Mini Travel Guides

This summer is the perfect time to visit London for the 2012 Olympic Games. London is an exceptional venue, so along with the Olympic games, you will also want to take time to visit some iconic London attractions and monuments, and to experience the English culture. Here are some tips to make your visit to London easier and more fun.

Book your flights to London Now
As the summer grows closer, the prices  for flights to London will get more expensive and seats will be more difficult to find.

Book your hotel room Now
The earlier you book the more choices you will have. Just remember, the closer you stay to the center of London, the easier it is to get around, but it is also more expensive.

Take advantage of free admission to museums
Most of the more than 300 London museums are free, including the Tate Modern and the British Museum. Here is more information on saving money on your London vacation.

Look into purchasing a London Pass
The London Pass is a sightseeing city card – like a credit card with a computer chip inside – which gives you entry to a choice of over 55 popular tourist attractions throughout the city. The pass has several great advantages:

• Free entry to 55 attractions
• No waiting – skip lines on many attractions
• Free 120+ page guidebook
• Over 30 special offers
• Free public transport*

The pass is sold for durations of  1, 2, 3 or 6 days.
A One-day adult pass is £46.00, a  child pass is £29.00.
A Two-day adult pass is £61.00, child pass is £46.00.
A Three-day adult pass is £74.00, child pass is £61.00.
A Six-day adult pass is £99.00, a child pass is £69.00.

London Pass holders enjoy queue skipping privileges at the following places:

• Tower of London
• St Paul’s Cathedral
• Hampton Court Palace
• Windsor Castle
• London Bridge Experience
• ZSL London Zoo
• Kensington Palace & The Orangery

Take in a play
London is renowned for its fantastic theater scene. While there are several top tier playhouses in the city, there are many more smaller theaters at various price-points. And, if you are looking for bargains, be sure to check out Tkts Liecester Square, the official half-off ticket offfice operated bythe Society of London Theatres. (Note: there are lots of places calling themselves discount dealers, but many are rip-offs.)

 Take a ride on the EDF Energy London Eye
We really enjoyed our ride on the London Eye; it gave us a spectacular view of the city. It is really a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we highly recommend it.

Experience a traditional London Tea Service
One of the great things about traveling is experiencing other cultures and traditions. So, while in London, what could be more memorable than to take part in a traditional English custom: afternoon tea.

 Thinking about going to the 2012 Olympics? This post was sponsored by FlightCentre.com, your source for Cheap London Flights, Holidays and Travel Deals.

Related posts:

1. Save in London with The London Pass ...
2. Preview London’s 2012 Olympics -Take a Walking Tour ...
3. How to Enjoy London on a Budget ...

London is home to some of the best museums in Europe and on top of that it’s free to get into UK state museums, although there can be charges for special exhibitions. So here are seven great London museums.

Victoria & Albert (V&A)

The Victoria and Albert Museum is probably my favourite London museum. On my most recent visit there I spent most of my time in the glass exhibition. I enjoyed the jewellery and costume exhibits on previous visits.

Glass exhibits at the V&A

You can take a picnic to eat out in their lovely garden.

Garden at the V&A

Museum of London

I made my firsit visit to the the Museum of London recently.

Model of circular theatre at the Museum of London

For me the most striking exhibit was the 1928 Art Deco style bronze lift/elevator taken from the Selfridges department store.

Selfridges lift at the Museum of London

British Museum

I haven’t been to the British Museum for ages but remember enjoying the Egyptology exhibits. Neha hightlights that you can choose from an Exhibition Menu at the Museum’s Court Restaurant. When I checked, the menu was based on the British artist Grayson Perry’s travels.

British Museum by Pallindrome6996

London Transport Museum

You have to pay to get into the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden (a rather hefty £13.50 per adult, but kids under 16 are free of charge), which is probably part of the reason I’ve never been. However Neha reckons it’s a really good day out with kids in London.

