It’s safe to say that London isn’t the cheapest city in the world. There are undeniably hotels and restaurants (not to mention stores such as Harrods) which are famous for their eye-watering prices. But here at Vision, we’ve come to the rescue with a great tip for stretching your loonies, free museums in London.
They include some of the biggies: The Victoria and Albert (known by the locals as the V & A), a massive Victorian pile set in upscale Kensington housing an enormous collection of decorative arts, fashion, jewellery, paintings, ceramics and much more. There’s the National Gallery, home to over 2,000 works including ones by Turner, Van Gogh – the who’s who of art from medieval times to today. And it’s centrally located right on Trafalgar Square in the very heart of the city.
On the south bank of the Thames, a must see for modern art buffs is the Tate Modern housed in a former power plant. Its massive interior means that some of the world’s largest canvases (which definitely wouldn’t fit in your living room) can be admired. Or if you’re a dinosaur fan, or are travelling with some pint-sized ones, check out the Natural History Museum: “animated” dinosaurs, life-size dino skeletons and a special creepy-crawly section: perfect!
Other free museums in London include the Science Museum, the Museum of London, the British Museum, the Imperial War Museum and the National Maritime Museum which is located in Greenwich. See them all and you’ll have saved enough to treat yourself to an excellent pub lunch or indulgent afternoon tea!
Tip: To make getting around London easy, make sure you get an Oyster pass. Similar to Montreal’s Opus or Toronto’s Presto, these are cards that can be charged up with money enabling you to tap in and out of the transit system. As you pay by distance on the Underground, it saves lining up at a machine and figuring out your fare for each journey.