Low cost London vacation - advice needed....

Hello!

I am looking for some advice regarding planning a vacation for a party
of three to London....

I have been to London before (several years ago) and the two people I
am taking have never been to London.

I'd love some advice. Should I pre-purchase the London Pass prior to
going? Are there any other money saving hints for a trip?

I'm not looking to backpack it, but I'm looking for ways to make this a
budget or economical trip.

Any itinerary suggestions? We plan to fly there for 1 week (7 nights)
and spend 4 days/nights in London. We will then spend the remainder of
our time with family in Liverpool (I plan to rent a car).

Can you suggest things to do? I want to show them as much of the city
as possible in 4 days. One person LOVES castles, and the other just
loves history.

How are the "Travel Inn" hotels? Are they a good value? Any
suggestions for websites to visit for great values on hotels,
restaurants and/or attractions???

ANY suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated.

THANK YOU!

Robert

My family and I fly from the U.S. to London every year and we go to
the British Museum after checking in at a nearby hotel (The Bonnington
for us) and getting a quick sandwich at Brunswick Centre. we're pretty
tired from the lack of sleep so this is a good way to get on our feet
and move around while seeing some interesting (and free) displays of
history. around 4:30 we go back to the hotel and freshen up (don't lay
down!) and then head for one of the many Indian restaurants in the
area followed by a pub for a few pints while the kids are at a Cyber
Cafe. that's pretty much it for that day.

One thing you can do is buy a hop-on/hop-off bus pass at your hotel
and use it to get around town. Certain buses have a guide with a
microphone that describes what you are seeing as you drive around
town. Others without the guide hand out headphones or ear-buds for
listening to a canned tour message. these buses go near major sites in
London so you will be able to take your pick by lining things up in
the order you will travel on a certain bus line.

One of the bus tours includes a Thames river ride as part of the price
so folks can get several things for the price of one. double decker
buses are fun for folks from the U.S. since you don't see them over
here. you get a chance to ride along the Thames, and the on/off stops
are near major attractions.

It's possible to do St. Paul's Cathedral and then the London Tower
(on/off stop very close by), take the river cruise, end up at
Westminster Abbey and take some pictures of Big Ben (it's the bell
actually). your feet will be tired so take the hop on/off bus back to
the hotel at the end of the day. watch out for switching buses (from a
red line to a blue line or whatever) at the end of the day. if you
run out of time for a bus transfer you may miss the bus and find
yourself taking the tube back to the proximity of your hotel.

you could choose to do Westminster Abbey at the end of the day since
you were right there by Big Ben anyway, but I'd save it for another
day so you will have more time to see everything. Do Westminster Abbey
towards the end of the day and you will be able to catch the Evensong
after it closes. Try and get to the front of the line and you can sit
in the older choir section rather than the folding chairs. very nice
experience and the acoustics and history is awesome. there's a tube
station nearby and your guests will probably want that experience as
well (if they're Americans).

others will suggest even more that you can see, but riding around on a
full tour of London on a double decker bus (sitting on the top
hopefully), viewing St. Paul's Cathedral (is it still under
construction?), the London Tower, Thames cruise, and Westminster Abbey
with an Evensong will stick in their memories for a long time. sounds
like it could work for everyone since they get to see a "castle" and
plenty of history as well.

steve




On 13 Apr 2005 18:45:46 -0700, wrote:

Hello!

I am looking for some advice regarding planning a vacation for a party
of three to London....

I have been to London before (several years ago) and the two people I
am taking have never been to London.

I'd love some advice. Should I pre-purchase the London Pass prior to
going? Are there any other money saving hints for a trip?

I'm not looking to backpack it, but I'm looking for ways to make this a
budget or economical trip.

Any itinerary suggestions? We plan to fly there for 1 week (7 nights)
and spend 4 days/nights in London. We will then spend the remainder of
our time with family in Liverpool (I plan to rent a car).

Can you suggest things to do? I want to show them as much of the city
as possible in 4 days. One person LOVES castles, and the other just
loves history.

How are the "Travel Inn" hotels? Are they a good value? Any
suggestions for websites to visit for great values on hotels,
restaurants and/or attractions???

ANY suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated.

THANK YOU!

Robert

wrote:
Hello!

I am looking for some advice regarding planning a vacation for a party
of three to London....

I have been to London before (several years ago) and the two people I
am taking have never been to London.

