| In 2008 the Guardian reported that London is the | | | | SAVE, SAVE, SAVE: |
| most expensive city in the world to live and rent a | | | | Thrifty theatre There are various measures you can |
| property. Those living in the UK capital may be | | | | take to save money. Planning ahead and booking |
| compensated for the high cost of living with slightly | | | | tickets well in advance can save you lots of money |
| higher than average wages - but what about | | | | on trips to the theatre. Lots of websites also offer |
| tourists? | | | | an evening meal along with tickets to a show, which |
| SPEND, SPEND, SPEND: | | | | can mean serious savings - especially if you're part of |
| That's entertainment Anyone travelling to London | | | | a big group. |
| may be surprised to find that tickets to see a show | | | | Budget-friendly food You don't need to buy tickets |
| in the world-famous West End will start at around | | | | to the theatre to get a good deal on food in London. |
| £40 - and that will probably be for a seat in the | | | | Websites like offer fantastic savings, including up to |
| rafters! Eating out tends to be similarly extortionate, | | | | 50% off at certain restaurants. It's worth taking a |
| with an average evening meal costing anything from | | | | look at and also at various restaurant voucher |
| £20 per head. Even a quick sandwich on the run will | | | | websites to find some delicious bargains - which will |
| probably cost the best part of a fiver and since | | | | allow you to save a bit of money to really splash out |
| visitors to the city will be eating out for every meal | | | | on somewhere special. |
| the running total quickly adds up. | | | | Walk on by While a trip on an iconic London red bus |
| Getting around Then there's transportation. London | | | | is a must for an out-of-towner, tourists often tend |
| has a whole host of famous landmarks that any | | | | to hop on the tube without realising that London is a |
| tourist should try to see - including Big Ben, the | | | | great city for walking. The London Underground map |
| Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park and | | | | is not to scale and as such places can look further |
| the Natural History Museum - to name but a few. | | | | from each other than they really are. The London |
| The bad news is that the must-see visitor spots are | | | | Underground is a great thing to experience but |
| dotted about all over the city. Public transport tends | | | | travelling while tucked underground can mean you |
| to be the cheapest way to get about, whether | | | | miss out on seeing lots of London's finest views. Plan |
| that's on the London Underground, the rail, tram or | | | | your route carefully in advance to ensure you don't |
| bus networks. Depending on the length of your stay | | | | miss out on any sites - for example St. Paul's |
| in London you'll probably want to get a TFL travel | | | | Cathedral, the Tate Modern, Shakespeare's Globe and |
| card that covers transportation across the whole of | | | | the London Eye are all pretty close and you can |
| London. These range from £7 for one day, when | | | | travel between any of them via a lovely stroll along |
| you travel off-peak (9.30am - 4.30pm) up to £44.60 | | | | the Thames. |
| for a week's off-peak travel. | | | | Capital idea! Whether you're in London for a gig at |
| Somewhere to stay And all of this is on top of your | | | | Wembley arena, a game at Twickenham, an event |
| accommodation costs. According to Hotels.com, in | | | | at the O2 or simply to see the sites - you'll probably |
| 2008 the average hotel room cost £115 per night. | | | | want somewhere to rest your head. The good news |
| When you consider that you probably need a good | | | | for those on a budget is that there is such a thing as |
| few days to see London properly, accommodation | | | | homestay. |
| can easily double the cost of your trip. | | | | |