When I’m on holiday in different countries, I often notice what costs money in my country and is free in others.
In Germany, for example, you often have to pay to use a public toilet. Sometimes even in cafés or petrol stations where you have bought something.
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First things that come to mind regarding Finland are that public toilets and ostomy supplies are free.
Water and bread are free in restaurants in France
Museum for people under 26yo is often free and a lot of museum are free for everyone the first Sunday of the month
Mobile plan.. Well it’s not free but really not expensive in France (for exemple i pay 15 euros for 300go of data 5g from france and 30go if i travel abroad and i don’t have the cheaper one i think)
Museums and tap water in pubs and restaurants are free in the U.K. as are most (but not all) public toilets. Prescriptions are free in Scotland. Normal bank accounts are free.
2 weeks extra holiday when you get married. I grew up thinking this was universal, but nope: in other countries you have to take your honeymoon from your normal yearly leave.
The courses for the first two vocational degrees you take are completely free in Hungary, no matter at what age you take them. Since the courses for these kinds of degrees usually also entail an apprenticeship contract at the specific job (for example if you study Nursing, you become an Assistant Nurse in a hospital for a time), you also get health insurance out of it and also some part-time job salary. Not stellar, more like pocket money, way less than the minimum wage as this is not a full-time job, but at least it is something.
Also, you can start studying (and working part-time as an apprentice) for a vocational degree as early as the age of 14, so if for example you come from a bad family background you can start saving up money and building up work experience and useful contacts for later employment that early, and if you get your degree by the age of 16, you can start working full time there and if your job comes with an affordable Workers’ Home nearby, you can move there to be away from your bad family as soon as possible.
In Greece:
•Education is totally free from primary school until University.
• Water is always served for free if you go for a coffee in a cafeteria or if you go to a tavern to eat.
Well, I am already quite surprised with this thread! Here in Portugal, parking meters are usually turned off on weekends, holidays and also at night (after like 8 pm). Parking laws are very country-dependent, but in other countries I visited I didn’t see these rules as often.
I notice there is no listing’s from team Netherlands nothing Is free apart from during corona times where you could get a free teat anywhere and use it to enter places… oh an they do have water fountains on the street to refill water bottles
Luxembourg: all public transport is free. That means busses, trams, trains. If a train goes over the border you have to buy a ticket only for that part of the journey.
Ketchup and other condiments in fast food restaurants are usually free in the UK/Ireland.
When I lived in Prague I asked for ketchup in McDonald’s and they asked me how many. Turns out it was like 5 CZK per sachet!
Council owned car parks are usually free on Sundays and overnight during the week.
In some parts of Italy, when you go to the farmers market to get fruits and vegetables, the owner of the stand usually gives you some herbs for free. Like a sprig of rosemary, parsley or some sage leaves. It’s a nice touch!
I once had to beg for toilet money at the leaning power of Pisa. After catching food poisoning in Avignon.
Education is mostly free. I just finished a 1 year course that cost €50 in total, and the government paid me €230 a week to do it.
Nothing is free. Even the stuff you don’t personally pay for, you pay through other ways. As the man cleaning the toilet not work for free (which I assume he’s/she’s not). The soap and all the other stuff you need for cleaning isn’t free. Even if you don’t buy anything you’re puting the bill on some others spending their money there.
Even the tap water that many say is free. In the commune you live here, you most likely pay a fee/tax that ends up at the “water plant”. The people there not working for free either. Their machinery costing money to both run and maintain.
Ireland 🇮🇪
Tap water is free, a few years ago they tried to bring in water charges but there was protests around the country and the government backed down, it’s one thing Ireland is not short of which is plenty of rain and fresh water, still any time we get a bit of a sunny spell the government issues advisory’s to conserve water but really they’re wishing for a proper drought so they can force those water charges on us “for our own good”
Earnings from capital yield (stocks or ETFs) are tax free in Czechia if you hold them for 3+ years.
In Germany you always have to pay tax from it. Lol.
Ketchup (and sometimes other condiments depending on restaurant) in fast food restaurant are free in Sweden. You usually get it yourself from a pump dispenser so you don’t have to ask for it.
