Sometimes what we enjoy most on a trip aren't the expensive attractions but the unique features of a city that may be free or nearly so. I'd be interested in your nominations for the top free or excellent value for your money attractions in London...

It might be a little odd for some, but I've always enjoyed Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park--and of course the parks themselves are super.

Most of Britain's museums are now free of charge. It doesn't get much better than that.

Also worth exploring are London's wonderful parish churches. St. Martin in the Field, St. James Picadilly, St. Paul Covent Garden, St. Mary Abbot in Kensington, Temple Church, St. Bartholomew's -- all are filled with history, art and delightful surprises. Most ask for a donation to help with the upkeep, but the donations are voluntary.
Check the Saturday London Times for times of church services to visit these lovely places at their best. Many haved excellent choirs. And St. Martin's, of course, has their wonderful, free noon-time concerts. Again, a donation is requested but not required.
Absolutely free is walking in London's wonderful parks, hearing an interesting, eccentric speaker in Hyde Park on a Sunday, watching the swans dance in Kensington Gardens, enjoying the exotic birds and beautiful flowers in St. James Park.
See why I can't wait to go back. April cannot come too quickly.

London can be an extremely inexpensive city to visit. Museums, parks, churches are mostly free. And the tube is inexpensive enough to allow you to explore out of the way areas. In fact, London becomes expensive only if you choose to eat or sleep.

From now to June there are free public lectures every weeknight except holidays. http://VictorianResearch.org has a list, but it grows weekly, so it is worth looking a week before you leave home. Here is a day?s measure from next month.

Thursday 9 October. Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO). Conference. Register Tel: 020 7665 2313. Institution of Civil Engineers, Westminster tube

Thursday 9 October. 1pm. Music and nationhood. Gresham College, Barnards Inn, 23-23 Holborn, Chancery Lane tube

Thursday 9 October. 1.10. Black Victorians: recent research. National Portrait Gallery, Leicester Square tube

Thursday 9 October. 5.15. Polling and Public Opinion in the 1656 Election in Warwickshire. Ecclesiastical History Room, Institute of Historical Research, Senate House. Russell Square tube

Thursday 9 October. 5.30. English eccentricities: the debate over the postwar school curriculum revisited (followed by a reception at 59 Gordon Square). International Relations Room, Institute of Historical Research, Senate House. Russell Square tube

Thursday 9 October. 5.30. The tomb as proof in medieval England. Low Countries Room, Institute of Historical Research, Senate House. Russell Square tube

Thursday 9 October. 5.30 tea. 6pm. Network Rail. Institution of Civil Engineers, Westminster tube

Thursday 9 October. 6pm. Prevention, partnership and public awareness. Panel discussion for World Sight Day with Vision2020UK. Register 020 7451 6868 or <[email protected]>. Royal Society of Arts, Charing Cross tube
continued

... continued


Thursday 9 October. About 6pm. From Laboratory to Market. Institute of Electrical Engineers, Savoy Place, Temple tube

Thursday 9 October. 5.30 for 6pm. Coleridge's Schiller: Wallenstein and Beyond. Institute of Germanic Studies, 29 Russell Square

Thursday 9 October. 6pm. Prevention of blindness worldwide: Partnership and Public Awareness. Register 020 7451 6868 or <[email protected]>. Royal Society of Arts, Charing Cross tube

Thursday 9 October. 6pm. Unplugging computers. Computers for fun and interest. Gresham College, Barnards Inn, 23-23 Holborn, Chancery Lane tube

Thursday 9 October. 6.30. The bionic man. Wound healing and human regeneration. The Royal Society, Piccadilly Circus tube

Thursday 9 October. 6.30. Bel Canto music. Recital Hall, Royal Academy of Music, Baker Street tube

Thursday 9 October. 7pm. Poetry reading with award-winning Guyana-born Grace Nichols (National Poetry Day). National Portrait Gallery, Leicester Square tube

Thursday 9 October. 8pm. Faith in Society. Lecture by the editor of the Guardian. St Mary Magdalene Church, Paradise Road, Richmond. Train from Waterloo

[email protected]

The changing of the Guard at Buckingham palace, the changing of the Guard at Horse Guards and the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower are all free.

The best free things one can do is walk! Some fantastic walks along the Thames - both north and south banks. Around Mayfair and Belgravia on a quiet Sunday is enjoyable. Hyde Park, Green Park, Battersea Park, Regents Park to name but a few. Looking around shops are free!

