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Showing posts from October, 2017

London: Save Money on Guided Tours

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London: Save Money on Guided Tours Hop On, Hop Off bus tours are a great way to understand the layout of the city and learn about its history. However, we would not use them to get between attractions as they often use indirect routes. Once you have understood where everything is, and have enjoyed the commentary, swap to public transport to make the most of your time in London. Big Bus Tours , The Original Tour , Golden Tours and London City Tour are the four big operators. The first two listed are the biggest. Haggle with ticket agents to get the best price, and purchase the shortest ticket length (generally 24 hours). Although the second day may “only be £5 more”, the tube and London Buses can get you around for a similar price for a day, and much more quickly. Many of these companies sell their tickets as 24, 48 and 72-hour tickets. However, you should be aware that the last tours usually depart between 16:30 and 19:00 depending on the season. The 12-hours they ar

London: Save Money on Transport

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London: Save Money on Transport If using public transport within London , get an Oyster Card or use a contactless payments for the best value. Getting a day pass (a Travelcard ) is a more expensive option. If you are only staying in central London, consider travelling by bus only instead of the Undergound . This way, the most you will ever spend on transport is £4.50 per day.  Underground travel and bus travel combined for the day will cost a maximum of £6.60, so if you are on a tight budget you can save £2.10 per day by only using London's buses - and for many journeys within central London this makes a lot of sense instead of spending all that time heading down to the underground - buses are also (generally speaking) more pleasant at rush house than the tube and  If you were planning on using taxis a lot, these are expensive in the city. To save money, use the Underground or buses instead. Or if you want a bit of extra privacy, ride-sharing service Uber is a

London: Save Money on Attractions with Train Travel 2-for-1 Vouchers

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London: Save Money on Attractions with Train Travel 2-for-1 Vouchers Here is one of our favourite tips – and a big secret. National Rail offers a “Days Out” promotion with 2 for 1 deals on a huge number of major London attractions. This involves you travelling by rail to London in order to get the discount. If you are already in London, however, you can get around this. First of all, visit www.daysoutguide.co.uk and browse the offers available and print out vouchers for any attractions you wish to visit. Then, simply visit any London National Rail Station (note: not the Underground stations, but National Rail) such as Waterloo, King’s Cross, St. Pancras, London Bridge, etc. Go to a ticket machine and purchase a cheap ticket from anywhere with London as the destination – get the cheapest ticket possible. Usually there will be one for a few pounds. Once you have your ticket, there is no need to use it but keep it safe. Then, simply present your train ticket with your

London: Save Money on Attractions and Museums

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London: Save Money on Attractions and Museums Many cultural attractions and museums have no admission cost in London - they are free - which is fantastic. For paid attractions, pre-purchase your tickets online at a website such as AttractionTix which allows you to get all your tickets in one place without needing to register for each site individually. This can save you a substantial amount of money over the ‘on the day’ gate price.  Be sure to check whether attractions have partnered with each other too, or whether they are part of the same company. Partnered attractions usually offer ticket combo deals where you purchase tickets for several attractions at once at a discount price.  A good example is all the attractions in London operated by Merlin Entertainments such as the London Eye, London Dungeon , London Aquarium , Madame Tussauds , and Shrek’s Adventure – you can get combination tickets for all of these and save up to 40%. Read our other money saving tip

London: Save Money with Vouchers

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London: Save Money with Vouchers Restaurants, attractions and even shops compete for your custom. Look out online for vouchers and coupons which can save you a bit of money. You may also find these in leaflets at hotels and tourist information centres. Whether it is a percentage off, or a set amount of money, it all adds up over your trip to London.  Be sure to read a voucher's terms and conditions - there may be limitations on what you can buy, how big a saving you can get, and even where and when you can use them for money off your purchases. Download VoucherCloud We recommend downloading VoucherCloud, a smartphone app that eliminates having to carry around paper vouchers. At the time of writing, vouchers include: 20% full priced jewellery at Goldsmiths 50% off burgers at Frankie and Benny's 2 for 1 on Mains at O'Neills Pub and Grill £10 off food when you spend £25 at Hungry Horse £20 off when you spend £40 in-store at The Body Shop 25% off at Jack

