The clever way tourists can explore London for free this month
ANYONE visiting London in June can get free transport around the city, by using a simple yet clever method.
Costs can really start to add up for anyone exploring London, especially for people taking the bus and the tube all over the city to several places in the same day.
However, those visiting for the weekends can save money on their travel by avoiding both of those more frequently used transport methods,
Instead, they should look to use the Santander Cycles, that are dotted about the city and can be used by anyone.
Sometimes referred to as Boris bikes because they were introduced by then mayor and former Primer Minister Boris Johnson, the bikes typically cost around £1.65 for a half hour ride.
However, throughout June, cyclists free and unlimited 30 minute journeys every Sunday.
In order to get their free bike trips, they’ll either need to get the bikes from one of their docking stations, or they’ll need the Santander Cycles app.
Using either, they should select a day pass and then enter the secret code CYCLESUNDAYS which will provide them with unlimited 30 minute rides around the capital all day.
The initiative has been put in place by Transport for London TfL who are hoping to get more people out on the bikes during the summer months.
David Eddington, Head of Cycle Hire at TfL, said the bikes are a great way for people to explore the city.
He wrote in a press release: “TfL Cycle Sundays offers a range of leisure routes across London which are perfect for beginners looking to get into cycling.
“Cycling is not only brilliant for your mental and physical health, but also a great way to explore and see more of London.
“We hope that enabling all Londoners to use Santander Cycles for free every Sunday will get more people out cycling, as well as giving them a chance to try out our brilliant bikes.”
The bikes have grown in popularity since their introduction, with plenty of people using cycle hire as a means of transport for short journeys around the capital.
This new initiative will also be backed by 1,400 new e-bikes, which will be added to the streets in the coming days.
Walking and Cycling Commissioner, Will Norman added: “We are determined to make cycling as accessible and affordable as possible, to encourage even more Londoners to give it a go.
How to Save Money in London
I spent a weekend in London with my partner, spending less than £125 each, including food, drinks, entertainment transport and accommodation - here's how we did it.
Hotel
Two nights at the easyHotel in Kensington was booked for £83.70 for two people for two nights. It was the biggest outlay of the trip, but still pretty affordable for a weekend in the city.
Entertainment
We made the most of the free museums in the city, including the British Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum.
However, we also took in a night of stand-up the Museum of Comedy for £26.50 for two and a cheap evening of Shakespeare at The Globe for £5pp.
We also visited the Holborn public roof garden, a free viewing deck from where some of the city’s most famous sites can be seen and some of the free market stalls along the Southbank.
Sadly our visit to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guards for free was rained off, but on clearer days, this is free as well.
Food and drink
London is full of cheap places to eat, without having to go hungry.
We visited the following places during our affordable weekend:
Icco Pizza, Jerusalem Bar and Kitchen, La Brioche cafe, Lanzhou Lamian, Chinatown Bakery, Fischcotheque, Quatre Seasons cafe, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese and The India Club.
Transport
We opted to use the buses rather than the tubes, with a daily price cap of £5.25 preventing the costs from racking up.
“This is why I am delighted that Santander Cycles will be offering unlimited free rides every Sunday in June, as part of Cycle Sundays.
“As the weather gets warmer, this is the perfect time to give cycling a try, for free, taking advantage of our growing network of cycleways, low traffic routes and off-road routes.”
Santander e-bikes will also be available to app users with the code, for an additional £1 per half hour journey.
Hires longer than 30 minutes will incur an extra £1.65 charge for each additional 30 minutes for pedal bikes, and £3.30 for e-bikes.
Meanwhile, this is a list of London’s best free kids’ attractions.
And this exotic indoor garden is another great free place to visit.