Help! going to London. Need tips
 

I am going to London Thanksgiving week, for the first time. Need any help on cheap eats, weather etc. also, my first time abroad. Thx!

Hi Toni<BR><BR>London is an expensive city but if you want to eat cheap you can go to Pan Pizza, there are several restaurants spread in town. There, for a low fixed price you can serve yourself from several pastas and pizzas and eat as much as you want. One place that I don't find expensive is Garfunkels, also with several restaurants in London, you will eat well and not expensive. Then, you have the traditional english pubs with good pies, sausages with mashed potatoes or roast chicken. At lunch time, if you don't want to spend much you can always go to an italian cafe where they usually have good hot sandwiches and nice desserts.<BR>Have a wonderful first trip!

The last time I was in London it was during the first week in November and I wore a trench coat with a lining and then dressed in layers. It was cool, but certainly not freezing. On some days there was dampness in the air, but I don't remember a real downpour. The best thing to do is bring one color scheme and dress in layers. I bought an all weather wide brimmed hat from Travelsmith to wear that protected me from bad hair days due to the moisture in the air. Are you staying in a hotel that offers a full English breakfast? That offers a big savings on food because it can carry you through most of the day. Although I can't remember the names of all the places I ate at, you will have plenty of affordable places to choose from. Wagamamma Noodles is one that comes to mind and a place near Victoria Station named Caffe Italia. Make sure you buy a good street map. The underground is great and in mu opinion easy to figure out. What part of London are you staying in? You'll get lots more helpful advice on this board with that piece of info.

We usually go to London in early November. The highs will be from 40 to 65, and lows 35 to 40 centigrade. One color scheme with layers is perfect advice. <BR><BR>Our favorite meals are the pubs. Aside from the usual pub food, most will also offer a pasta dish and an Indian dish. Some offer great soups. A good meal and a pint is usually $15.00. There are lots of other options, such as numerous Italian, Chinese, and Indian restaurants, in addition to the fast food places.<BR><BR>Early in your stay, on the first or second day, take a bus tour of London to get a feel for the city, where things are, and what you must see.<BR><BR>You will have a terrific time!

London has Pret a Manger restaurants all about. You can walk in and get a sandwich or breakfast for a reasonable price. On our first trip there 2 years ago we ate breakfast and lunch in the Prets and saved our money for nice dinners out in the evening. Definitely see some plas while in London. The theater is magnificent. You can preview what's playing and order tickets a places like:<BR><BR>http://www.albemarle-london.com/<BR><BR><BR>on the internet but you'll find plenty of others to choose from.<BR><BR>Plan on taking the subway a lot. It's called the tube and is very easy to use. It'll take you to all the highlights.<BR><BR>Have fun, London is wonderful.

There are millions of cheap places to eat, depends on what you want. Sandwiches are everyplace from shops in the Tube stations to the Food Court at Harrod's (very good sandwiches there and the prices are very reasonable too I might add). You can also buy sandwiches, salads, etc. in grocery stores (Tesco, Sainsbury, Safeway) or smaller grocery chains like Europa. Pizza places are all over, likewise McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, etc. Local chain called Garfunkal's (think Denny's) is inexpensive as well. Then there are pubs - you can get a decent lunch at them too. Dept. stores all have cafe's and food tends to be a little less expensive there as well. For fun, and not a fortune, go to Wagamamma's - great noodle chain. Naturally, there are lots of expensive places too - and inbetween as well, it all depends on where you are at any given time. Most museums have a cafe too, usually self-service cafeteria style. You won't starve on any budget! If you like Indian food (yummy!!) there are thousands in London. Marks & Spencer (stores) also have wonderful takeaway food. <BR><BR>Weather is tricky - I'd layer clothes. We go every April so I am not positive about Nov. but I'd say layers are the trick. <BR><BR>Get a 7 day tube pass - take a passport sized picture of yourself and buy at any tube station. Zone 1 is probably all you need.<BR><BR>Do go to the London Eye - great views and worth the visit.<BR><BR>Enjoy your visit.<BR><BR>

We were in London last Nov.5-12 and it<BR>was very windy and very chilly. Only<BR>brought a lined London Fog rain coat<BR>and thought I would freeze to death!<BR>Layers,layers,layers! Pret a Manger is<BR>a great place for breakfast or a snack<BR>all over town. We have eaten on two<BR>different trips at Senior Marcos on<BR>Edgeware Rd. It's Italian and the food<BR>is very reasonable and really good. We<BR>found this place by asking a bartender<BR>in one of the pubs. London is fantastic<BR>hope you have a great time. Can't say<BR>enough about it.

this is wonderful! Thank you for all the great responses. very helpful. I am staying at The Regent Palace hotel in Piccadilly Circus. This advice will help me alot!<BR>-toni

toni: Not to put you off, but is there a particular reason you are staying at the Regent Palace? It is a HUGE, cheap hotel at Picadilly Circus. The vast majority of rooms do not have private baths, which is OK, but the Picadilly Circus area is not a place I would want to be sharing baths/toilets/showers. The few rooms with private facilities are much more expensive and you could probably do better elsewhere.<BR><BR>the hotel is so big that there is little personal service, or service of any kind. If you are stuck because it is a tour group, that is one thing. But being a single woman on a first trip to London, you might want to look for something else.

<BR>To the email copy of this message I am attaching notes I keep on disc about pub meals and other cheap meals in London.<BR><BR>A few general points are these. At your arrival airport you can buy a copy of the listings magazine Time Out, and can start to read it on the boring train ride towards your hotel. The best theatre is on the fringe, not in the West End, and it is cheaper.<BR><BR>At any tube station you can buy a one day or one week London travel card, for zones 1 and 2, that covers tubes, busses, and local trains, and is a better buy than single tickets. For short journeys you need a bus map (also from tube stations), so that you can ride upstairs on busses and enjoy the view.<BR><BR>There is so much in London that we can often cater for a personal or special taste or interest. If you have such a taste, please would you tell us online, and we shall see what there is for you. For example, what is your job ?<BR><BR>Welcome to London<BR><BR>Ben Haines<BR><BR><BR><BR>

I am not going alone. We reserved a room with a full bathroom en suite. It actually was not a whole lot more. We got a great deal on expedia for a whole package. I am not looking for any luxury I was looking for location. I am never in the room except to sleep for a little while on trips anyway. thanks for the heads up though. I have friends that have stayed there and they did not complain about it at all. They loved the location!

Toni, if you plan to visit at least two of the historic royal palaces (Tower of London, Hampton Court, Kensington Palace), you can purchase a joint or combination ticket at the ticket office that will save you money. We saved about $5 per person by buying a joint ticket to the Tower and Hampton Court.