Full of culture, history, and class, London is at the top of many travelers’ bucket lists. The city is also touted as one of the most expensive cities in the world, but if you take the right precautions, it doesn’t have to be.
Here are my tips on how to do London on a budget!
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Find the Free Things
One of the benefits of a city as huge as London is that there are loads of free things to see and do. There are lists and lists of free attractions, museums, spectacles, and what have you—as long as you keep your eyes open.
The Tate Modern, National Gallery, Museum of London, and British Museum are all—you guessed it—free! Wander around the beautiful outdoors in Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, and Hampstead Heath.
The Changing the Guard, a fun and historical event that nobody should leave London without seeing, will cost you nothing.
There are also loads of free events throughout the city. Keep your eyes and ears open for art exhibitions, bookshop readings, and lunchtime concerts—all without a price tag.
And don’t miss East London’s street art scene. While Banksy may be Britain’s most famous street art export, there are also a series of street art pieces situated in locations around East London, including the distinctive mushroom sculptures of Christiaan Nagel.
The Time Out website is a great resource for local events and festivals. Or you can wander aimlessly in the streets of London—there’s always something going on.
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Eating on a Budget
Cheap eats are everywhere—be on the lookout for traditional cafés and delis where you can pick up pre-made sandwiches, as well as food carts.
Dive into English eateries by stopping at Regency Cafe, a diner with simple food. An all-day breakfast costs between £3 and £9; you can get eggs and bacon for just £3.75.
On a bright and sunny day, buy a handful of fresh groceries from one of the local markets like Borough Market. Fruits, veggies like celery or carrots, wine, cheese, and a bottle of olives make for the perfect picnic in one of the city’s many parks.
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Santander Cycles
When in London, mix it up: take the Tube for speedy long-haul trips and switch to Santander Cycles for those local rides. For just £1.65 per 30 minutes, or opt for a day pass for better value, you can cruise through London’s many neighbourhoods, all while keeping your budget in check.
I suggest downloading the Santander app in advance so you’re ready to ride!
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Get the London Pass
If you’re a museum nut, invest in the London Pass. Opt for a 1 day pass for £79, a two day pass for £104 or if you’re staying longer there are options for up to 10 days. The pass grants you access to 32 attractions and free public transportation.
It includes many of the London highlights, such as the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, and Britain at War Museum. If you do a lot of indoor sightseeing, individual museum tickets can add up, especially in London.
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Airbnb
From the swanky hotels in the West End to nice budget accommodation, London can be a very expensive city in terms of accommodation costs, even at the lower end of the market.
So, hunt on Airbnb for discount accommodation. There are hundreds of flats and shared apartments available; you just have to look around.
Decide where you want to stay, and be aware that it doesn’t always pay to be in the heart of the city—farther off is considerably cheaper, but you can easily hop on the Tube straight to Piccadilly Circus (or wherever you want to be).
Try to find an apartment with a kitchen and cook at home a few nights—this is a great way to save money.
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Airport Transfers
How you get into the city from the airport depends on your budget. You can catch the Tube, which is the cheapest option, but you’ll have to deal with your bags.
If you pack light, it’s not a problem—otherwise, you may want to arrange a taxi to meet you upon arrival. Try not to catch one directly from the airport—these are often expensive.
Helpful Tip:
If you want a little more comfort, opt for the Heathrow Express train, which costs about £25 ($32 USD) for the trip from LHR to Paddington Station. The earlier you book, the cheaper your fare can be!
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Free Walking Tours
Take a free walking tour such as Sandemans. Though the guides are not professional, they are local and are usually enthusiastic students and volunteers who love taking travelers on a trek through their city.
This is a terrific introduction to the highlights in town, and it is often coupled with a few anecdotes and hidden spots from your guides.
Remember to tip them afterward!
A Londoner here.
– Oyster card is relatively cheap compared to buying single tickets. Zone 1-2 daily cap is £6.50.
