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London on a budget - suggestions from a Londoner

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Visiting London On A Budget - How To Enjoy Your Visit For Little Or No Extra Money

Would you like to visit London, but think it's too expensive? Have you already booked your flights, but are now wondering how you can possibly afford to see many of the London sights?

There's no denying that London IS expensive, one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in or visit. Yet there is plenty to do and see that costs little or nothing at all. As a former London resident - I was born there and many generations of my family were born in and around the city - and having recently returned from a trip there myself, I can point you towards some great low-cost and free ways to enjoy your time in London.

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Activities Along The Thames

You can find many sights and distractions walking along the river Thames

A pair of swans on the Thames, Kingston, London as the sun begins to set.In London, many affordable activities centre on the River Thames or 'Great Highway of London' that winds its way through the city from west to east. The river is a pleasant way to travel; especially now it is a lot cleaner that it used to be, and there are plenty of ferries going up and down river to places like Greenwich, Kingston-upon-Thames, the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace. You can find more information about the ferries on the Transport for London website: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14413.aspx

You can also hire your own rowing boat or a bike for the riverside paths. There are well-used and well-maintained tow-paths and footpaths along much of the river and it's possible to bike or walk for many scenic miles, for example along the barge path that skirts the edge of Hampton Court Park. Riverside pubs and cafes may look tempting, but can be expensive, so you might want to have a picnic by the Thames instead - there are plenty of seats along the riverside paths and some very pleasant places to sit and watch the boats go by or feed the ducks and white swans.

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Hampton Court Castle by jeenglem
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Rowing boats at Henley on Thames UK print
Rowing boats at Henley on Thames UK by photoslot
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Many of these riverside walks give you uninterrupted views and access to some of the famous London sights.

Autumn Dusk River print
Autumn Dusk River by tmdon45
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Walk along the river at South Bank and you see the Houses of Parliament on the opposite bank; a little further on you pass the London Eye, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, the Tate Modern art gallery and Southwark Cathedral.

You can also, if you want, walk past the original 'clink', the Clink Prison in Clink Street and see a fine replica of the Golden Hinde - the ship which Sir Walter Raleigh sailed round the world in the late sixteenth century.

Retrace your steps to the Tate Modern, cross the pedestrian only Millenium Bridge - the newest Thames crossing, built to commemorate the new millennium - and St Paul's Cathedral is there to welcome you.
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Places to visit and things to do...

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Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, Bankside, Southwark, London

The reconstructed Shakespeare's Globe on London's more...2 points

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The Millenium Bridge

London's Millennium Bridge is the first pedestrian more...1 point

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Welcome to St Paul's Cathedral, London

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Madame Tussauds

Welcome to Madame Tussauds. The tourist attraction more...0 points

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The London Eye

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The Clink Prison Museum

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The Golden Hinde

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The River Thames Guide - Thames Cruises, Thames Restaurants, Riverside Property, Hotels by the Thames, Conference Venues, Boats For Sale & Thames Info

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London Dungeon

Retrace the infamous steps of Jack the Ripper in t more...0 points

A mime by the River Thames in LondonYellow London Silhouette sticker
Yellow London Silhouette by cidepix
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As well as the famous landmarks, one of the great things about the Thames is the unexpected sights. Just outside the Globe Theatre one day I came across Morris Men dancing. Another time, while strolling along the South Bank near the London Eye, I saw white- and gold-painted mime artists and a large Dali sculpture.

The last time I travelled on a Thames ferry, we glided past a floating house made of odds and ends where a man lived in true British eccentric style; that day he was sitting on his house reading in the sunshine and looking very relaxed.

Historical Sites Around London

Free cathedrals and other sites within easy walking distance

The London GuildhallLondon has a 2,000 year history and, despite the Great Fire of 1666 which burnt down 80% of the city and despite the Blitz which destroyed 230,000 homes, there is much that is historically interesting.

If you're interested in cathedrals, visit St Paul's, which survived the Blitz unscathed, but go after 4.30pm when it's free to get in. Southwark Cathedral has free entry too and has a fascinating archaeological cross-section showing, amongst other things, the smoke marks of a medieval kiln and, right at the bottom, the remains of a Roman road.

Walking is one of the best ways to discover London's history; for example, after exploring St Paul's Cathedral you could walk a short distance to the house of Dr Johnson, who compiled the first English dictionary (the shop is inside the house so you don't need to pay to get in this far!). A little further and you reach Lincoln's Inn Fields - Inns of Court dating from the 1640s - , St Bride's Church with the tallest spire designed by Wren and Covent Garden, amongst other places.

