21 simple ways I saved on my trip to London
You here it all the time from American travelers: “I’d love to visit London, but it’s just too expensive right now.” True, the British pound is still strong (especially compared to the plummeting euro), and the high prices on everything from eating out to taxis can add up fast. If dining at every Gordon Ramsay restaurant and sipping cocktails at fancy bars is your style, it will obviously be tough to keep your budget low.
However, if you’re like me, and enjoy a more low-key but still very fun experience in the city, you don’t need to bring a suitcase full of cash. In fact, for a recent five-day visit, I spent just a little over £200 (around $300) for all of my non-hotel expenses, from the time I reached Victoria Station to the moment I left for Paris on the Eurostar. Throw in four nights at a budget hotel for another £244, and you have a surprisingly affordable trip to one of the world’s most expensive cities.
Before you start thinking this is impossible, there are a few key points to remember. First you need to score a cheap hotel in a central location and an affordable airfare.
But don’t forget all of the savings that automatically come with traveling abroad. As a New Yorker, I’m used to throwing down a handful of dollars for a round of beers, 20% on top of a $80 meal, and even a dollar tip if I pick up a nice cappuccino. In London, you can throw all of these rules out the window. The money you save on tips really adds up fast over the course of five days.
Plus, with free museums galore, cheap food easily available, and no need for spendy cabs in a very walkable city, you don’t need to spend a fortune to have a memorable London experience. Still need proof? Read on for all the details.
Celtic Hotel is charming, cheap and centrally located. All photos by Craig Nelson
1. Book a budget hotel in a great spot
EuroCheapo has plenty of great London budget hotels to choose from, but Cheapos are especially in love with the Celtic Hotel. I reserved four nights here for £244 (about $90 per night, tax included), an incredible bargain for the posh Bloomsbury neighborhood in central London. Not only do you get friendly service from owner Rosanna, but you also get a number of excellent and money-saving perks, like free WiFi and…
The full English breakfast at Celtic Hotel is the perfect way to start your morning.
2. Fill up with a free breakfast
Speaking of perks, the breakfast at the Celtic Hotel is legendary. And for good reason. Each morning you sit down to a hearty and delicious meal with juice, coffee or tea, cereal, yogurt, fresh fruit, as well as eggs, toast, and British favorites like mushrooms, grilled tomatoes and beans. Even bacon and sausage are available for the meat lovers. If you plan your meal right, you won’t be hungry until at least early afternoon or even dinner time!
A number of other London hotels on EuroCheapo also feature a complimentary full English breakfast like Luna & Simone and Arosfa Hotel.
Celtic Hotel is just around the corner from the Russell Square Tube station.
3. Choose your location wisely
Another benefit of the Celtic Hotel is that you can get to a lot of the top attractions in no time. The British Museum is only a five-minute walk through beautiful Russell Square. And when you do need to hop on the Tube with your luggage, Russell Square station is just around the corner. There’s no need for a taxi when you stay here.
St Pancras station is only a 15-minute walk from Celtic Hotel.
4. Walk, walk, and walk some more
I love to walk. It’s by far my preferred way of getting around when I’m traveling. You see so much more than cruising by in a taxi or underground on the subway. And even though the weather is usually a little grey, London is one of the finest walking cities in the world. Best of all, it was easy to walk across huge swaths of the city from where I was staying in Bloomsbury.
Most of the places I visited including Borough Market, Hyde Park, Regent’s Park, Millennium Bridge, British Library, Islington, Camden Town, and Tower of London were only a mile or two away. When it was time to head to my next destination (Paris), I was even able to hike up to St Pancras train station in about 15 minutes. Total cost of all these wonderful walks: £0.
Riding the bus is more fun and a lot cheaper than taking the Tube.
5. Hop on a double-decker city bus
In New York, I never leave home without my unlimited MetroCard, so it was a challenge to resist jumping on the Underground every time I walked by a station. However, I quickly learned that I didn’t have to give up on public transit altogether. Instead I just hopped on a famous double-decker bus. Not only can you grab a sweet view from the top deck, but you’ll save a little bit when compared to the Tube. When you use an Oyster Card, bus rides cost only £1.50 compared to at least £2.90 on the Tube.
Speaking of the Oyster Card, I was able to get everywhere I needed to go in five days with just £15 on mine. You have to pay a small fee to buy it up front, but then you can save the card for future trips to London.
A nice view of the ancient Roman city walls from the free Museum of London.
