London has much in the way of tourist attractions, many of which are free or relatively inexpensive to enter. Here is a list detailing the best cultural sites to visit in London if you’re on a budget.


London provides a world of opportunity for those travelling on a budget. There’s plenty to do for those attending an English language school London offers, and luckily, it’s also possible to plan a varied schedule without breaking the bank. Here are the top tourist spots to check out at cost-effective prices...

Galleries

Tate Britain
All of London’s art galleries are free to enter and the Tate Britain is high on the list of most visitors to the city. Housing a collection of Britain’s art from 1500 to the present day, this central gallery is not to be missed.

Tate Modern
For fans of modern art, the Tate Modern holds a varied collection of art dating from 1900 to the present day. This impressive building also hosts special exhibitions and events throughout the year.

National Portrait Gallery

Opened in 1856 and in its current location since 1896, the National Portrait Gallery features portraits of the most famous people in British history. View more than 175,000 portraits from the 16th Century to the present day in this amazing collection.

 

Museums

British Museum
Many museums across London are completely free to enter and the British Museum is one of the best. Set in an amazing building, the British Museum houses a vast collection of world art and artefacts with many varied exhibitions throughout the year.

Museum of London
Learn about the history of London from Roman times to the present day at this interesting venue. Seven permanent exhibition galleries tell the story of the city in the world’s largest city museum.



The Geffrye Museum

The Geffrye Museum in East London gives visitors an amazing insight into how Londoners have lived over the years. Featuring detailed sets of English domestic interiors, the museum documents a collection of rooms from the year 1600 up to today.

 

Music

Southbank Centre
The Southbank Centre is the largest single-run arts centre in the world, and regularly hosts free events for all visitors. Enjoy live jazz music on Friday evenings and lunchtime music in the Central Bar of the Royal Festival Hall on weekends, all for absolutely nothing!
The National Theatre
At The National Theatre, visitors can enjoy free concerts in the ‘Djanogly Concert Pitch’ throughout the week, from smooth jazz to upbeat ethnic beats and much more. During the summer months, you can even enjoy the concerts outside.

The Royal Opera House
For fans of opera, the Royal Opera House hosts regular free lunchtime recitals featuring the rising stars of the Jette Parker Young Artists’ Programme, along with members of the orchestra, chorus and the Southbank Sinfonia.

Theatre


TKTS booth
If you fancy sampling one of the major London theatre productions, tickets for big shows such as We Will Rock You, The Lion King and Les Miserablés can be purchased cheaply at Leicester Square’s TKTS booth. Half-price tickets are often available on the day of the performance for West End shows, so don’t forget to stop by if you’ve got your heart set on Mamma Mia!

The Royal Court Theatre
If you fancy sampling something a bit more alternative, The Royal Court offers new productions by innovative writers from around the UK. If you can get your skates on, four standing tickets go on sale one hour before each Jerwood Theatre Downstairs performance – for just 10p each!

London Theatre Passport
If you haven’t yet selected which show you want to see, a London Theatre Passport can give you discounted entry to a West End performance from a select list of productions – a must-have for any theatre enthusiast visiting London.

If you plan carefully, you can have a great time visiting London without spending a fortune. With events, galleries, museums and theatre productions, there’s plenty to do for those attending English courses in London no matter what the budget.

Resource box

Activities in London
Learn more about what’s happening in the UK’s capital

British Theatre
Find out about the new productions in the world of theatre

London on a budget
Ideas for how to enjoy London on a budget

 
This post will highlight the very best cakes you can find on the European continent. Whether you are looking for a tasty treat to bring along to a picnic or a special birthday: these are the best cakes to choose from. They are different, versatile and will cause a taste explosion in your mouth. Surprise everyone with a special gift basket full of European treats. Bake them yourself or head to your favourite deli and make this a tasteful occasion. 

Dutch Apple Cake

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You might think you know what an apple cake tastes like but not until you have tried the Dutch variety. The Dutch are proud of their homemade apple cake and they serve it in every café and restaurant as an afternoon snack. The standard recipe includes a sensational mixture of apples, raisins, cinnamon and lemon.

