how to live a thriftier life in London, and beyond!
London is probably the most well connected city in the UK. With six major airports and a crazy number of train stations, you can get to a new city or even country within a few hours. If you’re visiting London, or even if you’re a local, find out about the gorgeous day trips from London by train in just a few hours.
…
At first glance, cheap London travel almost seems impossible. With a single tube journey paper ticket costing £4.90- the cost seems out of reach. BUT there are lots of ways that you can reduce the cost of travelling in London, whether you are a regular commuter or you are visiting the city.
First thing’s first- never buy the aforementioned paper ticket! That £4.90 tube journey will cost just £2.40 for a zone 1 single journey using an Oyster card or contactless payment.
Not only will using an Oyster card or contactless payment card mean that your journey is cheaper, but it will also make your journey quicker as you’ll avoid the lengthy queues at the ticket machines.
…
Perhaps you’re visiting London, but you don’t fancy touristy sight-seeing spots and would prefer to experience the city like a local. There are plenty of non-touristy things to do in London, from secluded gardens, to quiet skyline viewpoints.
Replace crowded tourist spots with quieter suburban areas, and be amazed to find a side of London that you only ever see online. Read on for your local’s guide to London– the pubs, the brunches, and the parks!
…
London is a beautiful city, and whether you’re a local or you want the best holiday snaps you can get from your trip- this is the only guide you need to the most instagrammable places in London.
From traditional shots of Tower Bridge and St Paul’s Cathedral, to more quirky ‘insider’ London locations like God’s Own Junkyard- you will find the perfect backdrops to any Instagram portrait. It’s the complete London Instagram guide to the most stunning, insta-worthy locations in London.
The London landscape changes rapidly throughout the seasons- you’ll find cherry blossoms in April, wisteria in May, and autumn leaves in October. Time your visit appropriately and you may be able to find some beautiful natural foliage in the background of your photos.
…
Whether you’ve come to London as a tourist, or if you’re a Londoner wanting to exchange money for your holiday, you want to make sure that you find the cheapest place to exchange money in London. After all, the less you spend on currency exchange, the more you have to spend on your travels!
The cheapest place to exchange currency in London will also come down to your location- is it worth travelling to the other side of London to exchange your money when the saving might only be a few pounds? Consider your location first and work out the cheapest way to exchange your money using the following tips as a guideline.
…
London has a crazy amount of cool things to do- from outdoor cinema in London to quirky museums. You could live in London for years and not even scratch the surface of what the city has to offer. If you’re visiting London for the first time you might want to go sightseeing to Buckingham Palace, Madame Tussauds, and Covent Garden. They’re all lovely. BUT you also might want to check out some non-touristy things to do in London, things that only Londoners could tell you about.
Find out about some surprisingly cool things to do in London which you may never have heard of before…
…
I’ve written before about budget travelling, but one thing I’ve been wanting to learn more about is how to travel on a budget, whilst caring about the environment too.
Today we have a guest post from the lovely Charlotte who writes Looking After Your Pennies, she’s currently travelling all over the world with her family- and she’s doing it with an environmental conscience.
Charlotte’s blog gives an incredible insight into living a frugal lifestyle, with an eco-friendly twist. You can follow along with Charlotte’s thrifty travel adventures over on her travel blog, Our Adventurehood, and on her Instagram page, @lookingafteryourpennies
…
This is a collaborative post with Hotels.com. The spending money was gifted by Hotels.com, but all views are my own.
The London Bridge is pretty famous in itself- but there are also so many things to do near London Bridge. Things to see, do, eat and drink. Whether you’re a Londoner, or just visiting, it’s a fab place to go exploring and while away an afternoon.
If you’re a visitor to London, choosing a London Bridge hotel is a safe bet when it comes to accommodation in London- you are in a super central location with cafés and bars on every corner.
One of the biggest things I love about London is the markets- and in London Bridge you are spoiled for choice. As soon as you step out of the London Bridge station, you are greeted with Borough Market, a food market with endless cuisines from street food stalls, to vegan cupcakes, to fresh fruit and vegetables. If you head there on a Saturday you are sure to hear the market workers shouting “get your apples, 5 for a pound!” Just like you imagined in the movies.
Mooch around a little further down towards Bermondsey and you will find Maltby Street Market– my all time favourite. Here the market is bustling every single Saturday, and thankfully, they’ve recently extended their hours. You can pick up lunch here for as little as £6 from one of the street food vendors- it’s delicious!
We stumbled upon the Vinegar Yard whilst walking around London Bridge- you can’t miss the vibrant yellow walls! Here there are tons of food and drink options including a dedicated Tanqueray gin bar. My favourite thing about this space was the affordable vintage stalls- heaven.
Flat Iron Square is another fabulous event space in London Bridge- we were able to get free entrance to see the Mystery Jets and Temples here for a Radio X event, so keep your eyes peeled for similar promotions in the future. This space is filled with stages, bars and street food stands so it’s the perfect place to spend a summer afternoon.
If you come straight out of the London Bridge station, you will be able to spot the iconic Hay’s Galleria which is a stunning shopping centre that leads you out onto the riverside promenade where you can clearly see HMS Belfast and a brilliant view of Tower Bridge.
This area has tons of restaurants and bars- all with an excellent view over the River Thames. We stopped in at Dim T for dinner which was again, very reasonably priced for a central London location with such excellent views! I would fully recommend this restaurant if you are looking for vegetarian or vegan food near London Bridge.
You might also be interested in reading: The guide to a budget weekend in London
London Bridge is one of the best places to go and see the sights of London- not only can you see the famous Tower Bridge and Walkie Talkie building but it’s also the home of The Shard.
Another favourite haunt of mine is the Fashion and Textile museum, just look for a bright pink and orange building- you can’t miss it! The exhibitions that take place here are often very reasonably priced- there’s an upcoming Zandra Rhodes exhibition which looks like a definite must-see.
The fashion and textile museum also happens to be only a few blocks away from my all-time favourite bar near London Bridge- The Woolpack. Maybe it’s the cute name, maybe it’s the cool tiles inside, but it’s a fab place to go and have a drink in the beer garden or have Sunday lunch in winter- and best of all, it’s only a few minutes’ walk away from London Bridge station!
So there you have it, my best tips for a thrifty weekend in London Bridge, for more photos of my thrifty adventures around London, check out my Instagram page @thriftylondoner.
You might also be interested in: How to find cheap west end tickets, Find cheap exercises classes in London, How to survive a house share in London as a couple
‘London’ and ‘budget’ are two words that you don’t often see put together, but if you are hoping to plan a budget weekend in London, the good news is that it can be done. London is full of cheap things to see and do, and the truth is, by doing London on a budget you will be living like a true Londoner. Let’s face it, not many of us can really afford to swig cocktails in Mayfair and buy shoes from Selfridges (at least, the people I know certainly can’t!) Most of us are trying to find discounts and cheap things to do at every opportunity we can get.
I’m going to share with you my top insider tips on how to live like a local and have a cheap weekend in London- without missing out on any of the good stuff!
…