Top Money Saving Tips for London

With the London Olympics well underway, there’s never been a better time to book your trip and get down to currently the most active and exciting city in the world. Of course, we all love London but like any major city, it can also be quite expensive. That’s why we thought it fitting to design a list of sneaky tips to save you pennies on your holiday!

Book early

Just like airlines, it is often much cheaper to book your holiday months ahead of going; scouring the internet for coach holidays with National Holidays is the way to do it. Plus if you’re interested in the environment, you’ll be happy to know that travelling via coach is far more environmentally friendly than travelling by plane.

Take snacks!

Just like work, you’ll save far more money by taking sandwiches on your trip, whether you intend to eat them on the coach itself or in the hotel (we won’t tell!). Also, taking packs of biscuits or cookies with you is a great way of avoiding the temptation of popping into those expensive coffee shops for a drink and a muffin!

Find free fun

London, though it can be expensive, has a plethora of fun places to see and activities to do! Both Tate Modern and Tate Britain are free along with the National Portrait Gallery, British Museum, the Houses of Parliament (reserve ahead), Science Museum and Natural History Museum.

Check out the internet’s opinion

There’s no better place than the internet to see what is happening in the world. More often than not people will also leave their opinions about attractions and hotels as there’s nothing worse than wasted money! Sites such as Expedia are brilliant for getting to know just what to expect from your holiday.

What about a hostel?

Okay, hostels aren’t exactly glamorous but they are cheap, easy, clean and perfectly safe; you can even get some for as little as £5. Again, the power of the internet will tell you all about which hostels to go for and avoid. Hostelbookers.com offers a rating with each of the hostels it includes. If you don’t quite enjoy your experience however, it’s always best to leave friendly criticism with the management either in writing or face to face; more often than not, your views will be appreciated.

Drink cheaply

If you fancy a quick drink or two then there are various Samuel Smith Pubs around London along with more than a handful of Weatherspoons bars which are almost guaranteed to have drink offers. Check out this map to find any Samuel Smith pubs around your area.

Stay in someone’s home

If you feel confident enough, you can now stay in people’s homes for very little money. Doing this gives you the opportunity and the access to a kitchen which is great if you want to save money and take food with you! Otherwise you can stay in a cheap apartment on websites such as Housetrip.com. Also, check out university accommodation, most of it is free for rent during the summer, including the University of London.

Buy an Oyster Card

Oyster cards are excellent and help you travel around the centre of London without having to pay for every single journey. Travelling around the centre can be exhausting as well as busy so it’s advised that you go for the cheaper off-peak price which starts at 9:30. Plus, if you’re disabled, in the forces or aged between 16-25, Oyster will reduce the card price by 34%.

Photo by Anirudh Koul on flickr

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