ULTIMATE FREE LONDON GALLERY

If you are on a budget and love art, The National is tough to beat as an experience.

Even the building, located in Trafalgar Square, London is extremely beautiful, so make a point to not only focus on the paintings but make a point to take in the architecture as well.

I recently went to see one of my favorite works in the flesh, Renoir's The Umbrellas, which was more magnificent and certainly much larger in scale than I had imagined but if you are checking out the gallery for the first time I would recommend you do a little homework before your visit as there is so much to see, it can be a little daunting and overwhelming.

Also collections, exhibits and special events change all the time so it's a good idea to have a plan in mind so you can organise your time and ensure you see everything you are specifically interested in.

Not to be missed is the Richard Hamilton Exhibition, running until the 13th Jan, 2013. This is also free however some special exhibits are not so do check the website to avoid an expensive shock on arrival.