Being a savvy traveler, I’ve experienced visiting London on a budget on multiple occasions and here I’ll tell you how you can, too! With affordable accommodations, cheap eats, low-cost transportation, and free attractions and tours, you will be able to travel to London on a budget. Just follow these money saving tips for visiting London on a budget to get the most out of your budget-savvy trip!
Visiting London on a Budget | Cheap Accommodations
Visiting London on a budget begins with finding an affordable place to stay. I like to use Booking.com to search for cheap hotels in London; I love how they show you exactly how much you’re saving. You can also look on Airbnb and filter by cost to find affordable London accommodations with more of a home feel.
I’ve stayed in hostels in London, hotels, and Airbnbs over the years. Depending on your individual situation, each is a great option for traveling to London on a budget. While I’ve moved on from my hostel-staying days, I’ve found that some hotels (specifically micro hotels – see more about that below!) and Airbnbs can be just as budget-friendly!
If you are new to Airbnb, use my referral link for $40 off your first reservation of $75 or more!
Micro Hotels in London
On a recent trip to London, I saw that micro hotels in London are popping up throughout the city. My husband and I stayed at a hub by Premier Inn micro hotel and loved it! It was modern, clean, and best of all, cheap! Yes, the rooms are small (hence the “micro” adjective), but they do a great job utilizing the space. My husband and I had everything we needed in our room including free wi-fi, luggage storage, a desk, and bathroom (no, these are not like hostels, where you may have to share a bathroom with others!). The best part was that the prices were fairly micro too! We paid £69/night which is a lot less than most bigger hotels and about equal to lower-end Airbnbs.
One of the best parts about the two primary chains of micro hotels in London, hub by Premium Inn and The Z Hotels, is that they have numerous locations conveniently located throughout the city. There are 11 hub by Premier Inn micro hotels conveniently located near Westminster Abbey, Tower Hill, and in areas like Soho and Convent Garden. The Z Hotels are located in popular tourist areas like Piccadilly, Soho and Convent Garden, just to name a few.
Eat in London on a Budget
It’s important to keep your dining costs low if you want to travel to London on a budget. Here are some of my savvy ways to eat in London on a budget:
- Stock up on snacks at a grocery store or market upon arrival. Being prepared for inevitable snack cravings by purchasing things like granola bars and fruit is one of the easiest ways to save money as a tourist in London. And have fun while saving by trying snacks you don’t usually see at home.
- Eat lunch at Borough Market, which is open every day but Sunday. The massive market is home to both street food stalls and sit-down restaurants.
- For the best fish & chips in all of London, be sure to stop by the Fish! Kitchen walk-up counter in Borough Market, where you can get their fresh, delicious, crunchy and buttery-soft version of the London staple to-go for £10.
- Follow Time Out London’s best cheap eats guide, an all-inclusive guide to 100 different budget-friendly London restaurants!
- Grab dinner at your neighbhorhood pubs—it’s a much cheaper alternative than eating at a fancy restaurant. My favorite London pub for cheap eats is the The Pommelers Rest, near the London Tower Bridge. My husband and I stumbled across it after spending the afternoon on the Bermondsey Beer Mile. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner and the prices are some of the lowest we found at pubs in London. The huge menu offered pizza, burgers, salads, fish & chips, and other traditional English fare. And the food was great!
Visiting London on a Budget | Transportation
London Airport Transportation
Sometimes the most stressful part about planning a trip is figuring out how to get from the airport to your hotel. No worries though, my London Airport Guide has you covered on the low-cost transportation options to get you from the different airports to your hotel.
London Underground Oyster Card
When it comes to getting around London, the most convenientand budget-friendly transportation method is the London Underground (aka “theTube”). One of my favorite money saving tips forvisiting London is to purchase an Oyster Card for tube rides uponarrival. You can buy them at all train and tube stations.
The Oyster cards can be loaded with credits to cover yourtravel throughout your trip. There is a £5 refundable deposit on thestandard Oyster card, which you get back when you turn in your card at the endof the trip, or you can purchase the visitor Oyster card that has a £5non-fundable fee. The cards are virtually the same, so I don’t recommendthe visitor pass since the £5 fee is non-refundable.
