London is a truly incredible, vibrant city with plenty to offer, accommodating the needs of anyone who wishes to explore it. However, unfortunately, with great popularity comes a high cost of living, shopping and travelling. London is well known for being one of the most expensive cities in the world. This can be especially difficult for students, who often rely on loans, and without having a full-time job, need to learn how to save up and manage their budget.
After a few months of living in London, I realised that a substantive part of my spending goes towards transportation. While the London public transport including the tube, buses and trains is amazing and extremely convenient and much cheaper than cars, taxis or Ubers, the cost of frequent tube journeys can really add up. Obviously, it is not possible to fully cut out the use of public transport, but being more mindful about your travel choices can really help you to stay on top of your budget. Below I present some of my tips and advice on how to reduce your cost of travelling around London and take full advantage of living in this amazing city!
Firstly, if you know you’re going to use public transport a lot, consider getting an Oyster card and a 16-25 Railcard, which will allow you to benefit from considerable discounts in off-peak hours. Students can also get a discount when purchasing those cards, which makes it more affordable. While the cards require initial investments, if you’re planning on using the tube every day, the money will soon return to you, and you will save up on future travels. Furthermore, if you’re travelling by train around the UK, getting a railcard is a must, since it reduces the price of every ticket by a third, and you will start benefiting after one or two rides. For example, when I bought tickets from London to Wales, I realised that the cost of the tickets and a yearly railcard would still be cheaper than just getting a full-priced ticket, which only shows how much you can save up during the whole year!
Secondly, I would recommend checking out the availability of different travel options around London other than taking an Uber or the tube. The tube is by far the most convenient way of transport, but if you use it a few times a day the costs can quickly add up. Instead, you could try taking the bus, which operates on many routes around London and is considerably cheaper than the tube. Buses are great for any travel from 30 to 45 minutes long, and oftentimes they will bring you closer to your destination than the tube does.
Another method that I used and would highly encourage is communing by bike, either your own or from one of the bike rentals available around London. If you don’t live that far from campus, it is one of the quickest and nicest ways to travel around, while saving a lot of money. While getting used to the London traffic took me some time, there are plenty of bike paths around the city and there are many cyclists which will make you more visible, comfortable and safe. One thing to note if you’re using your own bike is to make sure you have a secure bike lock so that you won’t be affected by any unfortunate situations.
Lastly, for the most part London is a very walkable city, and instead of taking the tube for just a few stops, you could always consider walking, which saves up money and can bring a lot of enjoyment and health benefits.