Swedish Daim cake

The well-known Swedish chocolate has a big sister in the form of a luscious cake. A rich mix of almonds, yoghurt and three bars of Daim will take you to chocolate heaven.  You can make one yourself or head to your nearest Ikea to buy one from the shop.

German Schwarzwalder Kirsch chocolate cake

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Dark chocolate, cream and forest fruits are all you need for this little number. It is a hearty treat best served with a dark espresso to balance out the high level of sugar.  


Spanish Coca Maria

A quirky cake made from almonds and cinnamon. This cake is best enjoyed during the afternoon with a cup of tea. It is a cake without any frills but with a rich taste. 

French mousse cake

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Leave it to the French to come up with a very alternative style of baking. The French mousse cake is in a category of its own.  The base of the cake is made like any other cake; by mixing baking powder with eggs and butter. The rest of the cake is made up out of different layers and flavours of mousse. 

Italian Millefoglie cake

The Millefoglie cake is the ultimate birthday cake for almost every Italian citizen. It is a simple cake and it only takes half an hour to prepare. All you need is puff pastry, crème Chantilly, some sugar, lady fingers, eggs and almonds to create this taste sensation.

British gourmet cheesecake

A perfect cake to bring along to summer picnics in the park. The British gourmet cheesecake is light and versatile which makes it a great treat for almost everyone.  

Czech Kolache

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This is not your traditional cake but it is an amazing treat that will impress ay person you present it to. Making kolache is reasonably straight forward. You create small rolls out of sweet leavened dough and fill them with poppy seeds, plum jam, walnuts or farmers cheese. This is a great alternative to the standard cakes and sweet treats. 

Greek carrot cake

Greek carrot cake is very different from your usual British carrot cake. Take away the frosting and the bountiful spices and you have the traditional Greek recipe. This might make it sound like a dull cake but the spongy texture will steal your heart. This is one to try.
 
The best thing about the European Championships is the fact you can swap teams and country whenever you like. Let’s just say England is kicked out straight away and you want to adopt another country such as Spain or Italy, you can.  The great thing about living in London is that you can easily adopt a new country and hang out with the locals to support their team in an international pub. So just in case you’re already thinking about switching teams: here are best 5 international pubs in London to watch the European Cup. 

The Bavarian Beerhouse

Country: Germany

The Bavarian Beerhouse is a great venue at any rate. The pub is tucked away in a cosy cellar underneath the busy London streets. Booking a table is essential, especially if you want to see the matches of the German team. There is an entry fee of ten pounds that reserves you a seat at a table and a ticket for one of the after parties. 

The Hems

Country: The Netherlands

A bustling pub situated in the heart of Soho in central London. It is a small pub, which serves Dutch bar snacks and beer with a large head. Make sure to venture out early because the enormous amount of Dutch people living in London will be watching the match from this pub. Enjoy the atmosphere and the electric spirit of the country that dresses up in the colour orange. Down to earth as the Dutch usually are, they go all out during events likes the European football championships. Google and purchase some quirky orange merchandise. The Dutch are infamous for their outrageous orange outfits and outrageous accessories. 

Le Bouchon Bordelais

Country: France

Le Bouchon Bordelais is an authentic French café that serves fine food and great wine. Support the French team whilst you enjoy a scrumptious meal in the front garden. Inside you will find a cinema room in which every UEFA Cup games will be screened. Revel in the classic atmosphere of this traditional café and enjoy the footie like the French. 

Bar Italia

Country: Italy

Can you remember the 2006 championships when Italy won? Every city in world belonged to the Italians for the night. You couldn’t look left or right without walking in to a cheerful group of Italian football supporters dressed in blue. Bar Italia organised an amazing street party with live music as the Italian team took the golden trophy home. This year might be their year again. In any case, if you like to enjoy homemade Italian food and a strong espresso whilst watching the footie, bar Italia is your destination for UEFA 2012.

Bradley’s Spanish Bar

Country: Spain

Dress up in red and cheer on the world champions that will be fighting extra hard to gain the European title as well. Bradley’s Spanish Bar is a hidden pub in the centre of London. It is famed for its vinyl jukebox, friendly staff and lively atmosphere. The Spanish football matches are shown live in the basement of the pub. Expect a cheerful crowd, fresh beer and a lot of music and dancing at the end of the night.