They say that traveling in many of the European countries such as Germany, Greece, France, Finland, Spain, Belgium, etc., is very expensive. After reading some of the interesting books about Europe, I developed a dream of visiting at least one of the European countries once in my life. I also got an idea from the book itself about taking numerous advantages of the discounts available on accommodation and airfares during the off-season. This finalized my plans for visiting for enjoying a budget holiday that too without burning a hole in my wallet. After that, my main concern was about which country should I visit? Finally I thought of visiting Portugal with its charming capital Lisbon.

For making my trip perfectly planned, I searched for various interesting as well as for cheap places of Lisbon. The pleasant, warm and sunny weather of Lisbon makes the sites even more magnificent and attractive. I took a low cost, one-stop, round-trip flight and finally reached my destination. Lisbon has no shortage of adventurous things that suits every budget and keeps you busy during your stay there. As soon as I exploring Lisbon, I was surrounded by various lovely beaches, relaxed restaurants with bars, gorgeous gardens and parks and much more things it offers its visitors.

I also got to know about different things that I would enjoy for free, including several museums, art galleries, basilicas and luckily festivals as it was festival time. My most favorite thing of Lisbon was the delightful garden named Jardim da Estrela which boasted of endless types of exotic plants as well as trees, a pond-side café, a small duck-dotted lake and also a playground for kids. I found this place as the best one to sit and relax, become stress free and start towards further journey. After having lunch in a Portuguese style, in a budget hotel, I asked a staff more about free things to do as well as see in Lisbon; he also willingly provided me with the required tips and information about it.

I was lucky enough to be in Lisbon on Sunday, as some of the major sites and museums like Maritime Museum and Museum of Ancient Art and the National Tile Museum were open for free on Sundays. This saved me a lot and also gave me an opportunity to explore some of the best sites of Lisbon. Other free hotspots included the most popular waterfront neighborhood along with some chief monuments, landmarks and museums. It also included the beautiful Belem Tower and Monastery of the Hieronymites, Parque Principal Real and Parque de Sao Pedro de Alcantara.

With the Roman, Moorish as well as Modern architectural wonders of Europe, Lisbon was just about many-cities-in-one. I took full advantage of the free as well as cheap sights and countless cultural sights, experiencing a great Lisbon holiday without breaking my bank!