4 London Budget Hacks That Work

So, here's the first thing you need to know about London: it's expensive!

It's expensive to get to London, especially if you're coming from the U.S. like me. It's expensive to stay in London, it's expensive to eat in London, it's expensive to just get around within London and there are tons of really amazing attractions that can be expensive to visit. 

Obviously, our budget travel blog is off to a great start. But no worries. I do not have a ton of money but I had an amazing time in London. 

And you can, too, no matter the size of your travel budget. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIp6z_Srqf4

There are lots of little tricks and travel hacks that can reduce the cost of your London trip, so you can also have a truly amazing time here.

The London Pass

Let's start off with one of the biggest and best budget hacks I discovered, and that is the London Pass.

The London Pass is a special package you can purchase directly through the official tourism board of the city of London. 

It is available through third party websites, but I suggest you purchase it directly through the official government website, because some of the third party websites may markup the price and you don't want to pay more than you have to. 

There are more than 100 paid attractions and activities included in the London Pass and you will see many big ticket items on here. The famous London Eye, the big Ferris wheel on the river, is included on the Pass. The London Eye, by the way, is one of the most expensive attractions in the city. 

The Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Kensington Palace, various attractions around Buckingham Palace and the palace itself are all on the London Pass. 

When you pay for the Pass, you get into all these places and all the other places on the list without spending any more money. 

It's also super flexible. You can get the pass for just one day, two days, I got mine for five days and I did everything. 

Not literally, but I took full advantage of the Pass and if you're going to buy it, you need to do the same. Crunch the numbers. If you're going to London, and if you read my blog on how to plan a perfect trip, you already have an idea of the attractions you might want to see. Look up the cost of these attractions and compare it to the cost of the London Pass. If you can save any money, it's worth it to get the pass.

For the record, this is not a paid promotion. No one has asked me to talk about this. I personally used the London Pass to visit 12 paid attractions and saved a lot of money on some of the more expensive stuff you can do in London, so I know this works.

This is a great way to see some of London's more expensive attractions but there are lots of free things to do in the city that are even more budget-friendly. I will be covering the top free things to do in London in an upcoming blog, so stay tuned.

The Tube

Using London's public transport system is another way you will save money when you visit the city. 

However, there is one line that is not so budget-friendly. The Heathrow Express is an express subway train that runs from Heathrow Airport to Paddington Station, which is a huge transport hub near the center of the city. 

This express train takes less than half the time of riding a regular train between the same two points but it costs about four times as much. 

You can ride the Tube in London for less than $10 American. The Express will run you a little more than $40. You'll want to weigh the cost of taking the Express against the value of your time because on the standard tube, getting to and from Paddington Station out to Heathrow Airport will take you over an hour. The Express is going to be less than half that time. 

Budget Accommodations

I learned a lot about the Heathrow Express because I booked a room at Heathrow Airport. There are a few hotels right there at the airport and they are a lot less expensive than hotels that are closer to the city and all the attractions. 

Heathrow is pretty much on the very outskirts of the city, so I had a daily ride getting to the attractions I wanted to see and then getting back to my hotel. 

I don't recommend this. Staying near the airport is very affordable when it comes to your budget, but taking a long subway ride or paying for the Express will eat away at your time and your budget. 

There's also not a lot of affordable eating and snack options because you pretty much have to get stuff at the airport, and that's expensive. 

You can actually find some really affordable options in the city proper for about $100 to $130 a night. The rooms are small but they have all the basics, including free wifi. 

Look around Kensington High Street and north of Hyde Park. Get closer to the attractions and spend just a little more on accommodations, and you will end up doing more for less.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GffD-5UpvDg

London Sightseeing Hack

Speaking of which, there is a way to take advantage of a sightseeing hack while you're on your London trip. 

Pretty much everyone has seen London's iconic red double decker buses and if you're like me, you have dreamed of being on one. Here's the deal: the sightseeing buses are pricey. This is one of the more expensive activities you can do in London, in fact. 

But…only the sightseeing buses. Here's what a lot of people don't know before they go to London: those red double decker buses are used as regular buses, too. For less than 5 dollars, American or British pounds, you can ride a double decker bus that goes past some of the city's most famous sights. 

If you hop on public bus route 148 at Notting Hill Gate, you'll go past Kensington, Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, St. James Park, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben. Get off the bus at Westminster Station and you'll be right in front of Big Ben, the famous bell, and right across the river from the famous London Eye.

That's a pretty good sightseeing tour of some of the city's most photographable locations. And that's not all. 

River boat cruises are another hot attraction in London, which is built around the Thames River. But instead of paying for a sightseeing river cruise, you can jump on board a public boat. 

London offers public boats that are just like public buses, only on the water. Take a ride from Waterloo Bridge to Tower Bridge to see the Royal National Theater, Tate Modern, Shakespeare's famous Globe Theater, St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London itself. 

Get on an Uber Boat and this scenic ride will run you just under 10 pounds per person, which is way cheaper than any sightseeing cruise.

Budget Travel Hacks

It is possible to travel the world without going into debt or spending your life savings. That's why I'm sharing the budget hacks I'm learning as I travel around the world. 

Thanks for taking this journey with me. Maybe I'll see you out there one day!

Now, Voyager, sail forth to seek and find.