Travel doesn’t have to break the bank.  Some of the world’s highest ratings attractions and  experiences happen to be free.  Whether it’s trawling through the treasures of a landmark museum or riding the tram rails in one of the world’s great cities, it’s always a thrill to savour a signature travel experience, without having to open your wallet. The list of recommended free attractions  around the world is probably infinite, but here’s eight great tried and trusted suggestions. 

Staten Island Ferry. The Big Apple’s juiciest view may be the one that costs the least. The Staten Island Ferry (siferry.com) – which runs between the St George terminal in the Big Apple’s most westerly borough and Whitehall Street in Lower Manhattan, will cost you precisely nothing. En route, this 30 minute ferry ride cruises gloriously close to Governors Island, Ellis Island and, most importantly, the Statue of Liberty, before continuing down the Hudson River to Staten Island.

Melbourne’s trams. The City Circle Tram, which runs clockwise and anti-clockwise, around central Melbourne has been a long-time much feted freebee trademark. There’s even an on-board commentary about the signature sights, on the complimentary tram. Since last year, the central section of the tram system – the CBD and the docklands of Victoria Harbour (yarratrams.com.au) – in Melbourne.  Better still, the area in question has some of the city’s most intriguing sites, including the 1878-built temple to fruit and vegetables that is Queen Victoria Market (00 61 3 9320 5822; qvm.com.au), and the coffee shops along the narrow “laneways” such as Little Bourke Street.

European Museums. Paris and Rome both offer free entry to a top selection of museums, on the first Sunday of every month. In Rome, all state-owned museums and heritage sites including The Roman Forum and the Colosseum, are included.  In Paris, the headline offerings include Musée d’Art Moderne with its works by Picasso and Matisse, and the Musée d’Orsay ( the former railway station) where Monet, Manet and Cezanne artworks festoon the walls.

London Museums. Home to some eight million historical artefacts, the British Museum is also remarkably free to enter. From Egyptian mummies to the controversial Elgin Marbles, what a stash! Across in leafy Kensington, the London haunt of well-heeled lords and ladies, explore the vast collections of three more museums, a trifecta of freebees. Specimens gathered by Charles Darwin take pride of place at the Natural History Museum; the world’s first steam train sets the scene at the Science Museum; while the graceful Victoria and Albert Museum pays homage to 5000 years of fashion and design, from Persian weaving to Vivienne Westwood’s street wear.

DC Delights. Not to be outdone, Washington DC really does spoil the visitor with its stash of museums. One of the world’s premier cultural storehouses, the Smithsonian Institution (si.edu) offers 19 museums – all free to enter. Not even the National Zoo has an admission charge. Delight in the National Museum of American History, home to the hat Abraham Lincoln was wearing when he was shot, the original Star Spangled Banner and Dorothy’s Ruby slippers; while across at the Air and Space Museum, get up close and personal with the Wright Brothers’ famed plane, Kitty Hawk.

Frothy Fountains. The Bellagio fountains, in the heart of Las Vegas, pioneered the mass-exhibition of choreographed waterworks. Out on the Strip, the fountains dance to a grand swell of music and light, every day of the year. The fountains burst into life every 30 minutes from 3pm to 8pm – and every 15 minutes after dark, from 8pm to midnight. In the new mega-casino capital of the world, you can marvel at the copycat Bellagio waterworks at Wynn Hotel in Macau. Head to the Performance Lake, where lofty plumes of water and fire shimmer and dance through the air, every 15 minutes. Plus, the new Galaxy Macau resort in Taipa has a similar spectacle, every 30 minutes. Yet, it’s size-obsessed Dubai that makes the biggest splash of all with the $300 million Dubai Fountain. Designed by the wizards behind the Bellagio, it holds the bragging rights for the world's largest choreographed fountain system.

Spangled Light Shows. With a picture-perfect harbour, the illuminated skyline of Hong Kong is one of the world’s great urban spectacles. Factor in the Symphony of Lights, staged every night from 8pm, and you move from spectacle to spectacular. The best vantage points for this optical overload are Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, the Golden Bauhinia Square promenade in Wan Chai, and the ferries that criss-cross Victoria Harbour.  Singapore’s eye-popping transformations in recent years are best exemplified by Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay. Both landmarks have been dressed with a nightly illumination extravaganza, but it’s the Marina Bay production that has sought to rival Hong Kong’s nightly theatrics.  Called Wonder Full,this nocturnal showpiece features visual effects, with interweaving lasers, searchlights, LEDs, video projectors and giant streaming water screens.

Mountain Summits. Fancy a stratospheric view for free? If you’re willing to brave the gruelling trek from Cape Town to the summit of Table Mountain, you’ll be rewarded with one Africa’s most iconic views, gratis. Plus, if you’re exhausted on arrival, there is the fall-back option of taking the cable car for the trip back to town. There are actually no fewer than 350 different walking trails that thread their way up the rocky cliffs, or you can plump for the primary walking route, India Venster, which shadows the cable car, all the way up to the peak. Heady, high-density and ancient Athens has a clutch of lofty city lookouts, including the timeless allure of Acropolis Hill. But if you want to soak up the Athenian skyline sans the hordes of herded-about tourists, give your calf muscles a workout on Mount Lycabettus. Rising 900 feet above the city, the walk will leave you puffing, but your heart will melt as you marvel at the fresh perspectives on the Acropolis and all the way south to Piraeus and the Aegean Sea. 

Mike Yardley is Newstalk ZB’s Travel Correspondent on Saturday Mornings with Jack Tame. 11.20am