Discover a cheap day out in London

As students, there’s one thing that we can all agree upon – saving money is a must. 

Moving to London was a financial shock for me. £4.90 for a beer at the pub? This was hardly the £1.80 pints that I was familiar with back home!

So, how are you meant to make the most of living London life without breaking your bank account? 
This post is a compilation of all the cheap and cheerful things that I’ve discovered over the last couple years that won’t make your jaw drop when checking your bank balance, the next day.

From the main Bloomsbury campus, you can walk pretty much anywhere. However, if you fancy a bike ride instead, you can find Santander bikes dotted around London by checking the app Citymapper. 

They’re £2 for unlimited journeys up to 30 minutes, for 24 hours, meaning you can park up your bike overnight and still use it the next day for no extra cost.

If you were to head North, you’d find yourself in Camden – an electric nook of London wrapped up by Regent’s Canal. 

Here stands Camden Market, full of bustling food stalls and busy vendors. Spend a couple hours here and see what the market has to offer! 

Just adjacent to Camden Market is one of my all-time favourite spots in London: Primrose Hill. On a bright day, trekking up that hill is well worth it once you reach the top. 

I personally think it’s the best view of the London skyline that you can get, and somewhere to put on your bucket list! 

On your way out of Primrose Hill, walk through the large green spaces of Regents Park, and even catch a glimpse of the camels and giraffes in London Zoo.

Somewhere else that you can get incredible views in London is Sky Garden, located in The Walkie-Talkie right by The City. 

You’ll need to book in advance, but once you’re up there, you can see a whole 360-degree view of London, all for free! 

Across the river from there is Borough Market, another place worth visiting whilst you’re in the area, even just to see and smell all the delicious food being made, not to mention the best doughnuts (in my opinion) from Bread Ahead Bakery!

Hopping back on your bike, you can cycle to any of the museums and galleries in London, which usually have free entry. 

Tate Modern is one of my go-to spots, and they have incredible exhibitions, such as Andy Warhol and Bruce Nauman. 

If you sign up for “The Tate Collective” for free as a student, you can get £5 tickets for exhibitions, when it would usually be quadruple the price! 

This is the same for The Barbican, where you can sign up for “Young Barbican” for free and get discounted cinema and exhibition tickets. 

After your busy day of cycling and walking around London, you’ll want some food, right? 

Dining in can cost quite a bit, so I’d recommend downloading TooGoodToGo or Karma, apps that reduce food waste by selling food at lowered prices at the end of the day.

Another app worth downloading is Dusk, which provides you with one free drink a night at several bars around London. 

So, there we have it, a few of my hints and tips of having a fun day out at fun prices! 

Images by the author