GREAT BRITAIN - Best of Europe 2014 - page 757

Free Museums: Many of the city's biggest and best museums won't charge you a
dime, including the British Museum, British Library, National Gallery, National Por-
trait Gallery, Tate Britain, Tate Modern, Wallace Collection, Imperial War Museum,
Victoria and Albert Museum, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, National
Army Museum, Sir John Soane's Museum, the Museum of London, and the Geffrye
Museum.
Free Churches: Many smaller churches let worshippers (and tourists) in free.
The big sightseeing churches—Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's—charge admission
fees, but offer free evensong services nearly daily (though you're not allowed to stick
around afterward). Westminster Abbey also offers free organ recitals most Sundays at
17:45.
Other Freebies: London has plenty of free performances, such as lunch concerts
at St. Martin-in-the-Fields (see here ) and summertime movies at The Scoop am-
phitheater near City Hall (Tube: London Bridge, schedule at
www.morelondon.com —click on “The Scoop at More London”). For other freebies,
check out www.freelondonlistings.co.uk . There's no charge to enjoy the pageantry of
the Changing of the Guard, rants at Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park, displays at Har-
rods, the people-watching scene at Covent Garden, and the colorful streets of the East
End. It's free to view the legal action at the Old Bailey and the legislature at work
in the Houses of Parliament. And you can get into a bit of the Tower of London and
Windsor Castle by attending Sunday services in each place's chapel (chapel access
only).
Sightseeing Deals: If you've bought a paper rail ticket at a National Rail station
(such as Paddington or Victoria), you may be eligible for two-for-one discounts at
many popular sights, such as the London Eye, Tower of London, and Madame Tus-
sauds Waxworks. This is a great deal if you can get it. To claim the discount, the rail
ticket must have been used and validated that day—for instance, if you are arriving
by train into London (from elsewhere in England) or taking a short morning side-trip.
This even works if you're taking the train in from Gatwick Airport. Get details and
printvouchersat www.daysoutguide.co.uk , orlookforbrochureswithcouponsatma-
jor train stations.
Good-Value Tours: The city walking tours with professional guides (£6-9) are
oneofthebestdeals going(see here ) .Hop-on,hop-offbig-bustours,while expensive
(£22-27), provide a great overview and include free boat tours as well as city walks.
(Or, for the price of a transit ticket, you could get similar views from the top of a
double-decker public bus.) A one-hour Thames ride to Greenwich costs £10 one-way,