London Transport Museum by Stuart Pinfold

Science Museum

The Science Museum is Heather’s pick of free London museums for the family. I know our sons used to love going to hands on interactive sections there.

Science Museum by lesteph

Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum was another favourite of our sons, where they could see the din0saur skeletons.  From the start of November until January, there’s an ice rink just outside the Museum.

Natural History Museum

National Army Museum

I think that everyone should visit the National Army Museum to get some insight into the horrors of war. I found the WW1 recreations quite chilling. I didn’t plan a visit to this museum but passed it when walking to the Chelsea Physic Garden.

National Army Museum by cubby_t_bear

This post was featured in the Carnival of Cities on 12 January 2012.

Things to Do in London

We’ve lots more travel tips for things to do in London.

Where to Stay in London

There’s a wide choice of acommodation for all budgets in London. I’ve stayed at the Travelodge London Tower Bridge a couple of times and have seen rooms there for as little as £19 a night in Travelodge promotions. The recently refurbished St Ermins hotel, close to St James Park, is a good four star hotel central London. If you want to be able to prepare your own food, base2stay in Earl’s Court offers a mini kitchen, free in-room WiFi and it’s a 20 minute walk to the South Kensington museums. If you want five star luxury the Langham, between Oxford Circus & Regents Park is a good bet.

Your Pick of London Museums

Please vote for your favourite London museum in our poll.

7 of the Best London Museums

Tips on the what to do in Europe. Copyrighted content published on Europe a la Carte.

I paid my first visit to the Museum of London in November 2011. The museum opened in the mid 1970s and is situated a short walk from St Paul’s Cathedral.

Sculpture outside Museum of London

The Museum of London is arranged in chronological order starting from early London to the present day.

Roman sculptures at the Museum of London

Medieval London

Model of Church at Museum of London

Expanding London

There’s an area laid out as a Victorian shopping street which includes a pub, tailors and toy shop.

 Penny Farthing at Museum of London

The Art Deco style bronze lift from the Selfridges department store is very striking.

Selfridges lift at the Museum of London

I loved the 20s style beaded dress.

What about declaring your dedication to the Beatles by wearing the dress below?

Beatles dress at Museum of London

More Tips for Things to Do in London

We’ve plenty of tips for what to do in London on Europe a la Carte.

Click here for the lowest prices on London hotels

Museum of London Photo Tour

Tips on the what to do in Europe. Copyrighted content published on Europe a la Carte.

I’m a huge fan of the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London having visited on many occasions over the years. I reckon it’s one of the best museums in Europe. My most recent visit was in November 2011.

Exterior of V&A

The ceramic staircase is really beautiful.

Ceramic staircase at V&A

I was entranced by the glass exhibition, particularly the green glass balustrade leading to a mezzanine gallery.

Green glass balustrade at V&A

The colourful piece below was like a shimmering giant clam shell.

Glass exhibit at V&A

I had a quick walk through the Silver exhibition and spotted a wine cooler which was the size of  small bath tub.

Giant wine cooler at V&A

The Art Deco frieze pictured below was an adornment of the Royal Doulton ceramics HQ in London until the building was demolished in 1978 and the frieze moved to the V&A.

Doulton frieze at V&A

Althought it was November the weather was so mild that I was able to sit out in the garden to eat my sandwiches.

Garden at V&A

The Private Eye exhibition was recommended to me on Twitter and it was hilarious.  There were lots of Private Eye front covers; the funniest one was Tony Blair at the side of patient’s bed in an NHS hospital, reassuring the patient that a spin doctor would be with her soon. Unfortunately you’re not allowed to take photos at the temporary exhibitions.

I also visited the PostModerism: Style & Subversion 1970-1990 exhibition, which runs until 25 January 2012. It’s strange because when you live through a period you often don’t analyse what’s going around you because you’re too absorbed in your everyday life.

I read that the V&A is open until 22.00 on Fridays, I wish all museums had late night opening, on different nights of the week, so you could have a more leisurely day sightseeing instead of having to rush around attractions.

