julies

Been watching for cheap airfares to Europe this summer. There has been nothing. But, go-today has an incredibly cheap air/hotel package to London (July $1500 for 2 of us air from Minneapolis and 6 nights hotel). In the past we have shied away from England because of the high prices. But, now the dollar is so far down against the Euro that the continent isn't a deal any more. I've always read that London is horribly pricey. Will the price of meals (budget)and admissions negate our savings on air and hotel? In other words, if I don't have to worry about hotel, can I do London cheaply?

Wayne

A similar offer has been made by Virgin Vacations (Virgin Air Lines) that gives you a London hotel and 6 nights for about $500 per person. You might look into that; I think the offer expires VERY soon. Good luck.

julies

Wayne--

thanks for the heads-up. I checked out Virgin. Prices end up being virtually the same. It's the taxes and surcharge for a Minneapolis departure that add on all the extra cost.

violet2

Admissions will run you between US$6-US15 or so per attraction. Many museums are free but offer guided tours for a fee.

What I did to figure out the precise amount was develop my itinerary. Take the most current guidebook I had and note all the entrance fees. Convert them to US dollars and add them up.

We plan to do the following on our excursion:

St Pauls
Cabinet War Rooms
Imperial War Museum
British Museum
British Library
National Portrait Gallery
Globe Theater
Westminster
Tower of London
Bus Tour
Thames boat ride
Jack the Ripper Walk
The Operating Theater

Adding up all the extras (e.g. guided tours for a fee) that are possible.

I estimated about $130 or so for each person. This does not include travel.

A travel card bought in advance for 5 days is something like US$50 or $60.

You can get a day trip pass from Britrailto visit places outside London for @ US$109 per person but it
doesn't include Bath.

Go to Rick Steve's website for transport info and prices.

IMO the entrance fees are slightly more expensive than what you would see in the US, but not horrible. It's the transportation that gets expensive if you want to go outside of London.

Michelle

tammylouky

Does your hotel include the full english breakfast? If it does, defintely don't skip and fill up. There are many places where you can buy good sandwiches for lunch that won't break the bank. You can find places for dinner that aren't overly priced and with good food. About how much are you wanting to budget a day of food? Do a search on this site and you should find plenty of restaurant recommendations. Have fun!
Tammy

janis

You can do London as cheaply as Paris or any other major European city. The major museums and galleries are free - you do not need guided tours for most of them. Theatre is MUCH less expensive than in the States. And if you use the TKTS 1/2 price booth it is an even bigger bargain. And tghe pagentry (ceremony of the Keys, regimental band concerts in the parks, etc) is free. Pubs, Wagamama, Pret a Manger and other inexpensive restaurants are better quality than you would find at the in most cheap places back home.

I travel to London frequently and get by on very little except for the occasional splurge - which you don't need if you want to keep costs down.

(BTW - Don't buy transport tickets ahead of time - they are cheaper and you have more options if you wait until you are there)

kcw214

I lived in London for four months as a student, and we were POOR, but we still saw a lot. Theater is a terrific bargain, especially if you're used to the prices of theater in the US. A few years ago, a groundlings ticket to the Globe was only 5 GBP (standing only, but a good experience). Food can be pricey or cheap, especially if you stick to ethnic places and picnic a lot. There is a lot to see for free. I would go in a heartbeat.

dln

I don't think it's the hotel and food that are more expensive than any major US city, but all the extra stuff. Gas is very expensive, of course, as is clothing and souvenirs like English china teapots. We used to bring home so much from England but shopping has gotten so pricy that we don't any more.

Kate

Of course London can be done on the cheap. ALL national museums are free - so you can visit the best, including the British Museum, the National Gallery, either Tate gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, the V&A, the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum (I could go on) for nothing. Buses are cheaper than the Tube (£1 per trip), and there's plenty of cheap eating options - stick to pubs, ethnic restaurants, Pizza Express, Wagamammas (Japanese noodle bar chain), and buy a copy of Harden's Cheap Eats in London.

obxgirl

You can definitely do five days in London on the cheap. In addition to the great suggestions you already received, I would add:

Invest in a copy of Timeout when you arrive. It's an extensive listing of what's on in London from the high brow to the low brow and everything inbetween.

