Looking to travel to London? Here's how to half the cost

Kevin!

It is a long post, but it's a worthwhile read if you're heading over

London can seem like an extremely costly place. Thanks to Mr O Leary flights have become very affordable, but that’s where the value ends if your not in the loop.

Flights to London

Generally, Ryanair is the most cost effective method of flying to London. I find that Gatwick airport is the most ideal of Ryanairs offerings.
As long as you stay within their guidelines no extra fees can be levied so just be aware of the baggage restrictions - or you could be hit with an on the spot fine boarding the aircraft.

Ryanair have recently upped the baggage limit, it is now one small travel bag (up to 10kg) and additionally, a small carry on bag per passenger. If you’re only travelling over for a day or two, this shouldn’t be too difficult to stay within.

Ryanair aren’t always the cheapest method of air travel, a handy website http://skyscanner.net can do the comparison for you and compare prices amongst airlines and also travel agents.

Accommodation

A place to stay in can cost an arm and a leg, especially in central London. The advice I would offer here is to stay out of the main thoroughfare and utilize the frequent and reliable travel network offered (more mentioned later) to commute to a hotel close by (such as in Chelsea). A quick commute can result in a huge saving.

Similarly, you can simply visit http://trivago.ie to find affordable accommodation close to London. It is advisable that you cross check the hotel reviews on TripAdvisor as reviews can be inflated on Trivago. We managed to stay in a hotel in Chelsea for 44e a night for two people sharing.

Commuting to London

Trains in London are extortionate, or at least can be if your not prepared. Most people would opt to use the Gatwick Express, which costs about £34 return. Granted it is the most efficient method of getting into London (30 minutes), but it’s certainly not the cheapest and there is a close alternative - Southern Railways standard service.

Advance tickets booked with Southern Railways cost £20 return and the service takes approximately 50 minutes - a saving of £14 per person for an additional 20 minutes on the train.

http://www.southernrailway.com/tickets-and-fares/ticket-types/

Another economy option is getting EasyBus, run by the operators of EasyJet. Prices start at £4 return but tickets this affordable have to be booked in advance. Being a road service, it is subject to traffic jams especially entering central London so it could take a long time to get to London Victoria. For the sake of the delay, unless your not in a rush it’s probably best to opt for the train.

http://www.easybus.co.uk/

Getting around London

The transport system in London is incredible, short of a nuclear meltdown the tube would not take the 20 minutes you can often be left waiting for the DART or Luas.
Get an Oyster Card An Oyster card is essentially your passport for getting around and using the bus and tube services in London. It’s very similar to the Leap card that is operated in Dublin and can be bought and topped up at any Tube station.

If you buy a standard ticket each time you pass through a tube station, or buy a daily ticket it will work out significantly more expensive than using an Oyster Card. Oyster cards are essentially free, but do require a £5 deposit which is refundable once the card is returned to a ticket office at the end of your trip.

With an oyster card, travel expenses are capped. For zones one and two, Off Peak Price Cap is £7.00 and Peak Price cap is £8.40. The vast majority of touristy areas are contained within these zones – it’s an additional pound or so cap for zone three if you are travelling further afield. You won’t automatically be charged the cap, but only if you use up to it – so you’re not at any loss if you don’t commute as much as you had anticipated.

Think about it, travel from your hotel to central London – included, travel to sights on the tube line such as Buckingham palace – covered, abbey road – covered, and you’ll never be waiting more than five minutes to get there. All public bus services are included also.

Excursions

The reason most people travel to London, and the people who set the prices know it.
There’s a scheme running in the UK that if you present a valid rail card (can’t be an oyster or tube ticket, you can use the ticket from the southern railway service from Gatwick) to get buy one get one free on select transactions.

This includes Madame Toussads, which would usually be £30 each but is only £30 for two tickets.
London Dungeon, London eye and countless other offers are available also. The offer also applies to select restaurants.

You must print the voucher from this website: http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/food-drink-shopping?page=3 and present it with the rail ticket when availing of discounts.

The London science museum is another incredible place to visit, and entry is surprisingly free of charge. It Is literally linked on to the South Kensington tube station.

Musicals
The most expensive method of buying a ticket for a show in London is buying from a vendor such as Ticketmaster, as they don’t discount. As the date approaches, the price of musical tickets haemorrhage. Your best bet is to buy tickets on the day prior or of the event to get the best price. Most of the musicals in the west end run day in and day out and they will literally do anything to fill seats.

Take a trip to Leister Square (accessible by tube and bus) to find an explosion of ticket merchants. It absolutely pays off to go to a couple to compare prices, because they don’t all have the same supplier. We got tickets to see the book of Mormon for £50 each (down from £170) and tickets to wicked for £27 (down from £80).