I'd love some advice. Should I pre-purchase the London Pass prior to
going? Are there any other money saving hints for a trip?

I am currently doing similar planning and I think that the London Pass
is overpriced for our needs. Sure, you gain access to all major sights
(except the big commercial ones like Tussauds or London Dungeon, which
we will avoid anyway; the entry fees are ridiculous!. Guess we will do
London Eye though...), but do you have the time to visit them all? We
are going with kids so we count on maximum of two biggies on one day,
even that may be too much. I calculated the cost of those we will
definitely visit and the card would cost more, even though the
Travelcard option is much cheaper with the card than by it's own (a
tube/bus travelcard is definitely a must!). The big plus is of course
that you don't have to stand in lines and hassle with the entry fees,
and you can do impromptu quick visits to places you otherwise would not
waste your money in.
If you are interested in museums you should note that the state (?)
owned, like British Museum, Natural History etc., are all free and if
you visit those they will take a lot of your time (while the Pass ticks
on unused...).

I would recommend you to plan which sights you absolutely want to see
and make a calculation of the enry fees. All the attractions have their
own web pages so just Google and you'll be there. Then compare it to the
Pass price and see which option suits you. Note that the Pass is
available for 3 or 6 days (as opposed to your 4) and that the prices are
given _without_ tax! (17,5%). (I always use a spreadsheet (Excel these
days) to do the math for me 8-) and I'm always shocked to see what it
all will cost! Oh well, that's what we work for , isn't it? ;-) )

Some sites to begin with:

http://www.londonpass.com/index2.asp
http://eu.visitlondon.com/index.html
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/ (the London Transport site)
http://www.hrp.org.uk/webcode/home.asp (historic castles)
http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/

wrote:
Hello!

I am looking for some advice regarding planning a vacation for a party
of three to London....

I have been to London before (several years ago) and the two people I
am taking have never been to London.

I'd love some advice. Should I pre-purchase the London Pass prior to
going? Are there any other money saving hints for a trip?

I am currently doing similar planning and I think that the London Pass
is overpriced for our needs. Sure, you gain access to all major sights
(except the big commercial ones like Tussauds or London Dungeon, which
we will avoid anyway; the entry fees are ridiculous!. Guess we will do
London Eye though...), but do you have the time to visit them all? We
are going with kids so we count on maximum of two biggies on one day,
even that may be too much. I calculated the cost of those we will
definitely visit and the card would cost more, even though the
Travelcard option is much cheaper with the card than by it's own (a
tube/bus travelcard is definitely a must!). The big plus is of course
that you don't have to stand in lines and hassle with the entry fees,
and you can do impromptu quick visits to places you otherwise would not
waste your money in.
If you are interested in museums you should note that the state (?)
owned, like British Museum, Natural History etc., are all free and if
you visit those they will take a lot of your time (while the Pass ticks
on unused...).

I would recommend you to plan which sights you absolutely want to see
and make a calculation of the enry fees. All the attractions have their
own web pages so just Google and you'll be there. Then compare it to the
Pass price and see which option suits you. Note that the Pass is
available for 3 or 6 days (as opposed to your 4) and that the prices are
given _without_ tax! (17,5%). (I always use a spreadsheet (Excel these
days) to do the math for me 8-) and I'm always shocked to see what it
all will cost! Oh well, that's what we work for , isn't it? ;-) )

Some sites to begin with:

http://www.londonpass.com/index2.asp
http://eu.visitlondon.com/index.html
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/ (the London Transport site)
http://www.hrp.org.uk/webcode/home.asp (historic castles)
http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/

On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 09:44:21 +0300, Markku Ilmanen
wrote:

I am currently doing similar planning and I think that the London Pass
is overpriced for our needs. Sure, you gain access to all major sights
(except the big commercial ones like Tussauds or London Dungeon, which
we will avoid anyway; the entry fees are ridiculous!.

A lot of London Museums are free, which also reduces the value of the
Pass..

The big plus is of course
that you don't have to stand in lines and hassle with the entry fees,

I don't know if this is still true, but you used to be able to buy
entry tickets to many attractions, such as the Tower of London and
Hampton Court Palace, from the ticket window in the Underground, in
combination with the ticket.

