Free London

I love London! It keeps me sane!!
What with the pandemic, I haven't been into central London in over a year!! So I'm on the look out for new things to do and see in London, and the fact that it is free/super cheap is even better!!
The photos are stunning, and super high contrast so this book is beautiful to look at!

I thought I knew a lot about London, but this book has proven to me that I really don't - there are so many things in this book that I didn't previously know existed.

I was lucky enough to be sent an advanced kindle copy of this book for review via Netgalley but I have just preorded the physical book so I can keep on my shelf!!
Loved this - just wish it was longer!!!

I spent the first 24 years of my life living not far outside London, so I have done a lot of the sights either by myself or acting as a guide for visiting friends from overseas. However, I always like to take a glance at guidebooks offering suggestions for free and/or quirky things to do there, because I often come across one or two new ideas for future trips, and Free London was no exception in that respect. Although I already knew about 75-80% of the activities mentioned, there were a few places I hadn't heard of before, so I made a note of them for whenever COVID-19 lets us travel again. Overall, the suggestions in this book offered a good mix of different activities, ranging from the more traditional tourist suggestions to hidden gems, making it a worthwhile read for both tourists and locals looking for something new to see and do. The information was simply and concisely presented, accompanied by some lovely images. This book gets a solid 4 stars from me.

This book’s chapters include: Things to Do Outdoors; Green Spaces; Museums; Galleries; Performing Arts’ Building and Built Spaces; and Seasonal London. All in all, 100 suggestions are contained in these pages.

To give an idea of the riches to be found within, the first section of the book has entries on Mudchute City Farm, Playgrounds, The Gardens at 120 and many more. Each entry is short and accompanied by photos.

I adore this book. Readers will get so many ideas of things to do on their next trip. I cannot wait!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

If I ever make it to London I would definitely want this guidebook with me. Very informative with lots of great pictures.

Doing exactly what it should be doing, and very pictorially as well, this book acts as a prompt to get your next Capital Day Card (or whatever travel passes will exist when we finally get back to the Old Normal) and have a look at free things in London. Yes, some are of the slightly tacky kind, such as this street market, that street market, and the other street market, but there is actually a lot here that non-residents will probably not have heard of, ranging from secluded parks towered over by buildings and yet offering tributes to civilian acts of bravery, to city farms out on the DLR, and more. A lot of it falls into the category of "available everywhere" (park runs, parks, etc), a lot into "similar to many others" (the cemeteries, wetland sites et al), and some of the places you go will certainly tempt an opening of the purse (the Anish Kapoor slide at the Olympic site might be one such, a unique experience with a premium price to pay as a result). I could add at least one worthwhile entry – the Freemason's Hall is well worth the admission. But this is one inspiring volume, and until you have ticked off all its museums and other possibilities, it is not to be sniffed at.

London is a very expensive city to live in or visit, and this book gives many suggestions for free things to do in the city. There is something for everyone here, with freebies including museums, fitness activities, green spaces, entertainment, gardens, galleries, beautiful buildings, and seasonal offerings.

Each chapter separates locations by type (e.g., there's a chapter for museums) rather than location. Each item has a photograph, brief description, website, and modes of transportation to get there. The transportation tips are especially helpful since the book isn't organized by part of the city.

While this isn't a comprehensive guidebook to the city, there are a few "staple" locations that most tourists visit like the Tower Bridge and National Galleries. Many of the places were new to me, and I have only visited a few of the ones I had heard of.

Recommended for travelers on a budget or those who have visited London several times and are looking for new, less touristy places to visit.

Excellent ideas on how to make the most of some of London’s best features and must-see landscapes/architecture/cultural scenes. All on a budget!

I never realised there was so much to do for free in our capital, great little travel book for tourists and locals. Photos are good and not too wordy, you can always use the internet if you need further detail. Will refer back to this book for definite. Thank you #Netgalley for the copy to review.

I need to give the authors of this book a massive round of applause. Thank you. This is the book I have been waiting for.
I have done many trips to London over my years and latterly with my teenage kids. However, a trip usually involves plenty of spending money to access venues and then we only go to the top well known ones.
What this book shows is the wealth of things you can do in and around the capital that is either free or cheap. I had never heard of the Garden at 120. Or the Kensington Garden statue trial.
I now have a long list of places and events I want to experience. I so hope that in our post-COVID world that these places will be as described.
The photographs in the book beautifully depict the activity with an informative description. There is a map in the rear of the book so you can plan routes to visit as many places as possible. It would be great it alongside this book there was a child’s passport. So they can mark off places they have visited.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, London is one of my absolute favorite cities. Also I live by the motto “If it’s free it’s for me” this is a motto that’s very easy to live it in London as most of the activities are free. This book provides a nice reference for these activities. The book itself is divided into sections by types of spaces: green spaces, buildings, museums, performing arts, etc. The descriptions provide a brief overview of what the location has to offer, the tube stop or train line, and the location’s website. Unlike a lot of guide books it does specifically provide child-friendly spaces. I’ve lived in London and have visited several times as a tourist and this managed to add a few locations to my list for my next trip. I will say that the descriptions make each location seem equally interesting when they’re not. Also, while the book does provide a map at the end it doesn’t fully explain how difficult it is to get to some of the locations referenced and how far out of the city some of them are. This book would be a good supplement to a more detailed guide book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Frances Lincoln for the ARC in exchanged for an honest review.

Loved it! One day I will be back to travel to London again and this book will be surely useful.
Entertaining, informative and richly illustrated.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I have been in love with London for ever and finally had the chance to visit — twice! I cannot wait to go back and take this book and its amazing recommendations with me. It has something for every taste!

