Nothing is Certain in London… But Expense
The quotation was written by William Shenstone more than 2 centuries ago but nothing has changed much in London. At least, this is what I believed until my last visit to London. When thinking of London, the first things that come to mind are London Zoo, London Eye, Sea Life London Aquarium, and so forth. However, mere thought of visiting London brought hard-hitting question, “Can I afford it?” After vain attempts, I succumbed to the unfathomable desire to visit this land of adventures. But the last thing I wanted to be concerned about was the cost of my hotel. It’s best if you can shake hand with a Londoner who has a spare room, staying in a hostel will at least cost you f £25 per night, and if you stay where you want to, expect to pay at least £120. So, is a London hotel is an expensive preposition? To my surprise, the answer is no.
The Accommodation
Hotel booking agencies and websites have popped up on the scene and grown tremendously, making the market highly competitive, resulting in highly reasonable prices for customers. There are two types of travellers, one who play hard, and others who play smart. Often travellers end up booking a bed and breakfast accommodation which literally offers them nothing more than “bed and bread”. But the smart travellers know how to enjoy luxurious stay within the limited budget. If you are among the smart ones, which I suppose you are, you must have heart about websites like and alike, the ones that offer secret hotel deals. No? Let me fill you in.
Deal or No Deal
Since I have personally booked a secret London hotel, I highly recommend it if you really want to save money. Not because I blindly trusted the website but because one of my friends recommended it. The process is more like a blind date. You don’t know where you’re going to stay until the deal is done. Once I was satisfied with the description, location, and star rating of the hotel, I booked it. Within a stipulated time, I got an email containing the name of the hotel and all the information. I just had one thing in mind before booking that the “star rating” is given and I am getting 50% discount. And how can a four star experience can turn out to be a B&B.
Transport
Then, once the hotel and flight was booked, the next budget blowing thing was eat outs and sightseeing. Again, quite surprisingly, most of the London museums, royal parks, and galleries are free to enter. But one thing that left a whole in my wallet was that I traveled around the city on a black cab for a day which turned out to be too expensive. Next day, I bought an Oyster Card from a tube station and breathed a sigh of relief.
Frugal Food
Never ever, think of dining at your hotel restaurant. They will literally eat up your holiday budget and leave you with no cash. It’s better to rather, go in a local bistro, the one that’s there in the corner of the street. Even if you prefer luxury eat out, check out websites like squaremeal.co.uk that offer special restaurant deals.
London is counted amongst expensive cities but with some thoughtfulness, you can save huge money during your trip as I did. Happy journey to those who are planning to visit London!
Author: Abhinav Jai.
