Want a real life example of ‘Expect the unexpected’? Ask me. I was a spendthrift with a well paying job and I didn’t believe in saving much (actually never felt the need to save a lot of money). Travelling always attracted me and as I was earning too well, I had planned a luxury trip to Europe. I was too excited, got my flight bookings done more than a month in advance and was trying to figure out the places I would visit. But situation took such a drastic turn that I had never expected even in my dreams. I lost my job without any prior intimation and was left with a low bank balance and a round trip ticket to London.
I decided that I would continue with my trip and atleast visit London, even if it meant a trip on a tight budget. My friends told me it was an insane decision as I was planning cash trapped trip to one of the most expensive cities in the world. But, I did not let my financial trouble get in the way of my passion; finally I was onboard a flight for London. From the Heathrow Airport, I avoided a taxi or train to reach Central London and opted for an even more economic option – bus. I was told that finding a cheap hotel would be difficult, so instead of a hotel I opted for a bread and breakfast accommodation. It had a price tag of £10 per night which was even cheaper than I expected. The next thing that I did to ensure that I can save a little more was buy an Oyster Card for transportation. It was really effective in cutting down the transportation costs involved in moving around London.
The best way of exploring London is by walking. I skipped expensive sightseeing tours and started on my own to explore this fascinating city. I love history, art and culture so the art galleries and museums amazed me completely. I visited the British Museum which is the oldest public museum in the world. Visit to the Victoria and Albert’s museum was like hunting in a treasure trove full of objects from different cultures of the world. These places do not have any entry charges and other free places that I visited include Tate Modern and Tate Britain, National Gallery as well as the National Portrait Gallery. £10 Tango class at Portland place turned out my most enjoyable evening in London and I met a diverse set of people there. I was also able to take some off beaten tracks like jumping from tree to tree through the air with help of swings at Queens Wood Highgate. There was no charge for this activity and was a lifetime experience complete of thrill and fun. Finding good eating places was not at all difficult here as I found budget restaurants in almost every part of London. The varieties of food available were large and extremely delicious too.
The amount of activities that can be done for free or in budget in London is numerous. I deeply regretted understating this and planned this trip for a restricted time. I am sure that I will be back in London soon for a longer duration to uncover more unexplored parts of this city.
