Budget travel guide for planning an inexpensive vacation or trip to London.
As alluring as London is, it's undeniably: living or staying in a large city can be extremely expensive. The unsavvy tourist who comes to London with a stringent budget may find themselves without money or prospects after only a few days. This situation has been exacerbated in recent years by the deteriorating exchange rate for American tourists, who have not anticipated paying $18 for a standard, unspectacular hamburger at a London eatery.
The good news is that, with the appropriate research, London can be accomplished for a reasonable amount. A tourist interested in cutting financial corners need only be aware and proactive in saving money. There are a few specific ways to do this.
First of all, if you are a student tourist, purchase a student card before arriving in London. The most popular such card is the International Student Identity Card, or ISIC, which will offer you discounts at restaurants, movie theaters, and even clothing stores. You will not, however, receive any discount on travel expenses within London (though ISIC offers some airfare discounts on your way to London), so don't even pursue this. The bus system and underground are well-structured in London, but they do not offer concessions of any sort. They do, however, have Day Travel Cards and Weekend Travel Cards, which offer discounted rates for those intending to take more than one or two bus/tube rides.
If you want to save money in London, you'll need to structure your days carefully. If you have the opportunity to pack sack lunches for yourself and therefore avoid the high prices of central London restaurants and cafes (even Burger King will run you about $9 for a sandwich and small Coke), do so. Your ability to do this, however, will depend considerably on where you are staying. London has a wide variety of hostels, which will provide you with an inexpensive place to stay. The ammenities offered at such an accomodation, however, will be sparse. You should check before your arrival as to what your particular hostel (if you are indeed staying at a hostel) offers in the way of food. Some hostels offer you a continental breakfast in the mornings at no extra charge, and if you take advantage of this service, you might be able to last until late afternoon until needing to refuel. A popular hostel organization with a strong reputation is the Youth Hosel Association (YHA), though staying at one of these hostels will require a YHA card (there is an annual fee for those over the age of 18). If your hostel does not offer any food, the cheapest way to keep yourself from going hungry in London is to take advantage of the small grocery stores in London, such as Tesco Metro or Sainsbury's Local. These grocery stores often offer cheap bread and pre-made foods (as they day passes, they will often provide reduced rates for pre-made sandwiches or other perishables), and you can find a reasonable lunch for about $3-4.
Tourist attractions in London are quite expensive. The most expensive are the London Eye (about $25 for one trip around this giant, sight-seeing ferris wheel), the Tower of London, the London Aquariam, and St. Paul's Cathedral. Westminster Abbey, however, allows admittance for only about $7, and many of the London museums (Victoria & Albert, British Museum, and the Natural History Museum) are free with suggested donations. If you're running out of money, you can easily find lists of the free tourist attractions on the Internet. Additionally, there is something spectacular even in walking around the world-famous Hyde Park, which costs nothing for bikers, runners, or walkers.
If you're looking for a good deal but not necessarily interested in going to any extremes in saving money, consider purchasing "packages" beforehand. You can bid for all-inclusive vacation deals on online auction sites such as eBay or buy them from accredited online travel agencies. The most popular site for learning about London (and the most informative) is Londontown.com. Here, you can search for events by almost any defining factor imaginable, ranging from date to time to cost to venue.
Finally, London wouldn't be London without a visit to the theater, and thanks to the Leceister Square discount ticket vendors, you can do this even on a budget. The booths open at 10:00 with tickets for sale for that same evening. The most popular vendor is right in the center of Leceister Square, though there are some other, comparable ones on the side streets leading away from the square. Be careful when purchasing theater tickets, however, because some vendors charge ridiculous "dealer charges" or generally take advantage of the uninformed tourist.
London, though notoriously expensive, is manageable on a budget as well. You need only be informed and proactive to find a good deal.