More Tips for Things to Do in London

We’ve plenty of tips for what to do in London on Europe a la Carte.

Click here for the lowest prices on London hotels

Visiting the Victoria & Albert Museum in London

Tips on the best places to visit in Europe. Copyrighted content published on Europe a la Carte.

I stayed at base2stay London Kensington for two nights in November 2011 on a complimentary basis. The accommodation is located close to Earls Court underground station with lots of shops, restaurants and cafes within a five minute walk. It took me around 20 minutes to walk to the Victoria & Albert Museum from the hotel.

Exterior of base2stay Kensington

I stayed in a single room, which was a reasonable size by London standards, at the back of the hotel. There was a mini kitchen behind double doors which had a microwave, fridge, sink, crockery and cutlery.  I wish there’d been some washing up liquid and a dish towel or drainer, as I felt I couldn’t wash my dishes properly in water alone and then I had to put wet dishes and cutlery back in the cupboard. The shower was good size with easy to use electronic controls. I liked the fact there was a heated towel rail in the bathroom. There was air conditioning in the room which I didn’t use as the room was an ideal temperature without any intervention.

There was free wifi through base2stay which I found to have a very good signal.  However I’d have liked to have either a celing light above the desk or a table lamp, as I was casting a shadow over the laptop once the lights were on.

My room at base2stay Kensington

Housekeeping didn’t manage to clean my room during the time I was out. I put up the please don’t disturb sign on my return to the room in the middle of the afternoon.  A note was put under my door around 5pm saying if I required my room to be serviced I should call reception. I didn’t bother, as I was only staying for 2 nights.

View from my room at base2stay Kensington

In summary, base2stay London Kensington offers very comfortable, quality, clean accommodation with basic self catering facilites and free wifi. My minor niggles with lack of light at the desk and no washing up liquid, dish towel or drainer in the kitchen area could be cheaply and easily remedied.

Update – I’ve been informed by base2stay that there is a notice in the mini-kitchen (which I didn’t see) advising guests to contact reception if they require tea towels and washing up liquid.

London Tips

We’ve lots of travel tips for what to do in London on Europe a la Carte.

Review of base2stay London Kensington

Tips on what to see in Europe. Copyrighted content published on Europe a la Carte.

I’m off to London next month to attend the World Travel Market. I started to compare hotels in London for convenience of getting both to the Excel Exhibition Centre in the Docklands and peripheral events in the West End. It seemed to me that the area near the Tower Bridge was ideal. Now I’ve heard a lot about the history of the Tower of London but not much about Tower Bridge, which seems strange as it’s such an iconic London sight. So I decided to do a little bit of research into Tower Bridge.

The construction of Tower Bridge in 1894 was an enormous undertaking that took eight years of work by 450 men from five separate construction companies in order to meet its completion date. The bridge had to be able to allow the passage of sailing ships under it, as well as pedestrians and vehicles over it. The solution was a bridge which could lift up.

Many visitors are attracted to the mechanical workings of the hydraulics which raise the two halves of the bridge. In the Victorian age these were originally steam driven, but now cleaner electricity is utilized. If you want to see the bridge raised, it only happens on certain days, sometimes less often than once a week.

The walkways which are higher than the roadway are open even when the two halves of the bridge are raised; in the Victorian age this was a very popular location for prostitutes, but in the 21st century this can be a great spot to view the opening and the ships passing through the gap. However, if you want to go up to the walkways you have to pay for an admission ticket to the Exhibition Centre which costs £8 for adults and £3.40 for kids aged 5 – 15. Opening hours only vary slightly throughout the year; from April to September 10.00 – 18.30 and October to March 09.30 – 18.00.

I previously enjoyed walking along the Thames Path from Tower Bridge to Westminster.

So next time you’re thinking of  booking a city break in London, why not consider staying in the Tower Bridge area.

Best of London Tips

Read our Best of London Travel Tips, to help you get the most from your visit to the city.

