15 things to do for free...anywhere

• 1. Visit museums

  
  In the UK and Ireland most of the 'big' museums are free all the time. This includes national galleries, modern art museums and more. In many other cities you'll find lots of museums that don't impose an admission charge. Many of those that aren't free all the time have free days or times. The Louvre in Paris for instance - it's free on the first Sunday of every month, while MoMA in New York City is free every 'Target Free Friday' between 4pm and 8pm. So do your research and you're bound to find somewhere where you can soak up a bit of culture without dishing out any cash.

• 2. Embark on walking tours

  
  That's right, walking tours that won't cost a cent can be found in numerous cities (if your hostel doesn't offer one, which many do these days). In New York City check out Big Apple Greeters, while Sandeman's New Europe Tours run free tours in Edinburgh, London and Amsterdamto name but a few cities (details of these can be found in our 'How to save money in...' videos). Down under in Sydney I'm Free operating similar tours. So as with the museums, do a bit of research and you'll be guided around a city without spending anything.

• 3. Eat

  
  An age-old tradition in Irish pubs on a Friday evening is to pass out free food to the punters. This could be pizza, cocktail sausages, sandwiches and more. In Milan and many other Italian cities, bars dish up all sorts of free nibbles during 'aperitivo' which is around 6pm. All you need to do is buy a drink to avail of the free food. For New York, the people from Gadling.com have put together a list of ten bars that serve free food, while if you're looking for free booze instead of free food, read our blog post on how to get free wine with your meal in Cape Town.

• 4. See some live music

  
  So you're in a city, you fancy going out but the prospect of a night in the pub chatting with your friends fails to excite you. There is a solution - go and check out some live music. If you're in Edinburgh 'Whistlebinkies' on South Bridge just off the Royal Mile has free live music most nights. As does the Red Lion on Bleecker St in Greenwich Village in NYC. In London fans of the blues can catch free gigs in 'Ain't Nothin' But The Blues' bar on Kingly St in Soho in the West End, while in Paris 'Le Pompon' on Rue des Petites Ecuries in the 10th Arrondissement is where to go. Folks down under in Melbourne need to check out The Esplanade in St Kilda and if you're in Vancouver, locate the Railway Club on Dunsmuir Street which hosts early gigs now and then.

• 5. See the landmarks

  
  Seeing Berlin's Brandenburg Gate won't cost you anything. Neither will a day gazing at San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge or Sydney's Opera House. You can stand on Venice's Rialto Bridge all day long, looking down the Grand Canal without dipping into your pockets, while in Istanbul you can take as many pictures of the Blue Mosque as you want without spending anything. The point I'm trying to make is that you can spend a day, maybe two, seeing a city's top sights completely and utterly free.

• 6. Make new friends

  
  There are days when you might not want to go traipsing around a city, taking picture after picture on your camera. This is where hostels come in - you can easily amuse yourself in a hostel by simply hanging out, chatting to people and making new friends. If this sounds like how you want to spend a day then check out our recent post on tips for making friends in hostels.

• 7. Keep fit

  Lazing around hostels and sitting for hours on trains or buses isn't particularly healthy. Neither is pigging out on pizza slices because they're the cheapest thing to eat. This is why excercise should be a pivotal part of your travels. But the thing is, it doesn't have to be boring - you can sightsee and feel like a local at the same time. It's hard to think of a nicer place to go for a brisk walk then Chicago's Lakefront Trail, while in Washington DC what better reward to a run down the Mall and past the Reflecting Pool than the sight of Abraham Lincoln's statue. Nice's Promenade des Anglais is always packed with walkers and joggers, as is the path around Tokyo's Imperial Palace.

• 8. Visit places of worship

  
  Regardless of your faith, you can't help but be amazed by some of the buildings constructed to worship one God or another. There are temples all over Asian cities. In Bangkok for instance you could easily spend your day 'temple-hopping'. Likewise in many European cities. Just grab your map, see what the icon for church/temple etc is and go exploring.