Foodwise, consider Nando's (portuguese spiced chicken) which is a chain but the food is really good, cheap and the place has a sense of humor. See nandos.com for the menu and London locations (but don't miss the chicken clucking to "In The Mood" under the NandosUSA button). The supermarkets all have great take away sandwiches, salads and side dishes. That and a bottle of wine would be a great picnic in St. James Park or dinner in your hotel room.

I hope you decide to go for it!

Anonymous

As Kate says, there are plenty of ways to economize in London. Many many musems and other attractions are free; here's a list!

http://www.londonfreelist.com/home.asp

Also, eating picnics or sandwiches instead of eating at restaurants will save a bundle.

A week-long pass for tube zones 1 and 2 and all buses will cost you about 19 pounds (US$30) when you get to London. The advance travelcards are about the same; if there's one that costs $50, perhaps it's for all tube zones, which is unnecessary.

Mucky

Hi Julies,
Remember there is more to UK than London.
Most other places are considerably cheaper. And equally as interesting.
It just requires some thought.

Have fun
Muck

julies

Thamks all. Still mulling this possibility over.

Mucky--

we are definitely looking at spending a week in another part of the country too. We usually get pretty sick of big cities in 4 or 5 days and prefer to retereat to the countryside and small villages. This deal just happens to include the 6 nights hotel in London which is pretty hard to pass up.

SB_Travlr

And don't forget the Original Walks -- pick up a schedule at Heathrow when you arrive. You'll see places you would never find on your own, and prices are very reasonable. Great way to see the city, not just the tourist high spots.

Like all great cities, you can spend a lot of money if you want to. But you don't have to -- not everyone in London is rich!

BrimhamRocks

One way to see a bit of London on the cheap, is to take a bus tour for a general overview of the city, then hop on and off when you see some things you'd like to explore more closely. We've used The Big Bus Company, but there are others who offer the same tour service. Here's the website for The Big Bus Company:


http://www.bigbus.co.uk/uk/html/uk_our_tours.html

Not everyone likes to see London this way, as they feel they miss a lot by whizzing past things in a bus. However, if you're in a hurry, or on a budget, and want to save the big dinero for more specific activities in London, or indeed somewhere else in the UK ( I agree, there is so much more to see than **just** London!), a bus tour might be something you'd enjoy.

I join the other posters in saying you should go for it!

Mucky

Hi Julies,
Thats good news, sorry to be presumptious !
Have you considered Wales/Cardiff?
Its a gorgeous city nothing like the scale of London, and you will probably be able to get some reasonable Accommodation.
If you have a car the Pembrokshire coast and Gower is beautiful.
Good Luck
Muck

houdi

If your deal involves a Thistle hotel I would be wary , unless you don't mind privation. I just returned from a trip in mid June to London and Budapest. The first night was free under a BA deal. The Thistle Kensington Palace was really awful and inconveniently located. It was a real fire trap. Of course, no airconditioning. I was lucky to get their last fan.
I forget if you're going during summer.
In any event, I would research feedback on the hotel offered very carefully.

julies

Thanks for the warning about the hotel. I actually was considering this hotel because the Apollo (which was the cheapest) hadn't had good feedback either. We are still vacillating about purchasing and need to decide very soon.

janis

Don't judge all Thistle hotels by one or two. It is a huge chain and some are wonderful, some dreadful and some in between. Some are 2 star, some 3 star and some are super deluxe.

isabel

Don't know how picky you are about hotels but I stayed at the Apollo last March as part of a go-today package and it was not all that bad. It wasn't the Ritz but what do you expect for the price. It's a half block from Kensington Garden and a short block or two from two tube stations so the location was fine. The room was quite large and clean, but shabby (worn carpet, etc). Breakfast was toast and coffee. Hotels all depend on people's standards - if you are looking for a safe, clean place to stay for minimum money than the Apollo and others in that category are fine. If you want luxury you probably shouldn't be looking at economy packages.