How to Hold Onto Pounds in London

As the weather warms up in Europe, more Americans’ fancies turn toward an Old World vacation, and a perennial favorite is Britain. But London is notoriously pricey, especially since the pound has been holding strong against the dollar. (In recent weeks it has hovered around $1.60.) Still, there are bargains to be found.

One jolly good budget pick, in the Earl’s Court/Kensington area, is the Curzon House Hotel, 58 Courtfield Gardens, telephone 011-44-20-7581-2116, fax 011-44-20-7835-1319, Internet https://www.curzonhousehotel.co.uk. This century-old, four-floor townhouse in a good, convenient neighborhood is on the basic side, with no phones or private baths, but it’s clean and offers one of the better rates in town: $65 to $82 per double or, if you really want to save, $19 to $28 for a bed in a dorm-style room.

A step or two up is the Mowbray Court Hotel at 30 Penywern Road in the Earl’s Court neighborhood, tel. 011-44-20-7373-8285, fax 011-44-20-7370-5693, Internet https://www.m-c-hotel.mcmail.com, which charges $85 for doubles with bath, TV, phone and other amenities.

A few hotels offer a 40% savings by allowing you to pay their pound prices in dollars. The Trusthouse Forte chain, U.S. tel. (800) 543-4300, does this occasionally, and the Thistle chain, tel. (800) 847-4358, Internet https://www.thistlehotels.com, does it year-round. You can find other accommodation possibilities through Hotel Directory Ltd., tel. 011-44-20-8770-0123, Internet https://www.thehoteldirectory.co.uk, which offers 20%, and even up to 60%, discounts off rooms at 45 local properties.

There are American-style budget motel chains beginning to emerge on this side of the pond. For example, Travel Inn’s rates start around $64 a night ($76 to $102 in central London); tel. 011-44-870-242-8000, Internet https://www.travelinn.co.uk.

Besides hotels, there is a resource you shouldn’t overlook in the summer: the numerous empty “halls of residence” affiliated with City University and London University, such as the modern Ramsay Hall at 20 Maple St., tel. 011-44-20-7387-4537, fax 011-44-20-7383-0843. This modern, 462-room complex is positioned ideally for the West End theater district, Oxford and Regent streets and the British Museum. There are no baths in the rooms, but the price is right: $36 to $39 per person, with breakfast.

If you’d rather do one-stop shopping for your air fare and hotel reservation, good deals are available over the Internet from https://www.go-today.com, offering six-night packages for $599 through June 12; afterward, prices go up by several hundred dollars for the high season, but you can shop around with tour operators such as Europe Express, tel. (800) 927-3876, Internet https://www.europeexpress.com; EuroSeven, tel. (888) 773-8767; Gate 1 Ltd., tel. (800) 682-3333, Internet https://www.gate1travel.com; and Jet Vacations, tel. (800) 538-0999.

London’s reputation as a graveyard for dining budgets is not entirely deserved; strong competition, a large student population and thriving ethnic communities have resulted in several inexpensive options, even in the heart of the city.

A short walk from Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Square, in fact, is the budget diner’s most treasured destination: Old Compton Street, with several wallet-friendly eateries. Trafalgar Square and Chinatown in central London and Bangla Town in East London also offer excellent options.

You can keep your food costs down by visiting the many sandwich shops that have sprouted for lunch; the ubiquitous Pre^t-a-Manger chain, for example, sells delectable sandwiches priced from less than $2 for “free-range” egg salad to about $5 for smoked salmon. Even more elaborate sit-down budget eateries can be found, such as the Stockpots, where the cost of an appetizer, entree and glass of wine starts at $8; locations are at 18 Old Compton St. in SoHo, 273 Kings Road in the neighborhood of the same name, 38 Panton St. near Piccadilly Circus and 6 Basil St. in Knightsbridge.

For a rock-bottom (albeit non-narrated) approach, take the Route 15 double-decker bus from Paddington Station, which covers a lot of central London, including Oxford, Regent and Fleet streets, Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square, St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London. (Route 11 is another good one.) Get more information from the British Tourist Authority in the United States at (800) 462-2748, Internet https://www.travelbritain.org.