6. Go to free museums
Another big money-saver in London: You can see some of the world’s best collections of art, history and culture for FREE. During this trip I took in the British Museum, City of London Museum and the British Library.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the free museums in London, but it still provided me with hours of entertainment at absolutely no cost. You can spend days staring at cultural treasures like the Rosetta Stone and original Beowulf manuscripts. One day, I did pay a €10 supplement to see a fantastic exhibit called Terror and Wonder: The Gothic Imagination at the British Library.
Seeing the Tower of London is impressive from the outside. And cheaper than the pricey admission fee.
7. Admire pricey attractions from the outside
You don’t always have to go inside of a pricey landmark to have a memorable experience. I happened to be in town when the Tower of London poppies display was in full bloom. This tribute to World War I veterans was a stirring sight with the bright colors of the ceramic flowers contrasting with historic stone walls of the tower. Instead of shelling out €22 for an admission ticket, I joined the huge crowds that were there to remember their fallen soldiers. Refreshingly, it was mostly locals who were out to see the poppies, and I was able to chat with some Brits to get their take on this emotional scene.
An evening stroll across Millennium Bridge was a (free) highlight of my trip.
8. Stroll across Millennium Bridge
After a few pints and some fish and chips, an evening stroll is just what you need to end the day in London. My advice is to head to the river walk along South Bank and then cross over the Thames on the Millennium Bridge. It lights up when the sun goes down, and you don’t have to worry about squeezing onto a sidewalk with hundreds of other tourists — it was virtually empty around 8 pm. With the gorgeous St. Paul’s Cathedral hovering in the background, this Sunday night walk was a highlight of my trip.
Columbia Road Flower Market offers a bright splash of color on a grey Sunday morning.
9. Spend Sunday at the Columbia Road Flower Market
I’m not usually an early riser, but the Columbia Road Flower Market is a lovely way to spend a Sunday morning. This year-round market in East London offers a dash of local color to your weekend. Grab a coffee at one of the small cafes and listen to the vendors hawk their plants. Sure, you can’t bring fresh flowers back home on the plane, but a few colorful photos make sweet smelling souvenirs.
Take a weekend walk along Regent’s Canal to Camden Lock Market.
10. Explore the canals
If you get tired of walking the city streets, hop onto the trails that hug the city’s canals. Regent’s Canal is a hidden path where you can experience the city from a very different angle. Not only will you see hundreds of cute houseboats and interesting public art, but you’ll be free from any cars zipping by. Along the canals, there’s no need to make sure you look right instead of left!
Taking a scenic break at the top of Primrose Hill.
11. Chill out in a park
London is famous for its large swaths of open green spaces, and few cities can compare to its park-to-concrete ratio. Make sure to spend at least one afternoon or morning relaxing in a famous London refuge like Hyde Park, Hampstead Heath, or Greenwich Park. For extra bonus points, climb to the top of Primrose Hill (adjacent to Regent’s Park) for stunning skyline views.
Related: Best London views for free
Spending a quiet Sunday night at the Lamb with the ghost of Dickens.
12. Spend a night writing postcards
Instead of spending money on a show or concert, I chose to spend a quiet evening at the historic Lamb pub. I found a cozy table, ordered a pint and dashed off some cards to friends and family back home. It’s one of the benefits of getting out on the road and disconnecting from your gadgets. I met a few locals and had some time to reflect on my trip and plan what else I wanted to do before I left. This relaxing night on the town cost a whopping £4.
Roaming around Borough Market is rewarded with tasty snacks and free samples.
13. Fill up on free samples
Wherever you may wander in London, try to plot a course for one of the many food markets across the city. After a lovely walk to Primrose Hill, I strolled the canals to Camden Lock Market on a Saturday where the Global Kitchen vendors offered an incredible selection of international eats. The next day I trekked across the Thames to Borough Market, which was celebrating the annual Apple Festival.
There was no need for lunch on either day, because I tried free tastes of everything from cave-aged English cheese and local smoked meats to Jamaican jerk chicken and Indian naan wraps. Some of the samples were huge!
Diwana offers a delicious special of Indian meals every night of the week.
14. Feast for £6.60
You might not find four-star atmosphere, but the Indian food served up at Diwana is fantastic. This busy spot near Euston Station offers a daily £6.60 dinner special, even on the weekends. I was very happy with my Sunday night meal of Muttar Paneer (pea and cheese curry), fresh paratha (grilled flatbread), raita and salad. Plus, it scores extra cheapo points for its BYOB policy.
15. Save on an upscale lunch (by sitting at the bar)
Since my mission was to spend wisely, I didn’t hit up any fancy restaurants for a blowout dinner. But that doesn’t mean I still didn’t eat well. For a more upscale lunch, you can visit St. John Restaurant, and sit in the bar section that’s open all day. Order a couple of small plates (£6-9 each) from the bar, and chow down on their famous roast bone marrow and parsley salad, or the mussels, leeks and salsify. It won’t be your cheapest meal of the trip, but it just might be your tastiest.
