budget culture – EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog

London: Our favorite free art museums and galleries

Nina Derham — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 12:30:01 +0000

Eating and drinking in London may not be as easily affordable as in some other European cities, but the city is one of the world’s most generous when it comes to art. Yes, Cheapos, you can gorge on free art in London until your cultured minds can take no more.

From the big name galleries to smaller art initiatives, entry fees have been waived across the capital so even if you’re sticking to cheap eats, you can still do high-end luxury when it comes to art. Here are our favorite free art museums in London.

London’s free national museums

All London’s national museums offer free entry, so whether you’re opting for a quick dose of artistic inspiration while taking cover from the rain, or you plan to spend all day admiring some of the world’s best loved paintings, you won’t need to spend a penny. Do be warned that some of the temporary exhibitions charge an entry fee and that you may well need to book in advance, but the permanent collections are always free.

National Gallery

A good place to start is at the National Gallery. Located in a beautiful building overlooking Trafalgar Square (tube: Leicester Square or Charing Cross), the gallery houses an impressive collection of more than 2,300 Western European paintings from the 13th to early 20th centuries. Here you can admire a historic Botticelli or a forward-thinking Van Gogh, taking in everything from Michelangelo and Rembrandt to Monet, Velazquez and Goya as you go. If you’re looking to delve beyond the paintings, check out the National Gallery’s upcoming free events.

National Portrait Gallery

Just around the corner, don’t forget to stop by at the National Portrait Gallery. Here you can peruse the largest collection of portraits in the world, from Tudor and Elizabethan portraits, through to contemporary works such as the painting of Kate Middleton.

Tate Collections

A trip to London just wouldn’t be complete without visiting at least one of the famous Tate collections. The Tate Britain in Millbank (tube: Pimlico or Westminster) is a celebration of British art, with paintings ranging from the 1500s to the present day. Expect to see works by the likes of Turner (the museum also runs the famous annual Turner Prize), as well as William Blake and more modern pieces by Tracey Emin.

In turn, the Tate Modern is found across the river and housed in the austere-looking former Bankside Power Station (tube: Southwark, Bankside or London Bridge). As the name suggests, the museum focuses on an impressive collection of contemporary art, both British and international, from the 1900s to the present day.

Saatchi Gallery

For something a bit more offbeat, head to London’s Saatchi Gallery, where Cheapos can peruse innovative, unseen contemporary art without parting with a penny. The museum is located on King’s Road, in the well-heeled borough of Chelsea (tube: Sloane Square), and aims to bring new and unsung artists into the limelight in the UK. The ground-floor exhibitions are typically free, but some exhibitions do require advance booking and an entry fee.

Serpentine Gallery

A trip to Hyde Park can also be given an artistic touch by popping into the beautiful Serpentine Galleries in Kensington Gardens (tube: Lancaster Gate, South Kensington or Knightsbridge). These modern and contemporary art spaces also showcase fantastical feats of architecture when a different architect is challenged to design the Serpentine Pavilion each summer.

Away from the traditional galleries

London’s artistic offering does not just have to be enjoyed inside the more formal, traditional art galleries.

If your trip to London coincides with the first Thursday of the month, then make it your mission to attend the Whitechapel Gallery’s First Thursdays, which sees East London galleries and museums stay open until 9 p.m. with special exhibitions, talks and events. Get informed by joining a walking tour led by an artist or curator or visit the top five exhibitions on the free art bus.

Or, why not support London’s rising artistic talents by visiting a degree show? University College London’s Slade School of Fine Art is one of the most highly acclaimed art schools in the world, and throughout May and June each year, the doors are opened to the public for the undergraduate and postgraduate degree shows. It’s free and well worth a look – you never know, you may just bump into a star of the future.

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Amsterdam: City’s new tourist tax aimed unfairly at budget travelers

Craig Nelson — Fri, 20 Jan 2017 14:34:42 +0000

There’s perplexing news for budget travelers heading to Amsterdam. In an effort to cut down on stag parties and budget travelers, Amsterdam is planning a higher tourist tax that would take effect in 2018 on travelers that stay at hotels and hostels in the city center. By targeting accommodations in central neighborhoods, Amsterdam hopes to steer party revelers and backpackers elsewhere and attract more upscale visitors.

City alderman Udo Kock explained it this way in late December: “At the moment, 28% of bookings involve budget hotels. That has to be reduced.”

By increasing the city tax (and possibly adding an additional fixed tax) to hotel bills in the heart of Amsterdam, the new law will make the area’s hotels less affordable and, they hope, attract a more upscale (and less rowdy) clientele.