The potential savings from the suggestions for airfare, accommodation, transportation, and excursions could literally half the cost of your trip to London or even, enable you to do more. It took a fair bit of research to find out about all of the tips and tricks, so I reckoned it would be useful for anyone planning to travel to London to have a basis of getting value for money.

spockety

Not a traditional bargain alert but a great post. The bogof on attractions using a rail ticket is a really good one. Fair play.

Brian

Tube is £7 (or less) into town from Heathrow if you fly DUB - LHR with Aer Lingus / British Airways. Definitely worth factoring in the airport-to-city transport costs along with the generally more pleasant experience when avoiding Ryanair.

dingding

You can get a sail/rail ticket from Dublin to London for 39Euro

http://www.stenaline.ie/ferries-to-britain/rail-sail

And no baggage allowance.

geecee

Brian wrote: »

Tube is £7 (or less) into town from Heathrow if you fly DUB - LHR with Aer Lingus / British Airways. Definitely worth factoring in the airport-to-city transport costs along with the generally more pleasant experience when avoiding Ryanair.

+1 for that
The piccadilly line to Heathrow is in Zone 6... but if you have already been travelling on the tube all day @8.40 cap... its usually only an extra pound or so to get to Heathrow...

on_my_oe

If you take the number 11 bus from Fulham Broadway, it goes pass many of the attractions (so you don't pay for a London buss tour)

For discount vouchers for restaurants, look at http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/cheap-restaurant-deals Mainly chain deals but still...

Also try Wetherspoons or Slug and Lettuce for cheap meals - not gourmet but still better than McDonalds and for the same price.

Laterooms.com can be good for accommodation... Alternatively try registering for lastminute.com the UK version.. Click on a link in their email newsletter that takes you to their website, search for London but don't book Within a day you'll get a discount code for 10%-20% off.

For young ones heading over and looking for mischief on a Sunday, try 'The Church' held during the day at the Grand in Clapham. You won't be absolved of your sins, but you'll stumble away happily

RDM_83 again

Kevin! wrote: »

Ryanair aren’t always the cheapest method of air travel, a handy website http://skyscanner.net can do the comparison for you and compare prices amongst airlines and also travel agents.

Good post but its worth noting that you should really check ryanairs website rather than relying on skyscanner for prices with them as in my experience it doesn't seem to pull the right prices for Ryanair

grimm2005

Couple of tips also, if you really want to keep costs down, flights to Stansted and Luton with Ryanair are usually a bit cheaper then Gatwick and they both have bus services to central London in an hour. For example the Terravision bus from Stansted gets you to Liverpool st. in 55 minutes and costs £14 return.

Also if you want to stay in central London (within zone 1) there are some great budget hotels available such as Tune hotels and easyHotel. You can get a double room in either from around £55 (per room), so around £30 each a night. Can't speak for easyHotel but stayed in Tune in Liverpool st. and it's perfectly clean and comfortable and would highly recommend it as a base to get to all the sights in London (or anywhere in zone 1 to be honest).

Also if you're buying last minute tickets to a west end show, it's recommended you use the TKTS permanent booth in the square in Leicester Square as they are the only official re-seller of west end tickets and all profits go back into the theater industry there.

J_E

Get your train tickets here, much cheaper in many cases;

http://www.thetrainline.com/

Here's a hostel I like staying at that's cheaper than a hotel and still has a great feel about it;

http://www.palmerslodges.com/swisscottage/hostel/

blobbie

http://splitticket.moneysavingexpert.com/tool.php

Handy for savings on train from Gatwick to London stops.

Saves me a pint each way when I travel 😀

Melissa30

Thanks OP heading over in May, will have a read of this later.

brian_gall85

Instead of buying an oyster card from the underground stations, buy a travelcard for the days you need. It covers unlimited travel with the zones you buy it for, but unlike the oyster card it can be used with the national rail 2 for 1 vouchers.

Sgt Pepper 64

Theres a lot of ways to save money on attractions

the above post on the hi life card

and adults go free vouchers on Kellogg's cereals

Look for promotional packs of Kellogg's cereal, including Rice Krispies, Coco Pops, Corn Flakes, Frosties and Crunchy Nut (£2-£3), which include a "Grown Ups go free" voucher (usually up to £48 a ticket).

