My fellow Anglophile over at Hail Britannia recently wrote about some tips for traveling to London on the cheap. You can read about London on the Cheap here. I thought I’d write up a few tips of my own to save money while traveling in the world’s most expensive city. I’ve been there 5 times, so I’ve learned a thing or two about doing things as cheap as possible.

1. London on the Cheap Travel Tip #1 – When to Go to London

Go in the Spring. London has generally pleasant weather year round and the cheapest time to go with decent weather is in the spring. My wife and I usually go in March. The airfares during this time are generally the cheapest and so are the hotels. The weather is generally mild, requiring a jacket. But it’ s no more rainy than England usually is.

2. London on the Cheap Travel Tip #2 – Free London Museums

Most of the museums in London are publicly owned, which means that admission is free. London is home to some of the finest museums in the world with treasures from all over. The British Museum is the best known, but many of the art museums are free. Excellent way to learn and spend half a day.

3. London on the Cheap Travel Tip #3 – Cheaper than the Tube

The Tube is cheap travel (especially with an Oyster Card), but don’t ignore London Busses. They’re a little cheaper and you’ll get to see London above ground, which is nice. Keep a look of for the old Routemasters on special heritage routes, the cost to ride them is the same as a regular bus. Sit on the second deck and just watch London go by and get off whenever you want. You can see all of London for one fare.

4. London on the Cheap Travel Tip #4 – London Food Cheap

If you’re on a budget and don’t want to mess with putting together a meal at the local grocery store, just hit up fast food. McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC and the other big chains are everywhere and the food is dirt cheap. My wife and I like to save our money for nicer dinners, so we try to eat as cheaply as possible during the day. Also, don’t discount fish and chips. It’s tasty and cheap pretty much everywhere.

5. London on the Cheap Travel Tip #5 – Getting Cash in London

I wrote about in London Safety Tips that you shouldn’t carry around all your money. Instead rely on ATM’s to get your local currency. ATM’s will provide the best exchange rate for you and keep a look out for ATM’s that don’t charge a withdrawal fee. ATM’s are everywhere in London so don’t hesitate to look around for a free one. Off the top of my head Alliance and Leicester doesn’t charge ATM fees. You can also buy your currency before you go on Travelex’s website. Good thing to do if you want to lock in low exchange rates in case they go up before you travel.

6. London on the Cheap Travel Tip #6 – Free Internet Access

If you need to get on the net while in London, you have many great options. First, if you didn’t bring a computer and don’t want to pay, go to the Apple Store on Regent’s Street, you can get all the free internet you want there. If you brought a computer, London is the Free Wifi Capital of the world. Use Jiwirehttp://www.jiwire.com/ to find free London Wifi Hotspots near your hotel. Also, most tourist hotels now have free wifi in the rooms or ethernet connections. Also, many neighborhoods have internet cafes where you can surf the net for like 50p for 30 minutes. You can also cheaply print stuff and send files.

7. London on the Cheap Travel Tip #7 – Cheap Hotels in London

I’ve been stuck in a lot of shabby hotels in my day. I came to expect shabby in London, but some hotels were just terrible and they were the cheapest ones around. Well, there’s a hotel that’s probably the cheapest hotel in London, it’s called EasyHotel. It’s a new hotel concept by the company that runs Easyjet. The rooms are dirt cheap, small, spartan but immaculately clean. All you need is a bed and they provide the cheapest place for that. If you book far enough in advance you can get a room for £25 a night (about $40 or so)! The hotels are also in nicer neighborhoods, are safe and the staff are generally friendly. If you can stand the orange wall and paying £5 to watch the TV, it’s the perfect place to stay.

8. London on the Cheap Travel Tip #8 – Tipping is Usually Not Necessary in London

This note is particularly for Americans. We’re used to having to tip pretty much everywhere. In England, tipping is not customary. In fact, most restaurant bills include a service charge, which is usually 18%. Most Americans don’t notice the charge and tip anyway! Don’t feel guilty for not tipping, but tipping rules can vary on the situation. Usually, though, you don’t have to up. So, don’t worry about not tipping. It’s OK.

9. London on the Cheap Travel Tip #9 – Cheap London Theater Tickets

It’s almost impossible to get a deal on ‘hit shows’ these days. But for other shows you can usually get half price tickets on the day of the performance. Check out the Half Price ticket booth located in Leicester Square to see the deals that day. If you’re open to seeing anything, it’s the place to go.

Resources for Free Stuff to do in London:

London is Free
Free London Listings
London Safety Tips

Author Info -  Jonathan is a consummate Anglophile with an obsession for Britain that borders on psychosis. He keeps Anglotopia running in his spare time, always dreaming of his next trip to England, wishing he lived there - specifically Dorset - and is always trying to figure out a way to move to England. It will happen one day. Keep up with him on Twitter here. Read more from this author

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