Bill_in_DC

I'm planning a trip to London (6 days)and Paris (7 days) in June. I'll be traveling with my wife and two kids, ages 10 and 13. We're interested in all the major tourist attractions, but we're on a budget. I've read about several money-saving ideas but I thought I would use this thread to try to consolidate these ideas. Please share your most practical money-saving tips with me and others. I'm interested in everything from transportation to/from the airport, getting around the city, museums, restaurants, advance-purchase tickets, and entertainment. Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

Anonymous

For transportation within the city, your most economical option is family travelcards. Available from 9:30 AM onwards each day and all day on weekends (IIRC), they cost 80p per child and about y2.5 per adult for zones 1 and 2 (which encompasses most tourist attractions).

Most museums in London are free -- so the best way to save money is to get your family interested in the free stuff and NOT interested in the costly stuff, epecially tourist traps like Madame Tussaud's or the London Dungeon. You can put together a very nice 6 days without any paid admissions except for the Tower of London and the Cabinet War Rooms, which are on my teen son's must-see list. At attractions where you must pay, always cost-out the family ticket.

Which airport will you be arriving at?

Anonymous

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Bill_in_DC

I'll be using both Heathrow and Charles deGaulle. We're taking the day flight from Dulles to Heathrow and we arrive at 10pm. I suppose we should take a taxi to our flat in London but perhaps we can take the tube upon departure. Thanks for your quick reply!

JamilaZ

A taxi will be very expensive. Since you're traveling with a family, I recommend either Ray Skinner's car service (was 34 pounds last Nov. cell 011 44 07970 577 768 or office 011 44 (0)20 8897 8221) or Swiss Cottage Cars (was 28 pounds last Nov. 011 44 (0)20 7794 5556 or 011 44 020-7431-2700 ). The driver will be at the passenger pickup area with a sign with your name on it. I've used both and was satisfied both times.

donnabee

We went to London about 3 years ago, and found everything to be VERY expensive. They charge to get into everything!

Lori

Bill,
First of all consider a car service for getting in and out of London. We have been using Ray Skinner for quite some time (just saw him again last month) and he is very reliable, as are the men that work for him. For 4 of you it would be cheaper then any other way, except the tube and I do not recommend the tube to people with luggage. His fees are a set fee plus tip, not per person. While it may seem expensive it is a great way to start the vacation as you don't have to worry about trains, escalators, luggage, (or the kids for that matter).

If you have not already gotten an apartment that is the way to go. Have all breakfasts in, it saves money. A few lunches/dinners in will also save. (Lunches are easier to do out tho as you will be sightseeing no doubt). June should be OK to picnic in the parks and both cities have parks .. particulary London.

All museums in London are free - dwell on free ones, not paid admissions. Unfortunatley Paris museums charge, but you can really save on that stuff in London. In London buy Tube passes, weekly ones, in Paris likewise. London's tube/bus system is truly a bargain, you can go in and out as many times as you want and ride buses as well in the zones you have purchased for (Zone 1 is all the major tourist stuff). Check the underground website for all info.

As for entertainment - not sure what you have in mind. We go to the theater a lot in London but it is expensive. I book ahead via TicketmasterUK or by calling the theaters, but you can take you chances by going to the boxoffice or the 1/2 price ticket booth in Leicester Sq. If you are operating on limited time I'd order ahead tho.

There are thousands of sandwich shops in London and all the grocery stores, small shops at tube stations, etc. sell sandwiches, snacks, etc already prepared. You can also eat at any of the regular fast food places if you wish so. I'd recommend Wagamamma's as the kids might like it (noodle place, and fun). On a budget there are pizza places and pasta places all over the place, also Garfunkal's (sort of like Denny's) for less expensive eating. As for Paris, again you have a wide variety of places from fast food to very expensive. If cigerette smoke is a bother to you or kids go to eat early in Paris -- it can be a real problem in many places. (McDonald's are all smoke free .. I am not crazy about McDonald's but you can avoid smoke in them if all else fails). You can go to a street like Rue Cler in Paris for all sorts of goodies.