Regardless of the card you buy, the fares are significantlycheaper when using the Oyster card when compared to purchasing single tickets(like, half the price!), and the best part is that any unused credits on yourOyster card can be refunded at the end of your trip!Just don’t forget toturn the card back in at the customer service counter at the train / tubestation before you leave London!
Uber in London
Yes, ridesharing is available in London via the Uber app. Sidenote: for those who prefer Lyft, it’s not available outside of the US &Canada yet. Uber works the same way in London as it does in the US, and thesame app can be used. While the app will charge passengers in GBP, as long asyour credit card does not have any foreign transaction fees, the charge willeasily convert to USD on your credit card statement.
My husband and I used Uber in London on several occasions when it didn’t make sense to take the Tube (like late at night or from Gatwick to central London after our flight arrived at 4:00 a.m. local time). We found it reliable and safe and recommend it as an alternative to traditional cabs as a way to save money in London as a tourist.
Note: In November 2019, Uber lost its license to operate in London but is appealing the decision and will continue to operate in the meantime.
Visiting London on a Budget | Free Things to Do
If you’re trying to save money in London as a tourist, you’re in luck. The cosmopolitan city offers an impressive range of free things to do. These are some of my favorite activities for visiting London on a budget:
SkyGarden View
To enjoy one of the best views in London, visit the free public SkyGarden located in the “Walkie-Talkie”-nicknamed skyscraper in the City of London.
Online reservations are highly recommended, as it’s very difficult to access the SkyGarden as a walk-in guest, especially later in the day. The online booking system opens up three weeks in advance, so be sure to reserve a spot early since there are a limited amount of reservations allowed per day.
Even if you miss out on booking a reservation, it’s worth getting to the SkyGarden bright and early as it’s much easier to get in as a walk-in guest between 7:00 – 10:00 am on weekdays and 8:00 – 11:00 am on weekends. This is what we did, because I failed at getting a reservation online, and we walked right in without having to wait in line!
Museums
Entrance is free to the permanent collections and galleries in London museums. While there are a couple dozen museums to explore throughout London, one of my favorites is the Tate Modern, located on the southern bank of the River Thames. This modern art museum is located in a former power station and is a great place to explore for a couple hours.
The Tate Modern is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and stays open until 10:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Pro tip: if the weather is nice, grab a beer or glass of wine outside of the museum and sit on the grass to enjoy this great Southbank location.
Royal Parks
London has eight Royal Parks that are open daily and free to visit. Hyde Park is London’s largest and most famous park and is definitely worthy of a visit regardless of the time of year. There is a rose garden and outdoor concerts in the summer and fairground rides and ice-skating in the winter, making Hyde Park London’s version of Central Park!
St. James Park is another beautiful option to visit, especially since it located across from Buckingham Palace. If you are visiting London on a budget, you can easily walk through St. James Park from Buckingham Palace to other attractions like Westminster Abbey and Big Ben.
Walking Tours
One of the best ways to see London is by participating in a free walking tour. The most popular free London tours typically include Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey, but there is so much more to see and do. Strawberry Tours offer free walking tours of both the East and South sides of London, Soho, and even a ghost tour.
Depending on how much time you have, try to go on as many free walking tours as you can as a way to travel to London on a budget (and get a bonus workout in!).
Pro tip: While the tours are free, be sure to tip your tour guide! £10-20/person is standard depending on individual budget and experience with the tour guide.
Beatles Mania
Fans and tourists can go on their own free, self-guided tour of Beatles spots throughout London. While going to places like the headquarters of Paul McCartney’s music publishing company in Soho or the location of the their famous rooftop concert at 3 Sevile Row are for the die-hard fans, a visit to Abbey Road is a must for even the moderate Beatles fan. Visitors can go to London’s Abbey Road Crossing to re-create the iconic Beatles album cover and see the famous record studio where the Beatles recorded most of their music.
Well, my money saving tips forvisiting London post has come to an end. If you have any othersuggestions for how to experience budget travel inLondon, be sure to leave a comment below. Until next time – cheers!
