The London Pass

Savings for the whole family with The London Pass. Get FREE entry to top attractions such as Tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral, London Aquarium, Windsor Castle, London Zoo, Saatchi Gallery, London Dungeons, Open-top buses... Get your London Pass now - and start saving!

The London Pass

One of the items often overlooked by travelers to the UK are the variety of discount passes available. The London Pass is just the latest in a long line including the Great British Heritage Pass, the National Trust Pass, the Historic Houses Association Pass, and variious London transport passes. Most are available in the UK, but some, like the well-known Britrail Pass, must be bought outside the UK.

I would advise travelers to get a pass before leaving home even if they are available in Britain. After all, do you really want to spend your valuable time queuing to buy a pass, or actually visiting the attractions you came to see?

Here's a list of the attractions covered by the London Pass:
(more are added on a regular basis)

Attractions - Dining - Shopping - Entertainment

Free Entry with London Pass
Location	Offer	London Pass Extra Benefit
Alexander Fleming Laboratory Museum	Free Entrance
Apsley House	Free Entrance
Bankside Gallery	Free Entrance
Banqueting House	Free Entrance
Benjamin Franklin House	Free Entrance
Bramah Museum of Tea & Coffee	Free Entrance
Britain at War Museum	Free Entrance
Cartoon Museum	Free Entrance	10% discount in the shop
Catamaran Cruisers	Free Circular Cruise or Day Hoppa Pass
Chelsea Football Stadium	Free Entrance to Tour
Chelsea Physic Garden	Free Entrance
Chislehurst Caves	Free Entrance
Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery	Free Entrance	£1.00 off Hermitage Rooms and Gilbert Collection
Cutty Sark	Free Entrance
Eltham Palace	Free Entrance
Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art	Free Entrance
Eton College	Free Entrance and guided tour when available
Fan Museum	Free Entrance
Fashion & Textile Museum	Free Entrance
Fire Power	Free Entrance
Florence Nightingale Museum	Free Entrance
Guards Museum	Free Entrance
Hampton Court Palace	Free Entrance	FAST TRACK
Handel House Museum	Free Entrance
HMS Belfast	Free Entrance	FAST TRACK
Jason's Canal Boat Trip	Free Entrance
Jewel Tower	Free Entrance
Jewish Museum	Free Entrance
Kensington Palace and The Orangery	Free Entrance
Kew Bridge Steam Museum	Free Entrance
London Aquarium	Free Entrance	FAST TRACK
London Bicycle Tour Company	1 hr bicycle hire Mon-Fri or Free Tour at weekends
London Canal Museum	Free Entrance
London Wetland Centre	Free Entrance
London Zoo	Free Entrance	FAST TRACK
Museum in Docklands	Free Entrance
Old Operating Theatre	Free Entrance
Pollock's Toy Museum	Free Entrance
Queen's Gallery	Free Entrance
Royal Albert Hall	Free Tour	Plus 10% discount on selected items in the shop and free cup of tea, coffee or soft drink in Café Consort when purchasing a sandwich and confectionary item.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew	Free Entrance
Royal Mews	Free Entrance
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre Tour & Exhibition	Free Entrance
Sherlock Holmes Museum	Free Entrance
St Paul's Cathedral	Free Entrance	Plus 10% discount in both the Cathedral Shop and Domus when spending £10
The Monument	Free Entrance
Tower Bridge Exhibition	Free Entrance
Tower of London	Free Entrance	FAST TRACK
Vinopolis	Free Entrance to Classic Tour
Wellington Arch	Free Entrance
Wernher Collection at Ranger's House	Free Entrance
Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum	Free Entrance
Wimbledon Tour Experience	Free Tour
Windsor Castle	Free Entrance
Other Attractions
Location	London Pass Offer	Notes
Big Bus Company	Save £3 on adult and £1.75 on child
Cucumba Urban retreat	Free top up treatment	choice of shape and paint manicure or pedicure, eyebrow shaping, hand / foot massage, mini facial
Evan Evans Tours	Free lunch in London when booking an all day tour
French Brothers River Cruise	20% discount on 35 min cruise
London Brass Rubbing Centre	£4.50 towards brass rubbing	General Entry is Free
Museum of London	Free Entrance to Special Exhibitions	General Entry to the museum is Free
National Maritime Museum	Free Guidebook	General Entry to the museum is free
National Portrait Gallery	Free entry to Exhibitions or complimentary Visitor's Guide	General Entry to the museum is free
Original London Walks	20% discount on 1st walk and a free Walkabout card (£6) which offers 20% reduction for 1 month
Royal Air Force Museum	Free Simulator ride	General Entry is free
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir	Free Entrance to Special Exhibition	General Entry is free
