 |
| It's been a few years since I lived in London |
That's not to say that London isn't a fabulous city. It most definitely is. I just realised over the eight days I was there that my 31-year-old self is far different to the idealistic 25-year-old that jumped on a plane to Heathrow within days of graduating from university.
You see, back then it was all about my career. I lived to work. Within days of stepping off the plane in London I had secured an interview with the BBC, within two weeks I was walking their halls in my first ever TV job. And I didn't look back (well, until last year when my career came to a screeching halt as I departed on this round-the-world sabbatical).
So being back in the city where it all began was a tad bittersweet, especially as I'd been questioning my chosen career path in recent months. I saw London through very different eyes this time as a leisurely tourist as opposed to an ambitious twenty-something. I had a new-found appreciation for certain things and a new-found disdain for others.
For one thing, the sheer cost of life in London came as a rude awakening. Perhaps when I was living and working and earning British Pound Sterling it didn't seem that bad. Or perhaps it simply stung a whole lot more after eight months of averaging AUD$35 or less per day!
 |
| London isn't cheap |
Regardless we still spent approximately AUD$50/day each (approx £27/day) over the eight days we were there for all food, drinks, transport and activities (the reason I say approximately is because we still have some British Pound Sterling on us that we'll be using in Northern Ireland, so I have just deducted that from the total at the current exchange rate).
Admittedly, there were a few large nights out trawling the pubs and dancing to Reggae and Ska bands at the fabulous Hootanany in Brixton. So that definitely didn't help the budget! And even though we were self-catering the majority of the time, we repaid the kindness of our hosts with some bottles of wine/Duty Free booze (remember what I said about being a good guest!) and we also cooked for them most nights, which increased costs slightly as I was cooking for three or four (or five) people instead of two.
Nonetheless we did manage to find some good ways to save money whilst still having fun. So if you're planning to visit The Smoke yourself one day, here are my penny-pinching tips:
- Be sure to research the different ways of getting from the airport to central London and factor this in when comparing the cost of flights. As London is serviced by six international airports, there is no one way of getting into the city centre and the cost can vary significantly depending on which airport you fly into and which transport option you choose. For example, we flew into London Stansted Airport which can take anywhere from 40 mins to 100 mins to get into the centre, depending on whether you travel by coach or train (I didn't even consider taxis, as we never get taxis anywhere, ever). Coaches can start at just £2 one-way for the Easybus if booked in advance (you don't need to have flown Easyjet either) and cost up to £10.50 one-way with National Express. Much cheaper than the Stansted Express train, which starts at £12 one-way (if booked at least 7 days in advance) and can cost over £20 if purchased at the airport. So best book your transport online in advance where possible!
- For getting around, consider purchasing a Visitor Oyster Card online for the cheapest fares on bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground and most National Rail services in London. You will need to allow time for delivery (so best order early), however once received they never expire - so should you return to London in the future, you can simply top it up and use it again. We had no such foresight (and god knows what I did with my Oyster card from four years ago), so we simply purchased a regular Oyster card at the first underground (Tube) station we came to for £5 and put an additional £20 credit on it. Any unused credit at the end of your visit can be refunded to you along with the cost of the card - simply take it to any tube station ticket office and hand it back. Too easy.
 |
| Get an Oyster Card for public transport |
- We preferred to get around by bus the majority of the time because a) whilst buses are slow (particularly in peak hour traffic) you're only charged a flat rate of £1.45 with an Oyster card, regardless of how far along the route you go; b) it can be a nice and scenic way to see London (particularly if you're in the front row on the top floor of a double-decker bus).
- Alternatively, if you can get your hands on a bike for cheap (or better still, free) and you're brave enough, cycling can also be a brilliant way to get around the city. Central London seems much bigger than it is due to how many buildings/people they have crammed in everywhere, so don't be afraid to grab a map and traverse it by foot either. Trust me - once I walked from the west end (near Hyde Park) to the east side (Liverpool Street) due to a tube strike and it only took me an hour.
