London on a Budget, UK
Airing Date: Jul 31st, 2006
London...certainly one of the most expensive cities in the world to visit especially for us Aussies, so wouldn't you like to know how to do it on the cheap?
Give yourself a guided tour around London by spending an afternoon riding the London buses; it's one of the cheap thrills of the city. Ride for a whole day for 3 ($7), getting on and off as much as you'd like.
You also can buy a seven-day pass for unlimited access to the tube and buses in central London for 18.50 ($43.55); visit www.londontransport.co.uk.
London doesn't have to be expensive; with over 70 free museums and galleries you can easily do London on a budget. Visit the British Museum, London's single most visited museum, featuring exhibits such as the 2,000 year old Lindow Man, Egyptian pharaohs, Greek treasures and antiquities from all over the world.
Also, take a trip to the Museum of Natural History in the Kensington-Chelsea area. Entrance is free at both museums so it doesn't matter how many times you need to go before you see it all! Portobello Road Market is one of the most famous markets in the world and is internationally recognised for its second-hand and antique sections.
Statistically it features in the top ten rankings as the most visited tourist site in London. The market began as a fresh-food market in the nineteenth century: antiques dealers arrived in the 1960s.
easyHotel offers a safe, clean room for the night at the best possible price. Designed for city centres, the idea is that customers will accept less space for a better price. easyHotel offers consumers a recognised brand that delivers a standardised high quality product.
All easyHotel bookings are taken by credit card through their website www.easyhotel.com. It has created some controversy by having incredibly small rooms most with no windows and a brain numbing orange colour scheme to the rooms but you do get an ensuite bathroom and a comfortable bed with TV (although you do have to pay an extra 5 for a remote control!).
There is also no restaurant bar or breakfast. BUT for prices as low as 35 (around $85 AUD) per night this is one up from a shared room in a hostel and a steal for a hotel room in the swanky Kensington area of London.
Get into sold-out shows by waiting in the returns line the night of the performance. You'll have to queue up about an hour before the show at the theatre. The box office sells "no-show" tickets to as many people as possible 15 minutes before curtain time. Bargain hunters can also get half-price theatre tickets for some shows on the day of performances by going in person to the TKTS booth in Leicester Square. At any rate, avoid scalpers; buy regular-priced tickets in advance in Australia at www.keithprowse.com.au (call 07-3239-5999 or 1300-730-023).
The S&M Cafs in Islington, The City and Portobello are community-based eat-in and take-out establishments that provide the chance to enjoy the very best aspects of the once-familiar British caf. Offering a traditional British meal experience to a contemporary audience with the best healthy, locally-sourced food at affordable prices, S&M Cafs provide a comfortable atmosphere that celebrates an important part of our rich social, culinary and design history.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Thai Airways - www.thaiairways.com.au
Return to London from $1865 ex west coast, $1933 ex east coast.
Prices includes taxes, subject to fluctuation. Conditions apply. Prices correct at 10/7/06.
S & M Caf
Opening hours: Monday to Thursday 7.30 am - 10.30 pm, Friday / Saturday 9.00 am - 11.30 pm, Sunday 9.00 am - 10.30 pm.
Address: 268 Portobello Road, London, W10 5TY
Ph: +44 (0) 20 8968 8898
Easy Hotel - www.easyhotel.com
Address: 14 Lexham Gardens, Kensington, London, W8 5JE
For further information on the UK: Lonely Planet Guides - www.lonelyplanet.com
