Like every city in the world, Sydney can be as expensive as you like or be seen on a budget. Assuming you are already in Sydney, all the things I am going to suggest will cost you nothing.

Let’s start with two iconic sites; the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. If you want to climb to the top and be led across the bridge it will set you back over $A180 (say £90) but you can walk across it for nothing.

With the current strong Euro, those in search of an affordable week-end get away are being advised to avoid the Euro Zone. But good value destinations still exist and Amsterdam – known for its art, culture and coffee houses not to mention its legendary tolerance and pragmatism (the city is home to the biggest gay scene in Europe) – is one of them. CD Traveller has compiled eight great ‘easy on the wallet’ things to see and do in the delightful Dutch capital

In the Royal Botanical Gardens in Sydney, Australia are 20,000 bats that roost in trees for most of the day. At night they fly round feeding on the fruit in the trees that the considerate gardens have provided for them. Some say they have been a nuisance for years and certainly what attracts them are those same fruit trees that were grown to show a range of Australian trees.

Up until October 1st, if you flew Ryanair any old photo ID would do if you were flying just within the UK.. Now they will only accept a passport. Ryanair say this is “to simplify our identification policy to avoid passenger confusion.” Well you have to say that this sentence doesn’t help matters either. Who was confused beforehand? Nobody. Photo ID was anything that had your photograph on full stop.