I'm sure that you will enjoy London, but when you do have to pay for something don't expect it to be cheap.

I think it'll be a bit too chilly to go top free in London for the next 7 months or so.
Bring some shirts/sweaters. Definitely.

FREE LONDON

This note is taken from the Information supplement of 29 July 2000 of The Independent newspaper, and from Time out of 30 Jan to 6 Feb 2002, both
London publications

London isn't a cheap place to live, but it can offer some unrivalled
entertainment that won't cost you a penny. Parks and street
festivals, beautiful buildings, art, music and drama ? you've just got to
know where to look.

By place

North London
Swimming Outdoors on Hampstead Heath. Tubes Kentish Town and Hampstead
Kite-Flying On Primrose Hill. Tube Chalk Farm
Kenwood great house. Tube Archway or Golders Green, then bus 210
Jazz café. Sunday lunchtime. 5 Parkway NW1. Tube Camden Town

Bloomsbury and Oxford Street
British Library. Tube Kings Cross St Pancras
British Museum. Tube Holborn
Sir John Soane's Museum. Tube Holborn
Borders Bookshop, with activities. Tube Oxford Circus and Tottenham Court Road
Wallace Collection. Tube Marble Arch and Bond Street
Royal Academy of Music. In term time. Includes concerts on Fridays at
1.05. 7873 7300. Tube Baker Street

East London
Geffrye Museum. By bus 149 or 242 from Liverpool Street
Bethnal Green Museum Of Childhood. Tube Bethnal Green
Ragged School Museum. Tube Mile End
Columbia Road Flower Market. Sundays 8 to 2. Tube Liverpool Street
Free Jazz. Uncle Sams. Sunday night. 438 Kingsland Road, E8. Rail Dalston Junction

City of London
Museum Of London. Tube St Paul's
Old Bailey. Tube St Pauls
Museum of London. Tube St Paul?s
Guildhall School of Music & Drama. Free concerts, usually lunchtime or at seven in term time. 7628 2571. tube Barbican
Lakeside music at the Barbican in summer. Tube Barbican
Museum of the Order of St John. Tube Farringdon
Bank of England Museum. Tube Bank

West End and Riverside
Music in the foyer or outdoors, usually about six at the Royal Festival Hall and National Theatre. Tube Waterloo
Museum of Garden History. Tube Waterloo
Tate Modern. Tube Blackfriars
Somerset House. Tube Charing Cross
National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery. Tube Leicester Square
Free Hair Cuts given by students. 7514 7400 and 7486 4733. West End
Theatre Museum. Under 16s and over 60s free. Tube Covent Garden
Free Jazz at 100 club Friday lunchtime, 100 Oxford Street, Tube Tottenham Court Road, and Momo, Sun to Wed evenings, 27 Heddon Street W1, Tube Oxford Circus

South London
Imperial War Museum, Tube North Lambeth.
Richmond Park. Tube Richmond
Tate Britain. Tube Vauxhall
Chislehurst Common. Train to Chislehurst or Petts Wood from London Bridge
National Maritime Museum and Royal Observatory. By train to Greenwich from Charing Cross
Horniman Museum And Gardens. By train to Forest Hill from London Bridge
Dulwich Picture Gallery. Children and students free. By train to West or
North Dulwich from London Bridge of Victoria


Kensington and West London
Portobello Rd Market. Saturdays. Tube Ladbroke Grove
Get On TV! Tube Shepherds Bush. 020 8576 1227
Princess Diana Memorial Playground. Tube Bayswater.
Leighton House. Tube High Street Kensington
Holland Park. Tube High Street Kensington
Science Museum. Tube South Kensington
Natural History Museum. Tube South Kensington
Victoria and Albert Museum. Tube South Kensington
Serpentine Gallery. Tube South Kensington
Free concerts, usually at one or seven at the Royal College of Music, Tube South Kensington
National Army Museum, Chelsea. Tube Sloane Square
In-Line Skating. Tube Hyde Park Corner and Marble Arch
Harrods' Food Hall. Tube Knightsbridge

Various places
City Farms
Join A Bat Walk. 020 7261 0447
Work For Free. Volunteer Saturday labour. 7643 1341
Wine-Tasting. Many wine shop chains, mostly Saturdays

By Category

MUSIC
In the foyer or outdoors, usually about six.
Royal Festival Hall. Tube Waterloo
National Theatre. Tube Waterloo
Barbican lakeside
Free concerts, usually lunchtime or at seven
Guildhall School of Music and Dramas, Tube Barbican
Royal Academy of Music, Tube Baker Street
Royal College of Music, Tube South Kensington
Free Jazz
100 club Friday lunchtime. 100 Oxford stteet. Tube Tottenham Court Road
Jazz café Sunday lunchtime. 5 Parkway NW1. Tube Camden Town
Momo Sun to Wed evenings. 27 Heddon Street W1. Tube Oxford Circus
Uncle Sams Sunday night. 438 Kingsland Road, E8. Rail Dalston Junction

continued...

