Are you planning a baby boomer trip to London? Better start saving those pennies because it’s an expensive destination. But, boomer readers, we’re scouring the Internet to find the best travel advice for you to make that trip to London affordable. In today’s guest post, expert budget travel planner, Shereen Rayle of Shereen Travels Cheap, shows us how to save money and enjoy London at the same time.
London is one of those places that keeps calling you back. A baby boomer traveler can visit multiple times without having the same experience twice. There’s so much to do and see that even two weeks is barely enough time to scratch the surface.
If, like me, you like to stay as long as possible while on vacation, it can be hard to keep control of your travel budget in a place like London. Being one of the most expensive travel destinations, it’s certainly easy to spend much more than you intended. Here are five travel tips for London that’ll will stretch your baby boomer travel dollar a bit further, enabling you to stay longer and see more.
1. Purchase a pass
With a London Pass, for one price, boomers gain admission into 55 attractions, skip the box office queues and receive discounts on museums, shopping, dining and tours. The Pass covers many excellent attractions including a tour of Wimbledon, Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, the HMS Belfast and Kensington Palace. Even visiting just a portion of the list will save considerable travel dollars over purchasing tickets separately. The best deal on this is the 6-day pass, which runs a little under $200 and includes transportation on buses, the tube, trams and trains until the expiration date of the pass. Baby boomer travelers can also purchase the London Pass without the transportation option. It’s available in 1-, 2- and 3-day options, with or without transportation, as well.
2. Find London theater tickets at Broadway Box
London has a wide variety of theater experiences that shouldn’t be missed. Two tickets can cost a small fortune, but boomers using Broadway Box will find amazing discount codes for almost any show that they are interested in seeing. Besides the considerable theater price cuts, dinner and show deals are also included. In some cases, dinner turns out to be free with the package purchase.
3. Take a walk
London Walks has the most diverse tours of London, available any day of the week. Costing around $20 per person, they are some of the most affordable tours of the city, covering everything from St. Paul’s Cathedral to Harry Potter. Walk in the steps of John, Paul, George and Ringo with the Beatles’ Walks or taste local brews or cuisine with the Pub and Food Walks. Each outing is roughly one mile, usually has a resting point and lasts for an average of two hours. Fodor’s rates them “the first and best of the walking tour firms”.
4. Shop the Markets
London has a variety of open-air markets, which can be great for finding bargains or just browsing. Two of the most popular, where boomers will still find a deal, are Camden Lock Market and Portabello Road Market. Open 7 days a week, Camden Lock Market is always bustling and is really diverse. Buy a rare book and have your palm read in the same trip. In the two miles of Portabello Road Market, you’ll find everything from antique treasures to fruits and vegetables. The market may look very familiar to those baby boomers who saw the movie, Notting Hill.
5. Learn about London’s history for free
Sure, you’ll find the same information from a book or on the Internet, but why not make a trip to the Museum of London for that history lesson? Admission is free, the exhibits are world class and it’s easy to access from the Underground. When you’re finished, pop into one of the nearby pubs, called free houses, for a bite to eat and a pint.
With these five ways to save across the pond, baby boomer travelers will stretch their travel dollars, getting more out of the trip. Explore England’s capital for less and cross off more items on boomer “must-do” travel lists. Cheers!