If the weather is nice, a boat ride to Hampton Court is very pleasant.
You can enter the gardens without paying, although the palace has a
hefty entrance fee. It's probably worth it once in your life, but if
you want a very nice cheap outing, go to Hampton Court via the
Underground, stroll around the gardens, have a snack in the garden
restaurant, and go back via the boat along the Thames.

The boat to Greenwich is also a nice ride. The children would probably
like to tour the Cutty Sark, and the Observatory is also very
interesting.



and you can do impromptu quick visits to places you otherwise would not
waste your money in.
If you are interested in museums you should note that the state (?)
owned, like British Museum, Natural History etc., are all free and if
you visit those they will take a lot of your time (while the Pass ticks
on unused...).

I would recommend you to plan which sights you absolutely want to see
and make a calculation of the enry fees. All the attractions have their
own web pages so just Google and you'll be there. Then compare it to the
Pass price and see which option suits you. Note that the Pass is
available for 3 or 6 days (as opposed to your 4) and that the prices are
given _without_ tax! (17,5%). (I always use a spreadsheet (Excel these
days) to do the math for me 8-) and I'm always shocked to see what it
all will cost! Oh well, that's what we work for , isn't it? ;-) )

Some sites to begin with:

http://www.londonpass.com/index2.asp
http://eu.visitlondon.com/index.html
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/ (the London Transport site)
http://www.hrp.org.uk/webcode/home.asp (historic castles)
http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/

--
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

"One person LOVES castles, and the other just loves history."

Definitely see the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace.

The Museum of London is an excellent and very comprehensive historical
museum.

The British Museum is a must-see, especially the Egyptian and Greek
collections.

You might consider a historical walking tour offered by the group
"London Walks".

You can get virtually everywhere of interest quickly on the subway
(a.k.a. the underground or the tube), so you don't need the
double-decker bus unless you really want to take it.

Liverpool has an excellent museum called the Merseyside Maritime
Museum, which among other things contains the foremost exhibit about
slavery and the slave trade of any museum in the world.

Liverpool also has a lot of Beatles-related sights. The club where
they played their first shows is now a cafe, but a replica of it was
opened across the street from it, there are memorabilia stores devoted
to them, and clubs often feature Beatles cover bands.

Try to see a soccer game in Liverpool if you can, especially if
Liverpool FC is playing their cross-town rivals Everton.

Also to mention the www.londonwalks.com programs were a real hit with
me, relatively inexpensive and many include discounted fees for
admissions and Thames boat tours...

Tim K

"B Vaughan" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 09:44:21 +0300, Markku Ilmanen
wrote:

I am currently doing similar planning and I think that the London
Pass
is overpriced for our needs. Sure, you gain access to all major
sights
(except the big commercial ones like Tussauds or London Dungeon,
which
we will avoid anyway; the entry fees are ridiculous!.

A lot of London Museums are free, which also reduces the value of the
Pass..

The big plus is of course
that you don't have to stand in lines and hassle with the entry fees,

I don't know if this is still true, but you used to be able to buy
entry tickets to many attractions, such as the Tower of London and
Hampton Court Palace, from the ticket window in the Underground, in
combination with the ticket.

If the weather is nice, a boat ride to Hampton Court is very pleasant.
You can enter the gardens without paying, although the palace has a
hefty entrance fee. It's probably worth it once in your life, but if
you want a very nice cheap outing, go to Hampton Court via the
Underground, stroll around the gardens, have a snack in the garden
restaurant, and go back via the boat along the Thames.

The boat to Greenwich is also a nice ride. The children would probably
like to tour the Cutty Sark, and the Observatory is also very
interesting.



and you can do impromptu quick visits to places you otherwise would
not
waste your money in.
If you are interested in museums you should note that the state (?)
owned, like British Museum, Natural History etc., are all free and if
you visit those they will take a lot of your time (while the Pass
ticks
on unused...).

I would recommend you to plan which sights you absolutely want to see
and make a calculation of the enry fees. All the attractions have
their
own web pages so just Google and you'll be there. Then compare it to
the
Pass price and see which option suits you. Note that the Pass is
available for 3 or 6 days (as opposed to your 4) and that the prices
are
given _without_ tax! (17,5%). (I always use a spreadsheet (Excel
these
days) to do the math for me 8-) and I'm always shocked to see what it
all will cost! Oh well, that's what we work for , isn't it? ;-) )

Some sites to begin with:

http://www.londonpass.com/index2.asp
http://eu.visitlondon.com/index.html
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/ (the London Transport site)
http://www.hrp.org.uk/webcode/home.asp (historic castles)
http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/

--
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero
dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

I have visited London plenty of times. The most interesting thing I've
done there is visit a murder trial at the Snaresbrook court house.
Having never been to a trial before, and particularly one in England,
it was fascinating, as my wife and daughter agree.

