Visiting London

 

This is based on an e-mail I wrote to a guy in the States, who's visiting London in August.

He'd queried the cost of food in London.

It wouldn't be that much for a fish. We ate in L'Escargot on Saturday and the food was about £23 each for two big courses. My wife actually paid £15 as she stuck to the set menu. But L'Escargot is expensive.

If you have your own flat, you'll be fine. Pimlico is not an area of London I know well, but you are very close to Tate Britain, which is an excellent gallery. It's free too! All the big museums are.

How long are you staying? The reason is that you can get some pretty good Tube/bus tickets or buy an Oyster Card.

This site explains it all.

I should say that I'm sixty next month and not short of a bob or two, but I always use public transport in central London. Even late at night, as it's all very safe. In many cases use the buses, which are easy with an Oyster as you just touch the reader and walk in.

You also have to remember that given good weather, London is not an expensive city. You can roam a long way on public transport and there is much outside to see. Just walking along the river from Pimlico to the city is a free show, unlike any other city in the world.

If you like the theatre you never need to pay full price on say a Monday or a Tuesday. Just go to the half price booth in Leicester Square. I've seen some very good shows that way. In fact last weekend we went to a small theatre in Soho and paid £7.50 for the ticket as against the £30 plus you'd pay full price in a top theatre.

So come and enjoy my city.

Top ten things to visit, in no particular order :-

1. Hampstead Village and the Heath - Northern Line and then walk down to Cafe Mozart on Swains Lane, bus back to central London
2. Greenwich - Take the Docklands Light Railway from Bank through the city
3. The City - Just walk around it.
4. British Museum - Free and the best roof in the world - See the Hoxne Hoard.
5. Trafalgar Square and National Gallery - Whistlejacket
6. Tate Modern - What to do with an old power station
7. London Eye - That will cost you a bit but worth it.
8. Regents Park and Canal - Walk the Canal from the Park to Kings Cross
9. North London Line - Take the train across the top of London and see all the development of Eurostar at St. Pancras
10. Crossness Pumping Station - Difficult to get to, but the four largest beam engines in the world

Hope all this helps.