Travel
Many of London's absolutely top-notch museums and art galleries are completely free. British Museum, The Tate, Tate Modern, National Gallery, British Library, London Cartoon Gallery, Natural History Museum, Bank of England Museum, RIBA Architecture Gallery, Imperial War Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Museum of Childhood, Science Museum and RAF Museum (features an a Red Arrows flight simulator) all offer free admission.
London is best viewed on foot. Walking around will allow you to spend more time appreciating everything that London is, admiring the sights and the historical centers. Walking will also save you some money. But if you are tired and have to cover long distances, public transport is plentiful in London, and much cheaper to use if you buy an Oyster card. The Oyster card is valid on London's buses, underground, trams, and overground trains. You can buy your card at any train station, and top it up as needed.
London photos from Creative Commons
- Tower Of London And The Crown Jewels
The second most popular fee based attraction in London is the historic Tower of London and the display of the Crown Jewels. This expensive museum attracts over 7,000 visitors per day and even though it's expensive, we think this huge fortress should...
- London Transit
Doing some research on the London, England transit system. We will be in London for eight days, and of course we want to travel the city as economically as possible. Click here to read more......
- Waterloo – An Eye For City Gardens
Summer – the time to get out in the garden! Unfortunately some cities don’t have the space for gardens in residential areas – maybe you have to make do with only a window box! However, London does have a good selection of greenery to enjoy amongst...
- Top 5 Hotels To Stay In London On A Budget
There is so much to do in London it is unreal. Whether you are going shopping, seeing family, seeing friends, going out for dinner, going to the theatre, there is so much to do. Being in London doing all of these things and more is such a fantastic experience....
- Top Spots In London For Kids
Any hotel in London is a great base for exploring the fast-paced capital of England with children. It may be tempting to save cash and do the city in a day, but with so much on offer you may as well make it a mini-break. With such great deals...
Travel
London On A Budget
Visiting London on a budget might sound like wishful thinking, as rumor has it, London is one of the most expensive cities in the world. But the truth is, though life in London can be very expensive, UK's capital city offers some pretty cool free or almost free tourist attractions.
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| The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London |
Many of London's absolutely top-notch museums and art galleries are completely free. British Museum, The Tate, Tate Modern, National Gallery, British Library, London Cartoon Gallery, Natural History Museum, Bank of England Museum, RIBA Architecture Gallery, Imperial War Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Museum of Childhood, Science Museum and RAF Museum (features an a Red Arrows flight simulator) all offer free admission.
London is famous for its musicals and theatres too. While the price of the tickets is more rocket high than budget friendly, you can always look for discounted packages for hotel and theatre in London or you can find stand up tickets for as low as £10. I went to 'Grease' on such a ticket and believe me, though the visibility wasn't perfect, my feet had enough space to dance, something you can not experience while seated. Not to mention that everybody around me was dancing and the atmosphere was awesome.
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| Changing of Guards outside the Buckingham Palace, London |
London is best viewed on foot. Walking around will allow you to spend more time appreciating everything that London is, admiring the sights and the historical centers. Walking will also save you some money. But if you are tired and have to cover long distances, public transport is plentiful in London, and much cheaper to use if you buy an Oyster card. The Oyster card is valid on London's buses, underground, trams, and overground trains. You can buy your card at any train station, and top it up as needed.
One of the most famous must-sees in London that is free of charge is the Changing of Guards outside the Buckingham Palace. This is the ultimate royal experience and it takes place daily at 11am, but it's better to show in advance to catch a good spot. The Ceremony of the Keys is another tradition that's been going on for the past 700 years, and takes place every evening at the Tower of London. The Chief Yeoman Warder, locks up the main gate and delivers the keys to the Resident Governor of the Tower. Tickets are free, but you need to book up to two months in advance by written application.
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| Notting Hill Carnival |
The Notting Hill Carnival it's a two days event at the end of August and it has lots of free and budget attractions to offer. The City of London festival which runs for around a month in mid-summer also hosts free and paying events.
London has many parks and gardens scattered throughout the city including Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, St James Park and Regent's Park. Most of the parks have their origins in royal estates and hunting grounds and are still owned by the Crown, despite their public access. They are free for everyone to enjoy and make very good picnic spots.
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| London can be very beautiful in spring |
Accommodation in London can get very expensive, especially in high season. But as new budget hotels have been opening in recent years, there isn't much of an excuse left for you now not to visit London. Though the londonese budget hotels tend to be outside city centre, the extensive underground and bus networks will get you back to the tourist area in no time. Hostels and B&B are also a budget choice.
As for food, every cuisine of the world can be found here, at every price. You can try everything from traditional fish and chips to generous portions of pasta to Chinese food, and just about everything else in between. A visit to the Smithfields Market or the Old Spitalfields Marketon on a Saturday can also be a pleasant and tasty experience. Not to forget the supermarkets. Buying some of your meal from a deli can save you a fortune.
Student and senior discounts are also available, so make sure you don't forget your student card at home or at the hotel. Booking your trip to London in advance also has it's rewards. This being said, I wish you "Happy travels!" and "Tons of fun!"
What are your budget travel tips for London?
What are your budget travel tips for London?
London photos from Creative Commons
- Tower Of London And The Crown Jewels
The second most popular fee based attraction in London is the historic Tower of London and the display of the Crown Jewels. This expensive museum attracts over 7,000 visitors per day and even though it's expensive, we think this huge fortress should...
- London Transit
Doing some research on the London, England transit system. We will be in London for eight days, and of course we want to travel the city as economically as possible. Click here to read more......
- Waterloo – An Eye For City Gardens
Summer – the time to get out in the garden! Unfortunately some cities don’t have the space for gardens in residential areas – maybe you have to make do with only a window box! However, London does have a good selection of greenery to enjoy amongst...
- Top 5 Hotels To Stay In London On A Budget
There is so much to do in London it is unreal. Whether you are going shopping, seeing family, seeing friends, going out for dinner, going to the theatre, there is so much to do. Being in London doing all of these things and more is such a fantastic experience....
- Top Spots In London For Kids
Any hotel in London is a great base for exploring the fast-paced capital of England with children. It may be tempting to save cash and do the city in a day, but with so much on offer you may as well make it a mini-break. With such great deals...