London stirs up images of glitzy restaurants, world class art galleries and museums, iconic landmarks trendy pubs, the finest in entertainment and shopping. While there certainly is a lot to enjoy in the city the fact is London is out of the priciest cities on the planet. The good news is that many of the tourist attractions in the city are for free or can be visited at discounted prices. If London is on your New Year bucket list as a holiday destination, this is one of the best times to the visit the city. And with Brexit, the city is relatively more affordable to visit than earlier. And there still are ways you could save money through a little homework and planning, which can help you to squeeze the most out of your trip.
A few tips to enjoy the many attractions that London has to offer on a budget are as follows:
Look for a budget hotel:
One of the biggest expenses on a holiday is the cost of accommodation, and the hotels in London can certainly be very expensive. One way to enjoy staying at a luxury hotel without having to spend a hefty sum is to look for a hotel that offers a discount or special deals. You will find many such hotels near Craven Hill among other locations all over the city.
If you want to stay in a premier boutique hotel a good choice would be the Park Grand Paddington Court hotel that offers the best of facilities, while being affordably priced. Another benefit of staying at the hotel is its central location, which will help to save on travel expenses to the many attractions in the heart of London.
Invest in a visitor Oyster Card:
If you want to save a fair bit of money on a trip to London then get yourself a visitor Oyster Card. The benefit of having this card is that it will save you a considerable sum of money on the public transport system, while also offering discounted rates on a variety of food and drink options. In fact using an Oyster Card is about 50% more economical than paying for single tickets or one day Travel Cards. You could choose to buy it before you arrive in London and it will be shipped to your postal address. Alternately you can buy it at the entrance of any Tube station or from any of the 4000 plus Oyster Ticket Shops all over the city. Get it topped up with a reasonable sum you think you would need during your stay in the city. If there is a balance you can ask for it to be reimbursed at the end of your trip.
Walk around the city:
While it is a necessity to use public transport if you need to travel long distances in the city, if you are in Central London the location is ideal to explore on foot. There are numerous attractions to be found in the area and these can be explored at leisure on foot. If you are not comfortable with walking you could choose to hire a Boris Bike to cycle about the place. These are easily available from any of the Santander Cycles kiosks to be found all over London. It will give you an opportunity to see more of the sights at your own pace, while also getting in some exercise.
Explore the city’s many free attractions:
There are plenty of free landmarks and attractions that you can visit in London without having to spend a penny. These include the city’s famous museums and art galleries like The British Museum, The Science Museum, the National Gallery, The Southbank Centre and the Tate Modern among plenty of other places. Then there are the city’s numerous green open spaces including Hyde Park, St. James’s Park and Hampstead Heath etc.
Look for deals on West End Tickets:
Enjoying a visit to see a West End show at the theatre need not always be expensive. One way to get cheaper tickets is to book them in advance to get good discounts. If you plan to buy them at the last minute visit the TKTS booth that is located at Leicester Square doe tickets at discounted prices. Another way to get cheaper tickets for a show you want to see is to queue up for stand-by tickets.
Get a London Pass:
Another way to save on ticket costs at major attractions is to buy a London Pass, which may also get you fast-track entry to some of the top attractions within London. These include iconic tourist spots like Westminster Abbey, London Bridge, The Tower of London and Thames River Cruises among plenty of other public attractions.
Make online reservations in advance:
A great way to beat the long queues as well as save money on tickets for major attractions is to go online and buy your tickets well in advance. Some of the top attractions offer great discounts for making reservations online like tickets for the Coca Cola London Eye.
Make good use of the Happy Hours:
One way to save money on drinks and food is to make the most of their happy hours. A number of pubs and restaurants offer guests a Happy Hour time slot that include two-for-one deals, special promotional offers and much more, which could help to save substantially on drinks and dining. You could either check online or ask the hotel concierge for information about such offers at pubs and restaurants in the area.
Visit the small shows:
One great aspect of London is that it has plenty to offer in terms of entertainment ranging from live music to comedy, cabaret to theatre. A benefit of visiting the smaller productions is that they are generally more reasonably priced than big name productions or the theatres at the West End. You get to enjoy an evening of wonderful entertainment at less or even half the price!
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