London and New York are the two cities every student wants to visit. They are also among the most expensive cities in the world. But both have a secret: they are also among the most student-friendly, with more free world-class attractions, student discounts, and cheap food options than almost anywhere else. You just need to know where to look.
PART 1: LONDON
Getting There: The Flight Game
From the US: Transatlantic flights to London are the most competitive long-haul market in the world. Here is how to find the cheapest fares:
Google Flights + date flexibility: Open the Google Flights calendar view and look at a month's worth of departure dates. The difference between Saturday and Tuesday departure can be $150–250 on transatlantic routes. Budget fares from NYC to London start at $300–400 return if booked 6–8 weeks in advance; from Chicago or LA, $350–450.
Scott's Cheap Flights (now Going): The premium tier ($49/year) sends you mistake fares and flash sales for your home airport. Transatlantic flash sales to London pop up several times per year at $250–350 return from major US hubs. This is one of the highest ROI subscriptions for a frequent traveller.
Skiplagged: Skiplagged finds 'hidden city' fares — bookings where your final destination is the cheapest layover point. This is legally grey and airlines officially prohibit it, but it is not illegal. The risk: if your flight is rerouted, you lose the ticket; and you can only use carry-on (no checked bags that would be tagged to the final destination). Use it with eyes open.
From Canada: London is one of the most competitive routes from Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Air Transat and Corsair often undercut major carriers by $100–200 on economy. Fares as low as CAD 450–600 return are realistic with 6–8 weeks' notice.
Getting Around London
Get an Oyster card or use contactless payment on arrival. The daily cap on Zones 1–2 is £8.10 (2025). That covers essentially everything tourists want to see. Unlimited bus travel on the same fare system. Do not take taxis from Heathrow — the Elizabeth Line costs £10.80 into central London. A taxi costs £50–80.
Walking is underrated in London. Soho to the British Museum is 20 minutes. The South Bank walk from Westminster Bridge to Tower Bridge is 2.5 miles and passes the Tate Modern, Shakespeare's Globe, Borough Market, and the Shard. Zero tube fare required.
Free Attractions — London's Secret Weapon
London has the most extraordinary free museum offer of any city in the world. All major national museums are permanently free to enter:
- British Museum — 8 million objects, Rosetta Stone, Elgin Marbles, mummies. Free.
- National Gallery — Van Gogh's Sunflowers, Leonardo, Rembrandt. Free.
- Tate Modern — Warhol, Rothko, Picasso. Free permanent collection. Special exhibitions £22 but entirely skippable.
- Victoria and Albert Museum — The world's greatest decorative arts collection. Free.
- Natural History Museum — The dinosaurs alone are worth the visit. Free.
- Science Museum — Apollo 10 capsule, Crick and Watson's DNA model. Free.
- National Portrait Gallery — Portraits of everyone from Henry VIII to the current royal family. Free.
You could spend four full days in London visiting only free museums and not scratch the surface. This is not a backup option; it is a strategy.
Student Discounts in London
The ISIC card and student ID (any university card) unlock discounts at:
- West End theatre: Most shows sell day seats for £25–30 or student rush tickets. The TKTS booth in Leicester Square sells same-day tickets at 25–50% off. Standing tickets for the Globe Theatre cost £5.
- Tower of London: £25.00 adult, £15.00 student with ID.
- Kew Gardens: £21.50 adult, £7.50 student. Worth it in spring for the blossom.
- Cinemas: Cineworld and Vue offer student Monday rates at £5–7.
- Transport: 18+ Student Oyster Card gives 30% off adult Travelcard fares — requires a registered account; apply online 2–3 weeks before arrival if you have UK student status.
Eating Cheap in London
London's food scene is extraordinary if you know where to eat. The places to avoid are the tourist traps around Covent Garden, Leicester Square, and Trafalgar Square — where a bowl of pasta costs £18 and a pint costs £8.
Borough Market (London Bridge) — the best food market in Europe. Sample food from 50+ stalls for £5–10. Free to enter. Open Tuesday–Saturday.
Dishoom — yes, there is usually a queue, but the breakfast bacon naan is £7.90 and the best meal deal in London. Go when it opens at 8am to avoid waits.
Pret a Manger subscription (£30/month) — for stays of 5+ days, this gives you 5 free hot drinks per day plus 10% off food. Pays for itself by day 2.
Supermarket meal deals: Boots, Sainsbury's, Tesco, and M&S all offer a sandwich + snack + drink for £3.50–4.50. Eat like a local.
Chinatown, Brick Lane, and Brixton Market offer excellent food at £8–12 per meal. Brick Lane has the highest density of curry houses in the UK — most offer BYO wine with no corkage fee.
One Weekend Budget — London (2 nights)
Hostel dorm (Generator London, 2 nights): £90. Tube/bus (2 days with cap): £16.20. Food (2 days: Borough Market + supermarket meals + 1 restaurant): £50. West End show (student rush): £28. Museums: £0. Total: ~£184 / approximately $235 / CAD $315. Excluding flights.
PART 2: NEW YORK CITY
Getting There: Flights to New York
From the UK: London–New York is the world's busiest long-haul route. Competition keeps prices reasonable. Advance fares start at £350–450 return. Norwegian Air's budget transatlantic service has ended, but Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, and United regularly run sales. The 'error fare' alert services (Secret Flying, Going, Airfarewatchdog) occasionally surface sub-£300 returns — worth subscribing to.
