Free bike rentals in NYC – 2.5 hours of awesome

by Annie Scott on

Free bike rentals! If you’re gonna be in New York City sometime between now and September 30, 2009, you can sign up at DowntownNY.com for a free bike rental.

The deal is open to visitors and residents, and is part of the Downtown Alliance’s second annual Bike Around Downtown program.

Seven days per week during these times: 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., 12:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. – 6:00p.m., there will be 30 free bikes available at Bike and Roll’s kiosk at the South Street Seaport (South Street and Fulton Street). The bikes can be returned at a number of different destinations, making the free rentals a great way to see the city!

Click here for more Bike Around Downtown free rental information and/or to sign up. They’ll need your credit card for security reasons, but it’s free. Be sure and visit one of Talking Heads’ David Byrne’s jazzy bicycle racks!

Gadling + Bootsnall – Picks of the Week (5.8.09)

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Here we are, back again for another weekly roundup of links from our travel friends at BootsnAll. It’s been two weeks (sorry, the Swine Flu had us preoccupied). But don’t despair, we’ve journeyed far and wide, from the jungles of Sri Lanka, to the Savannahs of Africa and through the Capitals of Europe to bring you this week’s picks. What did we find? Check it out:

  • Sri Lanka in Photos – Dominic DeGrazier could have gone anywhere for his recent sabbatical. He chose Sri Lanka, the tiny island nation just off the coast of India. While he was there, Dominic fell in love with the lush scenery, vibrant colors and frenzied street life. Check out this link to see some of his photos and read a few of his observations on the country.
  • It’s just Africa – say the word “Africa” to many travelers, and you frequently evoke some strong negative reactions. An entire landmass of varied countries is characterized as one giant continent, rife with poverty, danger and disease. Laura Claire-Corson wants to set the record straight. She’s got a few reasons why every traveler should check out Africa at least once. It’s easier to visit than you think, incredibly diverse and an experience you’re not soon to forget.
  • FREE Europe – earlier this year, Gadling took a look at how you can make that trip to Europe a reality, even if you’re on a tight budget. Cristina Dima is backing us up – she’s got a list of 12 of the best FREE European attractions you should check out. How can you say no to free museums and attractions? Take a look.
  • Food for thought – food is such a huge motivator for travel. Whether its eating sushi in Japan or an authentic bowl of pasta in Rome, food is a language that reveals the true details of destination’s culture. And one of the best places to experience food while traveling is the local market, where you can get some fresh specialities. Katie Hammel takes a look at eight of her favorite markets from around the globe.
  • Going it alone – face it. At some point the travel bug is going to sneak up and you and none of your friends and family will be able to come along. Have you considered trying a trip by yourself? JoAnna Haugen weighs to pros and cons of solo travel in her recent post. There’s plenty of reasons to give it a try – read her post and decide for yourself if a solo trip is right for you.

Sorry…we’re fresh out of great BootsnAll links for this Friday. Why not check back next week, when we’ll be standing by with another round of great Gadling + BootsnAll Picks of the Week.

Free entry to state museums during Italy’s Culture Week, April 18-26

by Alison Brick on

Talk about a place rich in culture and Italy will likely come to mind. There’s a reason why so many people are drawn there, like bees to honey: art, architecture, fashion, design, food, just to name a few.

If you’re an Italophile, you might want to make the trip over from April 18-26 during Italy’s Culture Week. Over the course of the week, you’ll be able to catch special events and get free entry to sites normally closed to visitors–including state museums and other artistic and historic sites.

For example, Rome’s Palazzo Mattei di Giove–a late-16th-century noble palace–will open specifically for the week-long event.

Check out the full list of Culture Week events (in Italian) at beniculturali.it.

[Thanks, LA Times]

Gadling Take FIVE: Jan. 10– Jan. 16

by Jamie Rhein on

First, where ever you are, I hope you’re toasty warm. Man, is it cold in Ohio!

Hopefully, you’ve been inspired to travel by our budget travel series this month. There are two more weeks to go. Thanks to Jeremy’s post, I’ve hooked into the idea of checking out Puerto Rico, a place I haven’t been. In regards to those cities where I have traveled, I have a stash of new ideas.

For more budget travel ideas, here are five more posts. Two are about people who have unconventional methods for seeing the world.

French museums soon free for visitors under 25? Oui!

by Alison Brick on

French national museums and monuments have just gotten one step closer to cool. Admission for visitors under 25 will soon be free, according to French President Nicolas Sarkozy yesterday.

That’s for the 18 national museums, including the Parisian favorites: the Louvre (usually 9 Euros) and Musée d’Orsay (9.50 Euros). The new policy comes just in time for summer backpacker travel–it starts April 4.

The country’s trial period seems to have worked out–from January to June of last year, visitors of all ages got free admission to 14 of the country’s museums.

Sarkozy’s plan to promote French culture also includes building a new history museum, lifting a partial freeze on state funding for the performing arts, and forming a new arts council.

Click the images to learn about the most unusual museums in the world — covering everything from funeral customs, to penises, to velvet paintings, to stripping.