Athens is the cradle of Democracy and all free people. In honor of these ideas being free, listed are some of the top Free Attractions in Athens. To see all the attractions, go to the NonRev Athens Page.

Where Everybody Knows Your Name…
Well, everyone may not know your name, but it is still free to see where one of the best TV sit-coms got its inspiration. Why not have a beer at Sam Malone’s bar and get a souvenir? NonRev Drinks in Boston .

Worlds Oldest Commissioned Warship Afloat
This ship is one of six original frigates authorized for construction in 1794, and was commissioned by George Washington in 1797. The ships were the biggest and best armed for their time. Her first assignment was against the Barbary Pirates of France. Click to find more Free Things To Do in Boston .

Where The Revolutionary War Started
‘Don’t shoot until you see the white’s of their eyes’! Sound familiar? It is attributed to The Battle at Bunker Hill. A giant monolith, the Bunker Hill Monument and Museum is dedicated to those who stood up to fight tyranny and free all mankind from the chains of monarchy. It is an obelisk, like the Washington Monument, because the founders of the US believed it should be patterned after Ancient Greece and Rome. This is why the US calls itself a Republic. See more free attractions in Boston at the Boston section of NonRevWebsitecom. To see more free attractions from around the world, go to NonRevWebsite.com

Febuary 2nd was the day of the worst snowstorm Chicago had seen in years. It was so bad the airlines shut almost all operation for that day. Luckily for my family, we were able to leave a day early. We purchased tickets on an airline instead of nonreving which is something many of us in the airlines are doing. The increase in taxes on our passes, blackout days, and extremely high load factors make it much more economical to buy tickets. But as I say, don’t take our word for it, check it out for yourself at our Timetable. 

Our layover was in Miami so I called the Sheraton at the Miami Airport. I was able to get an airline discount on the room AND the staff was happy to drive us downtown to get a bite to eat. They were one of the best hotel staff I had the pleasure of meeting. The Hotel Staff suggested my family try Chilorio’s which is a great Mexican restaurant. It was very low key but the food and service was excellent. They also had free wifi so I was able to look up information for the next day of travel.

The Coconut Lodge has several crews that Layover and their crew rates are much lower than you could find on sites like Perx. The lodge has another great attribute, the is a family side and a couples side. The Family side has all you could want to entertain children from the standard zero depth pool to a “lazy river’, a water slide, and a kids club. The couples side had its own pool, spa and beach. Every night there was live entertainment from a steel drum band to a magician. There was also a talent night for guest and staff. There never was a night that there wasn’t anything to do. Even though the resort is on the southern tip of the island, removed from the towns, we didn’t feel the need to go into the town.

Volcano and Mud Bath for what ails you.

One of the places we did go to was the Volcano. Not only is it active, put there is a mineral bath that you can visit. The mineral bath is said to be able to relieve everything from arthritis to sunburn. It is also marketed as a mud bath that will make you look 10 years younger. The bath is heated by the volcano and the mud is actually volcanic ash. I met a man from Germany who said he spends his winters in St. Lucia and goes to the bath once a week. He swears by the bath and said his doctor can’t believe his improvement. Whether he was a plant or not I don’t know but I thought is was fun to visit.

Botanical Gardens

The other place we visited was the Botanical Gardens. Not only was there beautiful flowers, but a waterfall. There is also a mineral bath from another volcano. This bath boasts the Napoleon’s wife Josephine came her to bathe in the mineral water.

St. Lucia is a great place to go to avoid the cold and the snow. Now it is even more affordable with an all inclusive hotel that gives discounts to airline employees. The biggest problem now is how do you get there?  Use these tips to get the most out of your stay. To see more deals from around the world, go to http://www.nonrevwebsite.com/

When your friends sign up, they will automatically be registered in our raffle to win a $25 Starbucks Card. The card can be used anywhere in the world Starbucks is selling Coffee. It can even be given to someone else as a gift!

But here is how you have a chance to win your own $25 Starbucks Card. If you tell another person about our newsletter contest and that person informs us that you were the one who told them, you could win your own $25 Starbucks card. The more people who say you told them about our contest, the more times you are registered, the greater the chances YOU could win! You can even tell your spouse and children, and your family could win both cards! Just forward this email to all you know and at the top of the email tell them to make sure they put your name in the box “Please Tell Us How You Found Out About Us.”

