London
Travel article for London
Age:
31-35
Travel time:
in June 11
London on a Budget
Visiting London on a budget is not an easy task. This is, after all, one of Europe’s most expensive cities. But one our recent trip to, we discovered a few insider tips on how to visit the city of
shiny red double decker buses on the cheap.
The Oyster & the Tube
A visit to London wouldn’t be complete without a ride on the tube (London’s Underground subway system). And we all know that public transport is cheaper than jumping in a taxi. But in London, getting an Oyster card - a plastic electronic swipe card - is the best way to travel around London on a budget. Paper tickets cost roughly double more than uploading money to the Oyster card. For example,a single cash paper ticket costs £4.30, but with the oyster card the same trip costs between £2 and £2.30, depending on what time of day you travel. You can add money to it at any tube station and swipe it to ride on all buses(including the fun double decker ones), the tube and even some trains. For more information go to the London Tube website at www.tfl.gov.uk/ . Note: You can get the card at any tube station. It requires a refundable £5 deposit, so remember to return it before you leave London.
Bites on a Budget: Fish & Chips, Kebabs & Chinatown
Eating out at London’s restaurant can kill any chance of seeing London on a budget. Definitely explore the city’s excellent restaurant scene, but make sure you mix it up with some casual choices. Our favorites are grabbing fish & chips from a fish shop or a doner kebab from a kebab shop. They’re dotted all across town and guarantee a filling meal for less than £8. Another option is to hit London’s Chinatown. It’s a small area just west of Covent Garden, but it’s streets are filled with Asian restaurants where most main meals cost less than £10.
People Watch at Covent Garden
Covent Garden, a historic piazza in the center of London, offers some of the best free entertainment in town. It’s also the only spot in London where that is licensed for street entertainment, so it attracts wide variety of performers. On any given day you can expect to see jugglers, singers, contortionists, fire eaters, comedians or musicians presenting their talents to the world. Note:The shops, restaurants and cafes on the square are definitely not cheap and can quickly kill any chance of seeing London on a budget, so watch the show here but drink and eat elsewhere.
The Oyster & the Tube
A visit to London wouldn’t be complete without a ride on the tube (London’s Underground subway system). And we all know that public transport is cheaper than jumping in a taxi. But in London, getting an Oyster card - a plastic electronic swipe card - is the best way to travel around London on a budget. Paper tickets cost roughly double more than uploading money to the Oyster card. For example,a single cash paper ticket costs £4.30, but with the oyster card the same trip costs between £2 and £2.30, depending on what time of day you travel. You can add money to it at any tube station and swipe it to ride on all buses(including the fun double decker ones), the tube and even some trains. For more information go to the London Tube website at www.tfl.gov.uk/ . Note: You can get the card at any tube station. It requires a refundable £5 deposit, so remember to return it before you leave London.
Bites on a Budget: Fish & Chips, Kebabs & Chinatown
Eating out at London’s restaurant can kill any chance of seeing London on a budget. Definitely explore the city’s excellent restaurant scene, but make sure you mix it up with some casual choices. Our favorites are grabbing fish & chips from a fish shop or a doner kebab from a kebab shop. They’re dotted all across town and guarantee a filling meal for less than £8. Another option is to hit London’s Chinatown. It’s a small area just west of Covent Garden, but it’s streets are filled with Asian restaurants where most main meals cost less than £10.
People Watch at Covent Garden
Covent Garden, a historic piazza in the center of London, offers some of the best free entertainment in town. It’s also the only spot in London where that is licensed for street entertainment, so it attracts wide variety of performers. On any given day you can expect to see jugglers, singers, contortionists, fire eaters, comedians or musicians presenting their talents to the world. Note:The shops, restaurants and cafes on the square are definitely not cheap and can quickly kill any chance of seeing London on a budget, so watch the show here but drink and eat elsewhere.