... continued

MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES

Somerset House. Tube Charing Cross
Tate Modern., Tube Blackfriars
Sir John Soane's Museum. Tube Holborn
British Museum. Tube Holborn
Wallace Collection. Tube Marble Arch and Bond Street
National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery. Tube Leicester Square
British Library. Tube Kings Cross St Pancras
Natural History Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Science Museum and Leighton House. Tube High Street Kensington
National Maritime Museum and Royal Observatory. Train to Greenwich.
Imperial War Museum. Tube South Lambeth
Bank of England Museum. Tube Bank
Museum of garden history. Tube Waterloo
Museum of the Order of St John. Tube Farringdon
Museum of London. Tube St Paul?s
National Army Museum, Chelsea. Tube Sloane Square
The Wallace Collection. Tube Bond street

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

In-Line Skating. Tube Hyde Park Corner and Marble Arch
Swimming Outdoors. Tubes Kentish Ton and Hampstead Heath
Kite-Flying On Primrose Hill. Tube Chalk Farm
Chislehurst Common. Train to Chislehurst or Petts Wood from London Bridge
Columbia Road Flower Market. Sundays 8 to 2. Tube Liverpool Street
Richmond Park. Tube Richmond
Portobello Rd Market. Saturdays. Tube Ladbroke Grove
Holland Park. Tube High Street Kensington
Kenwood great house. Tube Archway or Golders Green, then bus 210

UNUSUAL ACTIVITIES

Harrods' Food Hall. Tube Knightsbridge
Get On TV! Tube Shepherds Bush. 020 8576 1227
Join A Bat Walk. 020 7261 0447
Wine-Tasting. Many wine shop chains, mostly Saturdays
Free Hair Cuts given by students. 7514 7400 and 7486 4733
Old Bailey. Tube St Pauls
Borders Bookshop, with activities. Tube Oxford Circus and Tottenham Court Road
Work For Free. Volunteer Saturday labour. 7643 1341

FREE FOR CHILDREN TO VISIT

Museum Of London. Under 16s free. Tube St Paul's
Theatre Museum. Under 16s and over 60s free. Tube Covent Garden
Science Museum. Tube South Kensington
National Maritime Museum. By train to
Greenwich from Charing Cross
Dulwich Picture Gallery. Children and students free. By train to West or
North Dulwich from London Bridge of Victoria
Victoria and Albert Museum. Tube South Kensington

FREE ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN

Geffrye Museum. By bus 149 or 242 from Liverpool Street
Horniman Museum And Gardens. By train to Forest Hill from London Bridge
Bethnal Green Museum Of Childhood. Tube Bethnal Green
Ragged School Museum
City Farms
Princess Diana Memorial Playground. Tube Bayswater.

[email protected]

Mr. Haines, thank you for the list.

I must say, however, that this is the first time I have ever seen anyone list the 'Combined Sewer Overflow conference' as a must see tourist attraction.

Thanks for the great tips...it sounds like we ought to hold off on buying the kind of passes that purport to offer "free" admission to London's attractions as a lot of them appear to be free anyway. We'll just use our sightseeing budget to choose among the things that do require admission fees like some of the palaces and such.

hnami, the pass you're referring to is the London Pass, which really does offer free admission to many (but not all) of the places that do charge.

But as you've seen, most of the major museums are free so most visitors don't find the London Pass to be a good value. Plenty of past discussions on Fodors can be found with a simple search.

It's impossible to better Ben's list.

But the one that far too many people miss is the British Library, which doesn't sound like there's much to see.

WRONG. Its permanent exhibition is just the best collection of books anywhere, ever. The temporary exhibitions are usually amazing (see Lindisfarne now if you're with 100 miles of London). And the building inside is probably the only beautiful building built in London in the past 20 years (though it's vile from outside)