London! Possibly the most varied capital for adventurers like you and me to get up to all kinds of tricks! I was born on the outskirts and come here to catch up with friends when I’m not gallivanting around Asia. Every time I delve into this quirky capital though, there’s just one problem. London is so blimin’ expensive! It doesn’t have to be though. We can work this out…and for $20, there is an answer.
$20 to stay in the middle of London?
Yes! With a cup of tea in one hand and a good old hob nob biscuit in the other, I had a think about how I could guarantee myself a budget-friendly stay in the middle of London. I found St Christopher’s Inns in Central London to be the cheapest on Liverpool Street. At just $20 for a dorm bed in the middle of the week, I popped along to see if it’s worth it.
5 Awesome Things To See And Do From St Christopher’s Inn Hostel In Liverpool Street London
Out of all the areas in London, you’re probably asking yourself why you should stay in St Christopher’s Hostel in Liverpool Street London. Every area in London has its delightful and unique charm. What’s so good about Central London? Here’s 5 awesome things you can see and do on Liverpool Street’s doorstep to tickle your fancy!
1. Experience London’s street art in Shoreditch
I freaking love Shoreditch! It’s where all the cool cats are walking about with their man buns and drinking coffee with a vinyl record under their arm. I spent all day checking out the Street Art in Shoreditch (<-check out my guide) last year, did the same again this year and recommend you take a look too!
2. Hang out with the slick city boys
St Christopher’s Inn Hostel in Liverpool Street London is right next door to the silicon valley of London. If you’re trying to lock eyes with a man in a suit whilst he tucks into his lunchtime pint and cheese sandwich, you might just be in luck. You’re gonna have to be quick though. Time is money for these guys.
3. Eat $2 bagels on Brick Lane
I never thought I’d get so ridiculously excited about a bagel but if you head to Brick Lane, go to Beigel Bake! They are renowned for being, hands down, the best authentic Jewish beigels in town. My Dad used to eat here late at night when he was a youngun’, so this shows how long they’ve been pumping out the good stuff. They’re still going strong! The best bit? Their most expensive bagel is $2.50!
4. Be all floral on Columbia Road Flower Market
Columbia Road Flower Market is only a Sunday, so I unfortunately couldn’t make it there myself as I stayed in London during the week (to make my trip even more budget-friendly). If you are here at the weekend, go! As well as the blast of flower power that’s gonna be under your nose, there’s 60 independent shops lining this street including vintage treats plenty of pubs and cafes (yay).
5. Get your head round Jack the Ripper
As well as Brick Lane and Shoreditch just a stone’s throw away from Liverpool Street, there’s the infamous Whitechapel area. It’s a ghastly and horrific state of affairs but London had a dude who decided to murder a lot of the London ‘ladies of the night’ in Victorian times. He never got caught. God knows why I’m actually telling you this because Teacake Travels is all about girl power and feminism but hey ho…it’s fascinating nonetheless and a genuine murder mystery. Dig into the Jack The Ripper Tour to find out more.
More attractions to check out!
If you want to push the boat out and spend a little more, I particularly love the dizzy heights of The London Eye and testing my nerves within The London Dungeon.
A budget-friendly bed in Central London
If you’re on a budget trip through Europe, the new St Christopher’s Liverpool Street hostel is worth checking out. Like any hostel, it has its pros and cons. Here’s my honest opinion about it!
Pros
When I arrived, staff were welcoming and friendly. Off to a good start! The bathroom and toilet facilities are great. Ladies…there’s hairdryers if you need them and plenty of mirrors! Only problem is that with any hostel, some people are super messy (right after the cleaner has just been argh!). Good news is that if you forget any toiletries or essentials, you can buy them downstairs from the staff.
In the room, you’ve got a big-ass locker for your backpack (just make sure to bring your own lock).
Each bed has its own light and charging station so don’t forget your USB cables and your travel adapter.
There’s curtains across every bed too for some privacy when you need it and WiFi.
There’s space on the wall for you and your fellow roomies to hang up your coats and although St Christopher’s Liverpool Street Hostel is above a pub (like all of the hostels in their brand) I got a really quiet night’s sleep.
The free buffet breakfast definitely does the job! There’s all your different beverages, cereal, bread, cheese, ham and a toastie maker yum yum yum! Plus fruit and yoghurt for the health conscious :D
If you want to eat or drink in the pub at any time of the day, there’s some lovely money-saving discounts too! All guests get 25% off the food and 2 for 1 on select beers and spirits every day. Sweet!
Upstairs there’s a function room which the bar punters and hostel guests use together. There’s a dartboard if you fancy a game and space to do some travel planning if you need somewhere to read or work.
