Our family loved London, though at times we did wish it had been warmer. We had heard horror stories about how expensive the city is, but I have to say, we were pleasantly surprised that while it is a major international city with a strong British Pound that will leave most people on the losing end of the exchange rate game, it can be reasonably affordable. Here is what we did to keep costs down:
1) We didn't stay at a hotel. Instead, we stayed in a house through VRBO (Vacation Rentals by Owner). I read the reviews of the place by previous vacationers, and everyone raved about how helpful the owners were. When we got there, they welcomed us with two cell phones, food in the fridge, brochures to tourist attractions, and so forth. It really was like being home. The other option for us would have been to rent two hotel rooms, and that would have cost us at least 50% more, not to mention that staying in a hotel would have forced us to eat out every time, rather than cook our own meals.
2) We used the TerraVision Stansted-London bus shuttle, which was less than half the cost of a private car, and definitely cheaper than the train. True, it took a little longer, and it doesn't have a bathroom (we had to gamble that the three-year old wouldn't have the urge), but it worked out very well for us. We bought tickets through the Internet ahead of time and managed to save even more.
3) We bought six-day Oyster Cards, which allowed us to travel through the city in buses and trains (tubes) at a fixed cost. We bought these right at the Victoria Train Station. The cards are scanned upon entering buses and tube stations. Families can use the handicapped section, since children under 12 can ride for free, and they can all enter at once.
4) We got a family membership to the Historic Royal Palaces, which allowed us all entry into the Tower of London, Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace, and Banqueting House. Admittedly, in theory we should have saved a bundle, but three of these places were closed while we were there, as the city readies for the summer Olympics. We bought the membership while in London, and got a temporary (30 day) card at the Tower of London.
5) London offers family tickets to many attractions (like the Globe), so we took advantage of those wherever we could.
6) We went to the free museums and found that the adage that you get what you pay for isn't always true. These museums are outstanding, and in a week we barely had enough time to get to three of them. The National Gallery, the Victorian Albert, the Natural History, were just a few that we got to visit. The Natural History Museum was the most popular among the kids, and we would have spent more time there had a certain mommy not wanted to spend extra time at the other museums.
7) We ate at the Crypt, which is across the way from the London Gallery. It gets packed in there, so we had to make sure someone scoped out and held a table while the rest of the family got their food. The kids also loved the food at the Tower of London.
8) For ATMs, we tried to use the ones that were partners with our banks so that we could avoid extraordinary fees.
9) We found a supermarket right around the corner from our house that offered everything from ready-made dinners to frozen pizzas. My wife and I got hooked on their Indian dinners which were actually much cheaper than in the U.S.
1) We didn't stay at a hotel. Instead, we stayed in a house through VRBO (Vacation Rentals by Owner). I read the reviews of the place by previous vacationers, and everyone raved about how helpful the owners were. When we got there, they welcomed us with two cell phones, food in the fridge, brochures to tourist attractions, and so forth. It really was like being home. The other option for us would have been to rent two hotel rooms, and that would have cost us at least 50% more, not to mention that staying in a hotel would have forced us to eat out every time, rather than cook our own meals.
2) We used the TerraVision Stansted-London bus shuttle, which was less than half the cost of a private car, and definitely cheaper than the train. True, it took a little longer, and it doesn't have a bathroom (we had to gamble that the three-year old wouldn't have the urge), but it worked out very well for us. We bought tickets through the Internet ahead of time and managed to save even more.
3) We bought six-day Oyster Cards, which allowed us to travel through the city in buses and trains (tubes) at a fixed cost. We bought these right at the Victoria Train Station. The cards are scanned upon entering buses and tube stations. Families can use the handicapped section, since children under 12 can ride for free, and they can all enter at once.
4) We got a family membership to the Historic Royal Palaces, which allowed us all entry into the Tower of London, Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace, and Banqueting House. Admittedly, in theory we should have saved a bundle, but three of these places were closed while we were there, as the city readies for the summer Olympics. We bought the membership while in London, and got a temporary (30 day) card at the Tower of London.
5) London offers family tickets to many attractions (like the Globe), so we took advantage of those wherever we could.
6) We went to the free museums and found that the adage that you get what you pay for isn't always true. These museums are outstanding, and in a week we barely had enough time to get to three of them. The National Gallery, the Victorian Albert, the Natural History, were just a few that we got to visit. The Natural History Museum was the most popular among the kids, and we would have spent more time there had a certain mommy not wanted to spend extra time at the other museums.
7) We ate at the Crypt, which is across the way from the London Gallery. It gets packed in there, so we had to make sure someone scoped out and held a table while the rest of the family got their food. The kids also loved the food at the Tower of London.
8) For ATMs, we tried to use the ones that were partners with our banks so that we could avoid extraordinary fees.
9) We found a supermarket right around the corner from our house that offered everything from ready-made dinners to frozen pizzas. My wife and I got hooked on their Indian dinners which were actually much cheaper than in the U.S.
Sounds like some great planning! Hope you all enjoy Paris as much. The architecture there is so beautiful and make sure you eat some chocolate crepes.
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