The democratization has tourism has meant that more people can discover other cities, countries or continents; but also that not every tourist can afford to travel in luxury. Younger people seem to favour urban tourism, with big cities in nearby countries being perfect for short trips: London, Paris, Prague, Berlin... However, when you're young and broke, the opportunities shrink; everything is expensive.

That's why this guide is a gem. Locals might know a trick or two about what to do for free in the city, but even they might not realize how many opportunities there are to have fun without spending any money. The amount of activities proposed makes it so this book is useful not only for those about to spend a few days in London, but even more for Londoners who want to discover more of the city, all year round, without having to break the bank every weekend.

The sections, dividing activities by type (parks, art, etc.) are very useful and they cover all of the bases. The maps and lists by area at the end also help a lot. The photos are vibrant, the text is concise, and I mostly appreciated the fact that they list the closest tube station. I couldn't have asked for more.

The first time I visited London was on a month-long trip that included Paris and London. I was expecting to fall in love with the city of love, but London ended up stealing a piece of my heart. I love the city's energy, it's sprawl, the multitude of cultures represented in various corners of the sprawling metropolis. I quickly discovered that it was impossible to see all that London had to offer in such a brief window of time. Still I visited museums, parks, statues, pubs, and made the most of my time.

I returned in 2019 to find the city crawling with tourists and the streets and attractions were crowded. My fondest memories of that trip were watching Wimbledon in a public park, visiting bookstores, and visiting lesser known attractions like the Chelsea Physic Garden and the National Army Museum. I wish I had had this guide to show me other treasures.

Free London is divided into 7 sections: Things to Do Outdoors, Green Spaces, Museums, Galleries, Performing Arts, Buildings & Built Spaces, and Seasonal London.. Some of the places are recognizable (Portobello Market, some of the city's cemeteries, the British Library; but most of them were not even on my radar.

I know I will go back to London one day. I also know that there are dozens of new places in my radar thanks to this slim tome.

If I could zap myself into the pages of “FREE LONDON” and transport into these crisp, vibrant photos in an instant, I would.

Having never been to London, I honestly would have no idea where to go other than the obvious tourist traps, which aren’t really my cup of tea. Instead, “Free London” seems to have read my mind and divided itself into showing all of the places I would actually want to go to. Museums, galleries, open spaces, green spaces, water walks and trails, animals, outdoor activities, free outdoor concerts, unique exhibits, beautiful buildings, seasonal carnivals and events – this book really has it all.

Because of the quality of the photos, I would buy this book in an instant (and probably will once it hits the shelves. I would love to see these pictures on actual paper). The descriptions are informative but not long and boring – sharp and snappy, just like the photos. I do wonder how they were able to capture so many blue skies and bright sunny days in a place known for rain and fog, but no matter – I would visit either way (and why not see these places in the best light possible anyway).

I think the design is very smart and it was very helpful of them to include URL’s for every picture/destination so that the user can dive deeper for more information and logistics.

I love the map in the back (very useful).

This is the perfect travel guide to London. BRAVO! I would love to see more books by this author/publisher on different destinations.

Perfect little book, very helpful, as an avid London go-er myself, I really loved that there were places in this book that I had no idea about and I love that! Praise for Yolanda Zappaterra, I am so excited to get back to London and explore some of these areas!

With thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and the author for this free ARC, in return for my honest review, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would read more by this author,

I love books about free or cheap things to do in London, but they often frustrate me. Firstly, because they often are mostly aimed at families and secondly, because they often aren't very inspiring to look at. I enjoyed this book because it is gorgeous to flick through as it is filled with beautiful photos of London at its best. It is also aimed more at adults although the author does mention when an attraction or event might be suitable for children too.

The book is divided up by topic but there is a map and a geographical list at the back of the book. There are some wonderful places to visit listed including some more obscure ones that I have never even heard of. This book is definitely not a definitive guide to free events or attractions in London. As I was reading it I was thinking of dozens more that aren't listed in the book. It would not be possible to create a definitive list because London is such an enormous city. Instead, I would regard this book as a starting point. I think it can give people an idea of what free things to do are out there and inspire them to seek out others.

London is my favourite city, so I was pleased to read this book. Although it can be expensive, you can have a great time seeing free museums, churches, parks and other sights for days on end! This is the perfect book to take with you to this princely city. It not only covers all the usual free sights, but it also gives details about seasonal free events, free historical ceremonies and free buildings to see. The authors also provide lists of the best events and views.

The colourful pictures and unusual historical details will make you want to visit ASAP. I would go tomorrow if I could!

I received this free book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

4☆ A Fun and Informative Guide To Freebies in and around London!

Free London is a fascinating and informative guide on what you can do for free in London.

It's made up of several chapters consisting of
* Things to do Outdoors
* Green Spaces
* Museums
* Galleries
* Performing Arts
* Buildings and Built Spaces
* Seasonal London

Oh and there's also handy map guide and locations at the back.

I live on the outskirts of London and even I learnt a fair bit from reading this book. Who knew there was so many exciting things you could do for free in such a vibrant and big city.

For example a free Ferry Ride, A Farm.
Some of the activities might be obvious like making use of playgrounds and gym activities, the markets etc.. however if you are a newbie to London or maybe just never had the time to explore these little gems of information could come in very handy, especially if you have a family.

I also loved the photographs it bought London to life, especially with covid and lockdowns, London feels like a distant memory. So it was nice to see some familiar pictures.

Overall I definitely recommend this little gem of a book. It's a fun guide, a lil educational and would make a great gift.

What a fabulous book. Even if you think you know London, this guide us full of surprises and it’s all FREE! Equally enjoyable to use for exploration ideas or to simply savour the photos and gain an insight into the background of places. Full of brilliant colour photographs and just the right of information to whet your appetite along with location/post code/tube/ bus route.