Discover London Attractions by Public Transit

Tips for saving money on your London vacation

In spite of London being an expensive city in some respects, a vacation to London can actually be very inexpensive. Keep reading for some great tips on keeping the cost of your London vacation low.

1. Take advantage of the cost savings of a Travel Card or Oystercard when getting around on transit. This will cap your daily transportation costs, no matter how many times you ride the system. See our section on Fares for more information.


2. Enjoy the many free things there are to do in London. These would of course include visiting and exploring some of London's many parks, as well as the incredible architecture of the many historic buildings, palaces and cathedrals found throughout the city. Also there are so many world class museums and art galleries in London that have free admission. Major ones include:
   
   
   • The British Museum
   • The Museum of London
   • The Natural History Museum
   • The Science Museum
   • The Victoria and Albert Museum
   • The National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery
   • The Wallace Collection
   
   You can also enjoy some of the neighbourhood walks featured in our site.


3. For visiting many other popular attractions, purchasing The London Pass allows you to visit up to 55 London attractions for no additional cost. Available for 1,2,3, or 6 days, the London Pass is not activated until the first time you use it. A 6 day adult London Pass is valid for entry to 55 London attractions and costs just £95. Let's say by example, that over 6 days you visit the following attractions:
   
   Windsor Castle @ £16; The Kew Gardens @ £13.50; St. Paul's Cathedral @ £12.50; Westminster Abbey @ £15; The Churchill War Rooms @ £13, The London Zoo @ £18; The London Bridge Experience @ £22; The Tower of London @ £17; The Old Operating Theatre @ £6; and The London Transport Museum @ £10; HMS Belfast @ £13; and an all day hop on and off Thames River Cruise @ £13.50.
   
   That's only 12 attractions, or just 2 per day, out of the 55 available. You'll most likely want to see most or all of these attractions anyways and their total adult admission is £170, so you save about £75 or 45% off the individual admission prices for each adult. Of course if you see 3 or 4 attractions each day your savings will be even higher. Comparable savings are available for children.
   
   You also benefit by being able to skip the lines at many attractions and they throw in a FREE 120 page London travel guide. For convenience you can also purchase an optional 6 zone Travelcard with your London Pass, however keep in mind that children under 11 years old can ride transit with you for free as long as you have a valid Travelcard, and therefore don't require the Travelcard option themselves.
   
   If you are planning on seeing many of these attractions anyways, then by all means, it is to your advantage to purchase The London Pass prior to your vacation. Better still, get an extra 5% off the retail price of the LONDON PASS with this code: londpas05. Just enter the code on the checkout page when completing your order.


4. Dining in London can be expensive, and some of the restaurants near major attractions can be particularly so. For the best values on dining in London check out some of the restaurants in the Mayfair, Soho, Leicester Square and Covent Garden Districts. Check out those districts in our Dining section for some specific recommendations.


5. London has many hotels to choose from ranging from a simple, but comfortable rooms to large suites. With London's excellent transportation system you can stay in a less expensive hotel that is a little ways from the major attractions and still get to them easily. Just try to get something that is within a short walk of a Tube station. Use our London Hotel Finder to explore London Hotels in all parts of the city. You will find photos, maps and reviews to help you find the best hotel for your needs at the best price available online.