How does the average family afford to visit London?

J

JustTheGent

Well-known member
Bloke down the road has just been - didn't like the price of anything. They aren't short of a few quid either. You'd have to think that a trip to the capital for a few days is beyond a large percentage of the population.

It brings into question that whole North-South divide thing. I get those who go to London and earn the most they can. They wear their London badge with pride and will pay £500k plus for a small flat or house and all the prices that go with it. But it can't be good for the country moving forward, in so many ways. An economy like that isn't going to successfully serve the population. Especially when more and more people are being priced out of even visiting.
 
London has always been more expensive. Its not a new development. In the 80s I was getting a London weighting allowance added to my salary because of the cost of housing in central Lindon was betond reasonable and we had to commute.

You will find the same whether you live in London, Paris, New York, Sydney, Beijing or San Francisco. Even Auckland and Wellington compared to the rest of our country. The major cities are very pricey cost of living wise.
 
We go very frequently. Eating out is as expensive as any major city but it doesn't have to be crazily expensive.

Two tips.

Stay somewhere very central in relation to what you want to do. Don't waste time and money travelling in and out of town. We often stay near the Tate modern or County Hall for site seeing, or Goodge St area for shopping.

Download the citymapper app, and jump on the buses during the day. It's miles better than the tube, it's faster in many cases, and you can see London as you move around. We do use taxis on an evening for comfort.

There are some great places to visit.
 
afcb_acklam said:
I dont find visiting london any more expensive than anywhere else. Travel is plentiful & cheap (u can always walk), there are loads of food options including cheap ones, and u can stay in a chain hotel for the same price as anywhere else, if u book sensibly. There are lots of free & cheap things to do.
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McDonald’s have a saver menu so you can make London what you want it to be
 
Always judge a place by the price of a pint.

£6.60 for a pint of Neck Oil on High Street Kensington last week 😮
 
It’s been a fair few years since I was last in the capital, but I seem to remember construction of some type was everywhere , scaffolding on footpaths etc…construction noise .
 
Have been looking at London for a trip away. A dearth of good hotels for a family, that get decent reviews. At a nice price.
 
Hap said:
Probably not the main focus of a family trip to London - depends on the family I guess 😆
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No, in fairness when our kids were younger trips to London were done with a lot of financial planning.

Cheaper train tickets with a family railcard.
Stay in a hotel with a family room.
Eat in chain restaurants using Tesco Clubcard vouchers.
Two for one deals for entry into museums and attractions.

It can be done.
 
When we take the kids, we use the Tube, but without them I love walking around, so that saves some cash. Nobody forces you to eat in pricey restaurants either. There are plenty of good quality budget hotels in good locations too.

I don't fully understand people who treat London like a major foreign excursion. It's our capital city, our history and ours to enjoy.
 
another way to do it is have stupidly rich friends. a customer of mine has just bought a little flat in battersea as a london bolthole, and I can use it whenever I want, for nought! there's free weekend street parking outside, its right by battersea park. been a few times, bloody brilliant. so - do it the tory way - its not what you know, its who.....
 
I'm starting to feel sorry for the OP. Whether it's EVs or the cost of London. He has set old fashioned ideas on life, which is fine. The reason I pity him is he has to lie to back up his prejudices. Which I think is sad
 
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