London sightseeing

slinga

Are there any alternatives for getting cheaper tickets to the main attractions in London, both to save money and hopefully to save time queuing.

p00hsticks

If there are two of you, get a cheap train ticket each (if you are not planning to travel in by train anyhow) and use the 2-4-1 offers


http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/?gclid=CLOD8Junlb4CFSEOwwodn4EAMA

slinga

Thanks for that.

Anything else worth looking at.

needaholiday

Lots of offers with Tesco Clubcard if you have one.
Offers on some Kellogs Cereal Packs for adults to be admitted free with paying child for some attractions.
I don't think you can book slots with these type of offers though you just have to queue.
Merlin attractions usually have combined offers e.g. London Eye and Dungeon. Booking them together gets you a discount and these offers can be found on the attractions official websites.

InsideInsurance

Obv a risk but most the time they dont check for your train ticket in my experience on the 2-4-1 offers. I used to have a season ticket on an oystercard as I lived in Zone 5. Technically this isnt eligible for the offers but can only remember 1 time of ever being asked to show the train tickets.

Unfortunately you tend to have a choice of saving money or saving time. The 2-4-1 tend to be the best way to save money but can only be used for on the day tickets which you have to queue for. You can prebuy some tickets with a discount that avoids some queues but they are rarely as much as 50% off.

p00hsticks

InsideInsurance wrote: »

Unfortunately you tend to have a choice of saving money or saving time. The 2-4-1 tend to be the best way to save money but can only be used for on the day tickets which you have to queue for. You can prebuy some tickets with a discount that avoids some queues but they are rarely as much as 50% off.

I think this depends on the particular attraction. I've certainly pre-booked 2-4-1 tickets for a number of these offers including various British Museum exhibitions, afternoon tea -etc. You just have to show your voucher / train tickets on the day.

As an aside I'm not sure what the OP classes as the 'main attractions' in London, but many are free anyhow - in my experience there is plenty of mainstream sight seeing you can do in London without spending a penny.

slinga

Well Tower of London, St Paul's, Westminter Abbey are ridiculously expensive, imo.
Would cost a family of 5 nearly £300 to see the inside of them.

Then getting to and from to Greenwich and having a good look round.
Never mind the cost of eating

Don't know about the museums, Natural History, Imperial War, British Museum etc yet, but when I saw all these over 55 years ago now they were either free or cost relative peanuts.

Seems to me even without accom we will spend near enough £1000 to have a good look around London.

googler

London is expensive. Full stop.

You get used to it, or you don't go ....

good_advice

The London visitors card?

I get the travel card for train, bus and underground up to Waterloo and then do not pay to look around after that. Take a packed lunch and camera.

It depends on what you want from your day out?

I do my guided tour to show family around something like this -
Changing of the guard at the palace.
Trafalgar square
London bridge
Lunch watching the boats on the thames
Hamleys toy shop
sometimes the museums

p00hsticks

slinga wrote: »

Seems to me even without accom we will spend near enough £1000 to have a good look around London.

How many days are you talking ? I agree that things like Westminster Abbey are expensive, but as goodadvice says , there are many things you can do that are free if you are on a budget that will still give you a good look - and if you choose a central hotel most are in walking distance - Examples are;


Watching the changing the guard at Buckingham Palace


General sightseeing such as Trafalgar square, Downing Street, the Cenotaph - a walk along the Embankment from the houses of Parliament to the tower will let you see many sights from the outside - time it if you can to see Tower Bridge being raised (their website shows times when this happens)


Museums - Science Museum, Natural history Museum, V&A etc etc including many smaller quirky ones such as John Soane's house and the Hunterian


Galleries - the National Gallery, National portrait Gallery, Tate Modern, Tate Britain


If you are a UK citizen, arrange with your MP to get a free tour round the Houses of Parliament and up the Elizabeth Tower (big Ben)


Apply for free tickets to the 'ceremony of the keys' to see the 'Beefeaters' locking up the Tower of London for the night

Stompa

slinga wrote: »

Well Tower of London, St Paul's, Westminter Abbey are ridiculously expensive, imo.
Would cost a family of 5 nearly £300 to see the inside of them.

Full price tickets would total £158.50, though I'm sure you could find some discounts of some sort somewhere.