Your best bet for budget eating is buying stuff and eating in the parks, it can really be fun too.

If you are interested in going to Windsor CAstle or Hampton Court from London buy a combined rail/castle admission ticket at Waterloo Station when you go, it can save a few pounds.

In Paris I'd recommend a taxi from CDG into the city, it will come out to be pretty much what a shuttle will charge anyway and you don't have to make other stops. With luggage I'd not attempt the train. Be aware that if you call ahead for a taxi to take you back to CDG there is a charge (forget what it is, about 5 Euros I think), unless you are staying at a hotel that has a taxi line out front, then you just get in the first one.

nigel

A better bet for Transport around London - since you are there for 6 days - would be a week-long family Travelcard. Bring photos of all of you, go to a Tube station and get yourself all kitted out. You can then use this pass on all tubes, buses, trains, light rail within a specific zone. (But you can use the pass on ALL buses, no matter what zone card you have.) I suggest Zone 1, as most of the sights are within this zone Tube-wise. If you go further afield, get extensions there and back. This will save you yy and allow you to travel on the Tube before 0930 on a weekday, if you desire. (It's busy then, tho!) Avoid taxis.

Museums are free. Check out www.lastminute.com for entertainment deals and restaurant deals. Half price theatre tix in Leicester Square - the official booth near to the gardens.

Food - Try Pizza Express, Belgo, Wagamama, Indian restaurants for cheapish eats. Check any service charge is included. If not, 10% will do. Ask for tap water - lots of people do. Avoid alcohol. Eat and drink in pubs (though the children might well not be allowed in many.) During the day, go to Tesco, Marks and Spencer and Boots for sandwiches and crisps (chips) and drinks.

Just sitting on the top deck of a bus, especially if it is the Routemaster (open-back) is a free way of enjoying yourself. As is walking near the river, or in Greenwich, Covent Garden, Hyde Park and St James's Park.

Lastly, don't scrimp all the time. Some things will be expensive, but since you are saving money as much as possible, just resign yourself to having to pay it.

Anonymous

Nigel, I'm pretty sure that famly travelcards are available only on a daily basis. And although they're more trouble than getting 4 7-day passes, they're far cheaper, and that's what the OP was asking about.

Anonymous

Here are descriptions of the family travelcards and regular weekly travelcards, for your comparison.

http://www.transportforlondon.gov.uk...t_family.shtml

http://www.transportforlondon.gov.uk...t_season.shtml

To do a cost-comparison for Zones 1 and 2 (which includes most tourist attractions):

To use family travelcards for 2 adults and 2 children for 6 days would cost 12 x (2.70 + .80=) 42 pounds

To buy 7-day travelcards for 2 adults and 2 children would cost 2 x (19.60 + 8=) 55 pounds

The regular 7-day travelcard is a bit cheaper when purchased for Zone 1 only. So it's up to you to decide whether the constraints of the family travelcards are worth the savings. Personally, I'd go with the 7-day cards, as long as I could be sure they wouldn't get lost!

You will hear about visitors' travelcards, which can be purchased in advance and sent to our home. These cost about the same as cards purchased in London and do not require a photo-ID card.

TimS

If your seven days in Paris fall on the right days of the week, a Carte Orange metro & bus pass for each person in your family will be the cheapest way to have unlimited rides. A pass for zones 1-2 costs 13.75 euros and is good Monday-Sunday. (If you will arrive and leave in the middle of the week, it won't be your best choice.) But if you take 15 rides the pass will pay for itself, so you don't have to use it for all seven days for it to be a bargain. Bring extra passport-sized photos of each person. Or cut the heads out of any existing "ordinary" photos you have. A Paris Visite pass for zones 1-3 is good for 1,2,3, or 5 consecutive days. The 5-day pass is 26.65 euros for adults and 13.70 euros for children under 11. A carnet of 10 tickets costs 9.60. Your family can share the tickets and you can keep buying more carnets as needed. (This may be your best choice if you're only going to take a couple of rides a day.)