It annoys me like hell that I need to pay for it in many countries and only get one or two of those small sad bags that don’t contain much at all.
In French restaurants/bars you can ask for free tap water even if you’re not asking for anything else. Also in most restaurents your meal automarically involves free bread.
ATMs are free in Ireland. You don’t get charged for using an ATM that isn’t your bank.
National museums are free
Public libraries are free
Tap water is free in pubs/restaurants
In Ireland, water is free for everyone (no utility bills), but the government has been attempting to introduce water charges for years so far, still free
Wild camping. In Estonia, the state forestry agency maintains very good camping sites all over the country with (dry) toilets, firewood, shelters etc., at no charge to the users.
In Netherlands, you have to pay for breathing. Normally you get an invoice sent, a tikkie, or a direct debit.
I have found this not to be the case in other countries.
I remember when I was in Germany when I was a teenager and mayonnaise was free at McDonald’s, but ketchup wasn’t. In Sweden it’s the opposite, though no one uses mayo on fries here.
Also, all healthcare for non-adults is free including dental, maternal care and so on.
College. As long as you’re enrolled in a public one, you don’t have to pay as long as you don’t take longer than the standard time + 1 year to finish your program.
Germany doesn’t have any toll system on motorways. Whilst you might pay to drive on some french or italian motorways or have a vignette for bridge and tunnel use in Norway, in Germany you can drive on all public roads without paying anything extra.
Not all of these are free because we pay them through our income taxes, but in the Faroe Islands 🇫🇴:
Water is free, including in restaurants
Garbage collection is free
No property tax or landlease
Public transport in the cities is free
Education is free, including University
Healthcare and emergency services are free
Sewage output is free
Yes, public toilets are free as well
Something I miss from Spain is how many cultural events you can attend for free. Concerts on local festivities, theater, traditional activities such as semana santa, fallas, San Jordi… Has activities that anyone can join for free
Water is free in cafes in BiH. I’m so used to the Netherlands where you have to pay for everything extra
All public transport; trains, buses and trams, is free in Luxembourg (except 1st class carriages on trains for which there is a modest charge). I think that surprises a fair few people!
If Germany you have to pay a TV tax even if you don’t have a TV. In most other countries this would sound insane.
Scottish prescriptions are free, most museums, tap water in cafes/restaurants etc, water fountains in public, free toilets, free household water (no water bill)
Unlimited data plans in Finland, I don’t think I’ve seen a data plan with limits in well over a decade. To be fair they’ve gotten way more expensive as of late, just a few years back I paid 26€ for unlimited 5g 400mbps now it’s something like 34.95€.
Free water in restaurants of course, some electronics retailers offer interest free payment plans
Drinking water is free in Australia. I find it baffling that there are people in other countries who have to get all their water bottled because their government doesn’t clean the water properly.
When I moved to Madrid I spent like a week going for the last two hours free and looking at a different par each time
Belgium;
Education is 100% free until age 12 (including even the pencils!), from age 12 to 18 it remains free except for your books and pencils. University is paying, but extremely cheap (100 euro/year).
Health care is almost free e.g. a doctors visit is 4 euro, MRI scan in the hospital less than 20 euro,…
Poland:
as I’ve recently learned to my great confusion, some countries actually charge you for issuing a national ID card.
I can’t imagine the government making me pay for a piece of plastic that’s required to function in society.
University. Only in Czech and only for Europeans, and you have limited time to finish your degree, but yeah.
I have seen small tables and chairs along some cycle paths in the Netherlands. There was free coffee and tea. I thought it was really great.
In Slovakia, I noticed freely accessible fitness and muscle training equipment in parks and on the banks of the Danube in Bratislava. I also noticed water dispensers in various places there.
In Denmark, I have seen a kind of sleeping hut along hiking trails. In Denmark, car parks at beaches and tourist destinations are often free of charge. Often there are also good toilet facilities to use free of charge at these car parks.
As far as I know, visiting beaches is free in the Netherlands and Denmark.
In Sweden, you can camp in the countryside for a few days free of charge. There are often fire pits and rubbish collection points at these locations.
Public transport is free in Luxembourg. That’s a great thing.