Five Ways to Save Dollars in London

The Dollar to Pound Exchange rate may be making things expensive for Americans in Britain right now, but that doesn't mean that you need to break the bank to have a good time. Here are some suggestions for saving a few pounds with out too much sacrifice.

Art Galleries and Museums - The National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, The Tate Britain and Tate Modern are all free. All of the big museums also let you in without a compulsory charge.

Buy an Oyster Card. - If you plan to use the Buses or Underground railway ("Tube") to get around. Available from Underground Railway Stations this is an electronic "pre-paid" fare card for the Buses and Underground Railways (Tubes). There is a small deposit for the card (about $6) and the you can add however much credit you want to, not too much becuase you can always recharge it again. Per Journey costs are cheaper than cash fares and you'll never pay more than the cost of a "Travelcard" day pass

Watch the "Changing of the Guard" . If your looking for Royal Pageantry at it's best this free spectacle is worth arriving early for. It really is what it says it is. The changing of the Queens Guards. Usually it takes place daily in the summer and every other day in the winter at 11.30am. Double check the date before you get to the gates.

Visit Covent Garden - Street theater and entertainers of all kinds can be found around the Plaza on just about every day. From there it's a short walk to Trafalgar Square and then on down Whitehall (use your OysterCard on the bus if you don't want to walk), the home of the British Government to The Palace of Westminster -or if you prefer the Houses of Parliament and the famous clock tower known as Big Ben. Big Ben is actually the name of the bell inside the tower.

Westminster Abbey - Admission is not free for visitors but they don't charge people who want to worship. Evensong is the best service to attend with the choir of the Westminster Abbey Choir School.

London, and the rest of Britain for that matter doesn't need to be expensive. You just need to plan ahead a little and try and avoid the usual tourist paths. Here's a quick Bonus. The Tower of London is worth a visit, even if you don't pay to go inside. Your bound to be able to stop a "Beefeater" and take your picture with him.

If you have any Money saving tips or free activities you know about, please let me know and i'll include them in a future list of ways to save Dollars in London