Wenlock Arms is a neighborhood favorite in Hackney for great cask ales and homemade food.
16. Get to know the neighborhood pubs
I love a good drink, and there’s no place like the pubs of London to enjoy a sip of ale. Surprisingly, the beer was not only bigger (20 oz.) than in New York bars, but it was also cheaper, even with the currency conversion! Many pubs offer lovely stouts, bitters and brown ales for around £3.50 ($5.25). Not bad at all since you don’t have to throw in an extra buck or two on top for the tip. I ventured outside the city center to local gems like Wenlock Arms and King’s Head Pub & Theatre.
Cittie of Yorke pours cheap pints of cask ale all day and night.
17. Grab a Cheapo pint in an historic tavern
I also found a great deal on pints in some surprising places. Two popular landmark pubs, Cittie of Yorke and Princess Louise, were both serving special €2.90 pints of Samuel Smith pulled from wooden casks. That’s a tiny price to pay for a pint of excellent beer that you can enjoy in a marvelous historic interior.
Keep an eye out for unique snacks when exploring local markets.
18. Satisfy your snack attacks
Keep an eye out for local delicacies that make the perfect afternoon snack. Since I started each day with a huge breakfast, lunch was usually an afterthought. But when my stomach started to rumble I’d grab some homemade pasties or scones for (£2-3) or keep an eye out for something tasty.
For example I found a local shop named Lee’s Seafood near the Columbia Flower Market that was selling a special Sunday sandwich. It was packed with two delicious Cumbrian sausages, caramelized onions and rocket (“arugula” back in the States) for only £3.
19. Stock up at the supermarket
Supermarket prices at big-name chains like Sainsbury are very fair, especially when compared to New York. A huge bottle of sparkling spring water was going for 90 pence, and most of the scrumptious chocolate bars could be had for anywhere between 35 – 60 p. I dare you to try to buy a bottle of Perrier and two gourmet chocolate bars for $2.50 back in the States!
A crispy plate of fish and chips at Golden Union in Soho.
20. Don’t forget the classic fish and chips
To keep my budget in check, I stuck to classic British fare. Of course you can find British fare the world ’round, but somehow fish and chips just tastes better in London. For takeaway, you can try local shops like Kennedy’s where you can get a “small” (which could easily feed two) for about £6 or £7.
For something a little more fancy then your typical chip shop, Golden Union in Soho offers a range of fish from rock salmon, haddock and cod that are all local and sustainable. They even bake homemade pies. You can get either with a huge pile of chips for about £11.
21. Bring home unique cheapo souvenirs
Instead of typical tourist souvenirs, I tend to pick up a random assortment of items when I travel. In London I found a sturdy shopping bag at Borough Market, a bag of tea from a local shop, and a book at the newly renovated Foyle’s. Even if you don’t buy anything at the bookshop, it’s a great place to browse and escape the rain or hustle and bustle of the city. There’s a beautiful cafe on the top floor, and the public restrooms come in handy when you’re in and around Soho.
5-day budget
Transport: €20
Museums: €10
Food: €105
Drinks: €25
Coffee: €10
Souvenirs: €20
Postcards & stamps: €10
4 nights at Celtic Hotel: €244
TOTAL: £444
Your tips? How do you save in London?
Now you’ve seen the ways that I saved on my trip. How do you save when visiting London? Share with us in the comments section below.
About the author
if you’re living in London Columbia Road Flower Market is somewhere you definitely have to go. It gets pretty busy so the earlier the better. Both of the sides of the road overflows with amazing flowers and plants every Sunday morning. Market traders/ stall owner set up their cute shops and you will see many independent shops as well.
As I live just outside of London, I’d say this is all really good advice.
With respect to food in the UK , we actually have some of the best food in the world, largely because we have such a competitive multi-cultural restaurant scene. British food and the quality of coffee ! has transformed in the last 20-30 years. Very few people these days stick to traditional British food although occasionally roast dinners, pies and fish and chips are nice as a treat. Roast dinners are best home cooked (unless you can find a really good pub), Fish and Chips always from a shop.
Can I put a vote in for St Albans ? It’s 20-30 minutes north of London and is a beautiful old Hertfordshire town with a lovely abbey, loads of pubs and restaurants, two markets a week and is definitely worth a day if you are staying in London and want a quick experience of life outside of London.
Thanks for all the advice I can get.