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London is believed to be one of the most expensive cities in the world. Therefore preparing your trip to the capital of the UK should allow you to avoid many disappointments when already here.
- Airport Transfer
- Luggage Storage
- Transportation in London
- Accommodation
- Affordable Food in London
- London Entertainment
- Shopping in capital
- FREE Breathtaking Spots
Table of Contents
Airport Transfer
If you are coming from America and will most likely travel from Heathrow ensure you take the tube as it will cost you just over a few ££ whereas trains and taxis will be much more expensive.
If you land at any other London airport check that airport site for transfers and especially the coach fares as usually easyBus, National Express, or Stansted Express will cost you less than £10.
Where to Store Your Luggage
Often, when you stay in a hotel, you cannot check in until a certain time. The last thing you want to have to do is carry your luggage around on the tube all day when you get there and on your last day when you’ve already checked out. Many people take advantage of storage facilities at airports or train stations, but these can be very expensive. If you want to spend less but still choose secure storage, consider the London Luggage storage service.
Transportation when in London
It is rather expensive to get from one part of London to the other. You can do it when PAYG or ideally you should get an Oyster card to save on travels in the city. Oyster is a plastic ticket you get having filled a quick form at the tube cash counter and when paying for it £5. In return, it will save you at least 50% off you PAYG journey fare. Head to TFL (Transport for London) website to get your visitor’s Oyster card now. If you are coming for 2 days start with uploading to your card at least £15. You will be able to add some more later and you can get a refund for any unused credit anyway. Do not overlook any discounts you may get thanks to getting your Oyster card (Google any fresh ones). They include cheaper food, drinks, and entertainment when in London.
When checking the transportation links in London I suggest using Citymapper and checking the TFL website for any live updates as Citymapper does not include them.
Accommodation
Booking a room or a flat through Airbnb is not always cheaper than booking it at a hotel. Especially in highly competitive cities such as London. Before booking any accommodation visit the HolidayPirates website and go to ‘Search & Book’ and then check prices for Hotels in London for your stay. Order them according to your criteria and see on which page they offer you the best deal so that you can do your booking there. If you fancy getting some cashback to ensure you book the hotel via a cashback site such as TopCashback as it can offer you often a generous cashback of 5-15% depending on the site you will go for to book your accommodation. If the cashback offers on the US site are not as good as on the UK site register for the British one and ensure you withdraw your money via PayPal 🙂
Stay Outside of The City
Make sure that you are not staying in the city center. The great thing about London is that its public transport is superb so it can get you quickly to the city center from any of the city suburbs. For example, I live in zone 4 and it takes me only 30 mins by train to get to Cannon Street or London Victoria.
Food
When in London you need to try the local cuisine and visit a few pubs and restaurants. Check out the latest discounts using apps such as Happiour, CityMunch or TooGoodToGo.
They all show you which restaurants offer discounted-price meals (usually in the afternoon and evening) so that you do not have to pay the full price for it if you dine later. Many regular food chains such as Itsu, Abokado, EAT & other high street ones offer some reduced prices on food before they close their branches on a day. So these may be perfect for a quick bite on the go.
When booking a restaurant table check sites such as Tablepouncer offer usually 50% off the regular price on bookings made last minute. Always google if a restaurant of your choice offers any deals and discounts on their website as they sometimes do 🙂 alternatively, check an app called Vouchercloud to see if there are any vouchers for places you want to visit.
Entertainment and Shopping
Visiting many popular sightseeing spots in London can cost an arm and a leg but not if you get the London Pass app. The app is equally useful if you don’t have a pass, though but check London Pass prices to decide if to get it.
When you feel like updating your wardrobe visit shops at Oxford Street or simply walk into Primark or TK Maxx to get some amazing fashion for a fraction of the cost. If you are staying in London for a bit longer and can get clothes online I would suggest sites such as M&M Direct.
FREE Breathtaking Spots
If you don’t fancy booking London Eye well in advance to save on its ticket cost as well as skipping the queues consider visiting these places to get as good a view as the one you get when in London Eye.
–SkyGarden– entry is free if you book your tickets at:http://skygarden.london/booking so you do not need to dine there to get to see the spectacular view → book 3 weeks in advance to get a slot!
– Emirates Air Line – for as little as £3.5 or £1.7 – paid when using your Oyster you can get to see East London from Greenwich through Docklands to Canary Wharf.
– The top of the tower at the Monument – 360-degree panoramic views of the city, having climbed 311 steps to the top of it for as little as £4.50 for adults and £2.30 for children ticket.
UNUSUAL PLACES
Ah if you fancy drinking coffee in a church visit HOST coffee, open Monday to Friday between 7.15 am — 4.30 pm
Other unusual places include Camden Town, St Dunstan in the East or Highgate Cemetery with its catacombs:-)
For updates on what’s going on in London visit Londonist and check out what they collate under their popular: Things to do this weekend
Whatever you decide to do before and when in London I am sure you will like it and that there will be many great memories created in the process. I hope however that my tips will allow you to enjoy London for less so that you can experience a bit more when in this fantastic city 🙂
For anything, I might have overlooked check the complete guide to London from my lovely friend Cora:-)
