How to visit London without spending a fortune
Johanna Castro is a food and wine loving baby boomer who likes to keep fit and healthy. She loves sharing conversations with women over 50 and writes Lifestyle Fifty to empower women to live the good life as they get older.
I love visiting London for a dose of culture and history, and I’m quite happy wandering rather aimlessly around the streets, map in hand, discovering new alleyways and age-old corners. Yes, getting used to the throng of people and the pace always hits me between the eyes like a cannonball, but once I settle into it, I can look beyond the people at street level and upwards to be awed by all that ancient beauty.
If you only have a short time in London I’d suggest getting a feel for it by hopping on a Open Top Double Decker bus tour. It will give you the best route of the city to encompass all the most important landmarks and you can hop on and hop off. Perhaps at Southbank, below, where you can see another kind of double decker bus! Great to have a quirky, and healthier pop-up for fast-food, don’t you think?
How to save money in London
I love that the actual city part of London is much smaller than I always imagine. I can understand how it’s sometimes referred to as London town because it once was before all the sprawling suburbs sprang up and actually it’s heart is quite walkable if you have time.
It’s easy to navigate. With a tube map to hand and a free map of the city, you can easily get around to the points you really want to see in a couple of days, as long as you don’t intend to linger longer that is at museums or art galleries.
Find free things to do
There are so many free things to do. Those wonderful museums and parks! Colourful carnivals and street markets. You can while away many happy hours on wet or sunny days without spending a penny. Check out 101 things to do in London on the TimeOut site.
Take advantage of the variety
The London Eye. What a marvellous birds eye view this gives of London. Not free to ride on, but I just love looking at it.
There are so many different quaint English pubs, lively bars and cosmopolitan restaurants. There is so much choice. Save money by sussing out a few before you get really hungry.
Theatres … just their names suggest the excitement of a great night out. For half price and discount theatre tickets head to Leicester Square and grab yourself a bargain.
The history. It’s free, most of it. So wander and enjoy. So much history, and lots of it ingrained into my psyche. I’m sure it’s the same for you … I mean who hasn’t heard about or seen pictures of at least one of the following: Buckingham Palace, Changing of the Guard, Jack the Ripper, The Tower of London? What about St Pauls Cathedral, Big Ben – shall I go on?
Find something quirky – like a peaceful rooftop bar in London
I love the unexpected things to do as well. My daughter introduced me to the South Bank and a small tucked away rooftop garden with a bar where we sat amongst flowers, vegetables and herbs looking across the Thames to the London Eye. Who’d have known?
Hehe! So we sat and chatted about life the universe and everything sitting on that rooftop bar while we munched on various nibbles, quaffed Pimms and ate all the cucumber and orange at the bottom of the jug for dessert. In reality, that was an inexpensive and very happy afternoon well spent!
What money saving tips do you have? Have you been to London, and if so what was the favourite thing about your visit? Please let us know in the comments below.
If you have a story to share please get in touch at melody@oversixty.com.au.
Related links:
Revealed: 10 most expensive cities to live in
10 breathtaking restored images of iconic world landmarks
Rare archival photos explore British life 90 years ago