London’s not cheap, but it’s not as expensive as I thought it was going to be. I’ve been there twice, but only because my flights flew in and out of London. On both trips, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in London and wondered why I hadn’t bothered to make a little more time to explore. There are lots of things you can do in London to minimize the costs and stretch your budget a little further. Here are my top tips for exploring London on a Budget.
Photo Credit: London Terrace by Richard Gould on Flickr
1) Consider Staying in Apartments
Choosing Short Stay Apartments London allows you to stay in comfortable accommodation, at the fraction of the price that you’d pay for a hotel in London. It’s great if you’re traveling with a few friends or a family, as you get a lot more space to relax in. Most apartments come with fully equipped kitchens, so you can make some meals at home to keep costs down. Apartments allow you to have all of the home comforts you’re used to, without spending a fortune.
Photo Credit: Borough Market, London SE1 by Paul Wilkinson on Flickr
2) Eat at the Markets
Choosing to have dinner at the markets, instead of a restaurant, is a great way to enjoy some of the local flavour without spending a ton on food. There are many different food markets in London that are prized for offering some delicious meals, check out: Borough Market, Partridges Food Market and Leadenhall Market.
Photo Credit: London Underground Oyster Card by London Chow on Flickr
3) Get an Oyster Card
Most Londoners don’t bother owning a car because parking is just too expensive in London and there are numerous tolls when you want to drive into the city centre. As a consequence of this, London has one of the best metro systems in the world, which is perfect when you’re visiting for a few days. You can buy an Oyster card, preload it with money and take advantage of the relatively cheap metro system. Once you leave London, you can get a partial refund for any money you loaded onto your Oyster card.
Photo Credit: London British Museum by Martin Pettitt on Flickr
4) Check out the Museums
One of the best things London has to offer are its museums. Many of them are surprisingly free, making them the perfect place to visit for the budget conscious traveler. As London tends to have inconsistent, unpredictable and frequently dreary weather, escaping into a museum is a great way to pass a day while soaking in some serious culture. Most popular free or cheap museums include the Bank of England Museum, the British Museum, the Imperial War Museum and the Museum of London.
London is relatively pricey, but you can still really enjoy London even if you’re on a budget. Once you’ve found a great value at short let London you can start researching what you’ll do in this city. Have you ever visited London? What are you favourite low cost things to do there?
