Hello everybody

I'll spend some days around New Year in London with my girlfriend. Therefore I’d like to ask you for some hints and secrets in London.

I know that this is one of the most expensive cities. Nevertheless, I managed to find a nice priced hotel (formula one), which is situated within zone 4. And although the public transport is - from what I've read - neither 'nice' nor cheap, is that location alright for us, since the city centre is reachable in approx. 33 minutes.

So what I am looking for now, are some attractions which are not in every guide book and are worthwhile to be visited. Are there any small galleries or nice streets/gardens which are not that famous? (May also be outside the city).

Is there anything else I should be aware of or something which is a must for a budget traveller in London? What’s going on on New Years Eve and where is the best place to follow the spectacle?

Thanks for your comments!

Staying in zone 4 will be a hassle to get into the city IMO. 33 minutes can turn into much longer if there are delays and heavy traffic. Try booking a hostel some have private rooms. There are many in the greater london area for around 20-25 a nite, ive stayed at the backpackers hotel right in piccadilly circus, or the generator both EXCELLENT locations if hostels arent your thing, i thought easyHOTEL was opening one up in london. That time of year is typically the low season and can get some great airfares, which you may have already.

Go to a show, they sell them half off at leicester square. be sure to buy from the official reseller. someone else may have more information on that one as I have not had the chance to do this myself when i was there.

If you are 26 or under try getting a international youth ID. Ive used mine at the tower of london to get a couple Pounds off the entrance price. Go to the markets in Convent Garden and all over the city. Lets GO has an excellent London City guide. You may also want to check out the other forums dedicated to that area.

For off the beaten path, do just that. Get lost in the city, a metro stop is not always far off.

GRB

I agree with grbflyer that staying in zone 4 will be a hassle, especially during that time of year. Many tube lines run on saturday or sunday reduced schedules for some or all of the holiday week, as do many National rail trains. This could mean the difference between a 33 minute commute and an hour.

Here's the link for the National rail schedule disruptions:
http://nationalrail.co.uk/service_bulletins/index_xmas_week_info2006.html#

for some reason I can't find the similar link for the tube.

I agree that a hostel in the city center is the way to go. You'll also spend much less on transport that way, and most include a smallish buffet breakfast in the price.
The way that I always keep costs down is by *never* eating out. I picnic out of grocery stores. My thing is eat as much free breakfast as possible, go to a grocery store and fill my backpack with snacks, and then the rest of the day is free to sightsee.

A lot of sights in London are basically free--Nelson's column, Hyde Park, Piccadilly & Covent Garden, walking across the bridge (forget the name) with that amazing Monet view of Parliament. And wandering around the outside of Buckingham Palace. I know they're touristy but I really love just walking around those places. And I know a lot of people dislike the Rick Steves guidbooks, but I like the walks that he recommends, and they're free. And they often point out little things in the busy areas that normal travelers might miss.

I am a history nerd and I loved loved loved Hampton Court Palace. When I first visited it it had just reopened after restoration and it has become more popular since then so it might not be as 'off the beaten path' as you would like, but it is such a fun day trip.

The way that I always keep costs down is by *never* eating out.
But then you miss out on fish and chips :(

Well, I suppose they really are to go ... er, I mean take away :)

EmailKid

What are you willing to pay for a hotel? With a Priceline bid, although probably not for a 4* hotel, you could probably get a centrally located London hotel for not too much more than the Formule 1.

Yep. I just stayed at the Novotel Waterloo (which is just next to Lambeth Bridge and the Houses of Parliament (the view described by Lora54 can be had from this and Westminster Bridge) for £45 with my husband. You can walk almost everywhere in central London from here making the ‘real price’ about £35 a night. Trust me, you won’t be wanting to get night buses back at the end of December (and they’re impossible to board on New Years Eve)
Keep your eyes peeled on www.travelodge.co.uk for bargains.

Many of the museums in London are free – The British Museum is a great place to go on a rainy day. Try getting standing tickets for Ballets and Operas at the Royal Opera House (you’ll be standing just behind people who paid at least 6 times as much for their seats).
The Royal Festival Hall is a great place for free entertainment and watch out for free Christmas Concerts in churches and Cathedrals around the city.

I have a Travelodge reservation at Kings Cross on New Years Eve I won’t be using GONE

Also, don't forget to subscribe to http://www.hoxtonhotels.com/specialoffers.php as they will be releasing rooms for £1 after the 1st January imminently.

I've always found the British Museum overrated. I've taken a number of visitors to the Science Museum (South Kensington) and they've found that a fascinating place. Both are free.

I've always found the British Museum overrated. I've taken a number of visitors to the Science Museum (South Kensington) and they've found that a fascinating place. Both are free.Disagree on the Brit Museum, but you're right: the science museum, natural history museum, and the V&A are all within a block of each other, all free, and a great way to while away an afternoon or more.

Disagree on the Brit Museum, but you're right: the science museum, natural history museum, and the V&A are all within a block of each other, all free, and a great way to while away an afternoon or more.

Yep, jimbo99, you might as well say chocolate pudding is over rated because you prefer gateaux… or cheese cake. All of them are treasures – and there are many more, London is a fantastic city for museums.

British Museum is a touch overrated, but i thought it was worth the time as well.

I'd stay at a hostel; They may be able to put your group of 4 into a 4-person dorm, essentally creating your own hotel room.

Another vouch for the Generator; King's cross isn't the world's best neighborhood according to the people I spoke with but 1. I found it completely acceptable 2. the Indian restaurant across the street (if it's still there, this was 2003) was excellent. 3. Walking distance from King's Cross/St. Pancras station which is one of the busiest in the city.

I don't see the appeal of London on the whole. I did like it, but I don't see why people go ga-ga for it though.

