Hi everyone, I hope you’re all safe and well ❤

When I first started this blog I really wanted the focus to be travel, and going into 2020 I was excited that I could finally transform this blog into a travel blog. I had 7 holidays booked for this year and I really couldn’t wait to create content in these new categories and tell you all about the amazing memories I made in these new countries that I’d visited. Since I’ve exhausted all the material from my Scotland trip, and it seems I will not be going on any of the holidays I had planned for this year, I’ve been brainstorming how I can still make this a travel blog despite the current ban on travel in the UK, and I think I’ve found a way.

If there is one place, other than home, that I know pretty damn well, it’s London. I’ve visited the city a lot of times throughout my life and I’ve now got a pretty good understanding of the ins and outs of the UK’s capital. Like most big cities, London can be very expensive, but I’ve always managed to do it for an affordable rate and so I thought I’d share with you my tips for London on a budget.

1. Stay outside of the City

In all of the times that I’ve visited the Big Smoke, I’ve never stayed in the centre of the city and that is one big way that I’ve saved money. In the multiple times I’ve been to London I’ve stayed in a few different areas, all of which are outside of the centre, including: Wembley, Excel, Custom House and City Airport. As they are outside of the centre it does mean you have to travel to reach any of the sights, however in all of the places I’ve stayed I’ve been able to access the centre within half an hour on the tube or the DLR. I can understand that this might not seem like a massively appealing option, however there are perks of staying outside of the centre: 1. It’s a lot cheaper. 2. It’s quieter. 3. You can park. All of which are things to be thankful for when you’re visiting a city as busy as London. 

2. Stay in a Budget Hotel

My first point links directly to my second: stay in a budget hotel. I know it might seem appealing to stay in a beautiful city centre hotel or suite, but in a city with as much to do as there is in London, you really won’t be spending much time in the hotel, so what’s the point in spending a load on a room? You might have already guessed it, but I’ve never stayed in a fancy hotel when I’ve gone to London, I normally stay in a Travelodge. In fact I’d go on record and encourage people to stay in a Travelodge when visiting London: they’re cheap, you get a king size bed and you know exactly what to expect. I usually stay in London Excel Travelodge, and have a booking for London Wembley High Road Travelodge (which I probably won’t get to attend) and every time I’ve stayed there I’ve had excellent deals. For example, I paid £124 for 2 nights in Wembley for a weekend booking, and have previously paid £123 for 3 nights in London Excel for a weekend booking. In case you’re interested, here’s the links for both hotels: London Wembley High Road and London Excel. 

3. Drive if you Can

This is another one that links to my first point, because staying outside of the centre means most hotels normally offer parking, and if your hotel offers parking that means you can drive. I know it might seem like a daunting task, but the majority of a drive to London is motorway miles, and if you stay on the outside you tend not to hit too much traffic. Driving works out A LOT cheaper than getting a train, however if you don’t feel confident enough to get behind the wheel check out companies such as Mega Bus because just like driving, these also tend to work out a lot cheaper than getting the train. 

4. Use the Tube and use a Contactless Card

I know some people suggest using a taxi when you’re visiting London but I would really advise against it, they’re expensive, you hit traffic and you don’t get the same rush as on the tube. The tube network in London is much easier and much cheaper to use, especially with this hack. This is a hack I discovered two years ago when I went to London for my Birthday, and the ticket machines in London Excel tube stop were not working. My trip to London for my 19th Birthday turned out to be a bit of a nightmare because there was a ton of maintenance work being completed on the DLR and circle line which meant that I had to use different train lines than I usually would, however one good thing was that I discovered this hack. If you have a contactless card, as most of us now do, you can use it like an Oyster Card and only pay for the travel that you complete as it only charges you for travel with in the zones that you actually enter. This works out cheaper as travel passes tend to include zones you would never use and so you are paying for travel that you won’t be completing. I’ve used my contactless card every time that I’ve used the Tube since and I’ve never spent more than £6.50 in a day when using the train network which is a pretty good saving if you ask me. 

5. Buy Vouchers for activities/meals

My final way to save money while in London is to use vouchers, in a big tourist city – vouchers are your friend. You can get vouchers for some of the major attractions, like Madame Tussauds, the Dungeons and the London Eye on every day products like the side of cereal boxes and bars of chocolate. If you are considering a trip to London and stumble across one of these vouchers I’d definitely recommend keeping it because these attractions are very expensive and they can save you a hefty amount of money. I’d also recommend checking out websites that sell ‘experience’ vouchers such as Red Letter Days and Virgin Experience Days as they both offer a variety of vouchers that can be used on attractions in London, including restaurants, Thames Cruises and even tickets to shows on the West End. While these vouchers may seem expensive, it’s usually a lot more expensive to pay for these experiences once you’re in London and so you’re better off spending out before. The key to a trip to London on a budget really is in the planning: decide what you want to do before you go and research the cheapest way to go about doing it. There’s some amazing offers out there, you just have to find them! 

And that concludes my London on a budget tip list. Are you planning on visiting the capital once we’re allowed to travel again? If you use any of these tips let me know, or if you can think of anymore that I should add, in the comments⬇. I’ve really enjoyed writing this blog post, and I’m definitely going to try and think of more creative ways to make travel content while I’m unable to travel, so watch watch this space 💓

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