We’ve kept everything cheap and cheerful within your budget and free things to do – both day and night, but first things first;

London Eye and County Hall From Westminster Bridge by stephen boisvert

Buy an Oyster Card!

This is your key to getting around London by bus, tube, and even boat. Order online from the transport for London website or buy from a London station. To spot historical landmarks, hop on one of the red buses (the number 15). Not only is the authentic London double-decker, but it is also cheaper than the commercial site-seeing buses. Why not grab a bike from one of the many docking stations located all around the city center?

The West End

West End is London’s entertainment neighbourhood. Major films premier in Lester Square. Don’t pay full whack for cinema tickets here; instead, go around the corner to the Prince Charles Cinema for cheaper screenings. If you fancy seeing a top London show, your best bet is to try the coliseum; one of London’s largest theatres which offers cheap tickets for better performances.  If you are after a quick bite before a show, dive into China Town for some cheap eats. Choose one with lots of Chinese customers because you are guaranteed an authentic meal. To watch the street artists, avoid the premier tables at the outdoor eateries, instead grab a snack and make yourself comfortable on the curb. Next, head to the neighbouring square.

The National gallery offers free entry and cheap Saturday cinema sessions. The national portrait gallery is just next door. I recommend wandering over to Neal’s Street and Neal’s Yard for creative vegetarian dishes at the colourful world food café.

There are plenty of great boutiques and vintage shops to distract you on route. Get out on the river tends and see London from a fresh perspective. Why not use your Oyster Card on the Tate-to-Tate boat? The Tate-to-Tate boat is a service that runs between two of London’s great art galleries. On the south side of the river tends, an area called Southbank will find you one of London’s major constitutions.  Have a browse around the Southbank book fair. You will also find the Shakespeare globe, the national theatre, and the royal festival hall along this stretch. Nearby, the British Film Institute allows you to explore the film archive for free so it is truly a hub for the arts.

Borough Market

At Borough Market, there is fresh and top quality produce for example, premium Monmouth coffee, fresh pastries, stinky cheeses, and hog roasts. Fill up some free tasters or gather up some fresh ingredients to cook back at your hostel. A few stops on the underground and you are in Brixton, South London. Brixton village has plenty of cheapeners to offer. They say the best pizza in town is at the Franco Manca. By nightfall, catch of layback rangy, jazz, and other great like music venues. North of Kingcross station is Camden. You can easily wow-away an afternoon with people watching and shopping around the Camden region canal. This area is also a great place to pick up a cheap hotel in London. With so many hotels to choose from, there are hotels to suit all budgets.

Camden

Camden Stables Market is a labyrinth of crafts tools and outdoor eateries. Skip the first few path heists, and further on there is much more choice in cheap/tasty dishes from all over the world. A short walk from Camden is Primrose hill. A quick but steep climb to the top and you have earned yourself a spectacular view of London. It is an idealist spot for spending lazy summer days on the grass. Out of bed early on a Sunday? Head to Columbia Road flower market where there is a lively atmosphere of proud and loud store holders selling orchids, sunflowers, and sweet smelling herbs. By the afternoon, the place is heaving, but the prices are falling. Keep on walking, and once the air fills with spices, you know you’ve hit Brick Lane. On Sundays its bustling with vendors frogging furniture, second-hand items, and devious looking electricals.

Listen out for free gigs at the brilliant Rough Trade record shop. Just down the road, you will find the covered Spitalfields market where there are some great places to eat. Don’t shy away from S&M serving sausage and mash. Around the corner, Regent’s Canal is bustling on weekends. Sit back for coffee on the Tall Parks Café and watch the long base glide by. Clubs like cargo often run free nights in live band and DJs. On other nights, arrive early and you may even get in for free. Hungry after a heavy night out? Tackle your munchies at one of the bakeries at nearby Brick Lane. No worries, in London there are always loads of buses to take you home at the end of the night.

If you are staying in London, why not contact outlet4holidays.com for a last minute reservation. We also have limited spaces for the London 2012 Olympic Games too.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by foshie

If you follow the pretty banks of the river Cam you can see the Backs – the rear gardens of the Cambridge colleges that are maintained in beautiful splendour by dedicated armies of gardeners. In spring especially, the carpets of daffodils and crocus make a breath-taking sight. The best way to see these gardens is to hire a punt to take you downriver. If you feel confident you can try using the pole yourself, though you may want to hire a chauffeured punt if you’d rather be in the hands of an experienced polesman who can also give you a guided tour as you go.

Cambridge offers many properties to rent, including short term flats, near the city centre. Wherever you stay in this wonderfully flat and pedestrian-friendly city, you’re guaranteed to be a short walk or bike ride to all of the attractions. There is also an open-top tour bus that will show you the sights and help you get your bearings in the city.

The Fitzwilliam museum on Trumpington Street has an impressive collection of antiquities from Egypt, Greece and Rome, English and European glass and pottery, jades from China, and ceramics from Japan and Korea. The Cambridge and County Folk Museum will show you how people lived in this area over the years, in the marsh lands around Cambridge (The Fens) since 1700. Kettle’s Yard on Castle Street is a modern art museum with substantial collections and regular exhibitions and musical events.

Cambridge market is one of the few markets in the country that opens seven days a week, 362 days of the year. It only ever closes on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. It sells everything from fresh produce, meat, fish and cheese to flowers, jewellery, leather goods, and a unique outdoor hairdresser! It’s one of the oldest markets in England, having been granted a Royal charter in 973AD.

Whether you visit Cambridge for its historical colleges, beautiful gardens or thriving city centre, you’re sure to find something you’ll enjoy.

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