Cons
$20 is the minimum you’re gonna pay here for a weekday bed in an 8 dorm room. As the days get closer to the weekend it will cost you more and if you want in on that 4 bed room, it will cost a few more dollars. You can check all prices here!
This hostel in Liverpool Street London opened at the beginning of the year (2017) so the staff are still working things out and activities are currently being set up.
The businessmen hang and drink in the pub below the hostel, so it’s two very different crowds coming together here. If you really want a 100% hostel traveller vibe, this may not be for you. If you wanna hang with the locals: score!
For now, this hostel in Liverpool Street London feels that it’s very much a place to sleep and be very near to all transport options. Access to anywhere in London or to get somewhere else in the UK is incredibly easy from here. It would be great if staff could work on creating even more of a traveller atmosphere. I look forward to seeing what they do in the future!
Is there any alternative accommodation?
To give you the alternatives, this is what I considered! Firstly; Couchsurfing. By far the cheapest way to stay in London because it’s FREE. Problem is, it can be tough finding a host located smack bang in the middle of the capital. Not many people are neighbours with the mayor right? I’ve found the most central places being gobbled up by ‘I-plan-ahead’ couchsurfers too…for better or worse, I am not that early bird.
AirBNB is definitely an awesome alternative. If you’re a solo flashpacker or travelling with your mates, this accommodation is worth looking into!
Related Reading
Ultimate Weekend in Brighton Guide
The Best Weird London Attractions
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This is great! One of the main reasons I haven’t been to London for years is because it is so expensive. So this definitely helps!
It really does – sometimes if I’m having a budget month, London doesn’t automatically go on my list BUT with options like this, it definitely makes it easier!
A woman after my own heart! It is so nice to see a London Travel blog that isn´t all about Big Ben and the Houses Of Parliament (although they are cool too)! I lived in East London for 10 years and I think some of my friends from the North of England genuinely believed that I spent every Saturday in Leicester Square and the British Museum! Great read – I will be sharing!
Bwahahaha >< The British Museum is fantastic but YES (!) there are so many wonderful hidden treasures. I feel I'll never manage to master London. Just so much good stuff to see!!
Seems like you had a great experience in London! I live here so don’t really need a hostel but I am glad you could find it so cheap. Traveling here is definitely super expensive:)
Where there’s a will there’s a way! $2 bagels really do help too ><
You are a smart traveler and thank you for sharing your tips on how to do it. Indeed, we need to be wise while enjoying on a different country. We don’t need to spend luxuriously just to get or see the things that dream of.
Hear hear! If you’re travelling on a budget, you can still hit London, that’s for sure!
For a budget traveler, you just gave them what they may be looking for.
And I really liked it how you put it that every street, every corner of a city has its own charm.
Thank you Manjulika! It’s a good find for the budget-conscious!
I definitely need to check out your Shoreditch Graffiti guide too. We are heading to London next Friday so we’ll be looking for stuff to do and whatnot. We already have a place booked though near Kings Cross. It isn’t too bad but not as cheap as $20! I think it is £50-70 depending on the day but there are two of us.
Having two of you to share the cost really does help! Have fun! :D What else are you getting up to in London?!
Such a great post! Really makes me want to spend more time in that area of London on my next trip there. This hostel review sounds really intriguing. I always like to experience “the local atmosphere” in addition to the camaraderie of fellow travellers.
I do love a good old local scene! I hope you do explore this side of London more the next time you’re visiting: definitely worth it!
Now this is some great information. I get scared of high prices when i pick a travel destination, but now i feel i could make a short trip to London. Thanks for sharing.
That’s great to hear Sute! It’s great when your budget is not holding you back and staying here is one way to beat that restraint!
I second everything that you have said. I have had some pretty bad experiences in London Hostels. But this place is a total find! The food and beer is also great there.
Yessss the food and drink are all reasonably priced and scrummy yummy! It’s the perfect spot for exploring central London at such a budget-friendly price!
What a great post about a budget accommodation in Liverpool Street! When I backpacked around Europe in my twenties, my favorite hostel was in Bath, England. In my experience, it’s not always easy to find good, inexpensive accommodations.
This hostel is an absolute bargain for being so well placed in central London! With Brick Lane just around the corner it’s perfect :)
Until I got to the end of the post and saw that this was a new hostel I was kicking myself for never noticing it before as I have walked past that pub for years to get to work. I love this area of London as there is so much to see and do, plus it is close to one of the best fish and chips shops in the city. If you are travelling at the weekends, can I suggest looking around London Wall and the Bank area, it is probably going to be more expensive than this place but because everything closes down on a friday night, including the surrounding bars, accommodation is cheaper and it is realistically a quick wall to the river or you can hop on a tube from Bank.
Hey Tamason! Thanks for adding some valuable travel advice to this post! Tell me…What is this magical best fish and chip shop you’re talking about?! :D