Thanks a lot for your replies!

Unsurprisingly, I'm not to happy with my hotel choice anymore. I tried to book a hostel in the city, but I couldn't find one which had room available which were cheaper, or not significantly more expensive. The Formula 1 is 29.95£ for both of us.

I know that Travelodge has some 26£ deals. But at the time I checked the hotels, I would have had to choose a different Travelodge for every night since there were no better offers available anymore...

My impression is that the city of London or perhaps the U.K. overall is very concerned about keeping the city affordable to the tourist. So many of the very best attractions are in fact free. British Museum is in no way, shape, or form over-rated, nor is the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, or many of the other "great" museums such as Tate Modern. There are very frequently free music performances put on in the lobby of the National Theater. I most recently visited as a solo traveler in February, also a quite dark time of year, so it is much appreciated that London is such a safe city for strolling after dark. There is a city of London museum that has quite interesting stuff, such as skulls of ancient young men sacrificed to the river, and the Cheapside horde of jewels that was dug up. It's also free, and I think it is often missed.

The key to all the museums is to accept that they are VERY large and not to spend a long time on stuff that doesn't interest you. Look at a plan and head for items you want to see first. There is no pressure. It's always free to go in. So if you leave and later find out you missed something you really wanted to see, it's cool. Just go back. Our Apollo 10 is in a different part of the Science Museum than most of the other spacecraft. That is just one example.

The Greenwich Observatory complex is free and although on the edge of Zone 2/3, I was assured that it was OK for me to be traveling there on my Zone 1/2 day pass. I asked two different employees to be sure I wasn't breaking any rules. :-) If you have a nice day, it would be worth visiting there. Bring a picnic. I thought the food at the Maritime Museum was awful!


The issue of cost in London is the very high price of lodging, restaurant meals, and shopping. With a weak dollar, you shouldn't shop in London. Shop at home. You will want to have at least some drinks and food in some atmospheric little pubs, but really you may also want to bring in your allowance of alcohol in your checked bags, just packed really really well. I saw young people bringing in entire backpacks into the British Museum, which I thought wasn't allowed, but if you were to have a reasonably sized daypack with your own bottled "water" in it, I doubt anyone would say anything. I didn't bring my liquid refreshment, but I brought my own food, and no one objected. Beer was for sale, and I bought some, but it was priced quite high!

Some links to my trip report:

http://peachfront.diaryland.com/milespt1.html -- Scroll down to "Wednesday, Feb. 23" to bypass the mileage run and Northwest Airlines specific stuff and go straight to the London information

http://peachfront.diaryland.com/mileage2.html -- Part 2 of the London information, all concerning free sights offered such as British Museum, Tate Modern, National Theater free lobby music program

http://peachfront.diaryland.com/mileagept3.html -- Part 3, Greenwich area and some more free museums discussed

Thanks again for all your help.

The 15£ deal from Travelodge seems to be real a bargain ;) So I booked the night of the 1st january and I hope LapLap can sell me his reservation for the 31st.

We'll arrive on the 29th of december. I checked Tralodge again and they do offer 15£-rooms for the two remaining nights I have to look for. That's the good news. The bad news is that only the City Airport and the Wembley are available for that price. I think both of these hotels are better than the Formula 1 for 29,95. So what do you reckon, should we go for the Wembley oder the City Airport (is the DLR also included in the one or 3 day travelcards - otherwise the Wembley would be the better option anyway)?

As far as neighborhoods, I always enjoy wandering around Sloane Square. Last time, we made a kind of a arc going from Hyde Park Corner down to Kings Road, through Sloane Square, through the Cadogan Gardens then west to South Kensington Station, the north and west to Kensington Palace, using as few main streets as possible.

Also, I had posted in the London forum about a year ago about neighborhoods outside the Circle line, and there were lots of good suggestions. I ended up going to Dublin instead for a FT Do, but hopefully their suggestions will help you.

We'll arrive on the 29th of december. I checked Tralodge again and they do offer 15£-rooms for the two remaining nights I have to look for. That's the good news. The bad news is that only the City Airport and the Wembley are available for that price. I think both of these hotels are better than the Formula 1 for 29,95. So what do you reckon, should we go for the Wembley oder the City Airport (is the DLR also included in the one or 3 day travelcards - otherwise the Wembley would be the better option anyway)?
PM for you LXBoy

Travelodge City Airport isn't bad at all. It's on the Docklands line - shouldn't be too much of a hassle. Personally, I'd go for it. Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is included in the Travelcard rate.

It's in zone 3, should take 22 minutes to Bank station, and from there you might want to plan your sightseeing around the City of London and Tower Bridge area. Greenwich should also be relatively easy to access.

Avoid Wembley though :eek:


One last thing, although Kings Cross may seem a little out of the way, once you get started, it's not that bad to walk there from Trafalgar Square or Hoxton/Old Street. I'd say it was a 40 minute walk from Trafalgar Square. Most people will be waiting a lot, lot longer than that for their taxi.

Many of my wedding guests stayed at this Travelodge as it was convenient to my Reception in the Docklands (and because we scored the old £10 rate ^ ). Everyone had good reports. Just don't expect anything more than a bar of soap. There's no hairdryer either.

I stayed in the Travelodge Royal Scot, Kings Cross, last weekend for the FT do, and at £26 a night, I couldn't complain. We were looking for a taxi near soho, and ended up catching the night bus, which took us right to kings cross station, only a 5 minute walk from the hotel. Not the best hotel, but friendly staff, and you pay for what you get!

Be prepared to walk on NYE. When I was in London over NYE back in 1991, they shut down many Tube stations in Central London to keep the crowds to a more manageable size.

Have fun!