Great value London

Walking tours – available for as little as £6, see Secret London Walks (www.secretlondonwalks.co.uk/) for special customised guided walks in London and to discover some of the city's hidden secrets. Carry on Tours (www.carryontours.com/) has a great pub crawl, including free BBQ.

Cinema – Visit The Prince Charles Cinema (www.princecharlescinema.com/) just off London’s famous Leicester Square. This cinema offers tickets for as little as £1.

Opera – Covent Garden Opera House (www.royalopera.org/) and the English National Opera (www.eno.org/) in London offer seats for as little as £4 in the top stalls. You’ll have to stand but if you’ve got the staying power, you can see some of the world’s most famous operas and ballets. If a seat is a must, try turning up 3 hours before the performance for a ‘standby ticket’.

Theatre – the half-price ticket booth (www.visitlondon.com/city_guide/budget/f_cheap_theatre.html) in London’s Leicester Square sells on-the-day half-price tickets and many other discounted tickets.

Dinner & theatre tickets combined – Lastminute (www.lastminute.com/site/entertainment/theatre/theatre-dinner.html) has some great offers, as does Discounttheatre (discounttheatre.eolts.co.uk/).