More tips for London on the cheap
By Chris Oliver
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Travel during the off-season: From November to mid-March, you can find cheaper flights and hotels. Use prepaid phone cards to call home. Obtain euros from local ATM machines at reasonable exchange rates.
Theater tickets: The Half Price Theatre Ticket Booth in Leicester Square sells discount tickets for same-day West End theater shows. Service charge is $5 per ticket. Cash and credit cards only, www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk.
Like water and chocolate: Stave off hunger. Buy bottled water and a pack of chocolate bars at a supermarket for far less than what you pay at tourist sites.
GETTING AROUND: Buy an Oyster card, a pay-as-you-go plastic card the size of a credit card that you can top up as needed, saving money on regular bus and tube fares. Available at tube stations and news agents. Multi-day Travel Cards also save money and time spent in lines for tickets. Red double-decker buses offer the best value: The No. 11 bus will take you by the Bank of England, Mansion House, St. Paul's Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, Downing Street, Westminster Abbey and King's Road. The No. 73 takes you along Oxford Street to Marble Arch and on to Kensington, past Hyde Park and Harrods.
London Transport: Web site has great maps for tourists, including a bus map showing routes and major tourist attractions: www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/1106.aspx.
Walk: The center of London is a great place to walk, and you'll see more by going on two feet. Check www.walks.com for distances of guided and self-guided tours. Download podcasts of London walks at www.londonwalks.libsyn.com.
WHERE TO STAY:
WHERE TO EAT
According to the new Zagat guide, the average meal in the capital now costs a daunting $80, up 2.9 percent from last year, for three courses with one glass of wine). Outrageous!
BEST RESOURCE: Time Out London's Cheap Eats section. www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/features/2553.html. You'll find every category of cuisine, from Caribbean cuisine to Malaysian, Mediterranean to pie and mash. There's a wide of laces to eat out and spend less.
BEST BET: London pubs serve hot food and sandwiches at lunch and in the evening; the menu is on a blackboard. A pint of beer in central London is about $5.50. Find good pubs at www.londontown.com.
RECOMMENDED: Cafe in the Crypt at St. Martin in the Fields, Trafalgar Square; large portions, good value.
BRING HOME: Sainsburys, Tescos and Marks & Spencers have delicious English biscuits (cookies) and chocolates for under $10, beautifully gift-wrapped.
Reach Chris Oliver at coliver@honoluluadvertiser.com.