Visiting London’s Tower Bridge

Tips on what to see in Europe. Copyrighted content published on Europe a la Carte.

If you’re visiting the UK capital why not try to time your trip to see some London ceremonies described below by Andrea Kirkby. While there are several well known London Ceremonies such as the Changing of the Guard for instance and Trooping the Colour in the summer; then in autumn, it’s the State Opening of Parliament and the Lord Mayor’s Show.

For me though, some of the most interesting ceremonies of the city (and events in Europe) are much quieter and more intimate affairs. For instance there’s the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London, which happens every night. It’s a short, understated ceremony, during which the outer gates of the Tower are locked and the guard is dismissed for the night. The surroundings and the dead-of-night hush in the air are what make it so evocative.

Tower of London by cafuego

There’s an even more special ceremony that happens just once a year, the ceremony of Roses and Lilies, at which members of King’s College Cambridge and Eton College remember Henry VI, who was murdered in the Tower.

A much lighter note is struck by the Grimaldi Memorial Service in February, which commemorates the life of Joseph Grimaldi, the most celebrated of English clowns (if you think the ‘sad clown’ is only a stereotype, read the story of his life – a superstar in youth, he died, a broken and broke man, at only 58). Holy Trinity Church in Hackney is the venue for the memorial, which clowns attend in full regalia.

Historian John Stow is commemorated by a ceremony in St Andrew Undershaft in the City, once every three years. His tomb shows him writing, quill pen in hand; at the ceremony, his effigy is given a new pen.

St Andrews Undershaft Church & the Gherkin by Henry Lawford

And if you want to see old Cockney traditions at their best, turn up for the Costermongers’ Harvest Festival, held at St Mary le Bow at the end of September. The Pearly Kings and Queens of London meet in Guildhall Yard in their traditional regalia and proceed to St Mary’s for the service, with donkey carts, brewers’ drays, marching bands and plenty of good humour. As the bells of St Mary’s ring out, you’ll recall the traditional definition of a Cockney – anyone born within earshot of Bow Bells.

Pearly Queen by Ian Farrell

Most of London’s ceremonial fare is a feast for the eyes – but the tradition of campanology is a delight for the ears. The Ancient Society of College Youths was founded in 1637 and has been ringing the bells at St Mary le Bow ever since; it now rings at other churches around the City and Westminster as well, including St Paul’s Cathedral. Practices are held on Tuesday evenings, 630-8, and you can hear bells on Sunday at St Magnus Martyr, St Paul’s, and St Michael’s Cornhill.

St Mary Le Bow steeple by LoopZilla

One of my favourite ceremonies is the Butterworth Charity, founded by the publisher Joshua Whitehead Butterworth at the end of the nineteenth century. On Good Friday, hot cross buns are given out to the children of the parish at St Bartholomew’s, according to the terms of the charity – in fact the service usually goes a good bit further and gives them out to the whole congregation if there are enough. Even the clergy get a hot cross bun once they’re finished.

Beating the Bounds is one of those good old English traditions which has died out in most places – patrolling the boundaries of the parish so that everyone could recognise them, thus avoiding boundary disputes. In the City, it is still carried out on Ascension day in the parish of Portsoken, with the children of Sir John Cass Primary School joining the Ward Constable and Aldermen of Portsoken together with the parish militia. It’s a wonderful event, mixing ceremoniousness with sheer anarchy when the children are given their sticks for bashing walls, railings, bollards, and lamp posts that stand on the boundary line. ‘Beating’ the bounds is meant quite literally.

Beating the Bound by avail

And finally, one of London’s great pageants actually doesn’t take place in the city at all – but since it starts just a little upstream of it on the Thames, and involves two of the City Livery Companies, it’s very much a London tradition. I’m referring to Swan Upping. For five days in July, starting from Sunbury Lock, the Queen’s Swan Marker together with the Swan Uppers of the Dyers’ and Vintners’ Companies patrol the Thames in a flotilla of six traditional rowing skiffs. Mute swans on open water in the UK belong to the Queen and on the Thames she shares her ownership with the two livery companies. Back in the Middle Ages when this all started, swans were the food of kings – now, Swan Upping provides an opportunity to carry out conservation work, checking the numbers of swans and also the health of the population.

