Monday’s Money Saving Tips: Hiring Boris Bikes in London, England

Monday’s Money Saving Tips: Hiring Boris Bikes in London, England

You might have read my recent article about backpacking through Camden Town in London with my mates James and Neil. I felt I needed to include it as a Monday’s Money Saving Tip as we went cycling in London on Boris Bikes and it is a cheap way to see London.

Hiring a Boris Bike in London

What is a Boris Bike?
Basically it’s named after the long standing Mayor Of London, Boris Johnson who introduced these bikes to London back in 2011. Therefore the nickname “Boris Bike” comes from him.

Hiring a Boris Bike

Where are Boris Bikes?
All over London in various stands there are these bicycles attached to pillars. It’s a simple service for people in London to use without having to speak to a human. You simply put in your money or credit card into the machine and you get a code to release one of the Boris Bikes. You simply take the bike for as long or short a time as you want and then return it to any Boris Bike stand in the city. They are concentrated mostly in zones 1 and 2 and you’re never far from a Boris Bike stand.

Hiring Boris Bikes and cycling alongside the canals of London

How much does it cost to hire a Boris Bike?
Well it’s a Monday’s Money Saving tip and amazingly if you return the Boris Bike after just 30 minutes it is entirely free! I know some people who use this to work and back every day and they never pay a pay. In a country renowned for being one of the dearest places in Europe, it’s nice to get a free ride on a bike. If you take the bike for longer than 30 minutes, it’s till only £2 per day. Even if you used it for work for a 5 day week, would only be £10, much cheaper than public transport.

The code for the Boris Bikes

Save Money on Public Transport in London
As cool as Boris bikes are, the only catch is of course you don’t own the bikes and you have to find another stand somewhere to leave them back to. My London based friends have their own bicycles from a cool local cycle shop however, which saves them just as much money on the tubes and buses if they were using them for work! Cycloing is definitely the way to see London on the cheap.

Buying bikes in London

Just think – getting to work for free by Boris bike, so don’t be fooled into thinking London is not for the budget backpacker because it definitely can be done on a budget. If you want to read more of my London articles, check my Tower of London tour and top sights in London.