From Canada: Toronto–New York is one of the cheapest air routes in North America. WestJet, Air Transat, and Porter all fly from CAD 80–150 one way. But the train (Amtrak Maple Leaf from Toronto to Penn Station, $70–90 one way) is often the best value and most scenic option.
From other US cities: Southwest's no-fees policy makes it a strong option from most major US cities. Spirit and Frontier are cheaper but add fees. On the East Coast, the Amtrak Acela (Boston–NYC $60–150, Philadelphia–NYC $30–60) is often faster door-to-door than flying when you factor in airport security.
Which airport: JFK is served by the AirTrain + subway ($8.50 total into Manhattan). Newark EWR is in New Jersey — the NJ Transit train to Penn Station costs $13–18. LaGuardia has no rail link; budget $25–35 for the bus or taxi share. For budget travellers, JFK or Newark are almost always cheaper than LaGuardia.
Free and Near-Free in New York
New York's free offerings rival London's:
- Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) — pay what you want if you are a New York State student or under 25. Standard suggested donation is $30 but not enforced. Give $10 and feel no guilt.
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) — free on Fridays 5–9pm (first-come basis). Van Gogh's Starry Night is here.
- Brooklyn Bridge walk — one of the great urban walks in the world. Free. 1.3 miles. Views that justify the entire trip.
- High Line — elevated park on a disused railway above the Meatpacking District. Free. Best visited at sunset.
- Staten Island Ferry — free. Runs 24/7. Passes directly by the Statue of Liberty for zero dollars. The paid Ellis Island + Statue of Liberty ferry costs $24; the Staten Island Ferry is 95% of the experience at 0% of the cost.
- Central Park — 843 acres, entirely free. The Reservoir running path, Bethesda Fountain, and Sheep Meadow are iconic.
- Grand Central Terminal — free to walk through. The main concourse ceiling is one of the most beautiful interiors in North America. The Whispering Gallery in the lower concourse is a genuine acoustic phenomenon.
Student Discounts in New York
- Broadway rush tickets: Most Broadway shows release same-day digital rush tickets at $35–45 via the TodayTix app. This is the most reliable cheap Broadway strategy.
- Museum student rates: The American Museum of Natural History — $23 adult, $13 student. The Guggenheim — $25 adult, $18 student. The Whitney — $28 adult, $18 student.
- New York Pass: At $147 for 2 days, this covers the Statue of Liberty, One World Observatory, Top of the Rock, and 100+ other attractions. Do the math for your specific interests — it only saves money if you use it heavily.
Getting Around New York
The subway is the correct answer for almost all trips. A single ride costs $2.90. An OMNY card (tap contactless card or phone) automatically applies the daily cap of $34 (unlimited after 13 rides in a day). The subway runs 24/7 — unlike London's tube, which stops at midnight.
The outer boroughs (Brooklyn, Queens) have some of the best and cheapest food in New York. Flushing, Queens is arguably the best Chinese food in the US. Jackson Heights, Queens has extraordinary South Asian and Colombian food. A subway ride away from Manhattan; prices 30–50% lower than equivalent restaurants in the city centre.
Eating Cheap in New York
New York is a city of cheap food if you eat where locals eat:
Dollar pizza slices — the New York institution. A proper slice costs $1–3 in outer boroughs and $3–5 in Manhattan. Two slices and a soda is a full meal for $5–8. Joe's Pizza in Greenwich Village is the benchmark.
Halal carts — the 'chicken and rice' platter ($7–10) from street halal carts is one of New York's great culinary institutions. The 53rd & 6th cart (the original Halal Guys) still has lines around the block.
Chinatown (Manhattan and Flushing) — dumpling shops charge $1.25–1.50 per dumpling, a bowl of noodles costs $8–12. Avoid the tourist restaurants with English menus near the entrance.
Trader Joe's and Whole Foods hot bars — priced by weight, typically $8–10 for a substantial meal. The Union Square and Columbus Circle locations are convenient for tourists.
Smorgasburg — Brooklyn's open-air food market runs on Saturdays in Williamsburg and Sundays in Prospect Park (April–October). One of the best food experiences in the city, with street food from $5–12 per item.
One Weekend Budget — New York (2 nights)
Hostel dorm (HI NYC or Freehand, 2 nights): $120–160. Subway (4 days with daily cap): $35. Food (2 days: pizza + halal + Chinatown + 1 proper dinner): $70. Broadway rush (TodayTix): $45. Museums + attractions (free + pay-what-you-wish): $15. Total: ~$285–325 / approximately £225–260 / CAD $385–440. Excluding flights.
London vs New York: The Honest Comparison
For free world-class museums: London wins by a significant margin. For free iconic experiences: New York wins (ferry, High Line, Brooklyn Bridge). For food variety at low price points: New York edges London. For transit cost: London is more expensive (though more comprehensive). For student discounts on culture: roughly equal.
Both cities reward preparation. Both cities punish the tourist trap — the Leicester Square neon restaurants and the Times Square chain diners are where budgets go to die. Walk two blocks in any direction and you are in a completely different economic reality.
If you can only pick one: London is the easier first international city for American students (no language barrier, cheaper transatlantic fares, excellent hostel scene). New York is the easier first big-city experience for UK and Canadian students (short flight, familiar culture, surprisingly walkable). Ideally, you do both.