London on the Meryl Streep

Cheap (or free) London attractions

This post comes courtesy of Sarah Husselmann (www.sarahhusselmann.com)

Whilst the strength of the Aussie dollar makes a trip to London more affordable than ever, visitors to the Capital will become familiar with the phrase “look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves.”  If you’re on a tight budget, these tips help keep the pounds in your wallet.

Ditch the Tube in favour of walking or catching a bus

A great way to get to know the city and save money is to walk or travel by bus. The London Underground map is famously out of scale so the distances between stations (particularly in Zone 1) are much smaller than you’d think.

If you’re adamant on using public transport a single trip ticket on the bus costs £2, it’s even cheaper if you have an Oyster card, compared to £4 on the Tube.

Use London’s unofficial tour bus

There’s no need to splash out on an open top tour bus around London, who knows if you’ll stay dry anyway. The number 11 bus route is London’s unofficial tour bus, and is often serviced by a heritage route master bus – grab a bowler hat and jump on at the back!

The route starts at Fulham Town Hall and terminates at Liverpool Street Station, passing through Chelsea, Sloane Square, Westminster, Parliament Square, Trafalgar Square, Aldwych, Fleet Street, and Bank underground station.

Visit the museums…for free

London’s best museums offer free entry so there’s no need to miss out – here are some of the most popular places to visit.

The Natural History Museum – South Kensington

The Science Museum – South Kensington

The Victoria & Albert Museum – South Kensington

The Tate Britain – Millbank

The Tate Modern – Southbank

The British Museum – Great Russell Street

Museum of London – Barbican

The National Army Museum – Chelsea

Avoid trendy bars

For refreshments avoid trendy bars, it’s cheaper to stick to traditional pubs like those run by Sam Smith’s or JD Wetherspoon.  JD Wetherspoon pubs aren’t necessarily known for their charm or atmosphere but there are daily food offers and drink promotions. With bottles of beer for around £2 you’ll make your drinking money go further.

The Moon Under Water in Leicester Square is a popular JD Wetherspoon pub. The Knights Templar on Chancery Lane is an old bank with more character, and The Montagu Pyke on Charing Cross Road claims to have the biggest sport’s screen in the West End.

Escaping the JD Wetherspoon chain, The Lamb and Flag in Covent Garden and Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street are two of the oldest pubs in London and offer good value.

See London from the water on the Thames Clipper Service

To see London from the water take a trip on the Thames Clipper service – a day roamer ticket costs £12. Hop aboard from Millbank Pier (outside the Tate Britain), Waterloo (beside the London Eye), Blackfriars, London Bridge, Canary Wharf and North Greenwich. During peak hours, departures are every 20 minutes.

This website provides more information on how to enjoy London on the Meryl Streep – if you’re a little slow on the up take that’s “on the cheap” in modern cockney rhyming slang: www.londonforfree.net .

Useful links:

Transport for London website for bus and boat routes and timetables: www.tfl.gov.uk

The Natural History Museum: www.nhm.ac.uk

The Science Museum: www.sciencemuseum.org.uk

The Victoria & Albert Museum: www.vam.ac.uk

The Tate Britain: www.tate.org.uk/britain

The Tate Modern: www.tate.org.uk

The British Museum: www.britishmuseum.org

Museum of London: www.museumoflondon.org.uk

The National Army Museum: www.national-army-museum.ac.uk

JD Wetherspoon pubs: www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk

For more great London travel advice and tips check out 6 of the best London happy hours.  If you plan to head over  to work check out the working overseas section for lots on setting yourself up in the UK.  For regular updates you can subscribe for free via email below.