A convenient hotel for experiencing London’s pageantry at first hand is the Rubens at the Palace – a 4 star hotel near Victoria – which has free WiFi for guests and overlooks the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace.

More London Tips

We’ve lots of tips for the best things to do in London in our collation post.

Click here for the lowest prices on London hotels

Enthralling London Ceremonies

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Cleanliness may be next to godliness but it can also be very boring as all little children know. Filth is much more fascinating; which is why the current (until the end of August 2011) ‘DIRT’ exhibition at the Wellcome Collection is such an alluring show. Andrea Kirkby tells us about her recent visit to the exhibition.

Credit Wellcome Library

The exhibition looks at our changing concepts of what dirt actually is and how we treat it, through six rooms each located in a different place and time – 17th-century Delft, 19th-century Soho, the Fresh Kills landfill site on Staten Island and several others. One of the most interesting exhibits looks at the work of Dalit scavengers who clean the rubbish (and the latrines) of Delhi and Kolkata.

It also looks at van Leeuwenhoek’s discovery of microbes (which he called ‘animalculae’) through his invention of the microscope – suddenly dirt came alive! It was no longer just inert nastiness but full of wriggling life.

The cholera outbreaks of Victorian London are examined – as is the German hygiene movement of the early 20th century with its assertion of rational, scientific cleanliness.

Dirt isn’t just a matter of grubbiness or germs – our attitudes to dirt illustrate a whole range of social, ethical and even sexual attitudes (for instance, why are there so many pissoirs and so few ladies’ toilets in southern Europe?).

Credit Wellcome Library

Films illustrate various aspects of dirt and cleanliness, from the utopian hygiene of the Peckham Health Centre to the trials of someone trying to find a public toilet in Mumbai (punningly entitled ‘Q2P’).

Inspired by the exhibition, I wanted to find some more glorious dirt in London – and discovered that there’s a great deal of good dirty fun to be had.

• The bust of Sir Joseph Bazalgette on the Victoria Embankment shows the inventor of London’s modern sewerage system. Look down the Embankment and you are seeing his masterpiece; the road above conceals the sewer below.
• London Dungeon has a sewer ride.
• Crossness Pumping Station is currently in restoration and should reopen in 2012. It’s a fascinating neo-Romanesque cast-iron building, colourfully painted and still contains its four original pumping engines.
• Kew Bridge Steam Museum features engines that were used to pump water, not sewage – but the museum exhibits also feature the sewer system.
• The Museum of London still has a pair of “patten” shoes on display from the 17th century in its Medieval Gallery (alongside a selection of other medieval shoes such as Poulaines). These wooden mini-stilts or platforms were strapped on over your shoes, lifting your feet above the manure, ash, sewage and detritus strewn in the street and keeping your footwear reasonably clean. However dirty London’s streets are today, they get nowhere near the level of filthiness they achieved in the early modern period!

Credit Museum of London

After trawling through all that dirt, you’ll probably want somewhere spotlessly clean and refined to retire to for the night and the Montague on the Gardens Hotel – a 4 star boutique London hotel in Bloomsbury – is just a short walk from the Wellcome Collection, one of London’s quirky, free attractions.

Best of London Tips

Read our Best of London Travel Tips, to help you get the most from your visit to the city.

Click here for the lowest prices on London hotels

London’s Dirty Secrets

Discover the best places to visit in Europe. Copyrighted content published on Europe a la Carte.

Do you have your heart set on visiting London, even if you’re ’skint’ (lacking funds)? Many travelers do, and for good reason: it’s one of the most historic and exciting cities in the world. The price tag can be intimidating, though, as even a ‘cuppa’ tea can run you several dollars. But not to worry: not only can you still afford London on a budget, but you can have a fantastic time. You just have to be a little more creative, and start counting your pennies (pence, that is).

