London: A Cornucopia of (Affordable) Experiences
I could begin this post by quoting the whole ‘tired of London, tired of life’ line, but let’s face it, that’s been done. Yet at its core it’s quite true: London has pretty much every type of experience—cultural, historical, literary, and so on—that you could possibly hope to fit into a lifetime, much less a brief trip. So if you’re going there with limited time, where to start?
I was fortunate enough to live in London for a year, while I was earning my graduate degree, which means I have a perspective of someone who a) was there for an extended period—though I still never saw as much as I intended to; and b) had very little cash to splash. Luckily, London is surprisingly budget-friendly if you know the right places to go and the right approach to take. It’s far from a cheap city, but there really are ways to enjoy it without breaking the bank.
First-time visitors will, naturally, gravitate to the big-ticket items: Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Big Ben, the Tate Modern (which I personally hate, but to each their own), and Covent Garden, among others. This post isn’t meant to be a bucket list, nor any kind of comprehensive guide; rather, it’s a roundup of suggestions for a day’s worth of fun, worthwhile activities that don’t cost an extraordinary amount of money. It’s a very subjective list, based on my own experiences and preferences, but I hope some of you will find it valuable. London’s calling!
Some Awesome, (Relatively) Cheap or Free Things To Do in London
• Bookstores: London is a literary city, and it has some really fantastic bookstores. The standard Waterstones are dotted all over town, and plenty of other great browsing spots can be found throughout the city as well. However, my personal favorite bookstore (and probably place) in London is Stanford’s, the travel bookstore, near Covent Garden. Yes, a whole, three-level bookstore dedicated to travel. Can you imagine how excited I was to discover this? Stanford’s has every type of travel guide you could want, as well as maps and globes galore, but it also features a wide selection of literature with a travel theme, so you can not only plan your next adventure but pick up reading material for it along the way.
• Museums: This is an obvious one, but London has some fantastic museums and many of them are free (legacy of the Queen’s Jubilee a decade ago). The National Gallery, on Trafalgar Square, is one of those freebies, and if ever there were a museum well worth spending money to get into, it’s this one. Fantastic, top-tier art from all eras and genres (including lots of Impressionists and plenty of British artist JMW Turner, whose work I’m a big fan of).
The British Museum is a must for history buffs. Whatever era of world history intrigues you, you’ll find it well-covered here, and probably learn a ton you didn’t know before you came in. I’ve been a few times, and once was lucky enough to go with a British friend who teaches social studies and is an expert on ancient history, which is well outside my sphere. I learned a ton from her, and from the museum, about ancient Greece and Rome that day. The building itself is huge and beautiful, with an enormous domed ceiling, and is well worth seeing for the architecture alone. But really, it’s all about satisfying your inner history nerd; no museum in the world is likely to do it better.
My other favorite museum isn’t free, but that shouldn’t deter you. The Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms demand to be seen by anyone with an interest in the history of the World War Two era. In fact, even if you’re not that interested, go anyway. The Second World War was a defining event in modern British history, and I don’t think you can truly understand the country without delving into this period a bit. The Cabinet War Rooms are the place where Prime Minister Churchill and his colleagues ran the war, and they’ve been left exactly as they were the moment the fighting ceased, creating a fascinating time capsule. The Churchill Museum portion of the building focuses on Churchill’s life, and is one of the rare museums I could hang out in forever and never get bored. What can I say, Winston is fascinating. Go to learn more about his life, his war leadership, and how he helped shape the world during the twentieth century’s most tumultuous days.
• Covent Garden: Yes, it’s touristy, but it’s also free (as long as you stick to just walking around—eating and buying stuff bumps it up a price category). And it’s a really great central spot to observe street life, performers, and just spend an afternoon people-watching. Covent Garden is high on my list of must-do’s every time I’m in London for even a day or two.
• Parks: Londoners love the sun, in large part due to the fact that they almost never get to see it. Seriously, before I moved there, it never occurred to me that it could rain just about every day, that the constant gloomy grey drizzle could persist for months on end and that even in June, the mercury would struggle to rise to acceptable summer temperatures. But on the bright side, so to speak, the rarity of a sunny London day makes it all the more precious and to be savored. The instant the sun breaks through the grey fog for a few hours, Londoners are on it, heading to the nearest park to soak up the goodness. My personal favorite is Green Park, where it costs nothing to plop down on the grass (may be a few pounds if you want a chair, but c’est la vie), and read a book, or play a game with friends, or just sit and do nothing and enjoy the unexpected rush of Vitamin D.
• Brick Lane: So, you’ll notice perhaps that I’ve gotten this far and haven’t mentioned food yet? Well, for those on a budget, food isn’t the greatest of London’s attractions (I’m sure there was plenty of good food on offer when I lived there, but I’m equally sure I couldn’t have afforded to eat it). However, there are two saving graces in London where eating out is concerned: pubs and curry. Stop into pretty much any pub and you can get some decent food (as well as a quintessential British experience) for 5-10 pounds. It will likely be fish and chips or cottage pie (my two favorites) but there’s nothing wrong with that. Especially since Brits like to put gravy on chips, aka French fries. I am so. On. Board. With. That.
If you want something aside from pub fare, however, head to Brick Lane, which I like to think of as the world capital of curry. From one end of the street to another, it’s pretty much a solid wall of curry shops, and touts galore trying to convince you that theirs is the best value, the best food, so much better than all the other similar-looking curry houses on the block! While these sales pitches can be a bit overwhelming, they are ultimately going to help you, because if you shop around, take your time, and don’t pick a place too fast, you’ll be deluged with offers of discounts—free drinks, free appetizers, 20 percent off your bill, and on and on. Most of the curry restaurants on Brick Lane are good, if not great, and you’ll probably have a decent meal in any of them and not pay a fortune. Where you go doesn’t matter too much, but the whole process of deciding can be half the fun.
And finally, if you’re on a budget and all else fails…pop into Starbucks and order the chocolate chip shortbread. For a few measly pounds, you’ll discover the true meaning of happiness.
Been to London recently? Got any good budget activity recommendations, especially when it comes to food? Share!