I'm a college student and Europe is very expensive. I can't spent too much for the hotel so where would you suggest I should go and stay? It's going to be me and my friend.
2007-04-25 12:03:02 · 4 answers · asked by Lisa 1 in Travel ➔ United Kingdom ➔ London
I apologize that this is long, but you asked a big question ;-)
Since it sounds like it's your first time in London I would recommend staying in Central London where you're closest to all the sights and everything is more convenient. However, finding inexpensive places to stay here is hard.
Since you're in college I think the best and cheapest option for you in London would be a Youth Hostel. Find one at www.hostelworld.com. As a general rule, hostels in the city are not as nice as those in the country so pay close attention to the ratings that other users have given the hostels. You should be safest with a Youth Hostel Association (YHA) hostel. There are several in London. You have to pay to join the YHA but this small extra cost is worth having a cleaner and safer place to stay. Hostels are great for young people because the environment is laid back and you will meet lots of new people from all over the world.
If hostels are a little too rough for you, you may wish to go the Bed and Breakfast route. Though London B&B's also aren't as charming and homey as the ones in the country, they're much more inexpensive than large hotels and offer private ensuite rooms that are usually quite clean. I've stayed in the Vegas hotel near Victoria Station. This room was bizarre since you entered through the loo to get to the bed, however, at least it was ensuite, cheap, clean, included breakfast and had a television. That area around and behind Victoria has dozens of similar B&Bs, and I'm sure the same is true of areas surrounding most of the city's main train stations. Staying near Victoria is a good idea because of all the great transportation connections and it's a safe area. www.4hotels.co.uk is a good place to start B&B shopping. The bigger sites like www.hotels.com, www.expedia.com, etc. usually have some B&B listings for London as well.
As far as where to go the possibilities are ENDLESS. Definitely hit the big sites, London Eye (on a nice day), Big Ben, British Museum, Piccadilly Circus, Tower Bridge (cheap and great exhibition), see some plays (get discount tickets at the TKTS booth in Leicester Square, Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill on a Saturday, Camden Town Market. Those are the MUSTS!
Since you have so much time I would recommend taking a few day trips. Take one to Greenwich which is technically in London and accessible via the Docklands Light Rail. You can take buses from Victoria Station, buses are a lot cheaper than the train. Bath, Oxford, Brighton, Salisbury/Stonehenge and many others make GREAT day trips.
Since you're on a budget check out www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk to locate weatherspoons pubs near you. These excellent restaurant/pubs offer traditional English meals at super bargain prices. I pretty much lived off of their 5 pound meals in London and didn't get bored because there was a huge variety. The meals are even cheaper at weatherspoons in the small towns like Bath.
Again, sorry so long but i hope it was helpful!
2007-04-25 13:29:34 · answer #1 · answered by Scotch Tape 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I went to London last December and I've never had so much fun! I was on a really tight budget so I had to stay in a hostel, which is a great choice for a college student who wants to meet people anyways. St. Christopher's Village on Borough High Street has a really fun atmosphere, nice staff, clean beds, and a bar in the hostel that many Londoners go to. I'd definitely recommend it! It was about $21 a night, a little more on the weekends. If you want to choose a good, cheap hostel you can look on www.studentuniverse.com .
If you're on a budget the best plan for food is to simply buy some food at a market and try to make it last for the whole time you are there. I bought some stuff for PB&J sandwiches and only bought a meal once a day. Also, it is a lot cheaper in the long run if you buy a pass for the tubes, as the subways are less expensive than a taxi and can get you anywhere you want to go much faster anyways.
As for sites to see, you should definitely check out the Houses of Parliament (even if you don't go inside, the architecture is beautiful), the London Eye (where you can get a birds-eye view of London and take great pictures), St. Paul's Cathedral, Camden Town Market (which is expensive but fun to look at), Buckingham Palace, the Tower Bridge, Westminister Abbey, etc. A lot of these places are free (excluding the London Eye which is about 15 euros) and give you a great taste of London.
Finally, make sure you hit up the clubs and bars! They are a hundred times better than American bars and their beer is way better. I recommend trying a pint of Fruili (pronounced frooly) which is a strawberry beer that is divine. Other than that, have a great trip and take lots of pictures!
2007-04-25 21:21:42 · answer #2 · answered by Jen 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I really enjoy the Marble Arch area Lisa. Anywhere on Oxford Street near Piccadilly is cool too.
2007-04-26 02:10:16 · answer #3 · answered by gayconservativ 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
check out these 2 sites, they are websites for the tnt & time out magazines...they list accommodation, places to eat, etc...
http://www.timeout.com/london/
http://www.tntmagazine.com/
2007-04-27 10:44:05 · answer #4 · answered by *atomickitty* 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