London is expensive, so how can you save money?  Look for things to enjoy in London for free!  Those ticket prices add up in a hurry when you have to pay admission.

Remember whenever it costs you 10 Pounds, that’s really about 14.00 US Dollars and 11 Euros — give or take — with today’s exchange rate…. And you’ll find plenty of admissions that are 10 or 15 Pounds and more.  You will want to see the Tower of London… and you should, but the admission fee is 17 Pounds… that’s $25.00 or 20 Euros!

So what can you see in London for free?  Lots of things.  First of all think museums.  Almost all of the museums in London are free.  The British Museum, the Tate Britain, and the Tate Modern.  Also the National Galley in Trafalgar Square.  It’s full of old master’s paintings.

See Trafalgar Square itself with its column monument to Lord Nelson.  St. Martin-in-the-Fields church is in one corner of Trafalgar Square.  Admiralty Arch marks the entrance to the square.  If you go through Admiralty Arch you end up on the Mall.

Walk down The Mall to see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.  Join the crowds at the fence.  The ceremony takes place at 11:30, but to get a good vantage point you’ll want to arrive earlier.  If there isn’t a crowd, you’ll know you’re there on the wrong day.  They don’t preform the ceremony everyday.  Check the schedule before you go and stand around.

You could go in another direction from Trafalgar Square and walk down Whitehall Street.  Stop in a pub for a pint… you’ll have to pay for that, but you do have to eat, and Whitehall connects Trafalgar Square to Parliament Square.  Pause to peer through the fence at Downing Street, see if you can catch a glimpse of 10 Downing Street where the Prime Minister lives. 

The Bobbies probably won’t let you pause for long though.  At Parliament Square you can see the outside of the Parliament Building, take pictures of Big Ben, and walk the Westminster Bridge for free.

Westminster Abbey is across the street from Parliament.  There is an admission fee… they need it to maintain the building, but the Abbey says they will never turn away worshipers.  There are free organ recitals on Sundays, check their website to see details.

You can wander around in any of the London Parks and Gardens.  St. James Park offers some of the best views of Buckingham Palace in London.  Enjoy the show as speakers get up on their soapbox at Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park.  Free speech is alive and well, and some of it may sound a little tedious, but there will be plenty of hecklers to spice up that action.  The Diana Memorial Statue is also in Hyde Park.

Another fun thing to do is to walk the Victoria Embankment along the River Thames and take pictures of all the famous sights along the river.  Take in the shops and theaters around Piccadilly Circus. 

Use your walking tour and your time seeing London for free to choose what you want to spend your hard earned vacation money on.

Many Americans choose London as one of their first destinations abroad.  While the majority of Americans no longer claim English ancestry, there is no doubt that the history of the United States is closely tied to England.  Combine that with the fact that you don’t have to deal with a foreign language, and it’s an appealing destination.

If you’re not an American or a native English speaker, this grand old city still is a great place to visit.  So if you want to go to London what can you expect to see?  What should you do? 

One of the most iconic things to see is Big Ben…. but you won’t really SEE Big Ben.  That is the nickname for the Great Bell, as it’s officially known.  The smaller bells chime "Westminster Quarters" on the quarter hours… a little tune you’re probably familiar with.  Big Ben chimes the hour.

Most tourists are referring to the tower and clock when they say Big Ben, and of course, that’s what you want to see.  The tower is at the corner of the Palace of Westminster — the Parliament building — right next to the Westminster Bridge.

Walk the Westminster Bridge over the River Thames to get a photo back at the Parliament Building and clock tower from that angle.  That could be the cheapest thing you do in all of London.  It’s an expensive city.

Most "must see" places have fees to visit…. 

Tour the Houses of Parliament.  Have you ever watched BBC news and seen the Members of Parliament banging on that podium?  You can see it on the tour. 

See Westminster Abby.  It’s across the street and through Parliament Square from the Palace of Westminster.  This historic church is the place where England’s Kings and Queens have been crowned and buried for centuries.  There are tombs of some of those Kings and Queens, and also about 3000 tombs of famous people in history.  Wander around and find their names along the walls and under stone slabs in the floor.

Visit the Tower of London….  Castle Fortress, Palace and prison.  Find where Henry the VIII did away with a couple of his wives.  See the crown jewels.  The Beefeaters who give the tours make history come alive.  Learn why they love the ravens in the Tower of London. 

Look at the London Eye — the giant ferris wheel across from Big Ben.  You can be sealed in one of its gondolas and take an hour or so to slowly rise over the city for a sky-high view, but it’s expensive.  You’ll get a bigger dose of English reality if you walk the streets and find a cute little pub to have a pint and some pub grub…. and for less money at that!

Another palace that calls to most tourists is Buckingham Palace.  You can watch the changing of the guard for free, but buy a ticket when the Queen isn’t in residence, and you can tour the palace.  Who wouldn’t want to see where the Queen lives?

Take a cruise on the Thames down to Greenwich and see the Prime Meridian… You know GMT… Greenwich Mean Time…. Time schedules always say you’re so much before or behind GMT.  Well, this is what you’re before or behind!

If you want to cut your expenses, head for the museums.  Most of those are free, but we’ll save that for another article. There is just no shortage of things to see in London.

London is the capital city of England and whole of United Kingdom as well. Apart from this regular political identity, thanks to the huge expansion of the British Empire, this city once had the rare honor to be the capital of quarter potion of the earth’s surface and now boasts of some of the most popular hotels.

London is an international transport hub, with five international airports and a large port. It serves as the largest aviation hub in the world, and its main airport, the multi terminal Heathrow, carries more international passengers than any other airport in the world.

London is famous for its outstanding museums and galleries, royal palaces, monuments, quaint squares and peaceful green parks. Visitors delight by the excellent shops, and exciting nightlife.

How to get to London

England is an island so you must use naval transportation or you can fly.

The best way to go to London is by finding cheap flights to London.

In minutes, using the Internet you will find the best and cheapest flights right form the comfort of your home.

London Attractions

Museums

London has over 200 museums covering a wide range of topics, disciplines and human activities. The most famous museums are: The British Museum, The Natural History Museum, Royal Observatory Greenwich and  Madam Tousou.

Parks

Like any modern city London has beautiful parks like: St James’s Park and Green Park.

famous places

You must visit London’s top attractions – Big Ben and Houses of Parliament. Also you must see the Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace.

Consumer goods

London is a different planet when it comes to consumer goods. We are talking about (fact) more high end retail stores than New York and LA put together and a level of service that doesn’t exist in the States at the same level.