• 9. People watch

  
  When I go to cities I make sure to have enough time so that I can see the main sights, but also to do nothing else only sit myself on an outside seat in a cafe somewhere and watch the world go by. I've done it in many places, but reckon the best place to do so is Stradun - the main street in Dubrovnik's breathtaking Old Town. Other places where I could do nothing else only imagine people's life stories are Piazza della Signoria in Florence, anywhere in Tokyo's Shibuya neighbourhhood and the promenade on Venice Beach in Los Angeles.

• 10. Surf the web

  I love many things about hostels. They're cheaper than hotels, they're great for meeting people and they're always in really central locations. Another reason I love them is for the free WiFi. The vast majority of hostels these days have free WiFi. Even if you don't want to sit around the hostel on your laptop or smart phone all day, do a bit of research and you'll find a cafe or bar that offers it too. Once you're equipped with the right hardware, paying to use the internet is a thing of the past.

• 11. Explore the neighbourhoods

  
  While rushing to the main sights is an obvious thing to do in a city, there is one thing I don't like about doing it - you're not experiencing the city like the locals do. To do this you need to hang out in the neighbourhoods of the cities they call home. Little India in Singapore is one of the most fascinating neighbourhoods I've ever been to and in Auckland Devonport is like a whole new world. Strolling around Beacon Hill in Boston is such a pleasure, while in Rio de Janeiro you'll be surprised at how calm Ipanema is. The bottom line here is that exploring neighbourhoods means you get to see the real city while saving money at the same time.

• 12. Laugh a lot without spending a lot

  
  Just as most cities have venues where you can enjoy live music for free, many also have live comedy gigs at least once a week. In Dublin's Panti Bar, one of the city's best-known gay bars, you can enjoy free comedy each Monday night. In London, one of the most popular free comedy nights is 'Geek Night' on the first Sunday of the month in Soho's comedy club, and in Chicago the Comedy Sportz Theatre hosts regular live comedy.

• 13. Take pictures at the markets

  
  If you're into taking pictures then you have to put by some time to visit markets in any city. They offer some of the best photo opportunities. Mercat de la Boqueira in Barcelona has so much going on you don't know where to look, while in Athens Monasteraki Fish Market has fish of all types and sizes dying to be pictured. If you're lucky enough to walk through Marrakech's 'souk', your senses will be treated. The combination of smells, sights and sounds make it truly unique.

• 14. Laze away down at the beach

  
  Is there anything more enjoyable than lying in the sun? I find it very challenging to think of anything. Thankfully, many of the world's best-known cities have their own beaches - Chicago, New York, Sydney, Vancouver, Cape Town, Singapore, Naples and Rio de Janeiro all have sandy beaches. Even landlocked Paris has its own makeshift beach during the summer months.

• 15. Chill out in the park

  
  If you don't like beaches, or you're somewhere that doesn't have its own beach, then parks are for you. Central Park is arguably the most famous in the world but there are many others. I'm not sure if there's a more entertaining place in the world on a Sunday afternoon than Yoyogi Park in Tokyo. Here you can see the famous 'Harajuku girls'. In Toronto's High Park there's not only the park to enjoy for free, but a zoo too. Those of you who are Europe bound and are heading for Munich are in for a treat - in the Bavarian capital's Englischer Garten you can admire the skill of the surfers who surf the river there...

Tomato Mess: La Tomatina

Spain is known worldwide for offering visitors a good mix of taste, culture and fun. We encourage you to grab your backpack, leave it in a hostel Valencia and have a front raw seat of the most popular parties: La Tomatina.

Share a room in a hostal valencia and share a room and experiences with others that are coming to Valencia with the same purpose than you.

If you have not planned your holidays yet, note in the calendar “dye myself  in red”,precisely on the 27th August.

