Our first stop - London (UK)

Going to Europe?
That is definitely often a big deal since it is a long flight to expensive destination. At least this is what most of the people think.

Lets try to see it different!
Get on a plane to London and enjoy England without spending your entire money. Moreover, there is a lot to experience that is free of charge.

The world is getting smaller. Low-cost carriers like Air Asia or Saudi Arabian Airlines offer regular tickets to London for less than 1000 S$ and if you wait for the right promotion it can be even way cheaper.

Have a look at www.skyscanner.com to find the best offers !

Getting from the Airport to the City will be the first challenge for inexperienced travellers. There are several expensive options but there is also a bus (www.easybus.co.uk) that offers transport to the city starting from 4S$. For the best fare it is necessary to book as early as possible otherwise it will be slightly more expensive but still not too expensive.

Welcome to LONDON!

First of all find a place to stay. Hostels offer Dorms starting from 15S$ per night. Websites like www.hostelworld.com are providing an overview. 

Choose a hostel that is near an underground station since public transport will be important for you stay in London. Also make sure that the hostel is not too far away from the city centre.

The city is divided into zones. The more zones you cross the more you will have to pay for public transport. For public transport get an Oyster Card. It is similar to the system in Singapore! A personal advise from my side: Zone 1-3 are fine and there are enough housing options there.

There might be the point where you say: "Okay, now i spend quite much money for a flight ticket and for my hostel. What can I do today without paying for admissions and tickets?"

(1) Hyde Park

How to get there?
get off at Lancaster Gate on the Central Line (the red underground line)

My answer to this is quite straight forward! Do you like nature and animals? There are so many nice parks in London and the Government cares really good for them. So lets visit the Hyde park. Make sure that you get some nuts at a local shop because there are many squirrels and other animals everywhere in the park.

Another very interesting possibility in the Hyde park is to go to the speakers corner. Everybody who has something to say can speak there to the public. Often there are very interesing people speaking about more or less important topics. If you have something to say feel free to share it!

(2) London Tower, London Bridge and London Eye

How to get there?
get off at Tower Hill on the District (green) or Circle Line (yellow). You cannot miss this two huge attractions there!

Several historic bulidings in London like the London Tower or London Bridge charge you admission for entering the building. Trust me, it's impressive to see this things from outside but what you can see inside is not really worth the money.

(3) London Walks

How to get there?
walks are taking place in different districts of the city. However, many of them are close to Piccadilly Circus on the Piccadilly Line (blue). Take also the chance to look around at Piccadilly Circus. This is one of the most famous districts.

Instead spend money for example on a walk! For 12 S$ local people, often retired persons, will take you the on a walk and show you the scene of Jack the Ripper, Harry Potter or the Royal Wedding. It is definitely a nice experience and a perfect way to explore London. 


Check www.walks.com for futher informations.

(4) Greenwich

How to get there?
get on the Central Line (red) to Stratford and take the DLR from there to Greenwich.

When travelling and changing the time on your mobile phone you might have seen eg. GMT +8 Singapore. Do you know what GMT means? It is the Greenwich Meridian Time. Near the London center you can visit this world heritage site and walk on the 0 degree longitude. There is also a museum and the royal park. So definitely worth a visit and the best thing is that it does not cost you anything.

The best way to reach Greenwich is by boat on the Thames but it is around 26S$ for a round trip. Maybe a better option is to take public transport. The DLR (Docklands Light Railway) is a cheap option to do some sightseeing on the way to Greenwich. I would suggest to talk the DLR from Stratford which is on the Central Line. There you can see all the new buildings for the Olympics in 2012.

(5) Brick Lane

How to get there?
get off at Liverpool Street. Most underground lines go to this station since it is known as the centre of London. Brick Lane is a 5 minutes walk from there. People on the street can point you out the direction

That's quite a full schedule for you first visit to London. Anyway, lets get some food. It is only a short walk from the middle of the center to Brick Lane. Fresh bagels from the best 24h bagel shop. You are going to love it! 


By the way, if you are still in the mood for looking around in this area, there are a lot of vintage markets and shops in this area as well as some very fancy coffee places.

(6) Gettin on a old Double Decker bus

How to get there?
get off at Tower Hill on the District (green) or Circle Line (yellow). The bus stops in front of the station.

You might have seen some of the hop on hop off busses driving around and you are maybe thinking of getting a ticket.  No, do not do this. There is a better way by taking one of the old and traditional routemaster, also known as double-decker, busses! They are still used for public transport on some nice routes through the city. 


Look out for Route 6 or ask locals where to find it.

(7) Churchill Arms

How to get there?
get off at Notting Hill Gate on the Central Line (red). It is a short walk away from this station.

Definitely worth a visit are the pubs in London. Like in Singapore beer and other drinks are quite expensive but you can try it out once. The best traditional pub I have ever seen is in Nothing Hill. It is called Churchill Arms and you will recognize it from far away when you are walking down the street. A funny fact, they serve Thai food there and it is awesome! Nothing Hill itself is also a great place to look around if you like colourful houses and small streets.

This are some ideas but there are a lot more free things to see like:

(8) The guard change at Buckingham Palace

How to get there?
I recommend to go there after you were visiting Hyde Park. Just cross the park and you will see the Palace. There are also several underground stations close to this place like Hyde Park Corner on the Piccadilly Line (blue).

(9) The hidden train station from Harry Potter

How to get there?
get off at King's Cross Station on the Nothern (black), Circle (yellow) or Piccadilly Line (blue). Find out yourself what you can find at this mysteric place!

(10) The Borough Market

How to get there?
get off at London Brigde on the Northern Line (black). This is a very nice food market. Most probably the best and for sure the oldest one you can find in London.

(11) Covent Garden

How to get there?
get off at Covent Garden on the Piccadilly Line (blue). At this place you will find a lot of street artists performing for the public.

(12) Westminster Abbey

How to get there?

one of the few places with free admission. For this museum get off at Westminster on the District (green) or Circle Line (yellow).

Hope you have enjoyed reading our first post, do stay tune to the next!
If you need more ideas or helpful suggestions feel free to contact us, leave a comment!

Enjoy your time in England!