Autumn in London – perfect for the budget travelers

Now let’s be honest here for a bit; all we here is recession, pay cuts, unemployment, unpaid vacations… that doesn’t exactly spell out affording the vacation of your dreams, huh? But along with the not-so-pleasant effects of the economy, there’s something else going on. Budget traveling becomes a necessity and those involved in the industry seem to have figured it out by now.

Statistics show that compared to last year in June, the hotel rates in London dropped by 7.1% this year. While it doesn’t seem to be too much, when you start looking at the current rates you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Flying to London

London is a major gateway into Europe so every time of the year there are plenty of flights to choose from. In general, flights to Europe are at their lowest in autumn and spring; which means there are about three months when you can find incredible prices: October, November and May. I wouldn’t expect perfect weather though!

London is lucky to be served by plenty of airports. That is great for us because not only there are a lot of flights available into the city but the cheap flights to London are incredibly easy to find. Flying from another European city? Make sure to check out the many low-cost carriers which fly into London’s smaller airport (Gatwick, Stansted, Luton).

Places to Stay in London

Yes, the hotels’ rates are down but that doesn’t mean hotels have become the cheapest alternatives (yet). Instead, book hostels in London ! There are literally hundreds of hostels to choose from so it’s not exactly the best idea to research them all. Focus on either a neighborhood you want to stay or a particular type of hostel. If you are the party going type of traveler, make sure to look for a party hostel in London. Or you can look for reviews and choose among those which offer the facilities you are interested in.

Things to do in London

There are a lot of things to do here and most often you need to dig some into your pockets. While most of the museums in London are free to visit, you will most likely be tempted to spend some money on shopping or checking out the famous clubs in London .

Oh and if you don’t mind a bit of exercise you can choose a free walking tour of London and see the best things the city has to offer. You’ll be stopping near the most important landmarks while the guides will tell you quite a lot about the places you see.

Photo credit: gerry balding on Flickr