This festival, held the last Wednesday of August in Buñol, is known throughout the world as a real battle, but with tomatoes. Put on old clothes, diving goggles, flip flops, hat, whatever you want, less tomatoes. Every year at this event more than 100,000 kilos of tomatoes are used which are thrown in the streets of  Buñol during one hour. More than 20,000 people come each year to experience it this red festival.

At 11 am, appearing on the streets of Buñol the first truckloads of tomatoes that will be distributed for battle. With the facades covered with plastic, the streets are ready for the fun and enjoyment of tourists and citizens.

But… Do you know how the Tomatina began?

One popular theory says that disgruntled townspeople attacked city councilmen with tomatoes during a town celebration. After that, it was so enjoyed that it was repeated the next year, and the year after that, and so on. 

Some rules of la Tomatina are to squash the tomatoes before throwing them as this reduces the impact. Another rule is to stop throwing tomatoes as soon as you hear the second shot.

After exactly one hour of battle, the fighting ends when the water cannons are fired once more to signal the end. It means that no more tomatoes can be thrown. It begins the cleaning process that involves the use of fire trucks to spray down the streets and people with much water. 

When the party finishes, neighbors remove the protection plastics and start cleaning with a water hose. In about two hours everything is back to normal. Now we just wait a year to return to enjoy this red party with all attendees.

It is certainly an experience not to be missed. Come to Valencia on your holidays and enjoy this tomato fight, so funny and curious.

Last bit of advice… if you want to take photos, better take a water proof camera! ;-)

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¿Dónde vas de vacaciones?

Cuando se acercan los meses de verano,  empezamos a pensar a donde nos apetece viajar y con que objetivo: ¿Playa? ¿Montaña? ¿Relax? ¿study abroad?

Os presento a un grupo de alemanes que ha estado con nosotros los últimos días. Decidieron escoger este hostal valencia y disfrutar de sus vacaciones aprendiendo español. Para ello, contrataron uno de los spanish courses y se lo pasaron genial con los compañeros de la academia: juegos, risas y turismo.

Valencia, se ha convertido en un destino  que ofrece a los estudiantes europeos una combinación mágica que atrae cada vez a más personas a venir : idiomas, fiesta y buen tiempo. Con ayudas como la BECA ERASMUS las solicitudes con destino Valencia se disparan.
Después de Granada, nuestra ciudad es el segundo destino más solicitado por estos estudiantes para pasar 6 meses o un año, disfrutando de esta combinación brutal que termina dejando buenos recuerdos en el estudiante (no tantos como las asignaturas que tiene que recuperar después en su país).

La Universidad de Valencia recibió el pasado curso 2010 -2011  la increíble cantidad de 1.693 estudiantes   ERASMUS (y sigue aumentando). Este intercambio se realiza desde hace 26 años y se trata del programa educativo que más se conoce de la Unión Europea. Consiste en un intercambio de conocimientos académicos entre estudiantes de diferentes orígenes pero también es un intercambio de culturas.
Creo que la ciudad de Valencia está encantada de recibir a estudiantes y los estudiantes también lo están  Nos gusta nuestra ciudad, disfrutar de ella y por supuesto, enseñar a los otros como disfrutarla como lo hacemos nosotros.

Visita a La Albufera de Valencia

Ubicada en el mediterráneo, Valencia es una de las ciudades más turísticas de la Comunidad Valenciana ya que goza de una oferta de ocio muy amplia que atrae a miles de turistas cada año. Reserva un hostal valencia y aprovecha tus vacaciones visitando la ciudad con tu familia o amigos.

Disfruta de todas las actividades que esta ciudad te ofrece y alójate en un hostel valencia. En The River Hostel Valencia encontrarás desde habitaciones compartidas a precios bajísimos a habitaciones privadas a precios reducidos. Se encuentra céntrico y a solo unos pasos encontrarás el casco histórico, el río y el peculiar barrio del Carmen. Disfruta de tu tiempo libre en Valencia y ahorra dinero.

