The Top 10 European Cities for Free Attractions

Traveling to different countries is expensive enough, with plane tickets and hotel reservations adding up quickly. Europe, in particular, is one of the more expensive continents to visit. Thankfully, the booking travel site Holidu did some research to help tourists lighten the strain on their wallets. If you’re planning a European excursion, these cities offer the most free attractions and activities.

To compile the list below, researchers looked at the most-visited European cities in 2023. Holidu then scoured sites like Tripadvisor for free things to do in each city and divided the activities into categories, including museums, events, and guided tours. Each location was ranked based on the overall number of free offerings across categories.

The best European city to visit on a budget is London in England. The British capital has over 1200 events that cost nothing to attend, from festivals to boat races. And while there are plenty of paid tours in the historic city, you can join nearly 80 of them at no charge. The Natural History Museum, Westminster Cathedral (but not the Abbey), and the Horizon 22 observation deck are a few more sites that are free for tourists.

Paris, France, is another popular choice for frugal travelers. When the survey was conducted in February 2024, the City of Light boasted 30 free museums, 685 free events, and 94 free guided tours. And of course the city’s famous architecture, including the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral and Arc de Triomphe, costs nothing to admire.

In third place is the Spanish capital of Madrid. There’s no fee to enter the Matadero de Madrid Museum, which hosts concerts and art exhibits on the site of a former slaughterhouse. If nature is more up your alley, visit El Retiro Park—one of the largest in the city. Madrid also had 227 free events and 176 free guided tours available at the time of the survey.

View the rest of Europe’s top 10 cities for free attractions below:

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