London on a budget

Read on to find out how you can see this iconic capital without breaking the bank.

TRAVEL The best and cheapest way to travel around London is with the good old, trusted Oyster Card. These can be used on the London underground, Overground, Trams (DLR), some river boats and buses. You pay £5 to receive your card and then you add an amount you’d like to use on it. I found this is the best way of keeping a track of what you spend on travel each day. When you tap your card on the way out of the station, it will tell you how much you have left, so it’s super easy to keep track. You can top-up at any of the underground stations, or there are plenty of shops who advertise top-ups, just look out for the Oyster Card sign in the shop windows.

London Underground (Tube) The London underground, or the tube as it’s also well-known, is one of the most efficient ways to see London. There is an underground stop in easy walking distance from anywhere in the city, and due to there being no traffic to worry about, you are almost guaranteed for a train to arrive within 10 minutes or less of each other. If you download the Tube Map App, not only will you be able to access the map of the tube, but it gives you live updates of the line status and even a route planner to make it easier to plan your trip. The cost per trip is around £2.50 each way (as of March 2022).

Buses I love this option because you get to see London on the move, whereas on the tube you can’t see what’s going on from above. It’s also the cheapest option only costing around £1.80 (as of March 2022) per trip which, not only does it get you to your destination, but it allows you to see the sights of London at the same time. You can download the Bus Times London App, this gives you an accurate bus schedule and navigates you easily to the nearest bus stop.

WHERE TO VISIT We all know and love some of the iconic places you can visit on a trip to London, including Buckingham Palace, the London Eye and the London Dungeons to name just a few. But the great thing about the city is that many of the best world-class museums and galleries are free to visit, including the Natural History Museum, Tate Modern and the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A).

We visited the Imperial War Museum, this is a well-thought-out and beautiful display guiding you through the history of war over the decades, the First and Second World Wars in particular. I am always so fascinated by some of the items in this place including warplanes, and other types of vehicles, machinery, and weapons used in the war. Although you don’t have to pay to enter, they do encourage you to leave a donation so they can continue working on improving and building on the current museum.

Walking is a great way to see London, plus it doesn’t cost a thing. We spent one of our days walking along the Thames, it was so nice to get out in the fresh air, albeit a bit of a soggy day, but that didn’t matter. We started at St Paul’s Cathedral (you get off the tube at St Paul's), we then walked across the Millennium Bridge to the south bank, we then headed up towards Blackfriars Station which eventually led us to the Shakespeare Globe and the London Eye, you will also find the London Dungeons and the London Aquarium along here too. We then walked along Westminster Bridge to see Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. And then got back onto the tube from Westminster.

Back to where our hotel was located, we walked to Sky Garden which is only a short distance from Monument station or less than a 10-minute walk from Tower Hill, Aldgate, Bank, and Mansion House. It is free admission into Sky Garden, which is in the Walkie Talkie building, nick-named due to its unique shape. Sky Garden is well-known for being one of London’s highest public gardens, 35 floors up. A social space with 360-degree views. They advertise DJ nights and if you did want to splash out one day, you can visit Fenchurch Restaurant or the Darwin Brasserie, both positioned within the gardens with magnificent views.

EATING OUT My favourite place to eat whilst in London was Borough Market. There was so much choice, from Spanish, Greek, Iraqi, Italian, and Indian cuisine to choose from, we were spoilt for choice. We ate from the seafood counter, a delicious and filling seafood paella followed by a dessert at Humbly Crumble, which offered a choice of filling including apple, or rhubarb & strawberry, as well as other flavours. You could then choose your own different types of crumble toppings, and then dripping with delicious homemade custard. There are many markets around the streets of London where you’ll find some delicious outdoor cuisine at affordable prices including, Camden Market and Spitalfields Market.

Otherwise, venture out to Brick Lane for some of the best curry houses in the city. Due to the competition, you are bound to come across a bargain, offering something free or at a discounted price to entice you into their doors.

Also watch out for pre and post-theatre menus, at restaurants in the areas surrounding the theatre district, they are usually offering special prices for 2 & 3 courses. I also found out about a great website, called First Table which offers customers 50% off food when you dine on one of their first table seating’s. They have plenty of restaurants across London offering different cuisines to suit your tastebuds.

I hope you found this most helpful and if you would like any further advice on what else you can do in London on a budget then please get in touch.