Snagged a cheap airfare; now what?

What good is it if you take advantage of one the current airfare sales, but end up in a city where you can’t afford to do anything?

Never fear:  plenty of cities are chock-full of free and really cheap things to do.  Sometimes the free stuff is right there in front of you; other times you’ll need to dig around in magazines, visitor bureau brochures and Web sites.

And sometimes, you might get a little help from the president.  At least if you’re in France.

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Starting April 4, 2009, visitors age 25 and under will get free admission at 18 national museums in Paris.  Admission to the Louvre alone is around $14, so it will be a good deal. (Note: currently the Louvre is free to everyone on the first Sunday of each month, free for people under 26 on Friday evenings, and free to anyone under 18 all the time – according to the Louvre Web site.)

Not going to Paris this spring?  Check out the cool, free stuff in my article on MSNBC.com: Cheap thrills for U.S. travelers in 2009.

My favorite: The Beer Can House in Houston.

Admission: $1 to tour the grounds outside the house. $5 to go inside. And who wouldn’t want to go inside???

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