The best things in life (and London) are free

London is a world-class city with world-class museums, and amazingly, most of them still have free or donation-based entry. No matter where your interests lay, there will be a museum or gallery to awe you. Want to see priceless treasures such as the famous Rosetta Stone? Head for the British Museum. Fancy viewing cutting-edge art installations? Make your way towards the Tate Modern. The scale and quality of these institutions are spectacular, and there are so many (over 300 in greater London) that you have the luxury of being choosy.

When creating an itinerary for your budget trip to London, try to focus on a different area (or borough) for each day of your adventure. Walking around London is gratis, and you don’t need to pay an extortionate amount for tourist maps.

Before you leave home, print some Google maps (road or satellite versions, whichever you prefer) and design your own walking tours. London offers sweeping views of the Thames, grand monuments, bustling markets, guarded palaces, busy squares, and unexpectedly peaceful parks. And, experiencing these memorable wonders doesn’t cost a thing.

What to do with your existing ‘fun money’

That being said, a trip isn’t as much fun if you’re always seeing the exteriors of famous buildings, but never the interiors. Nor is it enjoyable to just stand aside and watch other people having the unique London travel experiences.

My advice is to choose one ’splurge’ per day, and budget for that activity beforehand. For each area or London neighborhood that you plan on visiting, research what is there and allow yourself to have one guilt-free pleasure. After all, if the rest of your day is fairly budget-conscious, you’ll still come out ahead.

So what might be worth your precious pounds? There are seminal London hubs that should not be missed, such as St. Paul’s Cathedral (£14.50), the London Eye (£18.60), and the Tower of London (£19.80). Yes, once converted into your home currency, these attractions might be considered steep—but really, how often are you able to visit London? And if you can manage spending money on only one activity per day, these are fantastic choices that you’ll never forget. Also, if you’re lucky enough to visit London during Wimbledon, attending a match would also be a worthy ’splurge’. It’s all about finding the special, can’t-do-anywhere-else encounters.

If your budget just can’t stretch past a ‘fiver’, London pubs offer a unique and worthwhile slice of local life. For the price of a pint, you can enjoy the atmosphere for an hour (or longer, if you sip instead of gulp). Or you could spend the afternoon wandering through Harrods, and only buy a few souvenir candy tins on the way out. Think about the ‘money spent’/'time enjoyed’ ratio, and suddenly little expenditures like these look like bonafide bargains.

Written by Amy Vasereno for EuropeUpClose.com

Related posts:

1. Best London 3-star and Budget Hotels
2. Enjoy a Traditional English Tea Service in London
3. Save in London with The London Pass

Budget travel can be an exciting, challenging experience and there are lots of ways to save money on the basics: lodging, eating and transportation. Here’s my take on saving money on your London vacation.

Budget Accommodations in London

You’ll need to sleep, and a park bench just won’t do—but a couch could be perfect if you’re an ultra-independent traveler. Couch Surfing has become popular amongst the extreme backpacker crowd, and it does offer a free and authentic travel experience, if you’re up for it. Participants create an account and profile, and then seek out other members in the locations they wish to visit. I must confess that I’ve never tried this myself, but my friends have with great success (and have made lasting friendships with their hosts).

If you’re on a budget, but are not quite ready to crash on a stranger’s couch, hostels can be a wonderful option. Hostels offer beds in shared dorms, communal bathrooms, and often provide friendly common areas. They are conducive to meeting fellow travelers (I met my husband in one!), but sometimes are not ideal for getting a good night’s sleep. Hostels offer a variety of different atmospheres and clientele: some are rambunctious and full of revelers, some feel a bit sterile and host a decidedly older crowd, and most fit somewhere between these extremes. Do your research, as I’ve found the reviews on hostel booking websites to be pretty accurate.