London: Save Money on Airport Transfers

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London: Save Money on Airport Transfers Once you have hopped off the plane, you need to make your way to your accommodation, do you need a taxi to get you there? Or will a train or bus be cheaper, and possibly even quicker? Pre-book your train tickets to save money too. For large groups, public transport may work out more expensive than the equivalent journey in a cab. Take a look at all your different options to get to central London from the following airports:  Heathrow , Gatwick , City Airport , Stansted and Luton - from trains to buses and car transfers, we cover it all. If arriving by ship or train into one of the main ports or train stations, do check whether private or public transportation offers the best value for money for your group. Read more money-saving tips for your London trip.

London: Save Money on Hotels and Flights

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London: Save Money on Hotels and Flights How to save money on flights to London When making reservations for your flights, be sure to check both the official airline websites, as well as travel brokers. Websites like www.expedia.com , www.skyscanner.net and www.kayak.com search many flights sellers at once. Will having a stopover, for example, save you hundreds of pounds? Or changing your arrival or departure airport? How to save money on London hotels The place you stay will have a big effect on how much you spend on your trip to London, especially if your stay is longer than a few days. The following few questions are important: How central do you want to stay? What amenities do you realistically need? Are you loyal to a certain brand? Once you have answered those, go on to a hotel comparison website such as www.hotels.com , www.expedia.com or www.booking.com . Use all of these, plus any others you know, to get the best deal. The same hotel will often be availabl

London: Saving Money on your trip

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London: Saving Money on your trip Photo: William Warby London is without a doubt one of the most expensive cities in the world, but your visit to the city does not have to leave a hole in your pocket.  Here are our top tips on how to save money. 1. Save Money on London Hotels and Flights 2. Save Money on  London  Airport Transfers 3. Save Money with  London  Vouchers and Coupons 4. Save Money on London's Attractions and Museums 5. Save BIG money on  London  attractions by ‘travelling by train’ 6. Save Money on London Transport 7. Save Money on London Tours

London: Wimbledon (Sport)

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London: Wimbledon (Sport) Photo: Matthias Rosenkranz Nearest Stations : Southfields and Wimbledon Park Address : Church Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5AE Phone : 0208 946 6131 Website : www.wimbledon.com The best known and oldest Tennis tournament in the world, The Championships at Wimbledon should not be missed by any fans of the sport. Tickets for games are sold in advance through a ballot system whereby a computer randomly selects winners, and assigns them a game to watch. In 2016, The Championships ran from 27th June to 10th July inclusive. Wimbledon also runs tours and has a museum. More information on this is available in the neighbourhood guides section of this book, under “further afield”.

London: Twickenham Stadium (Sport)

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London: Twickenham Stadium (Sport) Photo: Oatsy40 Nearest Station : Twickenham (National Rail) Address : Whitton Road, Twickenham, TW2 7BA Phone : 0871 222 2120 Website : www.englandrugby.com/twickenham/ Twickenham Stadium is the largest stadium in the world dedicated to rugby union, with a seating capacity of 82,000 people. Opened in 1909, it is mainly a rugby venue, but has also staged other events including mostly concerts from big names in the music industry like the Rolling Stones, The Police, Bon Jovi and Rihanna. As well as rugby games themselves, tours are also offered at the stadium. Guided tours are priced at £20 per adult, £15 for concessions, £12 per child (5 to 15), and £50 for a family ticket. Included in the tour are a visit to the royal box, players’ tunnel, a view of the arena from the top of the stand, and a pitchside walk, as well as a visit to the England dressing room where you will learn about the match-day preparations and routines of international r

London: The Oval (Sport)

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London: The Oval (Sport) Photo: Ben Sutherland Nearest Station : Oval Address : The Oval, Kennington, London, SE11 5SS Phone : 0844 375 1845 Website : www.kiaoval.com The Oval Cricket Ground was built in 1845, and in 1880 hosted the first international test match between England and Australia. To this day, the final Test match of the English season is traditionally played here. The Oval has a seating capacity of 23,500. The Oval was also the location of the first ever international football match in 1870 between England and Scotland. Tours of the Oval are available. During the tour you will step foot in the players’ dressing rooms, see where the players train, enter the press box, and access the Corinthian roof terrace with its stunning views of London. Tours take place on Saturdays at 11:00 on non-match days. Additional mid-week tour dates are available around key international fixtures. A full ground tour lasts approximately 90 minutes. Tickets are £15 per a