While we can understand any city’s difficult dealings with large groups of tourists, especially rowdy crowds, Amsterdam may also hurt the wallets of budget travelers in the process. Contrary to many stereotypes, not all budget travelers spend their time roaming around the Red Light District or staying up late into the evening carousing along the canals. To blanket all budget travelers as detrimental to a city’s economy seems to us like, ahem, a cheap shot.

Related: Amsterdam hotel advice: Read this before booking your hotel

Our take on Amsterdam’s proposed tourist tax

As experienced budget travelers, we know that not everyone staying in a pension or hostel is just looking for an excuse to party. Just like visitors who prefer the finer things in life and have a little more in their bank account, we come to Amsterdam to see the world-class museums, dine at local restaurants, and enjoy an evening’s stroll along the canals. And for many travelers on tight budgets, even a small increase in costs can cause them to cancel their vacation plans.

We love staying at affordable hotels, not only because we love the price, but also for unique features such as historic buildings, old-world atmosphere, and personal service that you can only get from a smaller hotel. And Amsterdam is lucky to have dozens of affordable hotels with plenty of character and charm. Sometimes we even choose to stay in the Red Light District. Of course, there can always be the chance of unruly guests, but bad behavior doesn’t limit itself to hostels or budget hotels.

Why do we stay at budget hotels in Amsterdam? To have more money for cheese! Photo: Craig Nelson

We’ll never turn down a stay in the lap of luxury — especially when we can score a fantastic deal. But the more money we can save on accommodations, the more we can spend on our trip and come back to Europe again and again. While there’s a stereotype that all budget travelers spend their extra cash on drinking and drugs in Amsterdam, many of us actually spend our leftover euros on cheese at the outdoor markets or splurge on a rental bike to cruise around the city like a local.

As more and more hotels turn towards the boutique model, the price of traveling through Europe keeps climbing. We’ve talked about our favorite budget hotels in Paris hotels that have gone upscale, but is a global trend that is not coming to an end anytime soon.

Even with the recent decline in the euro, finding a good hotel at a decent price in any European city is increasingly becoming a challenge. And to now have a major city like Amsterdam favor luxury hotels over more affordable options just means that budget travelers could get squeezed even more in the years to come or pushed out of the city center.

Let’s hope the city finds a way to curtail the rambunctious behavior of a few tourists without penalizing the majority of travelers that just want to save a little bit on their trip.

Your thoughts?

What do you think of Amsterdam’s new tourist tax? Are they right to take a stand against unruly travelers? What’s your advice for the city? Share with us in our comments section below!

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Berlin’s Long Nights are Worth Staying Up For

Hilary Bown — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 15:01:40 +0000

It all began in 1997 with the very first Lange Nacht (long night) for Berlin‘s museums. The idea is a simple one: nearly 100 museums, archives, memorials and the like team up with one communal ticket for one night, throwing the doors open until the wee hours of the morning and offering visitors the opportunity to engage with the same theme at every institution.

Since that first night, the successful open house concept of the Long Night has expanded to the city’s theaters, opera houses, and scientific research institutions, with each offering a similar event during different months of the year.

Lange Nacht der Museen
Mid-March and Late August
This year: Saturday August 31, 2013

The long night of museums takes place twice yearly: first in mid-March, and again at the end of August. With nearly 100 institutions across the entire city to choose from, you’ll want to plan your evening carefully while consulting the map of chartered buses and public transportation, both included in your ticket price.

You can find detailed information about each event as well as purchase tickets online one month before each event on this website (German only). Each long night runs from 6 p.m. till 2 a.m. Admission: €18/€12 reduced.

Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften
Early May

Under the slogan “smartest night of the year,” the long night of scientific research is an annual event, next scheduled for early May. 75 institutions in Berlin and Potsdam open their doors, providing direct access to the scientists and their work. Everything from chemistry to photography to cartography to solar energy to economics to space research and beyond is included. Most institutions offer plenty of hands-on experimentation, making this long night the best for visitors with children (and for children at heart).

The Lange Nacht runs from 4 p.m. till midnight. Included is transportation on the chartered shuttles as well as a Berlin ABC ticket for public transportation. Tickets are €11/€7 advance purchase and €13/€9 on the night of the event. Family tickets are available for €25/€20 in advance.

Want more? Check out our top cheap hotel picks for Berlin. And don’t forget to leave any questions or comments in the box below.

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