If you have a bit more money to play with and covet a home-away-from-home, a self-catering apartment could be your best choice. This option becomes very budget-friendly if you are traveling in a group, as they usually have room for two or more. Travelers looking for rest and relaxation, and not necessarily looking for social interaction with other backpackers, are best served by this option. Many websites specialize in this category, but don’t forget to also try a basic internet search, because there are many individuals that aren’t affiliated with formal websites. Some lovely apartments are even listed on Craigslist, VRBO and Gumtree, so do invest some time in browsing.

For more information on couch-surfing and home exchanges, read our article, Free Lodging in Europe.
You may also want to check-out our suggestions for Best London 3-Star and Budget Hotels.

Saving Money on Meals in London

You’ll also need to eat, but you don’t have to spend much more on food than you would at home. Shop as the Londoners do, at supermarkets (Sainsbury’s is my favorite), where you’ll find cheap, wholesome foods for a fraction of the cost in restaurants. Hostels and holiday apartments have guest kitchens, and using these facilities even once per day can bring down your traveling costs immensely. Think ahead—are you going out for dinner? Plan on stocking up on fruit and cereal for breakfast, and perhaps heating up soups for lunch. Suddenly, you can afford a fun meal out without the worry or guilt. Budget travel shouldn’t be about completely limiting yourself—it can be a happy, and rewarding, compromise.

If you’re exploring for the day and cannot make it back to your kitchen for lunch, ‘take away’ is the name of the game. Sandwiches are widely available (from Boots, to Marks and Spencer, to Pret A Manger), and a fish-and-chip shop may offer a cheap and cheerful (if not exactly healthy) lunch on the go. I’ve also found that carrying snacks such as nuts and dried fruit is helpful, especially during long days of sightseeing. When dinner finally rolls around, you’ll be able to savor the food and experience without stressing about the cost. (Of course meals can be switched around, too: if you’re craving a big pub lunch, pick up a simple pasta-and-sauce dinner on your way back to your accommodations.)

Getting around London on a Budget

Finally, you’ll need to budget some money towards transportation. But if you plan ahead, it does not need to break the bank. The largest cost you’ll probably face is the journey to and from the airport. But even here, there are a number of good alternatives. Instead of taking the Heathrow or Gatwick Express trains, which are primarily for tourists, consider taking regular public transport. Yes, the tube and commuter trains are a slower ride, but you’ll more than make up for it in money saved. For instance, the Heathrow Express costs £32 for a return journey into Central London, while the Underground only costs £5 each way (before the Oyster card discount—see below). If you take the tube both ways, that’s a massive savings of £22, which is enough for another ’splurge’ or for a daily pint during your trip. Another wallet-friendly alternative is to make the trip by bus. See National Express for more details.

For getting around the city, you’ll need to rely on more than just your own two feet (but do walk when possible—it’s always free, and it’s the best way to sight see). The Underground is a travel experience unto itself, and once you master that famous map, it is a fantastic way to get from point-to-point. Buses are also a good value, and allow you to see London at street level. Make your transportation money go further by purchasing either a Travelcard (which allows unlimited travel over a day or week), or an Oyster card (which operates in a discounted pay-as-you-go manner). Both are sold by Transport for London, and they can even mail you the cards before you depart for your holiday. One more hint about the tube: the map isn’t to scale, so walking in Central London can actually be the easier option (the most well-known example of this is the paltry 260 meter distance between the Covent Garden and Leicester Square stations).

An independent tour of London might cost more than it used to, but it is still attainable. By budgeting your funds and making the most of the money you do have, you’ll be able to experience the city without feeling like you’re missing something. And, London is a city worth visiting, even on a budget. We think Viator offers a great variety of tours and London play tickets at reasonable pricing

Written by Amy Vasereno for EuropeUpClose.com

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1. Europe Travel Tips: Saving Money in Europe
2. Save in London with The London Pass
3. Salzburg: Saving the Best Til’ Last