– But even cheaper than the Tube is the bike hire scheme (now known as Santander Cycles, previously Barclays). £2 for 24-hour access, journeys up to 30 minutes are free. If your journey is longer than 30 minutes, you can dock the bike before the time hits 30m, wait about 5-10 minutes, and then hire another bike to start the 30-minute timer again. Please make sure you are comfortable cycling on busy roads, or research about bike lanes, before hiring a bike. I cycle in central London everyday and there’s nothing more frustrating than seeing inexperienced cyclists ignoring traffic lights, zebra crossings, or cycling on pavements.
– Heathrow Express is only worth the money when you book over 90 days in advance, where the fare can be as low as £5.50 one-way (weekend). If you don’t want to pay £22 one-way for a 15-minute journey, take the Heathrow Connect, which stops a few times before reaching Paddington. The journey takes 30 minutes and costs £10.20.
– If you’re arriving in Gatwick, stay away from the Gatwick Express! Take the Thameslink instead to Blackfriars, Farringdon, or St Pancras and change to the Tube.
– Similar to the Heathrow Express, book in advance for the cheapest fares on the Stansted Express. Or pre-book a coach ticket to Liverpool Street or Mile End stations.
– The best airport in London is City Airport. There are not many routes (mainly European plus a business-class only flight from JFK), but you can breeze through the airport in less than 2 minutes (personal experience returning from Dublin) and hop onto the Docklands Light Railway to Bank or Tower Gateway stations (standard Tube fares apply).
– If you have heavy suitcases, go to the Transport for London website and look for stations where there is step-free access between the platform and street-level. You can also search for routes that do not involve stairs, e.g. changing between District and Piccadilly lines at South Kensington would involve several staircases and a long walk, whereas at Hammersmith it’s just across the platform.
– STAY AWAY FROM BOROUGH MARKET! Seriously. It’s just packed with people and the food there is really overpriced. If you want to buy food for a picnic, go to a supermarket. The smaller branches (Sainsbury’s Local, Tesco Express, Little Waitrose) already stock a wide selection of fruits, sandwiches, salads, but there are some larger supermarkets (Waitrose in Clerkenwell and Barbican, Tesco Metro in various areas of the city, Sainsbury’s on Camden Road).
– For street food, try Maltby Street, Druid Street, and Broadway Market during the weekends. During the week go to Leather Lane (£2.50 falafel wrap and £4 woodfire pizza!) and Whitecross Street for lunch (£3 for a Turkish Gözleme wrap). Occasionally (mainly summertime) there’ll be pop-ups in Shoreditch and Hackney in the evenings as well.
– As British as pubs go, London is much cheaper if you don’t drink alcohol. If you really want to have a drink with your meal, go to Tayyabs or Lahore Kebab House in east London where it’s BYOB. There are a few more restaurants with BYOB policy around the city.
– Since I live here I’ve never bought the London Pass so I can’t really comment on it, but there are just so many place you can go for free – there are countless museums and galleries that do not charge admission. I still haven’t been to all the free places yet so not even thinking about going to places where you have to pay.
– For worship places such as St. Paul’s and Westminster Abbey, I don’t really understand the point of charging admission. Visit during one of their regular services for free instead.
– Shows at the West End are amazing, but very pricey. Instead, I’d recommend classical concerts (there are always cheap seats for £10 or less) or more intimate gigs in smaller venues (The Jamboree in Limehouse, the jazz clubs in Dalston etc.). Or queue for a standing ticket at the Shakespeare’s Globe, or a world-class classical (and other genres) concert during the BBC Proms in the summer – for just £5!
– Also, contrary to popular belief, the Royal Opera House is not extortionate and it’s not just for rich people in gowns and tuxedos. You can turn up in jeans and trainers, and the upper slips only cost around £10-£15 depending on the production. And no, you don’t have to stand for 3 hours. (Standing tickets are available for even cheaper if you wish to stand…) Book well in advance though as these go really quickly.
Wow, thank you so much for your tips and sharing a lot more budget tips from a local’s perspective. These are all so helpful! 🙂
Thanks, Vivian! Here’s hoping to see London mid of 2018!!!
Vivian,, thank u so much really helpful me
London is my all time favourite city, and after three years of living there during my studies I know that there is an endless selection of budget secrets around the city! I love these 🙂