Southwark Cathedral	Free Audio Guide and Souvenir Guidebook	General Entry is free
Walk-in BackRub	50% discount on 20 minute backrub
Shopping
Location	London Pass Offer	Additional Information
Blewcoat National Trust	20% discount in shop
Bluewater	Free discount booklet with over 35 vouchers
Bureau de Change	Commission free currency exchange and preferential exchange rate	Cash only
Crest of London	Free Guardsman Teddy Bear
Foyles	Free copy of Colours of London when spending £25 or more	Also free pastry when ordering any drink in the jazz café
Hard Rock Café gift shop	Free collectible gift when spending over £20
Planet Hollywood	15% discount in the merchandise shop
Royal Air Force Museum	10% discount when you spend over £10
St Paul's Cathedral	10% discount in Cathedral shop and Domus	Minimum spend of £10
TM Lewin	Up to 50% discount and complimentary Silk Knot cufflinks
Vinopolis	15% discount when you spend £30 or more
Waterford Wedgwood	10% discount
Films and Entertainment
Location	Offer	Details
Curzon Mayfair Cinema	Free Entrance	Mon-Thur, Free. Fri-Sun, free before 5pm
Curzon Soho Cinema	Free Entrance	Films starting before 5pm
Les Miserables - theatre show	£10 off top two prices Monday to Thursday
Namco Station	6 Free game tokens
Phantom of the Opera - theatre show	£10 off top two prices Monday to Thursday
Queens Ice and Bowl	Free bowling or ice-skating
Dining
Location	Offer	London Pass Extra Benefit
Admiralty Deli	20% discount on lunch
Bateaux Restaurant Cruise	15% discount on lunch or dinner cruise
The Boathouse Restaurant	20% discount	valid when spending £10 or more Mon - Fri lunchtimes
Bramah Tea and Coffee Museum	£2 discount on Cream Teas and Afternoon Teas
Cantina Vinopolis	10% discount on total bill
Chor Bizarre Indian Restaurant	20% discount from the A La Carte menu before 20.00 hrs, 15% discount after 20.00 hrs.	Includes food and drink
Covent Garden Grill	Free bottle of house wine per couple when ordering at least two courses from the main menu.
Gardening Club	Free entry to the club	FAST TRACK
Hard Rock Café	Free Hot Fudge Sundae with every main meal ordered + gift from the shop when spent £20	FAST TRACK
Harrods	Free Glass of wine or fresh juice when ordering the buffet lunch
Harry Ramsden's	Complimentary Starter or Dessert when ordering main meal
Maxwell's	£5 off the bill for a two course meal	FAST TRACK
Medieval Banquet	15% discount
Navajo Joe	£5 off the bill for a two course meal	FAST TRACK
New Armouries Café at the Tower of London	20% discount
Planet Hollywood	10% off food and drink	FAST TRACK
Porters English Restaurant	Free bottle of house wine per couple when ordering at least two courses from the main menu.
Refectory at Southwark Cathedral	Complimentary tea or coffee with any food purchase
Refectory at St Paul's Cathedral	20% discount after 2pm
Rock Garden	Free bottle of house wine per couple when each orders any main course from the a la carte menu.
The Albert Pub	Complimentary bottle of house wine when 2 or more dine or Free pint of beer with every bar meal purchased
The Orangery at Kensington Palace	20% discount
Tiltyard Café and Privy Kitchen at Hampton Court Palace	20% discount

THEATRE
Special discounts available to London Pass holders for Les Miserables, Cats, Phantom of the Opera and Witches of Eastwick. £10 discount of top two ticket prices at selected performances subject to availability. Offer available to London Pass holders visiting the box office on the day of the performance. Conditions apply.

That's quite a collection, but before you get out your credit card, think about the attractions you really want to see in London. Would you, on your own, choose to visit the attractions listed? How many of them would you visit?

Remember that tourist attractions in London (and across the rest of the UK) tend to be quite expensive - it would not be unusual to pay £8-£14 for adult admission to a popular attraction. For example, a guided tour of Westminster Abbey costs £7 at the time of this writing. Some basic math will tell you how quickly the cost of a discount pass will be recouped.

On my last trip to the UK I seriously considered a Great British Heritage Pass, but when I looked at the list of attractions it covered, I realized that for my tastes, my money was better spent buying both an Historic Houses Association membership and a National Trust membership. It all depends on your personal tastes and how many attractions you can visit without wearing yourself out.

So if you are planning a trip to London, do yourself a favour and check out the London Pass. You just might save a bundle (and have a more enjoyable trip, too).

David Ross, Publisher, Britain Express