Use the following link to register http://www.nonrevwebsite.com/signup.html

The Memorial Museum of Space Exploration is under the huge statue dedicated to flight in Cosmonaut Alley. Cosmonaut Alley was constructed in 1964. To celebrate the Soviet Union’s achievments in space. Here you will find Statues to several Causmonats as well as a statue of the “Chief Designer,” Sergey Korolyov who remained nameless until after his death. The centerpiece is a Vostok Roket on top of a 100 meter titanium exhaust plume. The gigantic base has a mural carved into it depicting all of the contributions made by the Soviet people comulating with Yuri Gagarin Stepping into his spacecraft. Enterence to the park is free and it is one of several Free Attractions in Moscow. To see more free attractions in Moscow, go to http://www.nonrevwebsite.com/cheapeurope/Moscow.html#Attractions  .

The Memorial Museum of Space Exploration is an awesome underground complex with the complete history of Russian Space exploration, The museum has a large collection of rockets, capsules, satalites, rovers, space stations, even Lika, the first dog in space. It goes back to the beginings in the 1900s when Konstantin Tsiolkovsky mathematically described how to escape gravity and use multi-stage rockets fueled by liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen to travel to the stars before the Write Brothers Flew an Airplane. This museum is very new, reopened in 2009, and is very reasonable, around $3. You will not be disappointed by its 85,000 objects at this attraction. To see more information on the Russian Space Museum and other attractions in Mocscow, go to http://www.nonrevwebsite.com/cheapeurope/Moscow.html#Attractions  .

So celebrate the first human in space by going to the Memorial Museum of Space Exploration. With so much to see and do, you could make a whole day of it. And while you are in Moscow, you can see the other Free Attactions.

Here is the Granddaddy of all the Christmas Markets! The Stuttgart Christmas market is so good, people from all over Europe go here by car, plane, even bus tours. It is huge and takes all day to go through. People shop during the day, eating and drinking as they go, then relax at night watching the people go by, even ice skating. The shops are full of handmade wooden crafts like Christmas Ornaments, Nutcrackers, and Nativity Scenes. Germany considers this the jewel of all their Christmas Market.

Once the sun sets, the food booths have a variety of winter treats. Besides the spiced wine, Christmas beers, and bratwursts, you can get the traditional Kartoffelpuffer, or potato pancakes. This is the best way to have dinner with all the decorations, lights, and shoppers.

To find more information this Christmas Market and other free attractions, go to NonRevWebsite.com . They also have information on other Christmas Markets around Europe as well as the world.

With the kids going back to school,  September is known to be a great time to non-rev because the loads are low. This is why JetBlue does this promotion now. That means the demographics of people flying will be those without kids. Without those kids, there won’t be child weights on the numbers and more planes at JetBlue having weight and balance issues. So that empty seat may not be available. Make sure you ask when you sign if it will matter and plan you options accordingly.

According to last years numbers, the worst days to travel is Fridays and Sundays. The don’t have hard numbers for this year because the promotional passes can be booked up to 3 days prior to a flight. And don’t worry about the people booking a seat and not showing up because JetBlue has as ingenious solution, charge them $100 or more if they don’t show up!

The worst city pair was between Chicago and New York. The interesting thing is this is one of the shortest legs they have. It also shows how underserved this market really is. Hey Airlines! This is a hint! More seats between New York and Chicago! And guess what the busiest airport will be? JFK, their hub.

The best solutions to this problem in NonReving to New York I have written in a post “Top 5 Reasons You Can’t Non-Rev to New York.” I have the 5 top problems but more importantly the solution and the ways to avoid the problem. But the best solution to bring chocolate, lots of chocolate. Gate Agents love that stuff. I think it has something to do with their stress level.

When we started the tour at Saint Stephens Square, her first tip was a great one. Our tour guide told us to ask local people under 25 questions because they speak English. She then told us the history and architecture of St. Stephens and how some say it has the best view of the city and for 3 Euros you can see for yourself. Later she showed us a better view for free. We went through a park to explain the new craze in Europe that started in Hungary and then the long walk to the palace. Along the way our guide told us about the history of this great country. We went past St Matyas Church and was told how to get in for free. Like my mother she said “go to Mass!’ If you want answers to the tip deals, you will just have to take the tour. And if that doesn’t entice you, how about finding out why the genitals on the statue of a warrior’s house are shiny.