More Information - Official Websites For The Places Mentioned Above

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St Bride's Fleet Street church of the press, printing, journalism

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Welcome to St Paul's Cathedral, London

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Welcome to Lincoln's Inn

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Covent Garden Life in the heart of London

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Galleries and Museums

All kinds, for all ages

Old church, just off Kensington High StreetIf you've had enough of history, try one or more of the many museums and art galleries. Children and many adults too will be fascinated by the interactive displays in the science museum and the dinosaur gallery in the Natural History Museum.

The British Museum is another great place to visit although with its four million plus exhibits you could soon become exhausted!

All these museums are free as are many art galleries including the National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Tate Gallery and Tate Modern.

The Websites For The Museums And Galleries Mentioned Above

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The British Museum %u203A Welcome to the British Museum

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Natural History Museum

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Tate: British and international modern and contemporary art

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The National Gallery, London: Western European painting 1250-1900

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London's Parks And Gardens

Walk through some of the many parks through-out London

Statue of 'The Gardener' in Kew GardensLondon's parks are also free and full of surprises.

Kensington Gardens comes complete with Palace, the Princess Diana memorial and the Peter Pan memorial.

Hyde Park has Serpentine Lake, complete with a Lido.

Holland Park is wooded and tranquil and home to tame peacocks, rabbits and squirrels; it has a Japanese garden, giant tortoise sculptures, tea and ice-cream.

Regent's Park in north London is the home of London Zoo.

Hampstead Heath, also in north London, has far-ranging views and plenty of space to feel the wind in your hair.

In West London is the vast expanse of Richmond Park; 2500 acres and up to 8 miles wide and the home of red and fallow deer.

Although not free unless you are a child (£10 for adults), Kew Gardens is a wonderful place to visit; you could spend a whole day there, so it's quite good value for money especially if you take a picnic and so avoid the expensive cafes.

Guidebooks to London's Parks and Gardens

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Websites - Hours, Maps And History of London's Parks and Gardens

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Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew - Home Page

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Hampstead Heath

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Princess of Wales Conservatory at Kew Gardens - butterflies on display

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London's Street Markets

Browse and buy from a wide variety of stalls around the city

View across the river ThamesThere is a lot of enjoyment to be had visiting local markets in London. The recent trend is for farmers' markets (e.g. Borough Market in Southwark), and they are vibrant and colourful, offering good quality and unusual products and the chance to have a good chat over the free samples offered at most stalls.

You will find a huge range of goods on offer including organic fruit and vegetables, wine, hand-pressed oils, cakes, artisan breads, gourmet sausages, jams and pickles, handmade chocolates and flowers. More traditional markets are also worth visiting. The popular Portobello Market stretches for about a mile and sells a wide range of antiques, fruit and vegetables, jewellery and clothes; the fruit and vegetable sellers regularly yell out their bargain prices and indulge in banter with the passers-by. Covent Garden is more pricey and geared towards arts and crafts; even if you don't buy anything it is interesting just to wander around and watch the street performers.

Take Five Minutes To Attend A London Market!

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Evening Entertainment

Theatres, pubs and food!

After an exhausting day exploring London you might still have the energy to go out in the evening. This is where it all gets more expensive, but there are still plenty of cheaper options. If you are interested in the theatre, you could try the Society of London Theatres ticket booth in Leicester Square, which sells half-price tickets for West End theatres for that day's performances.

Otherwise, check out the fringe theatres, usually in pubs such as the Orange Tree in Richmond, which have much cheaper ticket prices. If you're thirsty, try one of London's many pubs - affordable if you don't drink much and many of them sell inexpensive and good-quality food and / or have free live music. However, choose carefully because quality of environment, staff and food does vary enormously! In the summer, it can be very pleasant to sit in a riverside pub garden in London.

When To Visit London?

The best and cheapest times of year to visit!

Blue Butterfly in the Princess of Wales Conservatory, Kew GardensThe best value times to visit the city are in spring, summer or autumn. Avoid winter when London is dark and cold; sometimes freezing with bitter winds and icy footpaths; often foggy, damp and bordering on the Dickensian with leafless trees, sad-looking parks and miserable people hurrying to get inside somewhere warm.

Bright-blue butterfly - Kew Gardens by Be_dazzled
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London Winter card
London Winter by martinhuebscher
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I know; I remember waking as a child to sheets of ice on the inside of my bedroom windows.

