How to get to London for £1

Megabus/National Express

I travelled on the mega bus for £20 return. It only took 4 hours and we arrived half and hour earlier than scheduled. You can get a ticket for £1.00 if you don't mind compromising on the time and date of travel. The bus arrives at Victoria Coach Station which is just opposite Victoria Tube Station which makes it easy to get to wherever you're staying.

Both National Express and Megabus offer services from Leeds to London for £1 each way! To make sure can get hold of these bargains:

  • Book your tickets way in advance

  • Be prepared to travel at unsocial hours

  • Keep checking their websites for the cheapest deals

Alternatively...

Take the Train.
You will have to pay slightly more, but the on the up side:

  • It cuts travel time in half
  • Trains are much more comfortable for long journeys
  • You can use a young persons rail card to get a discount


From Leeds to London-

  • National Rail.co.uk - £15.00 one way
  • Virgin Trains - £8.25 one way

From Sheffield to London St Pancras-
  • MegaTrain - £5.00 one way

www.megatrain.com/uk/
www.nationalexpress.com/
www.nationalrail.co.uk/
www.virgintrains.co.uk/


Car Sharing
You don't have to have a car to drive to London as theres loads of websites out there offering car sharing network systems. The longest running website that offers this service is http://www.nationalcarshare.co.uk/ where you can register your details as either a driver or a passenger (or both) and arrange to share lifts nationally and sometimes even internationally. All that is asked if you are a passenger is that you contribute to petrol costs which is arranged by the driver and the passenger prior to travelling.


Hitch hiking




If you're determined not spend a penny on travel then you could always try hitch hiking. It may take you a whole day to get to London but at least it's free! Make sure you don't travel on your own and stay on main roads and big roundabouts. Heres a useful wiki page with some hitch hiking safety tips.




Cheap ways to travel in London


Walk!

All the attractions in London really arn't that far away from each other and if you plan your trip well you can simply walk to most places. Check out the Free Days Out post to see which places are best to see together to avoid having to take the tube.


The Underground

If you're going to take the tube its best to get yourself an Oyster Card. Advantages of having one are:

  • Students can get a 'zip card' (free) which offers discounts and sometimes free travel!

  • Oyster cards single fares are cheaper than normal ones

  • Its works on a pay as you go system which means you just top up whatever you need to and don't have to pay monthly/yearly etc.

  • As well the tube you can use Oyster cards on buses, trams, London Overground and some National Rail services.

DONT....

  • Use black cabs unless you really have to as they cost a fortune

  • Go on a open-top sight-seeing bus - you can pay up to £25 for a ticket that'll take you nowhere!