Do's and Don'ts: Museums for Free?

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How to See Museums for Free

Europe is a great playground, and even better for people in my age group because of all the discounts.  With the right paper work, the right times, and at the right places, you can see much of Europe for free. Eventually you are going to have to pay for some things, but more often than not, you can get discounts or see attractions for free. Here are some tips on how to do just that.

Don't

Don't forget your student ID. While many places only offer discounts to European Union citizens, some places offer discounts to all students. So don't forget to travel with that student ID to take advantage of those discounts.

Grand Palais, Paris

Do

Think about in investing in youth cards depending on the country that you are going to. Some countries require specific identification called International Youth Cards or Student Cards and will accept that as the only form of discount. But look into the country that you plan on visiting first before you invest into one of these cards. France does not require these cards for discounts but Spain does. For this card, research is key.

Don't

Don't forget your identification, especially if you are an EU citizen under 26. In a lot of countries, discounts or free entries are offered to youths of the EU under 26, whether they are a student are not. So don't forget to bring your passport or identification card that shows your citizenship to an EU county.

Do

Look into free museums. London offers a lot of free museums such as the British Museum. Paris doesn't have quite as many, but you need to know where to look, such as the Modern Art Museum of the City of Paris. So sometimes it's a good idea to look ahead of time to see what free things a city has to offer. Because whether or not it is a major tourist attraction, it is always nice to check out something thats free.

Don't

Don't forget to ask for discounts. Sometimes they don't always post what discounts are available, but there's no shame in asking if there are student discounts.

Do

Take advantage of free days. Every first Sunday of the Month, Paris offers free entrance into many museums. They're more crowded than usual, but they're free. In Madrid, every day after 6pm, a different museum is free. In Rome, certain things are free on the first of the month as well, such as the Vatican Museum. So look ahead of time. I'm not one to plan out specific times or days to visit things anymore, but if I know that something is going to be free, then I do make sure to go during the free time.