Economical Staying Options in London

There is no hard and fast rule that says you have to stay in the center of London when you go there for a visit, whether on business or otherwise. London has an excellent public transport system in the form of the tube, which can get you to Central London within a short time. And the further out you go, the hotels are more economical. So staying away from Central London can save you a lot of money.

Deciding where to stay

The London tube system has maps all over the stations and in the trains as well, which divides the city into various zones. Of these zones the Zone 1 and Zone 2 define the extent of Central London and this is the area where you have to concentrate on getting to, from wherever you have decided to stay.

Of course staying in Central London has its advantages. You would be near to the sightseeing places like the Big Ben and Buckingham Palace. There is a lot of shopping available in Oxford Street and nearby areas. Security is very good and the presence of the 'bobbies' or London policemen is reassuring. And access to buses and the train system that can get you anywhere is easily available. Against this weigh the costs that you have to incur. Hotel accommodation and even eating out is very expensive. Parking is difficult to get and expensive as well, and you would see no countryside or even real Londoners. They all stay out in the suburbs or nearby towns.

Decide on a location that you want to stay in depending on the airport that you have flown into and are also likely to fly out of. London has a number of airports including some that cater exclusively to low cost airlines.

There are areas like Hampstead that offer god accommodation at very reasonable prices and the area itself is just a few stops away from Central London if you travel by tube. London has a system of levying a congestion charge on areas closer to the center of London, which in turn increases the price of all services and other facilities that are available in these areas. So the closer you are to Central London, would see you paying unnecessary heavy charges for things without getting any real advantage of your location.

So look for areas that are convenient for you when you have to catch a flight again, and maybe you will even get to see a lot of the countryside at the place you have chosen. And you can get the flavor of meeting the real Londoners if you go out to the locals and pubs in the evenings. The experience can be quite something you have never seen. And in the day times you can of course take advantage of the tube and travel down to Central London and visit all the sights like Hyde Park, The Tower, Madame Tussauds, the Museum and a host of others that make London such an interesting place to visit.

Source: Visiting London