Hoy te proponemos la visita al Parque Natural de La Albufera, a solo 10 kilómetros al sur de la ciudad.  El principal acceso al parque es la autopista del Saler, ya que atraviesa el parque de norte a sur hasta el Saler.

Se trata de una laguna costera con profundidad media de 1 metro y rodeada de 223 km2 de arrozales. Se encuentra separada del mar tan solo por una estrecha barra litoral y es zona de paso para numerosas aves migratorias, como el fartet o el samaruc, ambos en peligro de extinción.

Tradicionalmente y gracias a la calidad de sus aguas, los pescadores y cultivadores de arroz han estado presentes en esta zona, teniendo como resultado nuestra gastronomía rica en arroz. Para degustarla solo tiene que acercarse al poblado de El Palmar, muy cerca del Parque Natural de La Albufera. Aquí podrá probar platos típicos valencianos basados en el arroz como la Paella, el Arrós a Banda, o el All i Pebre, este último teniendo como ingrediente principal anguilas de la albufera.

Después de comer, puede dar un paseo en barca por la Albufera, observando los colores de la puesta de sol que se observan sobre sus aguas.

Un paseo por el pulmón de Valencia

La ciudad de Valencia se encuentra atravesada por el antiguo cauce del Río Túria, desde hace unos años convertido en una bonita zona ajardinada.

A la hora de reservar tus vacaciones en la ciudad, escoger un hostel in valencia se convierte en una económica y cómoda opción. 
Este valencia hostel está muy bien ubicado, justo en el centro de Valencia, cerca de los principales atractivos de la ciudad y por supuesto, de este maravilloso parque. 

A lo largo de los 8 Km de zona verde encontramos parques, naturaleza y ocio para todos. El antiguo cauce del Río Túria recorre Valencia desde el noroeste hacia el suroeste, convirtiéndose en un gran atractivo de la ciudad que no te puedes perder. 

Después del último desbordamiento del río (1957) que causó considerables destrozos en la ciudad, se plantearon una serie de actuaciones para desviar el río con el fin de evitar mayores destrozos. 

Surgió la idea de utilizar el río como un cauce de carreteras que conectara el aeropuerto con el puerto y la ciudad, fue entonces cuando un movimiento ecologista impulsó que el río se convirtiera en una gran zona verde para el disfrute de ciudadanos y turistas. 

Actualmente, el cauce del río Túria es una zona amplia donde poder escapar del estrés y del ruido de la ciudad, un suspiro de aire fresco en el centro de Valencia. Hay muchas maneras de recorrerlo: corriendo, patinando o simplemente dando un paseo.

Cientos de personas acuden aquí cada día huyendo de la rutina y del ritmo cosmopolita de la ciudad. Este espacio se concibe como lugar de entrenamiento, de ocio o de encuentro para hacer un picnic con amigos.

Durante el recorrido, encontraras toda clase de servicios que te permitirán disfrutar del buen clima de valencia durante todo el año. Por ejemplo, a lo largo de su recorrido encontrarás desde pequeños kioscos conde tomar algo mientras disfrutas de un día soleado, hasta alquilar una bici doble para dar un paseo.

Al final del río, encontrarás otro bonito parque: El Parque de Cabecera, junto al BIOPARC, el zoo más grande de la ciudad, con numerosas especies animales que hará que disfrutes de la naturaleza en estado puro.

Ven a Valencia y descubre todo lo que te pude ofrecer para que disfrutes de tus vacaciones. Conocer gente, hacer turismo y disfrutar del sol y la playa son algunas de las cosas que podrás hacer en la ciudad del Túria. ¡Anímate!

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Quick Glance of Valencia

Read the short article below to find out a few of the things you'd be able to enjoy during a visit to Valencia, Spain.  Whether you plan on staying 1 night or several weeks, we invite you to come and stay with us.  Great place for groups as well!  

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/04/07/valencia-a-simple-metropolis.html

River Hostel Valencia

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