What We’re Reading: See Europe for Free, World’s Best Airport, and More

This week, the Web yielded stories about free places to visit in Europe, one ridiculously fun airport, a town that pushed the boundaries with an audacious marketing slogan, and more. For a healthy diversion, put away those Girl Scout Cookies and dig into these calorie-free scoops.

It’s a Free Continent

The weather’s getting warmer, which means prices for flights to Europe and hotel stays on the Continent will be rising soon. So now’s the perfect time to browse BootsnAll’s list of the best free things to do in Europe, which comes complete with big, tantalizing photos of gorgeous sites. The piece features venues from St. Peter’s Basilica to the British Museum; these are places that don’t charge admission, and a traveler could easily while way an entire day in said spots. File this one under “Good Excuses to Go to Europe.”

Best Airport Ever

Johnny Jet, who just returned from a tour of Singapore, reveals why the city-state’s Changi Airport is so wildly different from, say, the drab grey halls of JFK. Changi has five gardens, the world’s tallest slide, a rooftop swimming pool, and two movie theaters. If you want to get creative, this airport could, possibly, work as a destination in and of itself. In fact, on the Changi Airport website, the hub is described as “a family weekend destination.” But if you’re just passing through and your flight is delayed, a couple of cocktails and a few whirls down that 12-meter-tall slide should boost your spirits well enough.

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Indecent Acronym

USA TODAY reports that “WTF” decals (Welcome to Fruita) have gone viral in the small Colorado town of Fruita. After a few locals printed hundreds of the stickers and passed them around, the local tourism board took notice and proposed taking on the cheeky double entendre as its official catchphrase. Residents, however, overwhelmingly disagreed with the notion, and the Fruita tourism board has since abandoned “WTF” as a possible town slogan. This means, of course, that the acronym is up for grabs. Any takers? Fort Lauderdale? Fredericksburg?

Oscar-Worthy Accommodations

The Oscars are ancient history by now. But if you’ve still got movie stars on the brain, you might be intrigued by Conde Nast Traveler’s slideshow of celebrity-owned hotels. Amusingly, many of the hotels seem to squarely reflect the personalities of their owners. Donatella Versace owns a fashion-inspired property on the coast of Australia, Robert Redford has a rugged Utah ranch, and Gloria Estefan is the proprietor of a splashy, palm-lined resort in Vero Beach, Florida. If you owned a hotel, what kind of property would it be?