London For Free?
Frugal Travelers Walk, See Museums, and Save

Remember whenever it costs you 10 Pounds, that's really about 14.00 US Dollars and 11 Euros -- give or take -- it depends on today's exchange rate of course.... But whatever the exchange rate is when you read this, the fact is you'll find plenty of admissions that are 10 or 15 Pounds and more. You will want to see the Tower of London... and you should, but the admission fee is 17 Pounds... that's $25.00 or 20 Euros!

So what can you see in London for free? Lots of things. First of all think museums. Almost all of the museums in London are free. The British Museum, the Tate Britain, and the Tate Modern. Also the National Galley in Trafalgar Square. It's full of old master's paintings.

See Trafalgar Square itself with its column monument to Lord Nelson. St. Martin-in-the-Fields church is in one corner of Trafalgar Square. Admiralty Arch marks the entrance to the square. If you go through Admiralty Arch you end up on the Mall.

Walk down The Mall to see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. Join the crowds at the fence. The ceremony takes place at 11:30, but to get a good vantage point you'll want to arrive earlier. If there isn't a crowd, you'll know you're there on the wrong day. They don't preform the ceremony everyday. Check the schedule before you go and stand around.

You could go in another direction from Trafalgar Square and walk down Whitehall Street. Stop in a pub for a pint... you'll have to pay for that, but you do have to eat, and Whitehall connects Trafalgar Square to Parliament Square.

Pause to peer through the fence at Downing Street, see if you can catch a glimpse of 10 Downing Street where the Prime Minister lives. The Bobbies probably won't let you pause for long though. At Parliament Square you can see the outside of the Parliament Building, take pictures of Big Ben, and walk the Westminster Bridge for free.

Westminster Abbey is across the street from Parliament. There is an admission fee... they need it to maintain the building, but the Abbey says they will never turn away worshipers. There are free organ recitals on Sundays, check their website to see details.

You can wander around in any of the London Parks and Gardens. St. James Park offers some of the best views of Buckingham Palace in London. Enjoy the show as speakers get up on their soapbox at Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park. Free speech is alive and well, and some of it may sound a little tedious, but there will be plenty of hecklers to spice up that action. The Diana Memorial Statue is also in Hyde Park.

Another fun thing to do in London for free is to walk the Victoria Embankment along the River Thames and take pictures of all the famous sights along the river.

Take in the shops and theaters around Piccadilly Circus.

Use your walking tour and your time seeing London for free to choose what you want to spend your hard earned vacation money on.

Happy travels... even if you don't travel the world... just remember that life is a journey... embrace and enjoy it!   Judy and Mark

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