London 2010 Calendar calendar
London 2010 Calendar by SabineSt
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Winter severely restricts what you can do as it is often too cold and/or dark too early to enjoy all the things you can do the rest of the year.

That means you're more likely to end up in expensive indoor tourist attractions, cafes and bars - if only to defrost your toes!

By contrast, London summer evenings can be warm and light until 10.30pm and the daylight has arrived by 5am as opposed to nearly 9am in winter. This gives you lovely long days to explore the city; in fact, summer days are so long compared to winter ones it's like getting two for the price of one - a real bargain!

What do you think? Winter or Summer?

London Eye Black and white postcard
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When is the best time to visit London?

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Winter! Snow, fewer tourists and Christmas lights!

theraggededge says:

Sparkly! It's great getting all sweaty inside the shops and then coming out into a cold winter's afternoon.

emerald125 says:

Winter but really I prefer Autumn before it gets too cold

Jhangora says:

I like cold weather. Would definitely want to visit London during the Winters.

Summer! Long days and balmy nights!

TenerifeLowcostholidays says:

Summer as there is LESS chance of rain and you can make the most of more hours of sunlight!

Michey says:

Definitely on Summer

susannaduffy says:

I don't feel the English cold so much in their Summer. Some days it can even be almost warm

0ctavias0fferings says:

It's so hard to choose which season as each has advantages. Overall perhaps the Summer though, everyone is a bit happier in general when the weather is warm.

malloryjane says:

I definitely prefer the warmer weather, and hopefully a little less rain!

 
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Festivals And Events

Seasonal and regular occasions to liven up your visit!

The clock, St. Pancras StationIt's also worth checking out which festivals or other annual events are scheduled for your visit. London has numerous events, many of them free and including the very formal and decidedly strange!

To mention but a few: The Trooping of the Colour to celebrate the Queen's official birthday includes a royal procession along the Mall which you can watch for free; Notting Hill Carnival in August is a very big and loud, two-day free street party with live music and many colourful floats; in September, the Great River Race sees hundreds of, often weird, boats racing down the Thames from Richmond to the Isle of Dogs; in mid-September there is a festival of street theatre at Covent Garden.

Travelling Around London

Public transport and other options

Transport for London


The Transport for London website has very helpful information about getting around London, where to buy tickets and how much fares cost. It even has a useful journey planner so that you can find out the best way to travel to your destination.

You can buy paper tickets when you travel by bus, train, tram or boat in London or you can buy something called an 'Oyster card' which is a good idea because fares are a lot cheaper with an Oyster card than if you buy paper tickets.

Journey Planner

What is an Oyster card?


An Oyster card is a blue plastic card that you can use instead of paper tickets. You put credit on the Oyster card and then use it up as you travel. Fares are cheaper with an Oyster card than if you pay cash. Having an Oyster card is also more convenient as it means that you don't need to queue to buy tickets.

You can get and top up Oyster cards at stations, London Transport Information Centres and many 'Oyster Ticket Stops' in newsagents, garages and other shops in London. You can use Oyster on London's buses, Tube, Overground trains, National rail, Docklands Light Railway and boats with a few exceptions.

Using an Oyster card can save you a lot of money. On the bus, a single fare is about £2, but only £1.20 if you have an 'Oystercard'. Using the extensive underground train system 'the tube' is also a lot cheaper with an Oyster Card.

As an example, if you were to make a single trip within Zone 1 of the Underground, it would cost £1.80 on your Oyster Card, but it would cost you £4 if you bought a paper ticket instead. Over the course of a few days the savings can soon add up.

Zones


The London Underground zones are a series of rings from the inner city (Zone 1) to the outer edges (Zone 6). You swipe your oyster card on entry and exist, so the only thing that matters is where you get out, not how long you where on the train. So travelling from Zone 6 to Zone 1 would be six 'stages' and the most expensive fare, while staying on the train until you reach Zone 4 on the other side would only be two 'stages'.

Buses and trams have a single fare no matter where you go.


