London

[ettelloc]

Has anyone had a weekend in London? If so what was it for? Did you enjoy it and was it expensive? Thanks

[Im a BusyBee]

we go 3 or 4 times a year, i really enjoy it. We like to eat out at nice restaurants, go to shows and concerts. I plan each trip so that we are busy all the time we are there. we have had tea at the ritz, lunch at the dorchester, dinner at the ivy (not all on the same day i might add!!) lunch at the gordon ramsey restaurant, seen Buddy the musical, chicago, grease, dirty dancing, we will rock you etc etc. Seen Simply red at the royal albert hall, bruce springstein at the emerates stadium, george michael at the new wembley stadium i could go on and on. We have been on the eye several times, madam tussauds, st pauls cathederal, garden party at buckingham palace and we always thoroughly enjoy whatever we do. I am now planning our next trip have booked train tickets and hotel, this time we are going to the dungeons and the tower of london but thats as far as ive got. It can be done much cheaper obviously there are many free things to do - the parks, museums etc. if you're thinking of going go for it you only live once!

[coccinelle]

Well I take groups from time to time and we mostly visit the sights; Buckingham Palace with the changing of the Guard; the Tower of London, Trafalgar Square etc then there's always shopping in Oxford St. and tea in some place or other and a show.
If you prepare it well, it isn't expensive.

[jno]

It's never really going to be cheap, but as the rest of the world gets more expensive, thanks to sterling's decline, it compares well enough with places like Paris at the moment. There are an awful lot of things you can do (not just the permanent sights but temporary exhibitiions and so on) so it's worth planning what you really want to see and do. Best get a one-day travelcard, usable in transport zones 1 and 2 every day (after 9.30am, I think); if you plan several visits it might be worth getting yourself an Oystercard.

http://www.timeout.com/london/

[Buenchico]

(Multi-part post):

A weekend in London can end up costing more than a fortnight abroad if you're not careful! A lot of the main tourist attractions (e.g. the Tower of London) charge around �15 for admission, so the charges soon add up. London's hotels are generally rated as the dearest in the world. There are also plenty of places which charge 'an arm and a leg' for meals. London's theatres are also some of the most expensive in the world.

However, with a bit of planning, it's possible to have a wonderful weekend at very low cost.

For cheap hotels, try this site:
http://www.hostelworld.com/
(Don't be put off by the word 'hostel' in that URL. Just use the 'Additional search options' to look for guesthouses and budget hotels. However, before booking anywhere, consult a map to check that the hotel is in central London. Some are quite a long way out).

[Buenchico]

For cheap travel, use One Day Travelcards or get an Oyster Card. Off Peak One Day Travelcards cost �5.60 and give unlimited travel on buses and tubes, in the central LOndon tourist area, at any time on Saturdays and Sundays. (On other days you're limited to travelling after 0930, or you can buy a peak time ticket for �7.20). Oystercards are like pre-paid debit cards. You pay �3 deposit to get a card and then 'charge' it with as much credit as you like. When you enter a bus, �1 is knocked off the credit. When you use a tube train (in the central area), �1.60 is taken off. However the total amount deducted in one day never exceeds 50p less than the amount you'd have paid for a Travelcard to use on the same journeys.

[Buenchico]

Although London has some very pricey attractions, it also has plenty of free ones. These include:
Science Museum (great for 'big kids')
Natural History Museum (moving dinosaurs!)
Victoria & Albert Museum (superb fashion collections, and much more)
Imperial War Museum (not just military exhibits. Lots of stuff about the lives of civilians during the Blitz as well)
National Gallery (Stunning masterpieces)
National Portrait Gallery (Check out the great photography section)
Tate Modern (Modern art in a stunning setting)
British Museum (Mummies!)

All of those galleries and museums are massive and take ages to go round. (I've dragged unwilling kids into the Science Museum. Five hours later I've had far more difficulty in getting them out of the place!)

There are also other free attractions, like Covent Garden Piazza. This area is packed with bars and restaurants (across all price ranges), alongside some great street entertainers. (Jugglers, acrobats, folk singers, opera singers . . . They're all there).

Around the fringes of Covent Garden you'll find some good quality, fairly cheap bistro-style restaurants. This is my favourite:
http://www.bistro1.co.uk/

If you want to see a show or play, and don't mind only having a limited choice, head to the 'Tkts' booth (in Leicester Square) which sells cheap tickets on the day of the performance:
http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/tkts/le icestersquare/

With a bit of forward planning, you can have a cheap weekend in London, packed with interest.

Chris

[Muppit]

I took my g/f for a 'cheap' romantic weekend in London. I got a room at the royal horse guards hotel, nice and cheap from lastminute.com (I think). Absolutely beautiful building right on the river, a stones throw from everything. Beware though, you get what you pay for... clearly the cheapo (�35/night) rooms are the ones without a view (other than the tiny courtyards / neighbouring buildings). Spent a day sightseeing on foot with a picnic I had prepared before travelling to London. Went to the theartre in the evening 'the old vic' to see twelth night. Tickets �18 for a pair - bargain from leicester square. Girlfriend loved it, and it wasn't that expensive. It can get expensive if you're not careful though! Don't jump in a cab as soon as you get lost... just ask someone for directions, most places are easily walkable and the taxis cost a fortune. If you're not too fussy about where you stay and if you can leave it to the last minute to book etc, there are some bargains out there.

Sorry to waffle...

In answer to your questions... Yes I have, it was a treat for my girlfriend (can't remember the reason now!), we had a fab time and I didn't think it was too expensive!

[jno]

try to stay somewhere near the middle of town, even if it's a bit more expensive - you can waste a fair bit of time trundling back and forth from places like Earl's Court (and if it's not near a tube staion, a lot of time, as buses are quite slow).