Wazzup Pilipinas!
There’s a saying that goes something like ‘when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life’. The UK city just has it all – you can’t get bored in London, but you can get poor if you aren’t careful. To put it mildly, the city isn’t the cheapest of places to hang out in, but luckily, there are ways to enjoy London splurges without destroying the wallet. Here are the tips to keep in mind.
Use an Oyster Card
You need to travel around if you want to enjoy the great city to the full. But travelling in London is not cheap nor that fun (tube strikes, yack!). Luckily, the magnificent Oyster card scheme can cut down your travel cost and a monthly or an annual pass is a must-have for anyone looking to travel around the city.
Oyster cards are even useful for those visiting the city. Instead of spending money on the Travelcards, just get the Visitor Oyster Card. It’s 50% cheaper than using single tickets or the one-day Travelcard.
Enjoy the free attractions
While London has plenty of attractions that can cost a fortune, others are completely free. You can treat yourself to most London museums and galleries without spending a pound. Check out, for example, Tate Modern, the British Museum and the National Gallery. If you want to have a sophisticated walk around the city, the parks offer plenty to see. You can snap perfect Instagram photos at Hyde Park or Hampstead Heath.
Not to mention, you can splurge on all things royal without spending any money. Changing the Guard is a free event and you could wave to the Queen during the opening of the Parliament, for example.
Last-minute tickets
London is famous for its West End shows and you definitely want to splurge some money on a good show. However, you can be smart about your spending and shop for last-minute tickets at the official TKTS booth in Leicester Square. It’s the official booth so you won’t get ripped off and the tickets for the day’s shows are a lot cheaper than if you bought them beforehand. If you are sure of the show you want to see and you don’t mind queuing, you could just show up before the show and see if there are stand-by tickets and returns available.
Local theatre and shows
Now, London is a big city with thriving local communities. While the central London tends to have all the attention, there are plenty of stunning things happening on the other boroughs. If you want to enjoy theatre, comedy and cabaret, then just move further away from central London and find local shows in small theatres and pubs. These are not less worthy of your attention and they will help you save quite a bit of money.
Pass it out
Looking to explore the most famous London attractions? If you want to splurge on places like Madame Tussaud’s and the Buckingham Palace, you shouldn’t forget to buy the London Pass. After the initial payment of around £100, you get to visit all these popular destinations for free! Not to mention the pass gives you the power to skip the queues (in most instances), so it can definitely worth it if you have limited time available to hang out in the capital city. The pass occasionally runs extra savings campaigns so check out the offers from the website.
Wine and dine with discounts
Eating out in London offers tons of splurges and most are affordable with the help of discount schemes. Tastecard.co.uk offers the option to eat out at some of the city’s hottest restaurants without paying the full price! Indeed, you can often find offers that help you enjoy 2 for 1-deals or get starters and drinks for free.
Furthermore, wining and dining is super cheap if you are willing to skip the restaurant table. Street food is huge in London – some of the best eateries in the city are humble street food trucks in changing locations.
Booking online
Finally, the best way to finding splurges you can afford is going online. If you book your tickets online, you can cut the cost of your ticket and you don’t need to stand in a queue on the big day. For example, tickets to London Eye are almost 10% cheaper online than if you just showed up to buy the ticket in person. So, when you know what you want to do, check if the price is cheaper online.
So, think which attractions, restaurant and hotels you want to visit and book your spots online. Just make sure to leave room for getting from place A to B – London traffic can really be a pain.
Hopefully, with the above tips in mind, you are able to have a good time in London and splurge without breaking the budget.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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