January 25th, 2010 by admin

Urban travel and budget travel hardly ever go hand-in-hand. There is usually no way around the fact that city hotels, restaurants and attractions are expensive. However, certain metropolises offer attractions that are significantly cheaper than others (even free in many cases).

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Urban travel and budget travel hardly ever go hand-in-hand. There is usually no way around the fact that city hotels, restaurants and attractions are expensive. However, certain metropolises offer attractions that are significantly cheaper than others (even free in many cases). Urban budget travel just takes a little planning and research. Here are some good choices for city vacation experiences that will not break the bank.

1. Portland. This popular destination topped Budget Travel Magazine’s 2010 best budget cities list. The city is user-friendly, making it possible to get around on public transit and avoid the cost of renting a car. Portland also has a vibrant street food scene with street cart vendors supplying cheap, tasty meals at all hours of the day in central areas. There are also plenty of natural attractions, such as Forest Park.

2. Las Vegas. Sin City is a place to lose lots of money, but it is also a great place to find cheap hotel rooms and flights. Many casino hotels offer basic rooms under per night and reasonably priced all-you-can-eat buffets (costing -) can fill you up without breaking your travel budget.

3. Saint Louis. This city has more free activities than any other city in the US, save Washington DC (see #4). Notable free attractions include the Saint Louis Zoo, a world-class facility on par with other zoos in the country, and the Saint Louis Science Center, which features exhibits on dinosaurs and science. The Saint Louis Art Museum does not charge admission and its collection is free to all every day. (The Museum does charges a fee for  featured exhibitions; these however, are also free on Fridays.)

4. Washington DC. This is the number one city in the US for free activities. Popular sites like the Jefferson Memorial and the US Capitol Building are only a few of the hundreds of memorials, statues and buildings that you can visit free in DC. In addition, the many nationally-owned museums do not charge admission.

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Washington Monument Image: JCardinal18

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