Is there anything more magical than watching the world come to life before your eyes at the start of the day? When I lived in London, the dawn hours were one of my favorite times of day: I would rise early, lace up my running shoes, and hit the streets to run along the Thames. On weekend days, most people were still sleeping off their previous evening at the pub, and I got to watch the whole city wake up around me after sunrise in London...

London is an electric place to visit – both figuratively and literally. As you research and plan your trip to London, you might have realized that things work a little differently across the pond than they do here in North America. Specifically, the U.K. uses entirely different electricity technology – different plugs, different outlets, different everything...

As I planned my first trip to London – way back in 2011 –, I was nervous. It was my first international trip, and while I was excited too, there was just so much to learn, plan, and do. I was also paying for the trip with gift money and wanted to make it last as long as possible. I was on the lookout for any ways to visit London on a budget...