From the highest towers to historical museums, London offers a lot of things to do and enjoy as a tourist. Therefore, if you are planning a trip to London, it is essential to know how you can make your trip memorable without stretching your budget. Most people believe they need huge amounts of money to explore London, but this should not be the case. This guide discusses how to visit London on a budget.
1. Travel Off-season
Most tour companies and restaurants usually hike their prices during peak seasons, such as during holidays. Therefore, you should travel in off-season months to save money on flight tickets, hotels, and food.
In London, the high season is between May to mid-September because kids are always off school. The weather is typically warm at this time, which means that the city usually has a high number of tourists, and as a result, businesses hike prices.
The best time to travel to London is between March and May or between the end-September and November. You should keep checking the prices of flights and hotels online to know the month that will work for your budget.
2. Book in Advance
Booking things in advance is cheaper than booking and paying when you arrive. You can enjoy many benefits when you book flights, theater tickets, and accommodations earlier. If you research well and book various services, you can save a few pounds and use it for something else like purchasing a souvenir.
3. Find Affordable Accommodation
Accommodation in London can be pricey, especially if you want to live in central London. Therefore, you should research and compare the prices of hotels to find one that is within your budget. Moreover, you can check accommodation for students as most of them are usually open for commercial bookings when the students are on holiday.
4. Plan Your Visits
When you get to London, you should plan your visits to avoid traveling from one side of the city to another and back, which could be expensive. Plan to visit attraction sites that are close to each other on the same day. This way, you can walk, take a bike, or hire a taxi from one location to the next.
For instance, South Kensington’s Museums (Natural History Museum, The Science Museum, and Victoria & Albert Museum) are close to each other, and so you can visit them in one day. With a good plan, you will see as many sites as possible without spending too much on transport.
5. Use Oyster Card
Oyster card is used in London to pay for public transport, and it is cheaper than paying in cash. You can pre-load it online with credit and swipe it on buses or trains. You are allowed to load any amount of credit. If you don’t use it all, it won’t expire, and so you can use it on your next trip.
A trip to London is one of the amazing ways to spend your holiday. Fortunately, you don’t have to save a whole year for the trip. You can apply these time-tested tips to tour London on a budget.
