Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Many attractions like these glorious buildings in Greenwich are completely free to visit.
Most government run museums are free to enter. These include places like the British Mu-
seum, Science Museum, Tate galleries, National Gallery, and even the Palace of Westmin-
ster. This means that all the best art and history shouldn't cost you a penny. And the mu-
seums' gargantuan stage means you won't have much energy to spend money elsewhere.
However, entrance tickets at other attractions are uncomfortably expensive, often leaving
you with a feeling of being ripped off. For example, it costs the best part of £200 for a
family of four to visit Madame Tussauds and the London Planetarium. While there's un-
doubtedly some must visit attractions on your wish list, filling every day with the £20 en-
trance tickets really adds up.
Unfortunately, the free stuff is rarely advertised, with the billboard space occupied by
all the commercial museum and attraction ventures. So check through this guide for the
£FREE
sign and save yourself some cash. If you're planning to visit many attractions with
hefty entrance tickets, consider something like the London Pass (
www.londonpass.com
)
.
For £68 (2 days), £81 (3 days), or £108 (6 days) you get entrance to most of London's paid
for attractions as well as fast track entry.
Enjoy the Hotel Breakfast and Find the Supermarkets
Eating out three times a day is never cheap, especially when a stale ham sandwich costs
close to £10 at a cafe. But missing out on London's restaurants would be torturous, partic-
ularly with all the idiosyncratic delights to sample; bangers and mash, Yorkshire puddings,
gravy, fish and chips, steak and ale pie...Most hotels provide a hearty breakfast, a solid
start to the day, even if the layers of grease can be a little intense. Then if lunchtime means
something quick and simple, seek out the supermarkets. You can find the same average
sandwiches and pre-packaged salads at a quarter of the cafe price. And there's hundreds of
great places to sit and eat as you watch London go.
