I’m not a person who is willing to skip on luxury, but at the same time, I like to save where I can. Finding out different ways to save here and there really adds up and lets me stretch my travel money further. I am in no means a cheap person, and if there’s something I really want to do, I try to budget for it the best that I can.
London is an expensive city, it’s common knowledge at this point. Finding ways to not blow your entire life savings when visiting is not something to look down on. I’m not saying you can only couch surf or eat £1 meals from McDonald’s to be able to afford the trip. There’s tons of free or inexpensive things to see and do in the city, as well as some things that are well worth their price tag.
Something that my mom found that was extremely helpful during the trip was the National Rail Days Out 1+1 deal. Without this, we probably wouldn’t have done half the things we did. Basically, the deal is if you buy a National Rail ticket, you get a buy one admission, get one free on various attractions in and around London. You need to present the rail ticket and a print out of the attraction you want to visit (none of the places we visited checked expiration dates on the vouchers so you can print those out ahead of time – the rail tickets need to be same day though). The first time we tried we just bought the cheapest ticket we could find on the machine from the closest rail station to our hotel, which was about £5 or 6 each. The time after that we just went up to the ticket booth since the machines were down and the man was super nice and charged us around £2 each for some random line. We learned to do that from now on. This deal was so useful, and especially when we visited the Tower of London, which was supposed to be £25 each.
One other piece of advice I’d love to give to anyone traveling to London is to use your contactless credit card when using public transportation! It saved us so much money since it automatically caps at a certain amount (around 3 rides) and no need to screw around with the Oyster Card, worrying if we’d need to top it off or what to do at the end of the trip if we still had money left on it. This took away a lot of the stress from getting around and it let us focus more on the trip. Paying in cash is literally like throwing money away, since using contactless pay or an Oyster Card is half the price for each trip. Mobile payments are also accepted as contactless pay (Apple/Google/Samsung Pay). Be sure to tap in and out on the tube so you don’t get overcharged!
London has an abundance of free museums that are really worth checking out. During my trip, I visited the V+A, the Natural History Museum, and the British Museum. All free entrance. As with all free museums, you need to take into account the length of the lines, but sometimes there are ways to get around them.
At the British Museum, the main entrance is on Great Russell St, however if you walk around to the opposite side of the building, there’s a separate entrance on Montague Pl. When I got to the museum, there were massive amounts of people and I had no idea where to walk. I asked one of the guards where the line started and he told me just walk down the street and make a left and keep walking, there was an entrance that was a lot less crowded. It was a bit tricky to find, and I had to ask another guard if I was going the right way (this place was MASSIVE) and he directed me to keep walking. Once I found the entrance there were maybe four other people there and we all were able to walk straight in. I probably would’ve been standing in line for over an hour if I didn’t know about this.
In my 7 Day Itinerary in London post, I mentioned my visit to the Sky Garden. Go. I cannot stress this enough. Go. It is well worth it for the views, and the gardens themselves are Insta worthy.
I mention free walking tours a lot in my posts, because I really love the concept. You pay what you think is fair, and if you’re not happy with the tour you can just leave without feeling like you need to stay since you paid all that money. During my stay in London we did 2 walking tours through Strawberry Tours. They have so many different types of tours, there’s really something for everyone. We did the London Landmarks Tour – West and the Ghost Tour and really enjoyed them both. If you’re short on time and really want to see everything, the company offers a London in a Day tour, where you hit all the big landmarks in about 6 hours. Free Tours By Foot also has a great selection of free tours, as well as self-guided audio tours.
If you’re looking for a place to eat without emptying your wallet, I’d suggest heading to one of London’s dozens of markets. Portions are substantial, there’s tons of different cuisines to try from, and are usually between £5-10, sometimes even cheaper if you find the right places. Supermarkets are also a good idea to save a bit on eating out, as well as being able to find local goodies. I love to wander around supermarkets in any new place I go to, I usually end up finding unique snacks to bring home to share.
Free Photo Op Spots
You want to get the perfect photo, but don’t want to deal with tons of tourists? Don’t worry, I got you covered. No need to wake up at 4 am to take photos, unless that’s your thing. I don’t judge.
What: Underneath the Westminster Bridge, on the left-hand side opposite Parliament, there’s a spot great for getting shots of Big Ben, even under all its repairs. There’s an arch underneath the bridge that really frames the picture.
When to Visit: Any time of day, but mid-day is the ideal
What: The pretty pastel houses in Notting Hill make a great backdrop for photos, but it is a residential area so be aware while taking photos. Same goes for the crossing at Abbey Road.
When to Visit: Mid-morning to early afternoon, try to avoid rush hours when the residents are coming in or out
What: While in the neighborhood, pop on over to the Churchill Arms, a pub that is decorated head to toe with flowers, flags, it’s really something to see.
When to Visit: During the daytime hours
What: On the way to London Zoo or Camden Town, take a stop and look at the houseboats on the river at The Broad Walk. Little Venice near Paddington Station also has beautiful spots to see the houseboats docked – go at night if you can to really see the area light up.
When to Visit: Any time of day
What: For Harry Potter fans, taking a photo at the cart at Kings Cross is technically free, but if you want to borrow their gear and have staff help you take the photo, it will cost you.
When to Visit: Early morning or late evening to avoid crowds, the lines were about 2 hours long at around 4 pm
What: If you want a photo with the birds in Kensington Gardens, just bring an apple or some sunflower seeds. They’ll flock to you in no time and you’ll have a great adventure shot.
When to Visit: Mid-morning to late afternoon
What: The Kynance Mews facing east have beautiful ivy flowing over the gates, but again – residential area, be courteous.
When to Visit:
By Roger Jones, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link
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International Itinerary 