These can be used at 27 Merlin attractions, such as Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Sea Life centres and sanctuaries, and Madame Tussauds, until 30 Jun 2015. It also includes the EDF Energy London Eye, but only until Fri 18 Apr, with very limited availability (Merlin's confirmed to us that it's included.)
Effectively this is a 2for1, as you must buy a full-price child or adult ticket to get the free adult entry.
This voucher’s best to grab so you can go at any time

This is probably the easiest of the three Merlin deals which are currently available. You can grab it, put it in a drawer, then use it at any time in 2014, including the summer (some dates are excluded, see below). If you’re planning to go sometime, but aren’t sure when, this is perfect.
As this 2for1 is for on the gate tickets, it’s always worth checking online before you use the voucher as these tickets tend to be discounted. Also make sure there are no other deals on, as attractions have offers all year round.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/legoland-vouchers

Padraig Mor

Kevin! wrote: »

Trains in London are extortionate, or at least can be if not prepared. Most people would opt to use the Gatwick Express, which costs about £34 return. Granted it is the most efficient method of getting into London (30 minutes), but it’s certainly not the cheapest and there is a close alternative - Southern Railways standard service.

Advance tickets booked with Southern Railways cost £20 return and the service takes approximately 50 minutes - a saving of £14 per person for an additional 20 minutes on the train.

First Capital Connect is an even better option that Southern - like Southern they go to/from London Bridge station, but they're way faster - in fact, at 29 minutes, they're actually 1 minute faster than the Gatwick Express! Fares are the same or very similar to Southern (fare structure for both is complicated). Cheapest fare you will get is £5 one way, if you book a specific train (i.e. operator X, at time Y). I prefer the London Bridge>Gatwick "not Gatwick Express" walk up fare as it keeps you flexible. This is valid for any train between LBG and GTW on the day you buy, except the Gatwick Express. It's a walk up fare - just buy it from the machine in the station on the day. That way, you don't need to worry about getting to the station for a specific train, and if one operator is having delays, you can use the other no problem!

grimm2005 wrote: »

Couple of tips also, if you really want to keep costs down, flights to Stansted and Luton with Ryanair are usually a bit cheaper then Gatwick and they both have bus services to central London in an hour. For example the Terravision bus from Stansted gets you to Liverpool st. in 55 minutes and costs £14 return.

Stansted Express train is a rip off, so a lot of people use the bus above (and its National Express equivalent). However, the Terravision A52 is an even better deal - it gets you to Stratford station in 45 mins and costs only £6 each way. Stratford is only 3 stops from Liverpool St and is now a major hub in its own right since the Olympics, for which it was the main transport centre. Note as well that Terravision will stick you on a later bus for free if you miss yours - National Express charge extra for this (which you won't know unless you delve deep in the T&Cs).

Tipsy McSwagger

Heading over in November and yet to book flights. I'm confused about this oyster card thing and all the zones, i'll be staying near earls court but need to head to wembley stadium too. What is the best airport to fly into to get to earls court? How much do i need to put on an oyster card to get from the airport to the hotel and back + a trip to and back from wembley stadium?

**Timbuk2**

+1 for Terravision from Stansted - Stratford. The tube from Stratford - Liverpool St (or Central London in general) is quicker than by road especially at busier times.

beachhead

Heathrow is ideal for Earls Court-it takes you straight onto the tube network.Next would be Gatwick.Luton & Stanstead are on the wrong side of the city.London is divided into travel zones.Pick up a map at whatever airport you land in.An oyster card can be topped in £1 increments once you have the initial credit on it.I have been using my card for 4 years now.There is no need to go home with credit left on it unless you are going back again.Thats the major difference with a Leap card ie no need to apply for a refund.

chopperp

cheers

great thread

Kevin!

Tipsy McSwagger wrote: »

Heading over in November and yet to book flights. I'm confused about this oyster card thing and all the zones, i'll be staying near earls court but need to head to wembley stadium too. What is the best airport to fly into to get to earls court? How much do i need to put on an oyster card to get from the airport to the hotel and back + a trip to and back from wembley stadium?

Wembley Park tube is accessible by the Jubilee and Metropolitan lines (map here: http://ratisil.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/tube_map.gif) It appears to be in Zone 4.

From the map it looks like you should get the District line East from Earls court to Westminster and then join onto the Jubilee line from there to get to Wembley.

Most of the train services will bring you into London Victoria (if you were to choose Gatwick, for example). You can get the tube from London Victoria station to Earls court (it's only three stops) West.

The amount to put on the card really depends, it depends if your going to get the Tube from Heathrow or get a standard train from Gatwick. Best bet is to just stick a fair bit on, you can get it all back at the end if you don't use it so no loss

Tipsy McSwagger

Kevin! wrote: »

Wembley Park tube is accessible by the Jubilee and Metropolitan lines (map here: http://ratisil.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/tube_map.gif) It appears to be in Zone 4.

From the map it looks like you should get the District line East from Earls court to Westminster and then join onto the Jubilee line from there to get to Wembley.

Most of the train services will bring you into London Victoria (if you were to choose Gatwick, for example). You can get the tube from London Victoria station to Earls court (it's only three stops) West.

The amount to put on the card really depends, it depends if your going to get the Tube from Heathrow or get a standard train from Gatwick. Best bet is to just stick a fair bit on, you can get it all back at the end if you don't use it so no loss

I was going to get the Piccadilly line from Heathrow to earls court which looks like a straight enough route, have no idea how much it costs though.

