London Bargains Abound

Right about now everyone is either at the Olympic games or staying far away, because the talk of huge crowds and crap traffic has kept them out of the city when possible. Amazingly, it worked so well that now tourists have changed all their plans and avoided London altogether, too. Of course, the airfare taxes have not helped. If you were hoping to make a trip into London, now is the time to do it. The city is like a ghost town outside the Olympic Stadium and merchants and hotels are suffering. Snap up deals where you can and also have a lot of the capital to yourself. Perfect for sightseeing and shopping!

View of Tower of London from Tower Bridge.

·         If you’ll actually be traveling for the games, make sure to use your included travel card to save money on transportation. It’s good for zones 1-9 on the day of your event.

·         If you won’t be traveling for the games, then buy an Oyster card or Travelcard or a pack of passes for travel on public transportation. It will save you quite a bit over paying each time you need to use the underground or bus.

·         Hit up free attractions, like Tate Modern, the Victoria & Albert, Imperial War Museum, the British Library, National Portrait Gallery, the Changing of the Guard and more.

·         Want stellar views of the city without spending big bucks? Skip the London Eye and head for Tower Bridge. You can get the same views for much less from the historic walkways.

·         Staying for a while? Think about purchasing a London Pass and save substantially on a long list of attractions, including St. Paul’s Cathedral, London Bridge, Tower of London and Shakespeare’s Globe.

·         Bring your own snacks into the Olympic Stadium if you’ll be going. You can also bring an empty bottle and fill up once inside. Pack a few of those handy ice tea packets and you can mix it in and have a tastier beverage.

For those that don’t live in Britain and need a primer on British slang, here’s a handy guide.

Do you have any other last-minute tips for visiting London during the Olympics?

How the Other Half Lives

On the advice of a local in Kent, we took the bus from Chislehurst Caves to Eltham Palace instead of Windsor. It turned out to be one of the most interesting afternoons we’ve spent out on our travels. Eltham Palace was an attraction included with our London Pass and since we had never heard of it, we figured we might as well give it a go. It certainly would not have been on many tourists’ lists of things to see. This 1930’s Art Deco mansion was built by the Courtauld family, next to the original Eltham Palace, the childhood home of Henry VIII.

Upon entrance to the house, you are asked to wear shoe covers, in order to keep the floors as clean as possible. It looks like you can no longer take photos inside the mansion either, but luckily, that wasn’t the rule when I visited, so I took plenty. Eltham Palace is an amazing piece of history that is a bit out of the way for most travelers, but if you plan ahead and figure out how to get their on the train, you should have no problems finding it. You certainly won’t be disappointed you made the effort. The house is amazing and the gardens are gorgeous as well. Admission costs £9.30/£5.60 for adults and children and includes an audio tour, which can also be taken in other languages.

Attractive!

The Courtaulds were so wealthy that they had a lemur as a pet and completely revamped the gardens. Stephen Courtauld raised orchids in greenhouses, while Virginia turned her attention to raising roses. You can enjoy the gardens on a fine day by bringing a picnic or strolling through them after a visit to the tea room.

The old school elegance and opulence is apparent in every detail of the palace and it’s no wonder that it’s a popular venue for weddings. Originally a gift to King Edward II, it was often used for Christmas celebrations. There was certainly no shortage of room for revelers. The great room is the only standing room of the true Eltham Palace and it is incorporated in the newly built mansion. It even has a moat with a drawbridge! You should definitely add this to your must-see list on your next visit to London or make it a day trip if you call The Great Smoke home.

The Great Hall  

Your Ticket to London

I'm talking, of course, about the London Pass. You pay one price and this little card can get you into over 55 attractions in the London area. It allows you go straight to the head of the line and, since you’ve already paid, you don’t have to keep looking over your budget to see if you can afford to do something else on your trip. If it’s on the list, you’re covered. While not “cheap”, the London Pass is affordable and especially useful if you are spending a week or more in the city. You probably won’t visit all the attractions covered, but if you did you could save over $800. Even if you just visit half, you’re getting a significant savings on your trip.

Wellington Arch

This is a fancy way to get to be a tourist in your own town, or affordably do things you've always wanted to do when you visit. You’ll need one per traveler and you can buy them for different travel lengths, from one to six days. You can purchase the card without the transportation option to save even more, if you plan to do more walking or driving than tube-riding or you already have an Oyster card.