Book excerpt: Lonely Planet's The Best Things in Life are Free is packed full of money-saving tips, tricks and recommendations for the best-value sights and experiences around the world. From parks, museums and exercise classes that are free, to insider ideas on food and experiences offered at great value, this book features over 60 major cities around the world and promises to help any traveller on a budget to make the most of their trip. Includes parks and gardens, street markets and food trucks, viewing points, museums and galleries, free experiences, spectator sports, city beaches, and much more. For many, free and cheap things are not only appealing but essential for stretching the funds to last as long as possible for an extended journey. Yet, even on a short trip, many unforgettable blasts of freedom and discovery can happen on a thin budget. You quickly realise that cheap can mean much, much better. No fancy Roman trattoria dinner can truly rival the bread and cheese picnic in Villa Celimontana, a short walk from the Colosseum, on a visit to the Eternal City. Needless to say, the monetary value implied in the term 'free' can misrepresent what's on offer within these pages. The quality of an experience, after all, is not always attached to a price tag, such as the priceless experience of unearthing the world's secret wonders, whether that's swimming around Sydney's ocean pools or strolling the tombs and monuments of Delhi's Lodi Gardens. Additionally, it's an exaggeration to say that everything good is 100% free, so you'll find plenty of excellent value cheap things to experience throughout this book as well. Dip into your spare change for classy street food like a choripán (chorizo sandwich) in Buenos Aires, the best views of Hong Kong's skyline from the Star Ferry and a Boston brewery tour. After using the tips in this book, you'll be left with great memories, a happier you and a grateful wallet. Happy travels! Destinations covered: AFRICA Cape Town Marrakesh ASIA Bangkok Beijing Beirut Delhi Dubai Hong Kong Mumbai Shanghai Singapore Tokyo EUROPE Amsterdam Athens Barcelona Berlin Bruges Budapest Copenhagen Dublin Edinburgh Geneva Helsinki Istanbul Lisbon London Madrid Milan Moscow Oslo Paris Prague Reykjavik Rome Stockholm Venice Vienna NORTH AMERICA Austin Boston The Caribbean Chicago Detroit Las Vegas Los Angeles Miami New Orleans New York City Portland, OR San Diego San Francisco Seattle Toronto Vancouver Washington, DC SOUTH AMERICA Bogota Buenos Aires San Salvador Lima Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo OCEANIA Brisbane Melbourne North Island, NZ South Island, NZ Sydney About Lonely Planet: Started in 1973, Lonely Planet has become the world's leading travel guide publisher with guidebooks to every destination on the planet, as well as an award-winning website, a suite of mobile and digital travel products, and a dedicated traveller community. Lonely Planet's mission is to enable curious travellers to experience the world and to truly get to the heart of the places they find themselves in. Important Notice: The digital edition of this book may not contain all of the images found in the physical edition.