Hello!

My friend and I are taking a trip to London for spring break and would like some advice. We are also visiting a friend in Scotland and would like to fly to Glasgow.....any airline advice?? Also, we are looking for a place to stay in London when we are there. We are college students so we would like to get as cheap as possible of course but would like it to be clean and in a good area. We wouldn't mind a hostel but there are so many and we have no clue what to expect! Any other advice would be appreciated! Thank you!

The key to your airline choice is which city will be your US gateway or departure route. Sometimes, if you are willing to put up with an extra connection or travel to another departure city (other than your #1 choice), you may get better fares. Having just planned my sixth trip to Europe, I can tell you that time spent on the internet researching possible itineraries can save big bucks. Sounds like you would want to explore a "multiple city" trip on Orbitz or Travelocity, fly an "open jaw" route, and see what combination of flights suit you best. "Open jaw," of course means flying to Glasgow, returning from London. You can take a train from Glasgow to London, or perhaps a cheap commuter plane (like Ryanair or easyJet). In London, depending upon the spring break schedules of schools like the University of London or the London School of Economics, you might be able to snag a room in a university dormitory if they are on break as well (search: 'London university accomodations' on google, or some combinaton of words which will eventually land you on a web page with the right info). From other web reading that I've done, a lot of cheap accomodations in London are really 'bad.' Plus, the exchange rate is terrible (about $1.89 per British pound). So, you may have to budget more for lodging than you would want to pay. I just did.

I spent a semester abroad in London my junior year in college, but I stayed with a host family and not in a hostel or residence hall. This was over 10 years ago, so it's been a while since I've been on a college student's budget. Therefore, I don't have any specific hotel recommendations for you.

However, I can recommend an area that would be good for college students visiting London -- Bloomsbury. The University of London is located in this area, so naturally there will be places to stay, as well as restaurants and pubs that cater to students. When my then boyfriend (now husband) came to visit me while I was studying in London, I found him a room at a B&B on Gower Street. I can't even remember the name, but it was inexpensive, clean, had it's own bathroom and included a full English breakfast in the price. There are many B&Bs in the area that would have done just fine. There are also several hostels in Bloomsbury.

Sorry I couldn't give you names of specific hotels, but hopefully this will narrow down your search to a particular area. Btw, Bloomsbury is very central and is within easy walking distance to Covent Garden, Soho and other West End attractions. And, of course, the British Museum is in Bloomsbury.

London is a great place for people of all ages, and I have returned there many times since I was a student. But my college days in London will always hold a special place in my heart. I had very little money to spend, but I still managed to have a blast. I'm sure you and your friend will too.

Thank you so much for your response! It helps to know a good area of the city to narrow down places to stay! Thanks again!

You are most welcome. One thing I should clarify, the Southern end of Bloomsbury (near the British Museum) is the part that is closer to the West End, where you will likely want to venture. This may mean that the area is somewhat less affordable than the part of Bloomsbury near King's Cross to the north, but it is a more desirable location.

If I might make a couple of other suggestions:

- Get the latest edition of "Let's Go London", if you haven't already. This is a very useful guidebook, especially for the budget-minded traveler. I used it all the time when I was in college, and still use it for suggestions on cheap eats and off-the-beaten track info.

- Get a London Streetfinder (London A-Z). The streets of London are not on a grid system, and have no real rhyme or reason to them. So even if you use the Tube, you will need a detailed street index to find many of the smaller streets in London where the more affordable restaurants, pubs/bars, and accommadations are often located.

Good luck and have a great trip!