Hi guys,
my name is Stephanie and I'm from Germany but right now I'm living in London for 3 months to do an internship and improve my English. Well of course I'm also here to see new things, to get to know the British culture and to make memorable experiences. Maybe some of you, who are from England or the UK could help me while giving me tips what I shouldn't miss? Because I'm a student I can't spend a lot of money and that's why I would prefer some cheap insider tips =)
I've already visited several sights for instance: the London Zoo, St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tower Bridge! On the internet I've found a website named www(dot)discountbritain(dot)net offering 20 % discount on these sights. That's a really good advantage to me because the London sights are very expensive. Maybe you're interested in saving money too, there is also a website for French attractions! (www(dot)smartsavefrance(dot)com)
So I would be glad about getting some answers from you!
Hi Stephanie. welcome to my country, I have worked quite a lot in London over the last 30 years and the Capital never seems to stop amazing me. I found the best way to see London is to walk the streets, as you walk the streets take a look up at the buildings you will see small blue sines on the front of the shops and buildings and some houses, these will tell you who lived there in the past, famous people from our past and sometimes other countries. of course there is always the changing of the guard at the Palace that is free, there are the museums in Kensington I think there are three very near to one another so you will save on getting to them as you can get of the tube and walk to each of them. try St Katherines dock near the Tower of London I think it is free to go in and there are shops and pubs as well as quite a lot of small expensive boats, I think that as you are a student you might be entitled to certain advantages if you show that you are a student, I am not sure about this but its worth a try. good luck with your stay in my country and again welcome.
- Reply by koshkha on September 17, 2009
Hi, this week a lot of places are open for free in London - check out this link http://www.openhouse.org.uk/
It only happens for 2 days each year so be sure to take full advantage.
- Reply by barbara on September 17, 2009
I'm an American, but I lived in England, so I can offer a few tips... In London, the British Museum is one of the best free attractions anywhere in the world. If you can swing an audio guide, you might lay out the couple quid to get it, but it's amazing to just walk through the building and see some of the antiquities stored in this marvellous place like the Rosetta Stone... one of the best museums on the planet. Additionally, some of the other most famous London sights don't cost a thing. Go to Trafalgar Square and walk into the museums there. The National Portrait Gallery, for instance, is free.
Also, if you ever get a chance, take a train OUT of London. I sometimes got train tickets for ten quid between the capital city and the West country. Bath is a gem of a place that's not too far away, and you can walk all over the place here. (Check bus rates, too. They are sometimes a great bargain when booked in advance.)
Due to Bath's Georgian architecture, the whole city is a World Heritage Site, which is lovely.
While ALL the museums here cost money, there's a FABULOUS walking tour that is completely free on most afternoons... starts at the tourism centre near the cathedral. Check my Bath journal for details. (While the journal was started some years ago, I updated it with new additions for some time.)
The nightlife in Bath would be nice for you as well because it's a university town but less rowdy than nearby Bristol (also a place of which I'm most fond.) If you don't want to pay for a hotel/b&b, try to go early in the morning and just take an evening train/bus back to London. You won't be able to see/do everything that's available in Bath, but you can manage a free overview, and that will be a nice contrast of a mid-size English town to the bustling metropolis of London.
Enjoy your stay. I hope you have good weather!!! ;)
- Reply by barbara on September 22, 2009
Oh! Also! If you're by the Tower of London, take a water taxi up the Thames. This isn't an authorized tour or anything like that, but the boat captains give commentary, which is just as good. It seems it was very inexpensive when compared to something like a bus tour. Nice to do on a sunshine day. ;) If you have a chance to go to a National Trust House, this is good, too. Some of them are very inexpensive, often neglected by tourists, but give insight into how people really lived with some incredibly lovely properties... from giant manor houses to writers' cottages. Find a National Trust member at your school and ask to flip through his/her National Trust property book to find a place you could visit. Chartwell, Winston Churchill's house to the south of London, was my favourite trust property though there were quite a few that weren't famous that made an impression, too.
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