Visiting London on a budget

The first thing to consider when choosing your accommodation is what is included in the price. You might want to choose something which doesn't include anything except bed and breakfast, but then you have to pay for meals as an extra. It's worth checking out some of the bigger hotels if you can, such as the Hilton (yes I know this is a 5 star hotel and expensive) because they sometimes include at least one evening meal as part of a package. Considering meals in London usually cost anything from around £25.00 a head once coffee and drinks are factored in, this can be a helpful addition.

Another thing to check is how handy your hotel is for public transport. If you have to walk a long way to the nearest underground or bus stop and it's pouring with rain or something has gone wrong with the public transport at that point, it can be a problem. In addition, being further out can put fares up because the further out you are the more expensive it can be to travel to places you might want to visit. Remember that if you're out in the evening late night taxis would be more expensive too.

In other words, you might find a hotel that appears to be cheaper than some others but if it's a long way from bus and underground routes it might be more expensive in the long run. Some of the resources below will help you to make your choice of residence during your stay.

You've planned where to stay and it's worth knowing some good places to eat which aren't too expensive.

If you're in the Piccadilly area, famous for Fortnum & Mason's store and its enormous bookshops, you won't want to miss the Royal Academy of Arts. It has an excellent restaurant which is open to members and non-members alike. It's also free to visit (though you will probably have to pay to visit any major exhibitions being held on the premises).

Watch out for the Carluccio chain of Italian restaurants. The food here is of excellent quality, meals average about £20-£30 a head depending on what is included and they welcome small children. I eat there regularly and often see babies and toddlers with their parents as well as older children.

Garfunkels restaurants is another chain which has sites across London and is well worth trying.

At the bottom of the price range you'll find the usual Mcdonald's, Burger King and KFC restaurant.

There are as well many small restaurants and coffee shops throughout London which often allow you to eat well for a reasonable cost. The Bayswater and Queensway area in particular (just along the road from Notting Hill Gate) has a lot of Moroccan, Brazilian, Indian, Chinese, Greek and Italian restaurants. And if you love Chinese food don't forget Chinatown, just off Charing Cross Road in the Soho area!

London is a huge city and it's perfectly possible to find plenty to do that isn't going to cost a fortune. The best way actually to SEE it when travelling about is to travel by bus - preferably on the top deck of a double decker. You'll get a grandstand view of all the wonderful architecture and scenery that the city has to offer along its bus routes. Try taking the Number 23 bus from Liverpool Street Station. It goes through the City of London along Threadneedle Street, past St Paul's Cathedral, along The Strand, round Trafalgar Square, up Haymarket in Piccadilly (where you can get off if you want to visit Tower Records or Waterstones Bookstore, two of the biggest stores of their kind in the world). Fortnum & Mason's in Piccadilly is also a beautiful store to visit, but it's expensive.

The bus continues up Regent Street and turns into Oxford Street, where there is an incredible selection of shops to browse. Don't forget John Lewis and Liberty of London!

Next change to a Number 10 bus and it will take you round Marble Arch, Hyde Park Corner, along Nightsbridge and Kensington High Street (more yummy shops to look at including Harrods). It continues on down to Hammersmith but the route covered so far will give you a pretty good day's sight seeing and shopping if you so wish.

London has quite a few parks and gardens, many of which are free to visit. Kew Gardens is a must for anyone interested in gardening, so is the Chelsea Physic Garden (near Cheyne Walk in Chelsea). Hyde Park often hosts special events and Kensington Gardens, the home of Peter Pan, is another pleasant walk. The parks close their gates after a certain time of day depending on the time of year it is, so be sure to check this especially if you're visiting in the evening.

Remember also that many of the museums are free - the Victoria and Albert Museum, Jeffryes Museum, Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood, Science Museum and Natural History Museum are all major attractions and there are many more that you will want to see.