10 Tricks To Make Your Stay In London Easier

27.02.20 08:12 AM

London is one of the most beautiful and greatest metropolises in the world, and living here may not always be easy, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the city. From the complex public transport system to the high price of living — it can sometimes be quite challenging to keep yourself entertained without spending all of your money. Don’t give up though! Host Family Stay has put together some great 'London life-hacks’ to share so that you can quickly adapt to the city life.


Tube Hack: London’s streets are constantly packed with traffic jams. That’s why instead of driving their own cars, most Londoners prefer to use the underground. One of the biggest struggles of the underground, however, can be finding a seat for yourself. The trick here is to adapt. Look for a warning sign on the floor by the yellow line, as it will mark where the doors of your train will stop; also remember which of these carriages are usually the emptiest... Voila! Now you are always first on the train, grab your spot! (Just remember to let everyone off first)!

Mind The Gap, Host Family Stay


Boat trip with Oyster card: The River Thames plays a vital role transporting people through the heart of London and is extremely useful for those wishing to explore the wonders of central London. Travelling on the Thames is a fantastic experience, and many cruise companies are charging people up to dozens of pounds. Our team at Host Family Stay suggest you choose an alternative which will save you time and money - public ferries! Just like you would with a bus or train, you can pay as you go by using contactless payment or an Oyster (a simple public transportation card) on Thames Clippers River Bus services. You can book a ticket using your Uber App! It is cheaper than alternatives (around £6.30) and you can view all of London's famous attractions from the river. Enjoy your trip!
Boat Cruise, Host Family Stay


Welcome to the Vouchercloud. Everybody loves a discount! So with this programme, you can get a range of discounts for many events and attractions: from delicious dinner offers to half price events. Just download the app, select the voucher you want, and follow the app instructions, usually showing it from your phone's screen when paying.


Explore new tastes for free. If you like tasting new and unique gastronomic masterpieces and don’t mind occasionally spending some money on good food, you can find wonderful food markets in Camden Lock, Portobello Road, Borough Market, and a range of similar markets throughout London. In these markets you can try free samples from all of the stands. If a portion of food is prepared but stays out for too long, some of the nicer market sellers will occasionally hand out the food to you for free. Yummy!

LONDON-STREET-FOOD, Host Family Stay


London beer hack. Who doesn't want free beer? MatchPint is an app that gives you 568 millilitres (one pint) of beer for free when you watch sports at a participating pub, simply for giving the venue a star rating and a review. Don’t miss out!


See London’s latest art shows. If you appreciate the latest art over a glass of wine, you can check out Whitechapel Gallery in Hackney. On the first Thursday of every month, you can visit for free openings. Make sure to also follow Fitzrovia Lates on Twitter, if you would like to be informed on the various Fitzrovia galleries that have special late night on the last Thursday of every month. Many galleries have regular free openings for culture lovers. Let the glasses chink!

London Art Shows, Host Family Stay


A free cup of tea or coffee every day. It is almost impossible to live in London and not taste its famous tea! Waitrose couldn’t agree more so they have introduced a loyalty card scheme that allows you to get a cup of tea or coffee for free anytime during the day. No need for a penny!


London loo hack. We’ve all been in the situation when we’ve been out in London and in desperate need for a toilet, with no coins for public loos! If you can’t find an open restaurant, don’t fret, simply check for one using Great British Public Toilet Map to find your nearest free toilet. Such a relieve, right?

Ladies & Gents, Host Family Stay

Be a smart traveller - save money on attractions. One of the most popular experiences with tourists is a trip to the top of Shard skyscraper. It’s the tallest building in Western Europe, so tall in fact that you can see as far as 40 miles away from the top floors! At £25 per ticket, however, it’s quite expensive. You can go to one of the shards bars or restaurants, but as expected the prices are not very promising for students or young people who are saving money. A great alternative to the Shard is the Heron Tower, situated in the city’s financial district. The Heron Tower is 40 stories high (compared to the Shard’s 69 floors) and offers amazing views, especially of the ‘Gherkin’. You can go up the Heron Tower for free.
Heron Tower, Host Family Stay

Free WiFi. If you need internet connection constantly when travelling in London, you can register with The Cloud, and take advantage of the free networks available. Free networks are also available at many stores including Starbucks, Pret a Manger, EAT, Caffè Nero, McDonald’s, and throughout London’s financial district. Finding free WiFi in London isn't the hard part, that would be picking between them!

Published on 20th June 2017
Updated on 14th February 2020

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