- Fortunately, London has plenty of free attractions, particularly if you're into art and culture (it's also a cheap way to amuse yourself on a typically dreary London day). During our visit we explored the fabulous Tate Modern (which contains works by Picasso, Rothko, Dali and Matisse) and The National Gallery (which contains works by Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Renoir, Cezanne and Van Gogh) along with various other parks, gardens and museums. Even just strolling along the river Thames or browsing one of the scores of London Markets can be an enjoyable (and free) way to while away the hours.
 |
| London has plenty of free art galleries |
- Speaking of markets - ALWAYS try and shop at your local street market for fresh produce and buy 'loose' (i.e. not pre-packaged) fruit and veg. It will work out much cheaper than the supermarket. For example - I purchased at least four days worth of vegetables at the fabulous Brixton Village and Market Row for around £4, whereas a measly bag of mixed salad leaves at Marks & Spencer can set you back £2.50.
- There's also plenty of posh (i.e. pricey) 'foodie' markets, which may be too expensive for the weekly stockpile of ingredients but can nonetheless provide a cheap and delicious lunch for under £4. Think baguettes filled with pulled-pork and applesauce, or buffalo burgers, or fresh pita stuffed with felafel and tabbouleh... or perhaps sample some artisan bread topped with mushroom pâté, or some salted caramel fudge. My favourites include the renowned Borough Market (a food lovers paradise) in Southwark, or the Station Road Market in Brixton, or the Sunday Up Market in Shoreditch - and of course the famous Portabello Market in Notting Hill. They're also a good place to find yourself a decent coffee!
 |
| Borough Market in Southwark |
- Other cheap lunch options include the many salad boxes available in various cafes in Soho - for £3-4 you simply take an empty plastic container from the counter and fill it with all manner of delicious salads (beans, pasta, chickpeas, roast veg, noodles) and dressings. Soup is another frugal option in the wintertime, with many cafes offering delicious chunky soups with bread for around £2-3. You can of course always rely on the £3-4 supermarket deals (1 sandwich, 1 drink and 1 bag of crisps/snack bar) or risk your health with pizza, fried chicken, burgers etc from the plethora of greasy joints throughout the city (although I've already explained my philosophy on eating to stay healthy whilst travelling, so we didn't even go there.) We did however indulge one of our hangovers with a quintessential British fry-up, that only set us back £3.50 each.
 |
| The quintessential British fry-up |
- For dinnertime, keep your eyes peeled for any special deals such as 2-for-1 pizza nights or three courses for £10 at certain pubs. We preferred to self-cater at dinnertime and instead make the most of the lunch specials, which were even cheaper (e.g. our first day in Brixton, we had three generous courses at a South American restaurant for only £7). If you have a decent breakfast, eat later in the afternoon (for less) so you can go lighter at dinnertime.
 |
| Make the most of lunch specials |
- Should you want some wine with your dinner, skip the off-licences and instead head to your local Sainsbury's or Tesco. Whereas a cheap and nasty bottle of plonk will set you back £5-10 at the off-licence, you can actually get a decent (i.e. drinkable) bottle for £5 from a supermarket.
- For those wanting to enjoy a cocktail or beer after a hard day of sight-seeing (I'd advise sticking to beer as wine can be pricey by the glass), the majority of bars and pubs have happy hour from 5pm with some going as late as 10pm on weeknights. Just don't indulge in so many that you get lured to the Hootanany (as we learnt the hard way!)
- Finally, don't withdraw any cash from ATM's in off-licences or anywhere other than the ATM's of the major High Street banks, as you'll incur a service charge of around £2 (in addition to any fees charged by your own bank). The one exception is the Post Office, whose ATM's offer free cash withdrawals. Better still, pay by card as much as possible (credit cards are widely accepted) and limit paying in cash so you incur fewer bank fees.
No matter how frugal you are, I can't see London ever becoming a cheap destination to travel by virtue of it being one the most famous and cosmopolitan cities in the world. But if you can reconcile yourself with that fact and budget accordingly, you will undoubtedly have a good time... Perhaps a little too good.
"Go where we may, rest where we will,
Eternal London haunts us still."
- Thomas Moore
No comments:
Post a Comment