I have been on several other free walking tours in Munich, Dublin, Paris and this one was even better because it described what to do to save money when touring the city. This is a great help to those on a budget. Even though the young people flock to this tour, there is something here for everyone. Would I do it again? I would and I will soon on the Free Communist Walk and the Free Jewish District and Best Pubs Tour. Stay tuned.

  Many taxi drivers lie and say they can’t break your larger notes and you’ll end up grossly overpaying. If your cab fare is $10 and all you have on you is $20s, there is nothing you can do if he doesn’t have change. Many cash machines give large bills like 50 Euros which just makes the situation worse.  The solution is to get money at cash machines close to the hotel. Then cash any large bills to small ones and then always carry some small bills with you. At the end of the trip, you can always use them for tips. 

Many drivers will short change you, say goodbye and rush you out of the cab. Stay in the cab, get your cash, and count it until it you are satisfied with the numbers.

 Many taxis charge higher rates at night time. Don’t think it’s a scam if the evening ride back from the restaurant costs more than the afternoon ride to the restaurant.

Dishonest drivers may take the great circle route to jack up your fare. Have a city map and pretend to follow along with your progress. Ask the driver which route he’s taking. Act engaged in your routing. I layed over with a Captain who had a huge boy scout compass. When he pulled it out, it made everyone one think twice about the directions you gave him.

These are some one the scams that happen with taxies. There are hundreds of more that befall unsuspecting travelers. It is so prevalent these days. Thousands of travelers lose hundreds in currency a day. To see more scams, go to Scams At NonRevWebsite.com . And to see travel advice, go to Advice at NonRevWebsite.com .

This is the place of several “Political Dramas” starting with the chariot races. Rival teams, the Greens and the Blues, also had rival political beliefs and a race victory had important effects on policy. An Emperor might lose his power because of a loss and the subsequent riots.

The Obelisk of Constantine VII is at the furthest part of the park. It originally had a bronze pinecone on its top and several brass plates on its sides when created in the 4^th Century. The Pinecone fell during an earthquake in 869 and the plates were stolen in the 4^th Crusades. This is a good example of the rule of Constantine. It originally was a majestic object adorned with expensive metalwork. As the empire deteriorated, so did the obelisk. As you look around the monument, look down at the base. This is the original floor of the Hippodrome. Over the years, the level was raised to where it currently is.

As the barbarians were threatening Rome, Constantine was trying to increase the influence of his city. What better than bringing a monument to the victory of roman city states over the Persians at Plataea. Originally it stood in the front of the  temple of Apollo at Delphi, but was moved here in 330 AD, probably as a way to sway opinion of the citizen against those who threatened the city.  Heads of serpents, which were believed to be stolen around the 4^th Crusades, show the fall of Constantinople.

The Obelisk of Theodosius is originally from Egypt in 390AD and is the oldest monument in Istanbul. It was originally created in the 15^th Century BC for Thutmose III. Here is the attempt to show the public in 390 AD that Constantinople is taking the place of Rome as the center of civilizations. Around this period, Rome was in decline and it can be said Constantinople was making a power play for the rule of the Roman Empire. As a tribute to itself, the base shows the effort to move this obelisk to its new location.

The area without monuments stand as a tribute to the rise of the Ottoman empire. It is interesting that there is no monuments from the Obelisk of Theodosius to the Fountain. It is like a reflection of the Muslim religion which believes it is heresy to pray to any object relating to a person. The Ottomans watched the Hippodrome carefully to make sure that talk did not lead to unrest that lead to riots that lead to revolt.

Finally, there is Kaiser Wilhelm’s fountain at the other end. A gift from Germany in 1901 as a token of friendship to the Turkish people, the German emperor who it is named after, presented this on his state visit to Abdul Hamit II. Soon after Turkey signed a treaty to protect each other in case one of them was attacked.  

Today our elected officials sample their constitutes with sophisticated mathematical tools. In ancient Turkey the Hippodrome was the tool. Visiting the park with its landmarks you can get an idea of the influences of the people and how it was done.

To see more information about the mosque or other FREE Attractions in Istanbul, go to the Istanbul Section of Nonrevwebsite.com. To see more FREE Attractions around the world, go to nonrevwebsite.com.