Killer Ways to Save Money While Traveling to the UK

Despite the global financial dilemma, people still have many reasons to travel.

According to the Global Wellness Institute, global tourism, in general, is poised to reach well over £700 billion by 2022 from £510 billion back in 2017.

Some of the most significant travel trends are expected to include mini-vacations, “insta-holidays,” fitness-centric tourism, and “B-leisure” trips.

The United Kingdom and its surrounding areas have over 50 tourist destinations. However, a growing number of tourists are attracted to the UK for its National Health Service (NHS), which is  “the largest single-payer healthcare system in the world.”

People flock to the UK in search of high-quality medical services such as fertility treatment, cosmetic surgery, elective surgery, dental care, among others.

According to the Global Wellness Institute, the UK has had the longest NHS waiting times in a decade, with the number of people visiting the UK specifically for medical treatment rising from around 48,000 in 2014 to over 144,000 in 2018.

If you’re one of the thousands of people planning a trip to the United Kingdom for whatever reason, you will want to know how to save money while you’re there. This holds especially true for those planning to stay longer than the average tourist.

This guide is intended to show the reader a few options available to them for saving as much money as possible during their stay in the UK.

Do Your Best To Walk When Possible

Looking at aerial photos of London, it seems like a pretty big city. However, the heart of London is confoundedly tiny and compact.

These two things make it very easy to reach vital destinations on foot without ever needing to fetch a taxi or use other types of public transportation.

Traditional tourists spend around £4.50 travelling from Charing Cross to Embankment on the Tube.

You can save that money by using your feet. Imagine the number of times you may use such public transport in a week; using the Tube twice a day adds up to around £40 a week alone, and that’s considering you only use it Monday through Friday.

Of course, if you were to use other forms of public transportation as well, you could quickly end up spending over £100 a week go places that are merely a 20 minutes walk or so.

Additionally, going it by foot allows you to enjoy and take in all the sites. And you might even find a few places to visit that you would have missed by riding public transportation.

By walking from Trafalgar Square or National Gallery, then down Whitehall to the Houses of Parliament and Westminster, you’ll be able to marvel at the most impressive parts of London.

These areas are rich in historical value and always a wonder to see.

You can also enjoy London’s fun side by exploring Theater Land near Covent Garden.

Afterward, wander across one of the Thames bridges to South Bank – a place always bustling with street performers, merchants, and has a few hidden parks to explore.

Those who follow you on social media will love all the photos you take of your adventures.

Use an Oyster Card When You Do Use Public Transportation

It is a tad bit romanticized to assume one could avoid using public transport altogether. Thus, for the times you choose to use it, use an Oyster card to decrease the costs of each trip to and fro.

For example, rather than paying £4.50 for a journey from Charing Cross to the Thames Embankment via the Tube, you would only end up paying around £2.00.

Furthermore, opt to ride the normal bus routes instead of hopping on sightseeing buses, which are always far more expensive. This especially holds true for those who are visiting the UK for more than a vacation.

In addition to that, if you like river boats, it’s far cheaper to take a regular fairy such as the Thames Clipper rather than riding on boats advertising river “cruises.” A boat like the Thames Clipper will only run you around £3.90.

Shop at Money-Saving Places Instead of Tourist Shops or High-End Stores

Supermarkets sell anything and everything you could ever need, and most often at a great bargain price.

You can find all sorts of homewares such as toasters, tea kettles, and coffee pots for as low as £7.50 ($10).

While most tourists are unlikely to require such items on a short excursion, those who intend on staying for a few weeks or so, such things might come in handy.

Furthermore, one should also make a habit of using promotional codes, coupons, and other discount offers when they can, even back at home.

The UK has sites such as PlusVoucherCode that “specialized in the research and broadcast of discount codes and special offers that help users to save in their purchases online.”

The best supermarket to visit and use such coupons and vouchers in is Tesco. Use the Tesco store locator to find one near to where you’re staying.

Tesco has many locations throughout London and the UK as a whole. Further out of city limits you can find Tesco Extra stores and even smaller Tesco Expresses, usually near petrol stations or in the town centre.

If you’re in need of a few home and electronics items, such as a cheap cellular phone, toothbrushes, cutlery, towels, and the sorts, you can find great deals at these stores, especially using your coupons.