London has a fairly well-deserved reputation for being an expensive city to visit. If you don't have some insider know-how and few like-a-local tips, your London trip could be anything but cheap. We are Londoners, at times, we've lived and worked in London, our kids were born there, we've slow travelled in London and we've taken many a weekend or short holiday in our favourite … [Read more...]
Go Ape Chessington UK. Hanging with Where the Jones
We visited Go Ape at Chessington UK with our old friends from Where the Jones. Lots of fun! A review of Go Ape will come but for now, a video of our Go Ape tribe swinging through the trees near London.Our treetop tribe consisted of 4 kids between 10 years and 14 and adults from 30s to 50s. One of us is absolutely terrified of heights ( did you see my performance on the … [Read more...]
5 Weeks in London, Costs and Experiences
The cost of living in London is billed as high and on previous visits taking rentals, lets or AirBnb apartments we've needed a lot of cash just to support ourselves. This time, our full 5 weeks gave us zero housing or accommodation costs, we've been taking care of friend's beautiful cats and borrowing their home while they're on holiday. We don't use a house sitting agency, so … [Read more...]
Driving Across Europe. Never Again!
We've done our share of driving across Europe in the last 18 months. We've done it 3 times now, from London, to Romania and back again. The first time it went pretty well and I posted about that Europe road trip here. The second time we were caught in the middle of a crazy heat wave causing us to gently poach in our own juices thanks to non-existent air con. Eventually we broke … [Read more...]
Richmond, England. Photos of London Life
Richmond, England, is one of the places we call home. This pretty Thames-side town with stately architecture, passing rowers, great shops and dining along with easy access to central London is a place I always find hard to leave. Living in Richmond Upon Thames on and off since 2001 has given us fantastic opportunities, good friends and wonderful experiences. Again, we've spent … [Read more...]
Greenwich Market Food, London Street Food at its Best
Hi! Just a quick one about the amazing food on offer at Greenwich Market on the east side of London. We visited Greenwich a few times last year and had a great time, but this summer we're basing ourselves here for a few days to get to know this area inside out. We're so lucky to be able to experience so many areas of London fully, it's a great perk of the job. We're staying in … [Read more...]
London: Coming Home
Hi there, we're home. I think I last posted from somewhere near Prague where we found ourselves stranded with a very hot and bothered car. We made it. We drove through to Bonn and from there straight to Calais for the ferry to Dover. That night we drove on to Twickenham and treated ourselves to a luxurious stay at the Twickenham Marriott. We don't do that often, blow big bucks … [Read more...]
Do We Celebrate Halloween on the Road?
Well, the answer to that is, sort of.Many holidays pass us by if we're in the wrong place at the wrong time, but the Easter Bunny has visited us in Florida ( but not in India) and Santa has called in London and Wales, but what about Halloween? Halloween in Britain. For me, growing up in the UK, Halloween was vaguely acknowledged, there was maybe some apple bobbing and I … [Read more...]
Where to Eat in London on Vacation
Where to eat in London for those of us who love good food and want to keep an eye on our spending? London is one city that could destroy your trip budget in food costs, if you're not smart about where you spend. Eating out 3 times a day here, as we would in Asia, just ain't gonna happen. Accommodation in London will likely cost you an arm and a leg. On the global scale, … [Read more...]
Cheap and Budget Family Accommodation in London
London is expensive and if you prefer to spend your cash on the incredible experiences the city has to offer, rather than on a place to sleep, you'll be looking for a great deal on cheap or budget family accommodation in London. This could be hotels, hostels, apartments, B&Bs or other family accommodation. Budget and cheap are two different things, one person's budget could … [Read more...]