TimS

The Paris Museum Pass is good one day (15 euros), 3 consecutive days (30 euros), or 5 consecutive days (45 euros). Advantages: You can pop in and out of as many museums as you want and you can avoid standing in line. Disadvantage: It's a lot to pay if your kids will only tolerate being dragged to a few museums. To see which museums are covered by the pass, visit www.ratp.fr, click on "English," then scroll down and click on the museum pass icon. You'll also find an icon for the Paris visite pass. (Note: Information about the Carte Orange pass is only available on the French language version of the RATP site.)

janis

You have gotten some great suggestions here. Just a comment re donnabee's post - they certainly do not charge "to get intoeverything!"

As others have said - all the major museums and galleries are free. There ARE charges for some special exhibits but in just 6 days you aren't likely to get to any/many of those. That means you can visit the V&A, Science, Natural History, British, Imperial War, National, National Portrait and both Tates without a single penny out of pocket.

Westminster Abbey and St Pauls do charge - but you are welcome to attend services for free. Your kids (especially the 10 yer old) will get in free to some of the places the adults have to pay, and for others they will pay reduced rates. Plus many places offer family admissions which save approximately the cost of one adults ticket.

For theatre be sure to go to the 1/2 price TKTS booth in Leicester square. really great seats at great prices. DO NOT got to any of the "half price" touts near the Leicester Sq tube station though - just the stand alone TKTS kiosk in the square.

And always be on the lookout for Pret a manger sandwich shops. they are all over the city and have VERY good freshly made sandwiches you can eat in or take out for a picnic.

Alec

The difference in price for 7-day Travelcard over daily Family Travelcard is explained by the fact that with the weekly one you can use any time, whereas daily one can only be used after 9.30 am Mon - Fri.

ben_haines_london

If you ask me, I can gladly e-mail to you a note I keep on things in London that are cheap or free, and on pub meals.

[email protected]

Bill_in_DC

Thanks to everyone who has so far contributed to this thread. I know we'll find London to be terribly expensive. I think we'll eat cheaply in London while saving up for some nice dinners in Paris. The car service sounds like the way to go coming in from the airport late at night. I'll check back tomorrow. Thanks again! Bill

janis

Actually, Bill, because all of the freebies in London you may very well spend less there than in Paris.

Hotels are cheaper in Paris - but for a family, an apartment in London would be a real money saver.

And food will probably be a wash - the best restaurants in both cities are expensive, but both have wonderful budget choices.

Katherine

One thing I do is eat my main meal at lunch. I find it is more reasonable. You might want to do that in London.
I hope this helps.

Bill_in_DC

Janis: Thanks. For you and others, we're excited about the flat we found in London. As you are probably aware, there are several listed in the alumni magazines. I've looked at both Harvard and Princeton's magazines online. We have an apartment in Paris but I found that through a one-person agency. It will be nice to have the multiple rooms that come with the apartments.

Mrs_Wilde

London Walks are an inexpensive form of entertainment. Pick up a brochure and have your children look it over to see what interests them. I saw the brochures at the airport, Tube stations, etc. - they're not hard to find. Walks are offered at numerous times throughout the day and into the evening. We took the Haunted London walk one evening and our guide, Andrew (in addition to his regular spiel) pointed out many film locations to the delight of many children (and adults) who were on the walk.

We also stayed in a flat and saved money by eating breakfast and dinner in most evenings. We packed picnic dinners and ate them in Hyde Park while people-watching and enjoying the lovely flowers. Grocery shopping in London at the Waitrose and Sainsbury's was also interesting. Sometimes the most mundane activities intrigue children.

My son enjoyed doing some brass-rubbings at St. Martin's-in-the-Field. An inexpensive activity that provides a nice souvenir. We also enjoyed having tea there many afternoons.

He also enjoyed eating at Belgo Centraal, the Covent Garden market and all of the street entertainers.

I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time.