A Map of the Underground


You WILL need a map of some kind to plan your journeys (and get back again!). There are route diagrams throughout the underground, but a proper map is a really, really good idea (especially if you're trying to plan to save money on zones).

tube diagram london


You can download this map of the underground and print it out, but it may doesn't include zones - or a proper map of London! If you're planning on staying in London, rather than just passing through, you'll want to buy a proper map with a bit more information on.
Streetwise London Underground Map - The Tube - Laminated London Metro Map - Folding pocket & wallet size metro map for travel

Streetwise London Underground Map - The Tube - Laminated London Metro Map - Folding pocket & wallet size metro map for travel

by: Streetwise Maps

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Travel gracefully throughout London with the STREETWISE London Underground Map. The entire London Underground is depicted on this easy to use, easy to carry map. Move through Mayfair, streak under SOHO, or pulse past Piccadilly with incredible agility, confident that you know where to go and how to get there using STREETWISE London Underground Map.

Like all STREETWISE maps, this map of the London Underground is laminated to last and formatted to fit conveniently in your shirt pocket or purse. Parks and tourist attractions are also shown which is unique for a map of this type. Whether you're on your first trip to Great Britain, you're a frequent visitor, or you're luckily enough to live here, this map is invaluable.

The London Guildhall

Recent London Guidebooks

Make sure you have an up-to-date guidebook to London!

There's just too much in London to memorise, and far too much to see and do in one visit - so make sure you take a map and a guidebook of some kind. An up-to-date one is important, because visiting hours, prices and locations will change!

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Statue of Sir John Betjeman, St Pancras Station

London is a fascinating, intriguing, lively, historical and culturally diverse city; it has a surprising amount of open space and a great river coursing through it. Spending time in the city can be outrageously expensive, but also remarkably cheap. There is no excuse for being bored in London: there is always something to do or see and much of it is affordable!

London, then, can be a great and inexpensive holiday destination:

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Do you have a better idea of what you want to do in London?

  • TenerifeLowcostholidays Jun 22, 2011 @ 6:36 am | delete
    Great lens -nice to see London getting a bit of attention, especially in the build up to the Olympics next year - excitement!!
  • LondonWanderer Apr 19, 2011 @ 5:01 am | delete
    Sir John Soane's Museum, Lincoln's Inn Field, nearest tube: Holborn. It's an absolute gem!
    I really enjoyed your lens, thanks.
  • makingamark Feb 13, 2011 @ 4:21 am | delete
    EXCELLENT lens. You make London accessible and affordable! Blessed and added to The Best of the UK
  • Michey Jan 31, 2011 @ 7:05 pm | delete
    Very informative lens, thanks
  • 0ctavias0fferings Jan 10, 2011 @ 1:37 pm | delete
    I lived in London for about a year or so and it was great in so many ways but now I live a much quieter, less hectic lifestyle in the countryside. I miss the theatres and being able to get anything you want at any time of the night or day but I don't miss the noise and the other side of the nightlife.
  • theraggededge Nov 19, 2010 @ 10:00 am | delete
    Very excellent lens, mother of F-t-C. Love your suggestions and your photos.
  • chemknitsblog Nov 19, 2010 @ 5:53 am | delete
    Do Oyster cards still have a cap on how much you spend a day? I believe after spending 6 pounds, you then wouldn't have to pay any more... But then again, I haven't been there for almost 2 years. Fun lens, I can't wait to go back.
  • Flynn_the_Cat Nov 19, 2010 @ 5:56 am | delete
    Yes - it depends on the transport you take but "If you make lots of pay as you go journeys in one day we'll make sure you never pay more than the price of an equivalent Day Travelcard."
    http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14837.aspx
  • hayleylou Nov 17, 2010 @ 10:21 pm | delete
    We are visiting London next year and going to the Zoo, thumbs up for a great lens :)
  • emerald125 Nov 17, 2010 @ 7:41 pm | delete
    I had my second visit to London earlier this year. We found that the actual sightseeing was cheaper than other parts of Europe and there was lots of Free stuff but the food was really expensive so some tips on how to eat cheap would be good
  • Flynn_the_Cat Nov 19, 2010 @ 4:57 am | delete
    I can give you one tip straight off - Cafes have to charge VAT for service on food and drink, but this doesn't apply if you don't eat it there! So take your tea and sandwiches away with you and you'll save a bit that way.
  • Jhangora Nov 17, 2010 @ 12:34 am | delete
    I'd like to visit the Globe theatre. Not sure if it's in London. And that famous wax museum too.
  • Flynn_the_Cat Nov 17, 2010 @ 12:37 am | delete
    Yes, it is, in Southwark - I've walked past it and they still have regular plays there! http://www.shakespeares-globe.org/ And the wax museum is Madame Tussaud's http://www.madametussauds.com/
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