London: Stamford Bridge – Chelsea F.C. (Sport)

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London: Stamford Bridge – Chelsea F.C. (Sport) Photo: Ungry Young Man Nearest Station : Fulham Broadway Address : Fulham Road, London, SW6 1HS Phone : 0207 386 9373 Website : www.chelseafc.com Chelsea’s Stadium, also known as Stamford Bridge, has a 41,798-seat capacity and is located in the affluent area of Fulham in central London. Stamford Bridge offers a fantastic behind-the-scenes tour of the stadium at £19 per adult and £13 per child. The guided one-hour tour takes you behind the scenes, visiting various stands in the stadium, the press room, Home & Away dressing rooms, the tunnel and more. All tours also include entry to the Museum, giving you the chance to see how Chelsea has evolved on and off the pitch to become one of the greatest football clubs in the world.  The tours run daily (but not on match days and other dates – check online), and leave every 30 minutes from 10:00 to 15:00. Museum-only admission is £11 per adult and £9 per child. Pl

London: Emirates Stadium – Arsenal F.C. (Sport)

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London: Emirates Stadium – Arsenal F.C. (Sport) Photo: Ungry Young Man Nearest Station : Arsenal Address : Hornsey Road, London, N7 7AJ Phone : 0207 619 5003 Website : https://bookings.arsenal.com The Emirates Stadium is the third biggest football stadium in England with a capacity of 60,272 seats, after Wembley and Old Trafford.Like many other sports locations, the Emirates Stadium is open to visitors year-round through tours, and even has a museum. At the museum you can immerse yourself in the history of Arsenal F.C. by following the story of the club’s formation in 1886 right through to the present day. You can also see famous shirts and boots in the exhibition. Tickets are £8 for adults, and £5 for children (under 16) and concessions. A self-guided audio tour is another option. Here you can let a host of Arsenal stars share their matchday experiences with you as you explore behind-the-scenes at Arsenal Football Club using audio visual guide handsets. You

London: Lord’s Cricket Ground (Sport)

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London: Lord’s Cricket Ground (Sport) Source: Mark Hillary Nearest Station : St. John’s Wood Address : St John's Wood Road, London, NW8 8QN Phone : 0207 616 8500 Website : www.lords.org Lord’s Cricket Ground is the definitive home of cricket in London, and is situated in St. John’s Wood. Established in 1814, this 28,000-seater venue hosts international test matches and major local competitions. Lord’s is also where the oldest sports museum is, the MCC Museum contains the precious Ashes urn from 1882. 2014 marked its 200-year anniversary. The present Lord’s is the third incarnation. If you are not visiting for a sporting event, you can still tour the cricket ground year-round. Tickets to the tour include entry to the MCC Museum. Tours last 100 minutes and run 7 days a week. You will see the Honours Board, sit in the dressing rooms, enter the Long Room, and of course see the Ashes Urn. The Lord’s Tour is very popular, especially during the summer months, and tours ar

London: Wembley Stadium (Sport)

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London: Wembley Stadium (Sport) Photo: Herry Lawford Nearest Station : Wembley Park Address : Wembley, London, HA9 0WS Phone : 0844 980 8001 Website : www.wembleystadium.com Wembley Stadium is a 90,000-seater football stadium in north-west London. It is the largest stadium in the UK, the second largest in Europe, and opened in 2007, replacing the old stadium.  Wembley hosts the FA Cup Final, the England national football team, and other big football matches like the UEFA League. Be sure to look out for the bronze statue of Bobby Moore at the stadium entrance, which commemorates England’s 1966 World Cup win. The stadium is located about 30 minutes from central London by tube or car. As well as sports events, the stadium has also staged music performances from renowned artists such as Oasis, U2 and Coldplay. Aside from the matches played here, you can tour the inside of the stadium year-round, except on Wembley event days.  Experience the awesome beh