Heading to London on a budget might seem daunting when you consider that it is one of the most expensive cities in the world. But with a few savvy hacks, you can cut back on the spending without missing out. From strategic accommodation choices to local tips and tricks for exploring the city, this article pinpoints some top-budget hacks to use when visiting London.
If you prefer to watch a video instead of reading, check out this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3W_LGGHQLM
*Some of the links in this article will earn a small commission if you click them and then purchase something. Thanks in advance for your support!
Stay a little outside of Central London
One of the most expensive things you’ll probably spend your money on during a trip to London is accommodation, and to be honest, it’s sort of inevitable. Accommodation prices can really vary depending on so many factors, particularly the location where you’re planning to be based. If you’re hoping to stay pretty central, you can expect to pay around £100 a night for a budget option, approximately £2-300 for mid-range and around £400 plus for somewhere more high-end.
However, if you’re not overly fussed about staying smack bang in central London, opting to stay a little further out could save you a decent amount of money as these places are usually a little more affordable. The transport in London is fairly extensive, so even if you do stay outside of central, it’s usually straightforward to get about via the Tube or a bus – remember to include this in your budget, though (it won’t be loads). Of course, you should account for some extra travel time depending on where you’re based, so just plan ahead using Google Maps or Citymapper to check if this works with your itinerary. Take a look at our article all about cool budget-friendly hotels in London to get some inspo.
Consider staying in a hostel
One of the best ways to save on accommodation costs when visiting London is by choosing to stay in a hostel instead of a hotel. London has many great hostels scattered around the city, and they’re not only the most affordable option, but you can also meet other like-minded friends who are also likely to be travelling around the city (who knows, you might end up booking things together and saving on attractions and other experiences).
You can book hostels by reserving a bed in a room shared with others, which is the cheapest option, but some even have private rooms for those who can’t quite bring themselves to stay in a shared space. Either way, in a private room or dorm, you’ll end up spending significantly less than a hotel. If you’re travelling with a group, then you can book an entire dorm room, usually four to six beds, which feels like your own private hotel room but way more affordable.
We have an article recommending some of our favourite hostels in London to help when you’re considering budget hacks to use when visiting London.
Dine in Chinatown
London has one of the best food and drink scenes in the world; we’ve got Michelin-starred restaurants, street eats, and independent restaurants coming out of our ears, which means there’s a lot to choose from. But it also means you can end up spending a big chunk of your budget on food and drink if you’re not careful. One way to save some cash while exploring central London without restricting yourself to just feasting on fast food is to head for Chinatown. This vibrant district is chock full of incredible restaurants (expensive and affordable) and shops and cafés filled with all kinds of delicious food, and a lot of it is reasonably priced.
Have a watch of our Cheap Eats Under £15 video to see which affordable food spots in Chinatown we love.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1nsd2t2CAM&
Go to one of London’s many food markets
Once you’re all Chinatown’ed out, we also have a whole bunch of amazing food markets open throughout the week, with some even staying open well into the night. One of the best things about London’s food scene is the incredible street food that hails from all around the world. At White Cross Market in Old Street, you can chow down on everything from Brazilian and Indian to Turkish and more, while Borough Market hosts some of the most famous vendors in the city, like the Ginger Pig, who sell London’s most popular sausage roll (a must-try). Head to Mercato Metropolitano in Elephant and Castle or Seven Dials Market in Covent Garden if you want to eat dinner; this buzzy market is open into the evening and has all kinds of street food options. Expect to spend between £9-12 per person for a meal here.
Do your own walking tour
When it comes to activities in London, there are loads of things you can do without having to burn a hole in your pocket. Of course, we have all the major attractions and landmarks in the city, but many of them also come with a pretty hefty price tag. But, if you’re looking to save money, one way to tick these off is to do your own walking tour of the attractions and enjoy looking at the outside of these buildings. Many of them are super photogenic and historic, and it’s just as pleasant to admire the outside as it is the inside; plus, you don’t have to fork out loads of money for a ticket to go inside.
BTW: we have pre-planned walking routes in our London itineraries, so no need to try to make your own.
Find a free viewpoint
Most people think that to get a great view of the city you have to go on the London Eye, and sure, you get great views from up this high, but it is absolutely not the only place you can get these views. The £25+ ticket is not the one if you’re on a budget, so you’ll be pleased to hear that we have plenty of free options for finding that perfect viewpoint. You can go to the 43rd floor of the Walkie-Talkie building to the Sky Garden, which is not only taller than the London Eye but is also filled with lush plants and boasts sweeping views of London for totally free. Getting tickets can be tricky though, so we do recommend reviewing their site to see when they will release tickets for the date you want so you can hop on reserving them ASAP.
If you prefer to go ticket-less, there are also some lovely outdoor spots for when the weather is playing ball, like Primrose Hill near Regents Park, which is the perfect picnic and sunset spot.
Make the most of the free museums
One of the best things about London is that basically all of the major museums here are completely free to visit, and they’re also really big, so you could easily spend a day exploring just one or two of them. The Natural History Museum, which houses 80 million items all related to the history of our planet, and the Science Museum are right next door to each other and are both well worth visiting. You’ve also got the V&A down the road, an incredible museum focusing on art and design.
Book a tour (if you have a little budget)
If you do have a little bit of money to spend, one of the best ways to use it is to book a tour. You can get a great deal if you book a tour guide for some of the major London attractions, and it’ll probably cost you just a little bit more than the price of a regular entry ticket. Instead, you’ll get to hear all about the attraction alongside a super knowledgeable guide, and you’ll find out lots of cool facts compared to if you just walked around by yourself. Walking tours are usually the cheapest, like this Notting Hill Tour or this Secret Old London Tour, but we have lots of recommendations in the Tours and Experiences section of our site.
Image Courtesy of Take Walks
Go on a food tour
Food tours are one of the best tours you can book if you’re on a budget, as you’ll be super full after, which means one less meal to pay for. They also allow you to try lots of little portions of different types of food in one go instead of having to visit various restaurants and food stalls and buying full portions of everything. We recommend this Borough Market and Southwark Tour, which will take you on a tour of one of the oldest markets in the city, with lots of tastings along the way.
Don’t buy a daily travel card
London has one of the best transport systems in the world, so from early in the morning until midnight (and all through the night on certain lines at the weekend), you can avoid having to pay for any taxis, which will be the most expensive mode of transport. Just hop on a tube, train or bus instead, which will be way more affordable. Never buy a daily travel card as they’re overpriced, and you can pay for transport using three different, more affordable options instead. Pay using your contactless debit card, Google or Apple Pay or an Oyster card to be the most cost-efficient. We go into more detail about this in our article on how to pay for public transport in London.
Plan ahead for your airport transport
Last on our list of top-budget hacks to use when visiting London is planning ahead for your airport transport. This will save you a bunch of money as airport travel can be expensive, especially taxis. Although buses are the cheapest, they can be long and traffic-prone, but if you’re on a tight budget, they’re the best option. Book ahead on the National Express and Megabus websites around 12 weeks in advance to get the best prices. If you want to get there quickly and don’t want to spend a load on a taxi, trains are your best bet, and the further in advance you book them, the cheaper they will be. We have an article about how to get from the airport to the city that breaks everything down more for you.
Planning your dream trip to London? Get prepared by reading these articles next or purchase one of our London itineraries to have us plan it all for you.
Pin this…
