How to Visit London on a Budget

How to enjoy the bright lights of London without breaking the bank?

Cities are expensive, and London can be on another scale. If you choose to do all the upmarket hoity-toity stuff then you’re going to be needing a very flexible credit card, or a very understanding bank manager. That being said, this is a functioning city with people living in it, so there are ways to enjoy life and see the sights, without crying every evening at how much you’ve spent.

Let’s look at four key ways to get around, enjoy, and see London on a tight budget.

Get down with the freebies

There are some activities that are free. The National History Museum for example, cost = nada. Watching the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, cost = zilch (if you time it right, of course). Walking along the Thames and checking out the sights, cost = totally free. Climbing up to Hampstead Heath and checking out the most amazing skyline view, cost = absolutely nothing.

Even the low cost activities, such as haggling on Camden Market won’t break the bank, or walking around and laughing at the street entertainers on Covent Garden with a coffee at one of the pretty coffee shops = low cost and high entertainment.

Location is everything

When you’re looking for a hotel in London, don’t be tempted to save money by heading out of the city. Yes, you’ll pay less at the time of initial booking, but you’ll spend a small fortune on taxis, not to mention trying to figure out how to use the Tube, which is taxing for newcomers to say the least. Buses and the Tube aren’t 24/7, so a late night in London will mean a taxi back to your hotel, and believe me, taxi drivers don’t smile for nothing, it’s usually because of the fare you’ll be paying.

Theatre showing? Be clever

If you look online at the cost of West End theatre shows, your eyes might water at the price, however head to the official box office on that morning, and you might find a few rogue tickets going cheap, in order to fill up the theatre. This being said, never ever be tempted to talk to that nice man outside who says how cheap he can sell them to you – he’s a ticket tout, and a bad, bad man.

Use your phone, there’s an app for that

Sign up to one of the many voucher code apps available, especially when it comes to 2 for 1 deals. There are often deals for Madame Tussauds and the London Dungeons from time to time, as well as percentages off food bills, which can make eating out at nicer places, much cheaper if you can grab a voucher beforehand.

The key to a break in London is to plan, because if you wander around in a daze, you’ll a) miss half of it, and b) no doubt spend more money. Put your funds into the things you want to see, in the cheapest possible way, and your time in this vibrant capital city will be one to remember, for all the right reasons, and not the sole reason you’re overdrawn.

photo credit: conorwithonen via photopin CC