London Travel Guide & Money-Saving Tips

Plan London on a budget with free museums, smart transport savings and practical tips that leave more room for the city's best experiences.

Free museums, brilliant theatre and the Thames at your feet

London is an easy city to fall for, especially when a morning at the British Museum can lead to an afternoon wandering the South Bank with the river beside you. The best days here mix grand sights with ordinary pleasures, such as a proper pub roast or a browse through Borough Market.

We love London for the sheer amount of culture that costs nothing to enter. Tate Modern, the National Gallery and the Natural History Museum give you plenty to do between neighbourhood walks, while the West End still rewards anyone willing to look beyond the most expensive seats.

This hub brings together what to know before going to London and how to save money while still getting the most out of the trip.

Good to know

Many major museums, including the British Museum, Natural History Museum and National Gallery, are free to enter. Book timed slots online for the busiest ones.

Top tips

Currency: GBP (£)
Daily spend: 25–85 GBP per person
Hotels: 20–1000+ GBP per night
Plug: British 3-pin
Tipping: Expected · 10–15%
Timezone: GMT+0
Taxis: Uber / Bolt / FreeNow
Food: Deliveroo / Uber Eats

Best time to visit

Weather, prices, crowds and the events worth travelling for.

Spring

Good

Mar – May

Mild 11–15°C with showers; prices stay steady outside Easter, while blossom and bank-holiday crowds shape visits.

Summer

Great

Jun – Aug

Warmest months at 18–24°C, with peak hotel prices and heavy crowds for Wimbledon, festivals and major attractions.

Autumn

Good

Sep – Oct

Mild 11–15°C with October rain; prices ease after school holidays and queues at major sights become shorter.

Winter

Good

Nov – Feb

Cold 2–8°C with darkness by 4pm; January is cheapest, while December brings Christmas lights, markets and busy shows.

Cost saving tips

Use contactless on the Tube and buses so Zone 1–2 fares cap at about £8.50 per day.
Take the Piccadilly line from Heathrow for roughly £5–6 instead of paying £25 for the Heathrow Express.
Pair one paid headline sight with free museums, parks and markets, then use a £3.50–4 supermarket meal deal for lunch.

Top tips

Tap in and out with the same card or phone for every journey; you do not need an Oyster card for a short visit.
Book a free Sky Garden viewing slot weeks ahead, and reserve the Tower of London for timed summer entry.
Book a Sunday roast by Friday because the good pub tables disappear quickly.
Make lunch your main meal out and look two streets back from Leicester Square or Covent Garden for better-value food.
Stand on the right of escalators and let passengers leave the Tube before boarding.
Use Bolt or Uber for late cross-town journeys; metered black-cab fares can rise sharply over longer distances.

Packing tips

A compact windproof umbrella for sudden showers and wet October days.
Waterproof walking shoes for long days on pavements, river paths and park trails.
A packable midlayer for cool evenings in pub gardens and beside the Thames.
A refillable water bottle for fountains in parks and museums.
A zip-closing day bag for crowded Tube carriages and busy market stalls.