Yes! It's true! I know it sounds impossible, but I survived 7 days in London on only ₤100. Here is how I did it.
1. Try to avoid eating out
I know that part of a vacation is eating at fancy restaurants, but when you're short on cash the best thing to do is avoid them. I recommend just going to a Tesco's (the famous UK supermarket chain) and browse the handmade sandwich aisle. I did this many times for lunch. They have an good selection if you go early in the day and you can get a sandwich and a drink for about ₤6. If you are staying somewhere that has a stove and a fridge, just buy some food that you can cook that night for dinner. You'll save a lot of money that way.
2. Avoid entering tourist attractions
Places like Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, and the London Eye all cost around ₤10-₤15 to get in. If you have the money and really want to see inside, go right ahead, but I had a good time just looking from the outside too. All the museums in London are free and so are the parks. I enjoyed Hyde Park and Richmond Park the most. They are beautiful.
3. Buy a week-long Tube pass
This is the first expensive thing that you'll have to purchase, but once you have it, you can go anywhere in Zone 1 and 2 on both the Tube and the bus system. This is much cheaper than trying to buy multiple tickets during your stay.
4. Stay with a friend who can loan you money
Okay, I'll be honest and say that I didn't exactly survive on only ₤100 during my 7 days in London. On the last day I only had ₤1.70 left and they shut down the Picadilly Line that was going to take me to the airport. I was forced to take the Heathrow Express, and my friend was nice enough to buy me the ₤16 train ticket. So, if it weren't for scheduled maintenance, I would have definitely made it home without spending more than ₤100. So it goes.
Anyway, I had a very nice trip and I was able to do 3 out of the 5 things that I put on my list from the previous post. I visited the Tate Modern (#1) and saw works by Mark Rothko (one of my favs), and then I also rode on TWO double-decker buses (#5). They are terrifying, but fun! And yes, I went and saw Jeremy Bentham's stuffed body (#3). It was my last day, and we managed to find the University College of London building, and then we followed a couple wall maps, turned a corner, and there he was, resting peacefully. It was so strange. There was a moment when it was just him and I and everything went quiet. Then a family with kids came around the corner and a little boy stuck his nose up against the glass case. So it goes.
I didn't get to hug a sheep (#4) but I did get to see about 50 wild deer in Richmond Park.
I almost went to see Be Kind Rewind which would cover my #2 goal, but it would have been ₤10 and I think movies are way too expensive in the U.S. anyway.
Now it is on to Argentina in June!
Monday, March 24, 2008
Thursday, March 6, 2008
London Calling!
In 3 and 1/2 months I will be leaving for Argentina! To prepare, I'm getting my camera equipment together, cleaning my lenses and stocking up on tapes. But I can honestly say that my mind is on other things right now, because I will be going on spring break in a few days! Opting out of going to some place warm, I'm going to be hopping across the Atlantic to London, England, where it will be cold, cloudy, and rainy!
I've never been to Europe before, and this will be my second time out of the United States. Gosh, there are just so many things that I want to do and see in London; its just too much to think about. I'll be spending a week there visiting a good friend of mine, so I might as well make a list in order to budget our time.
The Top 5 Things Sean Hopes to See:
1. The Tate Modern - From what I've heard, this is one of the best art museums in the world. I have friends that traveled abroad last semester, and they said the Tate is just fantastic. Also, in an attempt to make the weary traveler feel better about the awful dollar to pound exchange rate, the city of London has made sure that all the museums are free. Free is always a good thing for a college student studying film.
2. British Cinema - Speaking of film, as dumb as it sounds, I really want to go see a movie in London. I hear they have a lot of good theaters, and I just want to experience how the Brits watch movies. I wonder if the popcorn tastes any different.
3. Jeremy Bentham's Dead Body - Famous British philosopher and political radical, Jeremy Bentham, requested that after his death, his body should be preserved and stored in a glass display case. He wanted it to be called his "Auto-Icon". Well, 200 years later, one can see see Mr. Bentham at the University College of London. That is a wax recreation of his head, because the real one doesn't look too pretty these days, and was also frequently stolen by students as a prank. But everything else is real, right down to his shoes and his walking stick. I would really like to see him, for the sole reason of saying that I have. Come on, its not everyday that you have the chance to see a dead, stuffed philosopher.
4. Sheep - Where I'm from, we had a lot of cows, but no sheep. In England, there are a lot of sheep. I think I prefer sheep over cows because I think sheep make better friends. Cows seem to be loners and would rather chew on grass all day than hang out with a human. I've only met sheep in my dreams, but if I could make friends with a British sheep and just give him a big hug, I think that would make my trip much more enjoyable.
5. Double Decker Bus Ride - I know its really touristy, but I would love to ride on a big, red bus. What I would do is find a bus, and then wait for it to leave, and then I would run after it and hop on the back like they do in the movies. Then I would sit directly above the driver on top and look straight out the window. I hear its scary because you feel like you're going to tip over. I don't like roller coasters, so this is all the excitement that I can take.
Anyway, I cannot wait to go. I've never done so much traveling in one year! First London, then Argentina here I come! I'll be sure to post a photo or two of my trip on this blog.
Ta Ta for now.
I've never been to Europe before, and this will be my second time out of the United States. Gosh, there are just so many things that I want to do and see in London; its just too much to think about. I'll be spending a week there visiting a good friend of mine, so I might as well make a list in order to budget our time.
The Top 5 Things Sean Hopes to See:
1. The Tate Modern - From what I've heard, this is one of the best art museums in the world. I have friends that traveled abroad last semester, and they said the Tate is just fantastic. Also, in an attempt to make the weary traveler feel better about the awful dollar to pound exchange rate, the city of London has made sure that all the museums are free. Free is always a good thing for a college student studying film.
2. British Cinema - Speaking of film, as dumb as it sounds, I really want to go see a movie in London. I hear they have a lot of good theaters, and I just want to experience how the Brits watch movies. I wonder if the popcorn tastes any different.
3. Jeremy Bentham's Dead Body - Famous British philosopher and political radical, Jeremy Bentham, requested that after his death, his body should be preserved and stored in a glass display case. He wanted it to be called his "Auto-Icon". Well, 200 years later, one can see see Mr. Bentham at the University College of London. That is a wax recreation of his head, because the real one doesn't look too pretty these days, and was also frequently stolen by students as a prank. But everything else is real, right down to his shoes and his walking stick. I would really like to see him, for the sole reason of saying that I have. Come on, its not everyday that you have the chance to see a dead, stuffed philosopher.
4. Sheep - Where I'm from, we had a lot of cows, but no sheep. In England, there are a lot of sheep. I think I prefer sheep over cows because I think sheep make better friends. Cows seem to be loners and would rather chew on grass all day than hang out with a human. I've only met sheep in my dreams, but if I could make friends with a British sheep and just give him a big hug, I think that would make my trip much more enjoyable.
5. Double Decker Bus Ride - I know its really touristy, but I would love to ride on a big, red bus. What I would do is find a bus, and then wait for it to leave, and then I would run after it and hop on the back like they do in the movies. Then I would sit directly above the driver on top and look straight out the window. I hear its scary because you feel like you're going to tip over. I don't like roller coasters, so this is all the excitement that I can take.
Anyway, I cannot wait to go. I've never done so much traveling in one year! First London, then Argentina here I come! I'll be sure to post a photo or two of my trip on this blog.
Ta Ta for now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)