All About Travel - London
8 January 2013
Cheap/free things to do in… London, UK
London. The hustling, bustling UK capital - iconic home to Buckingham Palace, Wembley and many a flock of pigeons in Trafalgar Square.
With a firm place on the world's cultural map, the city attracts millions of tourists every year, eager to experience a capital that rarely sleeps, often thrills and has more than a few hidden gems waiting to be uncovered.
However, sticking to the well-worn tourist trail can be expensive. With the help of this guide, you can soak up the best of what London has to offer - without leaving your 'sky rockets' short of 'sausage & mash'.*
Museums/art galleries
No cultural visit to London is complete without a visit to The British Museum: home to the Elgin Marbles, Ancient Egyptian mummies, Greek sculpture and many other artefacts from the history of civilisation in between. With more than 8 million objects (!) in its permanent collection, you'll need more than a few hours to make your way around - but it won't cost you a penny to get in.
Venture down to South Kensington and you'll stumble upon the 'cathedral of nature' (as it's sometimes called) that is the Natural History Museum . Kids and adults alike will be able to lose hours exploring the dinosaur skeletons and prehistoric fossils. The Museum also hosts daily live events, including Q&As with scientists.
Inside the rather grim-looking former Bankside Power Station on the Thames' South Bank is housed one of the UK's most famous collections of international modern art. The Tate Modern contains famous artworks by everyone from Rothko to Picasso, Matisse to Monet. The huge Turbine Hall also displays a specially commissioned modern art work every year. You'll have to pay for special exhibitions, but there's much you can wander around free of charge too.
Right in the heart of Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery is another London cultural landmark that has to be visited. Never thought you'd get to see a Van Gogh, Monet or Leonardo da Vinci right before your very eyes? Well now's your chance - and it won't cost you anything to see them!
London markets
The capital is home to arguably some of the best markets around - and certainly some of the UK's most famous. Borough Market in South London is well known for its gourmet food stalls selling everything from cheese to bread and pastries - not necessarily cheap, but you can put your haggling skills to good use for a bargain!
Over in Notting Hill, Portobello Market is a treasure trove of antiques, vintage clothing, books, furniture and other curiosities. Columbia Road Market blooms every Sunday throughout the year as London's premier flower market, while the world-famous Camden Market is the place to go for all things quirky and unusual. If you're visiting in the summer, a walk down by the Locks and the winding Regent's Canal could help you while away a few blissful hours.
And we can't feature London markets without giving a mention to Brick Lane in the heart of East London. Cheap curry houses, flea markets, boutiques and vintage stores all jostle for your attention in the neon-washed streets. Neighbouring Spitalfields Market is only a short walk away too and is great for cheap cuisine spanning the globe.
Cheap entertainment
Whether you're a night owl or you're up with the lark, you'll never be at a loose end when it comes to finding high-quality, affordable entertainment. They call it 'Swinging London', after all…
Avoid the pricier, rather commercialised Leicester Square and head to nearby Covent Garden, home to the Royal Opera House and a vibrant atmosphere. It's the only area of London licensed for street entertainment, including jugglers, mime artists, classical recitals and magicians.
For theatregoers, there are all kinds of cheap offers available away from the expensive West End if you know where to look. The National Theatre offers a £12 ticket deal with Travelex and the Royal Court Theatre offers £10 tickets on Mondays. The Lyric Hammersmith also offers tickets for £12.50. However, with all these theatres, be prepared to queue/book early to make sure you get a ticket!
Shakespeare's Globe was founded by Sam Wanamaker in the '90s as a recreation of the original Elizabethan theatre that performed the Bard's plays. If you're prepared to stand (and stamina will be required: some plays can last for around 3 hours!), there are 700 £5 tickets available in 'the yard' for each performance.
The Prince Charles Cinema, one of the oldest movie houses in the heart of Soho, offers weekend matinee tickets for £5, along with their infamous sing/quote-a-long showings (any Sound of Music fans out there?). A definite destination for film fanatics.
Are you a fan of live music or comedy? It's impossible to list all the various gigs and shows happening in any one night - but here are some reliable options:
• The Camden Head has regular open mic/stand-up nights in the heart of so-cool-it-hurts Camden.
• Comedy buffs could do well to head to the Notting Hill Arts Club, where you can find stand-up and performances that are a world away from the mainstream stuff of TV.
• Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen has regular DJs and live acts - but you'll have to muscle your way past all the ultra-trendy East London hipsters and fashionistas to get to the front!
• Legendary record store Rough Trade has been a famous Brick Lane fixture since the heady days of '70s punk. As well as being the place to find rare CDs and vinyl, the shop regularly hosts free gigs - but you may have to apply in advance if it's a popular band.
Wandering on foot
The best way to experience this sprawling city is by foot - and there's always something new waiting to be stumbled upon.
London is a 'world city' that never seems to sleep and Edgware Road can feel like a slice of the Middle East in the heart of Central London, with its seemingly never-ending strip of shisha bars, Middle-Eastern cafes and restaurants, colourful sweet shops and boutiques.
Chinatown is a colourful, noisy hive of activity whatever time of day or night you visit, with the smell of noodles wafting from the many restaurants and the many 'waving cat' good luck charms beckoning from the windows. If you're there during Chinese New Year, the streets are transformed into waves of floating lanterns, dragons and traditional celebrations.
London's public parks can provide little oases of calm amid the cosmopolitan chaos. Whether you take a trip to Hyde Park's boating lake or Rose Garden, Regent's Park's manicured lawns, zoo and waterfalls, Primrose Hill's breath-taking views across the city, or Hampstead Heath's sprawling hills, you could find a world away from the riot of smog, noise and gridlock.
Charing Cross Road is well known for its range of second-hand and specialist book shops, so why not ransack the dusty old shelves and try to find yourself that rare out-of-print or first-edition book you need to complete your collection?
The South Bank on the Thames is a non-stop hotspot for London at its liveliest. Along with great bankside views of the River, you'll find street art, the Royal Festival Hall and BFI, swarms of skateboarders and BMXers, buskers and the great second-hand book market just underneath Waterloo Bridge. Why not take a stroll and soak up the electric atmosphere?
London travel & sightseeing
The iconic red Routemaster buses may be gone, but there are countless ways of experiencing the city that don't have to involve walking - or cost you a fortune. You'll need an Oyster card - London's 'travel passport'. You can simply top it up again and again when you need to travel.
It's a good idea to steer clear of the over-priced, open-topped sightseeing buses, which can leave a serious dent in your wallet. For a cheap tour of the city, why not get a seat on the top deck of a 'standard' bus and get your money's worth for just a few quid? For example, the number 11 bus passes some of London's most famous landmarks: St Paul's Cathedral, Trafalgar Square ,
Alternatively, a one-way trip on the
You can catch the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace at 11.30am daily. Or, for a bit of the countryside in the city, why not take a £1 self-guided tour around Hackney City Farm , where you can see everything from Larry the Donkey to guinea pigs?
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