London at a Glance

London is exciting – a truly global city in which you can meet every nationality of the world. London has also been described as a hundred distinct villages making one unique city. Its character is reflected in colourful street markets, historic buildings, world-class museums and numerous, surprisingly tranquil, parks. Whether your preference is for culture, socialising, shopping or sightseeing, it will not be long before London occupies a special place in your heart.

But isn’t London expensive?

London can be expensive. But there are a lot of ways to enjoy yourself more economically and you can have a great deal of fun without spending a great deal of money.

For living expenses, we recommend that visa students who are planning to study for a whole academic year should allow for an extra £7,000 on top of their tuition fees to cover their living expenses in London.

You may already know that entrance to most museums and art galleries in London is free. But did you know that around 30% of London is covered in public parks and open spaces? Take a walk up on Hampstead Heath and you won't believe that you're in a city with 7.5 million inhabitants. The Heath has over 320 hectares of woodland and grassland that are open to everyone, to walk or run as they please. In Hyde Park, football and sunbathing are popular, whilst London Zoo at the north end of Regent's Park is close to the International Student’s House.

London is home to some of England's most famous football teams, but going to a Premier League game is not cheap. Do what Londoners do and have a party at home when there's a top game on TV: invite your new friends round, get the drinks and some take-away or home-delivery food in. It's cheaper than eating in a restaurant and the food will taste almost as good.

The luxury shops and department stores in Bond Street and Knightsbridge are enticing, but far too expensive for most of us to shop at regularly. Shop in street markets, however, and you can have fun as well as save a lot of money. You'll find plenty of street markets in London selling fruit, vegetables and other food, many of them open at the weekend. There are also markets that specialise in clothes, in antiques and in flowers. Car boot sales, where private individuals sell goods they no longer want, are a great hunting ground for bargains. CDs and books, clothing and household goods of every sort are displayed on tables lined up in rows behind the owners' cars. Prices are usually very low and the stall holders are ready to negotiate.

Full-time students at Waterloo School of English can get a discount on public transport in the London area, so a trip to visit a gallery or museum is a very cheap outing and an excellent way to learn more about British culture. You don't have to limit your exploration to London: long distance buses also provide cheap transport to other parts of the country. Try an outing to the coast, to seaside resorts like Brighton and Southend or inland to Oxford or Cambridge to see a different side to Britain.