Any advice on London Trip??? (hotels, buy, theatre)

[averagejoe76]

Im planning a trip to London,very far in advance.
Any good tips on saving money in this expensive city??

[flyingscotsman]

Was wondering just you, family etc.

[chilaili]

Depends on what you plan on doing when you get there, time of year, how many of you there will be traveling, where you want to stay, will you use public transport, do you want to see the sights, shop, be entertained? Need a tad more information!

[averagejoe76]

Im going to be going solo,late summer 09, will use public transport.
Not going to be doing alot of shopping.
Been to London years ago and stayed with a friend but didnt see much solo.

[southdown]

Sssshhh - don't tell anyone about this fabulously cheap central London hotel.

Youth Hostel, London St Pauls - General - YHA

[chilaili]

Well, sadly almost every worthwhile locale in London (museums, St Paul's, theatre) costs money to get into. I think a few of the art galleries like the Tate are still free. Cheap things I would suggest are:

1. Get one of those Oyster (?) cards for cheap travel on the Tube
2. Borough Market in Southwark - you get the Tube to St Paul's and then walk over the Millenium Bridge
3. Southwark Cathedral
4. Walking along the Embankment, especially at night
5. Get the Tube out to Camden for Camden Market
6. If you go during Proms season at the Albert Hall I think those concerts are still fairly cheap to get into

Otherwise, if you want to see things like the Tower or St Paul's Cathedral you'd better start saving now.

[southdown]

Originally Posted by chilaili

Well, sadly almost every worthwhile locale in London (museums, St Paul's, theatre) costs money to get into. .

All the major London museums are free
such as...
The V&A
Natural History Museum
Science Museum
British Museum
plus the Maritime, Imperial War ....all free, the list goes on and on...You'll need at least half a day EACH museum to do them any justice - they are all enormous.

The big art galleries are all free too, again, all need a good few hours each!
Such as...Tate Modern, Tate Britain, National Gallery... etc etc...

In fact there are thousand of hours-worth of free things to do. Google 'free London' and you'll find loads like this London for free - Free things to see and do in London or
http://www.londonisfree.com/
or http://golondon.about.com/od/thingst...ree_London.htm

The walks - rivers, parks, streets, markets etc - are good too you can get podcasts and do them yourself http://londonwalks.libsyn.com/, or go on a guided walk.

Time Out London is useful for all kinds of ideas on things to do and see.

St Paul's costs about $15 admission for an adult You'll find it's worth it.

The Tower of London is more expensive, around $25 - tho it is a whole day out really - but you can buy a 5-palace ticket and see them all for about $10 each. http://www.hrp.org.uk/supportus/membership/default.aspx

[chilaili]

Originally Posted by southdown

All the major London museums are free
such as...
The V&A
Natural History Museum
Science Museum
British Museum
plus the Maritime, Imperial War ....all free, the list goes on and on...You'll need at least half a day EACH museum to do them any justice - they are all enormous.

The big art galleries are all free too, again, all need a good few hours each!
Such as...Tate Modern, Tate Britain, National Gallery... etc etc...

Really? Truly?! 'Cos I'd heard they'd started charging entrance fees for some of those. Well, I'm very glad if that's true. But I think getting into any visiting or special exhibits usually does cost something, which is normal for any museum or gallery.

[southdown]

Originally Posted by chilaili

Really? Truly?! 'Cos I'd heard they'd started charging entrance fees for some of those. Well, I'm very glad if that's true. But I think getting into any visiting or special exhibits usually does cost something, which is normal for any museum or gallery.

They tried it for a while on the state-owned museums - a supposed 'voluntary' payment - pah! - but it was returned to its free state 4 or 5 years ago. Too right mate - that's what we pay our taxes for!!!

Special exhibits do charge, but the main museum is free and so enormous that there is plenty to see without paying the extra.

[Abby071]

It's always a good idea to take advantage of free or cheap local attraction passes if you're intending to view a lot of the sights in one area or City. I know that you can buy 'The London pass' which might not be everyone's cup of tea but for £39, you get free access to 50 of London's top attractions including London Zoo, Windsor Castle, Tower of London, Kensington Palace, Hampton Court Palace and Planet Hollywood.

If you're visiting around Christmas time, London’s largest free winter festival runs from December 12-21 and aims to recreate the atmosphere of medieval fairs on the Thames. Held on the banks of the river between Southwark and Blackfriars, you can watch husky dog sledding, visit over 70 stalls, watch street theatre, entertain the kids in special children’s workshops and gaze at the ice sculptures. There’s also a lantern parade on December 12.

For those of you who enjoy witnessing the eccentricities of the English, Covent Garden’s annual Christmas pudding race sees 150 contestants in fancy dress dodging obstacles as they race in teams around the market, balancing a Christmas pudding on a plate. If you don't want to miss it, get down to the market on December 6 at 11.30am. It's free, but donations for charity are appreciated. Finally, relieve those aching arms from all the Christmas shopping in Covent Garden with the help of “shopping angels” who are offering their services free, helping to carry your purchases, guide you around and order a taxi once you’re shopped out.

Hope this helps...

Abby
Park Plaza
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