Ah, London. It is a city of great shopping, chic hotels, intriguing history and fantastic shopping. In the summer, London buzzes with tourists eager for a glimpse of the queen and a photo with one of her crazy-hatted stoic guards. For many people, the trouble with visiting London can be the prices which, considering the value of the Pound Sterling, are not always affordable for those on tight budgets.
However, the tightening economy has actually transformed London into a delightfully cheap city, if you know where to look. Summer 2010 could prove to be one of the cheapest on record, so here are a few tips on the most affordable hotels in London, as well as the city’s cheapest shopping and activities.
Hotels
Searching for affordable hotels in London is a bit like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Unlike Paris, London doesn’t have specific neighbourhoods that are home to only cheap accommodation. Instead, affordable hotels sit side-by-side with high end ones across London, so finding the perfect one for you can be tricky. The city’s endless sprawl and hundreds of winding streets can make choosing a district difficult.
In general, the best way to find affordable accommodation in London is to choose a district or neighbourhood slightly away from the city centre. London’s massive public transit system, including the extremely convenient London Underground network, makes getting around the city quite easy, even across longer distances.
In general, though, some of the more affordable areas of London in terms of accommodation include the historic Bloomsbury neighbourhood, home of the British Museum, as well as Westminster, where a number of affordable motels and B&Bs are located nearby some of London’s most famous sites, such as Westminster Abbey and Parliament, home to the iconic clock tower, Big Ben.
Shopping
The wonderful thing about a city of London’s size is that it has just about everything on offer that one could possibly want. Although often known for its high end shopping in areas like Bond Street and Tottenham Court Road, where rows of upmarket designers like Louis Vuitton and Jimmy Choo have camped out, there are also plenty of affordable shopping options in London’s more bohemian corners.
This summer, London’s most affordable shopping options are its undiscovered secondhand bookshops and alternative music and clothing stores. Head off the tourist masses in Covent Garden by making for the sleepier and much more interesting Charing Cross Road nearby. Here, rows upon rows of quaint bookstores peddle every type of book imaginable, from antiquarian editions to new titles.
Meanwhile, both Soho and Camden Town offer heaps of alternative clothing shops, craft markets and army surplus stores where funky colours and patterns spill out onto the footpaths in bargain bins. Prices here won’t break the bank and represent some of the most affordable shopping in London.
Activities
London is a city of infinite activity possibilities, many of which cost little or nothing. This is great news for budget travellers who are already daunted by the city’s reputation as one of the most expensive in the world. Fear not! There are plenty of things to keep you interested in London on the cheap; indeed, many of the city’s most famous sites can be visited for free.
This summer, find affordable activities in London by avoiding the traditional tourist buses in favor of a self-guided city tour. Opt to buy a refillable Oyster Card, which provides access to all of London’s public transportation network. London is a city of architectural delights, many of which can be appreciated for free from the outside, including the Palace of Westminster and Buckingham Palace.
London is also a city of many beautiful outdoor parks and gardens, so if you get a spurt of good summer weather, head to Trafalgar Square for an afternoon of people-watching or meander through leafy Hyde Park to Speakers’ Corner, where you can hear locals shouting a piece of their minds from a small soapbox.
Photo by Trodel.
Tags: Activities, b&b, Big Ben, Bloomsbury, Bond Street, bookshops, Buckingham Palace, budget travel, Camden Town, Charing Cross Road, clothing, Covent Garden, Hotels, Hyde Park, Jimmy Choo, London, London Underground, Louis Vuitton, motel, Oyster Card, Palace of Westminster, Parliament, Shopping, Soho, Speakers' Corner, Tottenham Court Road, Trafalger Square, Westminster, Westminster Abbey
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