Living in London put many things in perspective. What is considered big or small, far or close, cheap or expensive – our measurement system was shifted for a large number of statements. Most of all, naturally, it concerns the financial matter. After a year in London, we don’t find Norway or Iceland as expensive as they seemed during our first visit in Scandinavian countries, while budget destinations seem even more budget-friendly than before. Nevertheless, London remains one of the most expensive cities in Europe, not only for visitors, but for the locals too. Even though we don’t preach low-budget travelling, a thorough planning and learning about several money-saving tips is unavoidable when going to London, and we will be happy to share everything we learnt ourselves.

Check out: 13 Things to Know About London

Let’s reinvent the wheel straight away by emphasising that in order to save on accommodation, you need to book it as early as possible. Whether you go for a hostel, a B&B or Airbnb, let it be the first thing you book right after your plane tickets. Think about the location to avoid spending the saved difference on transport costs.

Get 25€ credit for your first Airbnb reservation

Now there, just a couple of things to know if you intend to use the welcoming networks in London. Couchsurfing is still alive and active and London has thousands of hosts accepting guests or offering hanging out together. Getting accepted by a CouchSurfer would save you a fortune, but as active hosts ourselves we beg you to understand how overwhelming the demand for the free accommodation in London can be. Fifteen per day – an average number of requests we were getting in London. Therefore, before copy-pasting your message without changing a name of the receiver, think how you can personalise your request. Remember, that everyone has had enough of “open-minded, funny and easy-going persons”, turn your fantasy on – explain who you are, what project you have, what cool things you can offer in return. The more thoughtful your message is, the higher is the chance to get not only a free accommodation, but also a warm human experience.

Let’s not forget that CouchSurfing is not the only option. If you are cyclist, you can always try WarmShowers – the hosts there don’t get too much attention, therefore your chances to be accepted are much higher. Less popular than CS networks like BeWelcome or HospitalityClub also can simplify your research in such a huge city as London.

A total surprise, but there are campsites in Greater London, which will be way less expensive than any hostel or hotel accommodation.

We hardly know anyone who wouldn’t have friends or friends of friends living in London. Ask them! The world is much smaller than you think. For free or in exchange for some nominal fee payment you might be accommodated by your great aunt’s sister in law, who knows?

Getting an Oyster Card is the first and the most important money saving tip mentioned by every possible source. Indeed, the Oyster Card is indispensable and NO, it’s not just a thingy only locals might need. Perhaps. One day. It allows saving more than 50% of the single ticket price, and is used both for tube and for buses. Buy it straight away in the ticket office in the airport or in the tube station, top it with a sum you need and off you go. The best thing about it is that after your trip you can exchange it and get your money for the card back. You might not need it if you have a contactless payment card, but check with your bank if there will be any additional charges for the currency conversion.

Understanding the London Transport system requires a lot of concentration, just keep in mind that the price for the tube trip depends on how far you travel and what time of the day. See yourself what difference it can make if you travel off-peak in the Underground fares section.

Not only the trip is much cheaper by bus, but also you have no need to pay twice if you change the buses within an hour. A great opportunity for a sightseeing and an absolute London experience but be ready that the trip by bus will be way longer than the same distance by tube.

Don’t ignore those Santander Cycles. For 2£ only you get a right to ride those bicycles (free every first 30 minutes) for the next 24 hours, and if you happen to have a GPS-support, you can save quite a lot on transport while exercising and avoiding the long and not always interesting walks.

Not that we want to ruin their business, but the typical London cabs are nice only when they are on your pictures and have nothing to do with your wallet. If you get in a situation where you need a taxi, think of Uber. Unless you want to have another true London experience, then no one will try to stop you. :)

Despite the impression they try to make, you don’t need to get a Gatwick or Heathrow Express to get to London. You can easily reach any London airport by regular trains or tube, which might be a bit longer but the difference in price can be quite important. Just an example: Anytime return ticket for Gatwick Express costs 32£, whereas the maximum you can pay with Oyster card on regular train will be 28£, but depending on the hour, it can be much cheaper.

You will be surprised to see the difference between the prices of “eat in” and “take away” in almost every restaurant or café of London. If you buy more than just a coffee, the difference will be very significant. Unless you want to enjoy the cosiness of some hipster café or a library-tearoom, go for the take away option.

A take away coffee is almost an obligatory accessory in London, but did you know you can get up to 25p off the price if you bring your own cup? Needless to say how helpful for the environment that would be!

Quite a lot of pubs or restaurants have happy hours – if you want to eat in some specific place, it might be useful to check if they have them in advance.

Chains of fast-food like Wasabi, Leon, Prêt à Manger, Itsu etc. propose a great discounts on their food during the last half an hour of their working day. The selection won’t be as huge as in the noon, but a bowl of miso-soup for a very friendly price is guaranteed. :)

London is an amazing place for trying all kinds of street-food, which is not limited down to kebab. Generally, all street-food is less expensive than what you can get in the restaurants, but the price also depends on how popular the market is. Thus, Borough Market, no matter how genius it looks, will be more expensive than Maltby Street Market or Greenwich.

The most obvious thing, but even in the supermarket there is a specific time for budget food shopping. Around two hours before the end of the day, some bakery or ready-to-eat food is sold at the reduced prices.

There is one thing one can’t not to admire in England – the free museums. Not just any museums, but beautiful, interactive and impressive museums, each of which is a separate piece of art exposing the nature miracles, the human masterpieces throughout the centuries and the science development. The entrance is free (excluding the special exhibitions), but these museums can be actually one of your best memories about London (let alone their souvenir shops!).

If you wish to visit a special exhibition, attend an event or go to Kew Gardens or the Zoo, think to buy your tickets online – in 90% of cases, they will be a bit cheaper online than buying on the spot.

Instead of paying a fortune for the sightseeing platform of the Shard, why not visiting a free one in the “Talkie-Walkie” skyscraper called Sky Garden? Just make sure to book your places well in advance (preferably around two weeks prior your visit). However, if you still want to see the view from the Shard, you can combine it with a dining in one of the restaurants to have both view and a meal.

Seeing one of the shows in Soho is a definite London must, however, the prices for the most popular of them might be somewhat painful. Either you book your tickets very much in advance, or you try the TKTS booth on Leicester square to get huge discount for the last-minute tickets. We’ve seen so many shows for the ridiculous prices thanks to it!

Let’s not forget that one of the major London’s sightseeing spot remains a church, so you can visit it for free during the service. Mind though, that it will mean silence, no walking around or taking photos, but if visiting the Saint Paul’s Cathedral for less than 18£ has been on your bucket list for ages, then it is your chance.

Free but amazing, our experience of free walking tours was only positive. If you are keen on exploring, this is a thing to do.