George

where do you get on the boat to Greenwich and do you know about what
it costs for a round trip? what is the best time to leave/return? I
haven't been to the Observatory or the Cutty Sark (although I've been
by it on a boat tour some years ago). sounds like it could be a nice
change since the river ride is always interesting.

steve



On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 19:19:37 +0200, B wrote:

On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 09:44:21 +0300, Markku Ilmanen
wrote:




If the weather is nice, a boat ride to Hampton Court is very pleasant.
You can enter the gardens without paying, although the palace has a
hefty entrance fee. It's probably worth it once in your life, but if
you want a very nice cheap outing, go to Hampton Court via the
Underground, stroll around the gardens, have a snack in the garden
restaurant, and go back via the boat along the Thames.

The boat to Greenwich is also a nice ride. The children would probably
like to tour the Cutty Sark, and the Observatory is also very
interesting.




http://www.londonpass.com/index2.asp
http://eu.visitlondon.com/index.html
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/ (the London Transport site)
http://www.hrp.org.uk/webcode/home.asp (historic castles)
http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/

Below is a copy of an e-mail I sent last month to a pal In SA who is
coming to the UK in August. Some of the links may be of value to you.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jimmy I hope that the following links and information will help.

A tip would be to put this info on a floppy disc and bring it with
you - or print it out.

In general it is far cheaper to travel by bus than by train.

LONDON
London is horrendously expensive even for us Brits! But it has to be
said that it is worth a visit for all that.

Hotel chain, clean and good value. Out of central London but as long
as it is near an Underground Station that is no problem simply buy a
day rover ticket and you can go on the underground all day to visit
the sites. Greenwich is my favourite place in London!
http://www.accorhotels.com/accorhote...ituation.shtml
http://www.accorhotels.com/accorhote...ituation.shtml


BED AND BREAKFAST PLACES/HOTELS UK
http://www.smoothound.co.uk/ (Can find almost anything in this site).
http://www.travelodge.co.uk/index.php
http://www.premiertravelinn.com/pti/home.do


CAR HIRE DUBLIN
http://www.alamo.co.uk/ (Use this link for car hire in Ireland also)
http://www.budget-ireland.com/
http://www.holidayautos.co.uk/

CAR HIRE UK
http://www.alamo.co.uk/
http://www.auto-europe.co.uk/index.cfm


BUS TOUR
http://www.wild-in-scotland.com/12duki.php
http://www.london-tours.info/
http://www.parrys-international.co.uk/htmls/main.htm
http://www.wallacearnold.com/
http://www.coachtrips.com/

Jimmy my initial reaction is that these trips are far too expensive
for what they are. In my opinion you would be better off hiring a car
and finding your own accommodation in the evening.

EUROLINES/NATIONAL BUSES
http://www.nationalexpress.com/eurol...site/index.cfm
http://www.nationalexpress.com/home/hp.cfm
http://www.nationalexpress.com/bx/index.cfm

Jimmy you can get a bus from Dublin to London or indeed any major city
in the UK or mainland Europe. A bus you ask, surely Ireland is an
island! Yes of course it is but the ticket includes the ferry crossing
and would in itself be a mini tour as it travels from Dublin to
Holyhead in North Wales by ferry and then down the spine of England to
London by coach. You could of course book a return trip London-Dublin,
Dublin-London.
The bus station is very conveniently situated in central London and
you can get a bus to there from Heathrow and Stanstead airports.

LOW COST AIRLINES
http://www.bmibaby.com/
http://www.ryanair.com/
http://www.easyjet.com/

I think for accommodation in Ireland Jimmy it is just best to go where
ever you please then around early evening go in a pub and ask the
landlord if he knows of a place to stay - the pubs often do B&B
themselves.

TRAINS
http://www.seat61.com/

(Fantastic site with train/ferry info worldwide
Home page is devoted to UK/Ireland)

THESE LINKS SHOULD KEEP YOU BUSY FOR A WHILE - i SHALL ADD TO THEM AND
UPDATE AS AND WHEN.