So come on Cheapos, it’s time to pull out all the stops and show that special someone you care with a romantic (and budget-friendly) day out in London!

Call your sweetheart, book an affordable hotel in the heart of London, and follow along for a fun-filled adventure.

1. Escape the city on a romantic walk

Many visitors to London go no further than Regent’s and Hyde Park when in search of green spaces, but to really escape the madness of the city, just head north to Hampstead Heath. This wild and rambling area of parkland is the perfect place to get away from it all and whisper sweet nothings.

The view from Hampstead Heath. Photo: Martin Deutsch

Lakes, swimming ponds, rolling hills, and woodland all make for the perfect romantic backdrop. So, if the weather is good, take along a picnic and make a day of it. Don’t miss the climb to the top of Parliament Hill, one of London’s highest points, where you can take in a spectacular view of the city’s major landmarks including The London Eye, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Canary Wharf and the Gherkin, to name but a few.

Hampstead Heath
Highgate Road NW3 7JR
Tube: Hampstead

2. Snuggle up at the movies

Make a trip to the cinema even more romantic and visit the Everyman. In each of the Everyman cinemas, you can choose to reserve a plush sofa for two complete with footrests and “sofa service” so you can sit back and enjoy a more intimate cinema experience. Although a little more pricey than a normal cinema ticket, with sofas priced at £17.50 per person, it certainly adds a touch of romance and is perfect for a special occasion.

Everyman Cinemas (several locations in London)
See website for more information.

3. Splurge on a romantic view of the city

Enjoy the ultimate romantic London experience and head for a sunset drink at the lovely Oxo Tower Bar. Whilst just thinking about dining at the Oxo Tower Restaurant or Brasserie is enough to leave most Cheapo’s out of pocket, sipping on an early evening drink is easier on your wallet and certainly worth the splurge. Located on London’s South Bank, the Oxo Tower is one of the city’s most iconic restaurants and the views across the river are unbeaten.

Oxo Tower Wharf
South Bank SE1 9PH
Tube: Waterloo / Southwark
website

4. Wine and dine by candlelight

There’s no better place to cozy up together and enjoy a great meal than at Gordon’s. Opened in 1890, this atmospheric haunt claims to be London’s oldest wine bar and offers excellent wine, exquisite cheese platters, and tasty traditional English fare at reasonable prices (meals cost between £10-13).

Gordon’s Wine Bar oozes character with low lighting and candlelit tables tucked away in the nooks and crannies of this underground cavern. It is entirely unique and is the ideal setting for that special romantic meal.

Gordon’s Wine Bar
47 Villiers Street WC2N 6NE
Tube: Embankment / Charing Cross
website

The post 4 Cheapo ways to be romantic in London appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

As far as prices go, think under 10 pounds. In fact, at one theater, tickets go for 10 pence a head (more on this later)! Here’s how to find the best deals:

Scoring half-price seats for the splashy West End shows-

Chances are if you’re thinking about taking in a show in London, you’re going to want to get the most for your money, i.e. a big-time musical (Billy Elliot, Sister Act) with magnificent production values and perhaps a B-list celebrity star. There’s nothing wrong with that. Just read the reviews and choose wisely as there are more than a few stinkers on the West End. (We’re hearing that Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical, for instance, just doesn’t live up to all the sequin and rhinestone hype.)

Tickets for the biggest musicals—especially the most in demand—can run upwards of 60 pounds ($100) apiece. But there are a few ways to save.

1) First, check for discounts online at ticket broker websites. The best aggregator out there is comparetheatretickets.com, which lists all the discounted tickets available from numerous online brokers for every show. For example, a search for Avenue Q tickets on July 23 turned up an 11-pound ($18) ticket in the upper balcony from the retailer Seatem.

Checking out the TKTS offerings; photo by Andyrob

2) Another sure bet for discounts is the TKTS booth in Leicester Square (Tube to Leicester Square, Piccadilly or Northern line), which sells half-priced tickets for most West End shows the same day of the performance. For the best shot at a wallet-friendly price and a non-nosebleed seat, get there when the booth opens at 10 AM Monday through Saturday (noon on Sundays).

Get thee to the theater!

Individual theaters also offer reduced prices for tickets as part of a concerted effort to bring in a younger crowd. As we reported earlier this year, the National Theatre puts on an annual Travelex 10-pound ticket season in which tickets for quality plays like Richard Bean’s England People Very Nice and Hanif Kureishi’s The Black Album start at just 10 pounds ($16) apiece. Tickets are sold via the National Theatre’s website. The current season runs through the fall.

Some theatres even give away a limited number of free tickets for people under age 26. Yup, you read that right. Free. At the National Theatre, for example, all you have to do is sign up for an Entry Pass online and your first ticket to one of the theatre’s shows is absolutely free (after that, you pay 5 pounds per ticket, about $8). There are a ton of off-West End theatres with the free-tickets-for-under-26 deal, including the Donmar Warehouse, Hampstead Theatre, Soho Theatre, Arcola Theatre, Bush Theatre, and Gate Theatre.

Stand up for great theater!

You’d be surprised how many venues in London will let you stand and be counted for incredibly low prices. Both the Royal Opera House and the English National Opera sell standing room tickets in the back of the house starting at 4 pounds ($6.50) and 10 pounds ($16), respectively. At Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, you can experience As You Like It as a groundling would have in the 1600s—standing in front of the stage (cost: 5 pounds or $8). The National Theatre also offers standing tickets for 5 pounds for most shows.

Drum roll please…lest we forget those 10 pence seats-

And here’s the best deal I’ve seen in awhile (aside from the free tickets, of course): At the Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square, eight standing, restricted-view tickets are sold for only 10 pence (16 cents) apiece an hour before the show. Sure, you have to stand and you may not be able to see the entire stage, but 16 cents is one heck of a deal!

The post London Tip: How to score cheap theater tickets appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.