If you like to explore old churches and
cathedrals, you're in luck. Most of them are free to get into, although a small
donation is nice. Some cathedrals, like Westminster Abbey, charge you a fee to
get in. If it's Westminster Abbey, it's definitely worth it. Otherwise, if you
balk at paying admission and you're not sure it's worth it, just skip it.
Sometimes you have to pay for extras, like seeing the treasury or climbing the
tower for excellent views of the city. If these things are worth it to you,
then go for it. Places of worship are cheap art museums. Most of them are
breathtaking on the inside, and some have very famous works of art that you get
to see at little or no cost.
A lot of cities offer a discount ticket that
allows you into a certain number of museums for one low price. In Bruges,
Belgium, for example, I
was able to buy a "5 Musea for 15 Euro" ticket, and I was given a
choice of about 12 museums. So I chose my five and got in at a cost of 3 euros
each, which is considerably cheaper than paying individual admission prices,
sometimes half as much. You can buy these tickets at the Tourist Information
Office or participating museums.
It's a good idea to check with your hotel and the
Tourist Information Office to see if they have any discount coupons for things
such as tours, attractions, or local shops. At my hotel in Bruges,
I got a coupon for 10% off at one of Bruges'
fine chocolate shops. That coupon not only led me to great chocolate, but also
to a nice conversation with a charming local.