lsquare

So I'll be in London for four days later this month. I would prefer to do sightseeing in the day time and shopping at night. I already have an Oyster Card. Good places to get cheap food? Is it worth buying a weekly pass or I should just pay as I go? Any other passes I should consider buying? Which prepaid carrier for roaming? Are there any simcards that allows me to top up online and keep the card active and maybe roam around the world?

Thanks.

MoreMilesPlease

Cheap food is variable by person. Every Tesco/Sainsbuy/Waitrose will have a meal deal. It is usually a pre-made sandwich or salad, a side ( chips, fruit or sweet) and a drink that will cost between 3-5 quid depending on the store.

For a hot meal you can try Nando's. Pretty good value and reasonable. The best value may be to go to a Weatherspoons before noon and get their breakfast. Huge, inexpensive and filling.If you already have an Oyster card then just affiate it with a credit card that has no foreign transaction fees and top up on-line. There is now a daily cap so just as cheap to use the Oyster as anything else.

Look at Amazon for world sim cards. They do exist but I've never seriously look at the cost. You can get a UK sim card before you leave for a few extra dollars and have the convenience of use the moment you land.

lwildernorva

In addition to the grocery stores, you'll find all sorts of fast/fast casual restaurants, such as Pret a Manger, any of the American chain fast food restaurants, and fish and chip shops, all of which are reasonably inexpensive. If you end up buying a sandwich at a Tesco, you can also buy a SIM card there with prepaid data. If you're not covered by Google Fi, I've found a mix of a local SIM for data and Google Voice/Hangouts a reasonable approximation of the Fi service--I was just in Ireland this past week and made a 30-minute call back to my office in the USA for less than a dollar and was able to make local calls to Irish numbers when on wifi in some areas with very spotty cell coverage. You can top up online with Tesco, even from other countries (I've done that in Paris and in the US). Roaming charges using strictly the Tesco service outside the UK can be really expensive, which is one of the reasons I've coupled a SIM with Google Voice/Hangouts.

For advice on the Oyster card, you might want to look at this link: https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-informatio...or-oyster-card. They suggest topping up by 30 pounds if you intend to visit for four days.

stut

Not to put down other people's tastes, but having spent years working in dull offices with no catering, eating limp sandwiches on sliced bread, the sight of a supermarket lunch deal makes me feel miserable.

Thankfully, London has all sorts of options now, from old fashioned Italian run delis specialising in chicken escalopes, through to US-inspired food vans.

Head to King's Cross or Brick Lane for the latter. Or head to Spitalfields Market for a Square Pie and mash. Or Borough Market for a double chorizo and pepper sandwich from Brindisa.

Or look for a little Indian place. You can get Khati Rolls in London now, or a great veg thali for next to nothing. If you can be bothered to head out of the centre, the Saravana Bhavan chain is excellent.

Lunch is always cheaper than teatime for the same quantity. Look for where the office workers hang out - that's where the best lunchtime offers sit

Try fish and chips from a proper fish and chip shop. Eat in a pub if you like, but seek out ones with short, changing menus for home-cooked foods. A glossy, extensive menu means it's prepared in a factory and reheated. OK, but mediocre at best.

If you're eating at one of the chains, always look for vouchers online.

For transport, remember you can use a contactless credit card now instead of an Oyster, meaning you don't have to worry about how much to top up.

CosmosHuman

Badenoch

My indicator when choosing a breakfast restaurant in the UK is the number of orange vests worn by road maintenance crews.

Other good options for cheap food are buffets lunches in Chinatown near Leicester Square and lunches at Borough Market. Look for smaller places on side streets instead of larger places on main thoroughfares. I've found some decent chip shops and Indian restaurants hidden away on side streets. Do NOT eat at a restaurant with neon signs that say either "Angus" or "Aberdeen" or at any American fast food chain.

lsquare

What's a good option out of Gatwick? Should I reserve the Gatwick Express and save 5%? At Ł20, it's definitely on the expensive side. Are there cheaper options that's only marginally slower to get to Central London? Can I buy a prepaid simcard from 3 or EE when I arrive at Gatwick and not pay a surcharge?

lsquare

Am I saving any money by using my contactless credit card instead of Oyster? I thought there was a cap in terms of daily pricing with Oyster so there's the incentive to get it.

Mwenenzi

My limited understanding is no difference
Look here -----> London: Oyster and Contactless Card FAQ

Where in central London do you want to go? Or any tube station?
Gatwick Express is probably the most expensive
Look here---> London Airports transfer FAQ: London Gatwick (LGW) [Click to open the full wiki]
Other non LGW express trains

lsquare

I need to go to Old street tube station. My accommodation is near there.

Mwenenzi

https://tfl.gov.uk/tube/stop/940GZZL...ground-station

There are better links than these
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Street_station
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_line

Should be easy for you to work out the best train line from LGW to connect to the northern line tube

Mwenenzi

duplicate

stut

Yup, for Old Street, you're best getting the Thameslink train, not the Gatwick Express. These will be headed to Bedford or Cambridge (and slightly slower ones to Peterborough). Pro tip: the very rear carriage has a first class compartment which is declassified at present (there will be a notice on the cycling display to tell you this).

You can change at London Bridge for the Bank Branch of the Northern Line (yes, it has two branches in central London - long story). It's quite a big station, with a fair old walk to the Tube, but there are lifts to get you to all levels. Old Street has a few steps then an escalator.

An Uber from Farringdon (another stop on the Thameslink line) is also a possibility.

If you really don't want to walk, and it's a weekday, you can get a Peterborough or Cambridge Thameslink to Finsbury Park, and take a Moorgate train from there to the very creepy commuter station at Old St (hidden away from the Tube platforms). There's a fair few steps to get out, though, and not many lifts at Finsbury Park.