Fred Swanson

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Fred Swanson

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momec

excellent post OP thanks

grimm2005

Padraig Mor wrote: »

Stansted Express train is a rip off, so a lot of people use the bus above (and its National Express equivalent). However, the Terravision A52 is an even better deal - it gets you to Stratford station in 45 mins and costs only £6 each way. Stratford is only 3 stops from Liverpool St and is now a major hub in its own right since the Olympics, for which it was the main transport centre. Note as well that Terravision will stick you on a later bus for free if you miss yours - National Express charge extra for this (which you won't know unless you delve deep in the T&Cs).

Yeah, I think it's about twice the price for a regular return ticket, so I've always avoided it, and the time difference is minimal.

Good tip for the Stratford bus. My brother is moving to a place in Canary Wharf soon near one of the DLR stations so this should be cheaper and way more convenient if I'm ever visiting.

newportlad

dingding wrote: »

You can get a sail/rail ticket from Dublin to London for 39Euro

http://www.stenaline.ie/ferries-to-britain/rail-sail

And no baggage allowance.

39euro Will only get you as far as Bangor, its 46euro to London. It's still a great way to travel though and gets you right in the centre of London so no extra bus or train to worry about

Capt'n Midnight

dingding wrote: »

You can get a sail/rail ticket from Dublin to London for 39Euro

http://www.stenaline.ie/ferries-to-britain/rail-sail

And no baggage allowance.

http://seat61.com/Ireland.htm - train / rail
one ticket to any UK station - so you may not even need to get a bus/tube ticket as well - even if you don't use them check out the timetables.

if you get the Virgin train on the way back it takes a huge chunk of time off the journey.

London ▶ Dublin from £38 / €49
London ▶ Cork, Limerick, Galway from £55.50 / €69

Train & ferry on one ticket, no baggage fees, no weight limits, no airport taxes, no train fare to the airport, under 5s free, under 16s half price. Book by 18:00 day before travel, small fee for online bookings. Fast ferry £5 more. You can rock up to a train station in the UK and buy the ticket on the day of travel , either to Dublin Ferryport or Dun Laoghaire.

on_my_oe wrote: »

If you take the number 11 bus from Fulham Broadway, it goes pass many of the attractions (so you don't pay for a London buss tour)

I've heard the 12 is also good.

oppenheimer1

Tipsy McSwagger wrote: »

Heading over in November and yet to book flights. I'm confused about this oyster card thing and all the zones, i'll be staying near earls court but need to head to wembley stadium too. What is the best airport to fly into to get to earls court? How much do i need to put on an oyster card to get from the airport to the hotel and back + a trip to and back from wembley stadium?

November?? You're unlikely to get a great deal on a flight that far in advance. The best prices to London are usually between 6 and 3 weeks before departure unless you get a seat sale. I'd hold off for a while.

RoryW

found this to be a great convenient and fairly inexpensive source for accommodation if available when you are travelling http://www.lsevacations.co.uk/Accommodation/Bankside-House/Bankside-House.aspx#sthash.4HNC0YkC.dpbs

rainbow kirby

Padraig Mor wrote: »

Stansted Express train is a rip off

While more expensive than the bus, it's only £11 to/from Tottenham Hale and £12 to/from Liverpool Street if booked 7 days in advance.

dowtchaboy

As well as SkyScanner you should also try out the new Google Flights for all destinations.

It's very fast, no "please wait while we show you some ads" and suggests alternative dates and airports with good deals. It covers RyanAir and EasyJet too, with their blessing, and I found it gave some good suggestions and slightly better prices than SkyScanner. For instance when I looked for Cork-Frankfurt it suggested substantial savings using Kerry-Frankfurt.

Always worth checking the airlines own website of course but when I did some comparisons the Google Flights the prices there were exactly the same as RyanAir website.

Others have suggested always using "anonymous" mode when searching on the grounds that your cookies will show the sites your interest in a flight and hence not give you the rock bottom price. I'm not a conspiracy fan, but there does seem to be some truth to this one.

Muahahaha

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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Don't forget that Easybus (same company as Easyjet airlines) offer a Gatwick to Earlscourt bus service from £4 upwards. Typically Gatwick is a cheaper airport to fly into with Ryanair rather than Heathrow with Aer Lingus. Also don't forget how busy Heathrow is and how prone it is to flight delays, I personally it avoid it at all costs because the chances of huge queues at security and flight delays are more at Heathrow than Gatwick.

Another potential money saver in London is Airbnb.com for Accomodation. You can house share or else select the option to rent an entire studio/apartment to yourself. You'll get far better value than a London hotel and an apartment is typically twice the size of a hotel room.