Visiting London: London on a Low Budget
London is known for being an expensive city, both for residents and tourists. However, if you’re on a budget you’ll be pleased to find out that there ARE low budget options available which still allow you to enjoy the city!
Accomodation
London Central YHA
Plainly put, there is no way to get a nice hotel room in London without paying a hefty price. However, there are plenty of low-cost hostels in town that are as little as $17 USD/person.
Hostels tend to cater to a younger crowd, but many are suitable for adults, older adults and families. My personal recommendation is the YHA London Central. It offers clean, modern rooms, a low-cost cafe and a lot of other small perks.
Those in search of alternative accommodation may want to try Roomorama and AirBnB. Both sites offer private apartments and rooms for rent in London and other major cities for reasonable prices.
Transportation
London Underground
A weekly pass for Zone 1 on the London Underground should suffice for most tourists. It costs around 25 GBP and gives you unlimited access to the tube, bus and certain overground rail systems within Zone 1 for 7 days. For those staying in London for more than a week, read more about the London Underground here.
Eating
Pret A Manger
Pret A Manger and EAT are two options for cheap, straightforward cafe food that won’t break your budget. They are not hard to find around London and are a favorite amongst locals. Grocery stores such as Tesco also sell ready-made sandwiches for 1-2 GBP and often have “Sandwich, Snack and a Drink” deals for 3-4 GBP during lunch hours on weekdays.
Museums
Most major museums in London are free. Special exhibits within musuems sometimes come at an extra cost, but they typically do not make up a significant amount of floorspace. Here are my favorite free museums in London:
The British Museum - Home to the Rosetta Stone and many other wonders from antiquity, the British Museum is one of the best in the world.
Website: http://www.britishmuseum.org/
Closest Tube: Tottenham Court Road (Zone 1)
Open: Daily 1000am – 530pm
The National Gallery - Located within Trafalgar Square, you’re likely to find yourself in the area anyway. While it may not rival the Louvre, the National Gallery still includes impressive works by well-known artists.
Website: http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/
Closest Tubes: Picadilly Circus, Charing Cross, Embankment (Zone 1)
Open: Daily 1000am – 600pm
Fridays 1000am – 900pm
The Natural History Museum - A must for any natural science lover, the museum is located within a beautiful brick building and houses a number of exhibits including one of the best dinosaur exhibitions in Europe.
Website: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/
Closest Tube: South Kensington (Zone 1) Open: Daily 1000am – 550pm
Other Notable Museum Mentions -
The Imperial War Museum
The Petrie Museum of Egyptology
Markets
Borough Market
Borough Market - My favorite of the major markets in London. In this crowded patch of the city, you can enjoy gourmet cheeses, coffees, currys and even kangaroo burgers! Food at the market isn’t the cheapest but there are plenty of samples available if you feel like snacking. Nearby Southwark Cathedral provides a perfect lawn-with-a-view for a picnic.
Website: http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/
Closest Tube: London Bridge (Zone 1)
Open: Thursdays 1100am – 500pm
Fridays 1200pm – 600pm
Saturdays 0800am – 500pm
Portobello Market - To be honest I found Portobello to be a little bit kitschy, but it’s still worth a visit provided you have the time. The food offerings aren’t as diverse as Borough Market, but Portobello makes that up with souveniers and antiques. I go there to purchase old printings of books, which are often only 5 GBP per page (you can purchase individual pages). They make great, unique gifts for family and friends.
Website: http://www.portobellomarket.org/
Closest Tube: Notting Hill (Zone 1)
Open: Mon-Wed,Fri 800am – 630pm
Thursdays 800am – 200pm
Saturdays 600am – 630pm
Parks
London is filled with beautiful, scenic parks which provide a perfect place for tourists to unwind and observe Londoners in their element. For those looking for more than just a quiet stroll, try renting a bike at one of the many rental stations scattered across the major parks. Nicknamed Boris’ Bikes (after the mayor of London), these rental stations require nothing but a credit card and visiters can rent bikes by the hour for as little as 1 GBP. It’s a great, cost-effective way to enjoy London’s greenery.
Regents Park
Hyde Park - Perhaps London’s most famous park, it conveniatly borders some of the nicest areas of town including Kensington and Knightsbridge. The park contains man-made water features, expansive lawns, gardens and even a palace (technically located in adjacent Kensington Gardens)! Maps can be found at most of the park’s many entrances. Boris’ Bikes are available at several locations throughout the park.
Website: http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/Hyde-Park.aspx
Closest Tubes: Hyde Park Corner and Knightsbridge (Picadilly Line, Zone 1)
Lancaster Gate and Marble Arch (Central Line, Zone 1)
Open: Daily 500am – 1200am (midnight)
Regent’s Park -My favorite park in London, Regent’s park is home to the London Zoo, breathtaking English gardens and a boating lake. The park is located in an excellent part of town and Boris’ Bikes are located throughout the park.
Website: http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/The-Regents-Park.aspx
Closest Tubes: Regent’s Park, Great Portland Street, Baker Street
Open: Daily 500am – 940pm (Summer hours)
Walks
Walking through town is a great way to experience the city at no cost.
There are a lot of guidebooks that contain London walks, but my personal favorite is from Fleet Street to London Bridge. Rick Steves offers a narration of this walk via podcast at no cost. Download his map here: podcasts.ricksteves.com/pdfs/city_london_map.pdf
To see the most famous sites in London, take the London Underground to Westminster Station. Once you exit, you will be between the London Eye and Big Ben.
