Bellmansgatan1.

IKEA Kungens Kurva - Take the free IKEA bus from the city or go to Skarholmen metro station.

The Woodland Cemetery (Skogskyrkogarden) - Skogskyrkogarden metro station

Skeppsholmsbron (the bridge with the crown) - Bus 65 from central to Nationalmuseum.

Drottinggatan shopping street - Located near Stockholm central train/metro station.

[Stockholm Travel card: You can take the ferry, tram, see metro station art]


Special Days Only (most of these exclude June, July and August, please check in advance)

[Mondays only: Royal Coin Cabinet - Located at the Royal Palace. Metro to Gamla Stan]

[Tuesdays only: Nobel Museum (free from 5pm)  - Take the metro to Gamla Stan]

[Wednesdays only: Nordic Museum (free from 5pm) - Take the tram from Sergels Torg.
and Technology Museum (free from 5pm) -  Bus 69 from Sergels Torg to Museiparken.]

[Thursdays only: Army Museum (free from 5pm) - Take tram to Nybroplan
Royal Armoury (free from 6pm) -  Located at the Royal Palace. Metro to Gamla Stan]

[Fridays only: Moderna Museet (free from 6pm) - Bus 65 from central station
and Architecture Museum (free from 4pm to 6pm) - Bus 65 from central station
National History Museum - Take tram to Djgardsbron]

#22 Ginza (and crazy Japanese souvenirs!!)

So I was wandering around the streets of Tokyo one Saturday evening and I found myself in Ginza, the rich part of town.

This building is like the signature of Ginza

I'd be meaning to go for a look in Ginza, but since it was a little far out from where I live and I really can't afford to shop in Chanel it wasn't at the top of my list!

It is a nice place, and well worth a look, even at night with the flashy lights. There's every high fashion name you know, as well as a few you probably don't know (which makes them oh-so-exclusive). And not to mention a big Forever 21, H&M, Zara, and possibly the biggest Uniqlo I've ever seen.

It was also that bright on the inside

They also have a wonderful toy shop (one of the biggest in Tokyo I believe) called Hakuhinan Toy Park. The ground floor has a wonderful assortment with everything from Harry Potter Chopsticks to fake Sushi candles! The second floor has a big selection of plush toys and keyrings and things from both Western characters (Disney, Spongebob) and Japanese characters such as Totoro and Hello Kitty. From there up in turns into an actual toy store and is less exciting unless you are, in fact, a child.

Star Wars Chopsticks

Harry Potter Chopsticks

Samurai Sword Chopsticks

Japanese food phone/bag charms...the fish one was really big and heavy

Legs chopsticks

Sushi candle

Sushi pen!

He's sooooo cute!

 The Swarovski building was decorated fabulously, as well as having Hello Kitty items

The Chanel Fall collection

Being an expensive area, there isn't much in the line of cheap restaurants around the area that I could see, but I found a McDonalds off a side street though. On a Saturday afternoon the area is closed to cars so you can walk along the street. Nearby is the replica of one of the oldest stations in Japan, the old Shinbashi station, as well as the Advertising Museum, Tsukiji Fish Market and Hama Rikyu Japanese Gardens.

So, Ginza is a nice place to look at, but unfortunately not to shop at for most of us. If you have time to spare in Tokyo then you should pay it a visit, but if you don't there are better places to spend your time.