To ask how much spending money you would take for a 3 day trip to London

[Vilanelle]

Bearing in mind the hotel is paid for (Wembley area). We want to be a little frugal so no posh dining.

Only tourist thing we are inclined to do is Madam Tussauds. We are there for a concert (Fleetwood Mac), not to sight see (although we will do a little).

We go next month and I am STRESSED.

Can you not just take a card and maybe £150 for venue for in case card readers are down.

Food. You can make it very cheap by using supermarket in central London and buying a salad/sandwich/drink.

Don't do this unless you're almost penniless and have no choice. Yes pick up some cheap drinks in a supermarket but there are so many amazing street food choices in London these days that you can eat very well for not huge money. Much nicer than a supermarket sandwich or salad, and more of an experience that you can't get at home.

If you say what dates you're in London, people will be able to help much more with what's on (preferably for free) and where's good to eat nearby.

Pie and Mash £5 in Greenwich tea (eels if you want them) then a proper Indian meal in Wembley when you get home to the hotel. That way you'll have done all East to West.

A coffee in the park, save the cups and fill 'em up with Chablis and fizzy water from the little shop opposite Marylebone station.

National Portrait Gallery to see the portraits of the new wives Henry VIII sent painters out to find.

Covent Garden, Baker Street, that tree in Regent's Park where I met my DH 35 years ago. Regents Park canal tow path takes one past some of the exhibits in the zoo and along to Camden Lock.

I can't imagine going to a wax museum for any reason.

But, in answer to your question:- be lucky on a ton a day and when you've got some change run, run for the hills.

I live in London, you can use your chip and pin cards like an Oyster card and it’ll max out off peak at around £14 a day, it can be used on buses, tubes and overground.
If you have to do MT, there’s deals on the website, the 241 coupons on trains. It’s always busy with trips. Always.
You’ll pay a bomb for chain restaurants. Find some nice smaller family run ones.
Bias as I was born in Camden, but it’s not as good now they are pulling most of it down. But there’s loads of food stalls.
The south bank also has great food.

Depends what you do plan to do. Obviously lots of free museums but you have to be strong willed to avoid the gift shops and the paid exhibits in the science museum. I'd definitely do science museum - if you have 3-10 year olds Wonderlab is worth paying for too. Natural history museum is also fun and might as well do V&A. Even if you don't buy anything go to to central cafe there if it's a nice day as it's a pretty place to sit and kids can paddle. Walk/picnic in the park is lovely on a sunny day and the memorial playground is great for kids.

Good value eating in some bits of China town, again if the weather's nice a take away slice of pizza sitting in trafalgar square or Leicester square can be fun.

Also I know it's kind of commercial now but If you're in the area (Southbank nearish the Tate) Borough market is great for lunch. I bloody love the burgers and street food there.

Obviously avoid the chain giraffe etc on the Southbank you'll end up spending a fortune.

There a free viewing platform at Tate modern if you can’t get sky garden tickets ( they put sky garden tickets on sale at around 9am on Monday mornings)

i went to london last month for 2 nights, breakfast was included. We were staying in Paddington, walked loads, lovely parks, palace,all the usual tourist sights, thought about madam tussads, but the queue was ridiculously long, even before opening.
we spent around £100 a day each, probably could've got away with spending a little less.

Which parks are nice?

Depends where you are. If you've been to the British Museum, Russell Square is quite njce. If you're in the Trafalgar Square area (National Gallery/Portrait Gallery) there's St James's Park.

If you want sandwiches, search online for Tesco Express or similar near to where you are. The main railway stations have M&S food shops. Those will generally be cheaper than specialist sandwich shops.

Don't try to do too much. One major museum/attraction per day, and don't try to see all of it, and spend the rest of the time walking/chilling.

I'm another one saying DON'T bother with Madame Tussauds - it's a waste of money. I live in London and have 14 and 16 year olds and I would not go there. Far better places. As previous have said, Tate Modern, Southbank, Spitalfields, South Kensington museums. Regents Park is lovely for a sit out, stroll around Soho or Covent Garden. Wembley into Kings X is only a few stops on the tube and Coal Drops Yard there is great - you could walk to Covent Garden/ Regents Park from there too.

Wander round Soho. Go to Berwick Street Market for lunch and then take it to either Soho Square Or Golden Square to eat and watch the media lovies.

Walk down to Piccadilly and through Trafalgar Sq to Whitehall and The Palace of Westminster. Cross the bridge and walk along the river to Gabriel’s Wharf (past the old This Morning studio) for afternoon wine/coffee and then further along the river to the Globe (via the Clink). Booze at the pub outside the Tate Modern (has a platform over the Thames). Back over the river via the Wibbly Wobbly Bridge by Tate for evensong at St Paul’s.

Or Get the 55/390 bus down Oxford Street and wander round Selfridges. Walk the back streets back up via Bond Street and look at designer windows. Buy cake in Fortnums and take it to Green or St James’ Park. Go in the small, random Churches.

Go to the Jewellery Gallery at the V&A (the Dior exhibition is sold out). Walk down to Kensington Gardens and visit the Diana Memorial / Kensington Palace. Walk back via Buck House. Soho for dinner / people watching.

Enjoy our fabulous and friendly city! And look up! The architecture is amazing!!

The Inns of Court from Gray’s Inn - Chancery Lane - Lincoln’s Inn, Middle Temple, Inner Temple - Embankment.

The Inns of Court are my favourite bit of London, especially the Temple. A stroll around the public areas of the High Court in the Strand is interesting, too, it's an amazing building.

I live here and am quietly planning to do some of the suggestions on this thread!

MyKingdomForACaramel I’m a Londoner born & bred and still find places I’ve not seen before, that’s why it’s such a great place to live

@nancy so am I - think it’s why I never visit anywhere

You could easily spend much of a day strolling along from Tower Bridge to Buckingham Palace. You could start the day watching Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace, stroll down the Mall (or through St James' Park), go around Trafalgar Sq, down past Downing St to Big Ben, over Westminster Bridge to the South Bank, wander along there enjoying the atmosphere, pop into Tate Modern, see the Globe, cross over the Millenium Bridge to see St Paul's Cathedral, go through the City and then along the North Bank to the Tower of London & Tower Bridge. Plenty of supermarkets, places like Pret, like Pizza Express & pubs along the way.

loads of free stuff for a start

National Gallery in Trafalgar Square
Walk down to Buckingham Palace.
See the squirrels and the pelicans
We enjoyed the London Eye. (not free)
Greenwich is good.
The Observatory,
Stand across the Greenwich Meridian - then your phone will tell you it's not in the right place!
See Del Boy's Harrison Watch!
The National Maritime Museum
Try the Tour at Freemason's Hall, Covent Garden

The point is there as so much to do without spending a fortune.

I prefer the Portrait gallery. It’s my favourite place ever. I love it
And V&A and British museum
These are more ‘grown up’ aka quiet and less kids running about. Every time I have been to the science museum I have just wanted to leave as there are so many hundreds of buggies and prams in the space section I have never managed to really see what I wanted to
Same for natural history sometimes
Whereas in the portrait gallery you can just stand and look at something in a quiet room it’s lovely
I really like walking down to Palace of Westminster as there is St James park and Victoria tower and they are lovely

Oh - and whereas a few years ago plenty of the street food stalls/markets were cash only, nowadays many of them are card only. on Saturday afternoon went straight to the ATM near Borough market with no queue - that Never used to happen!
So, no need to carry wads of cash and risk losing it.

You can do lots of fun things for free or very cheap, you can walk and see more. You can eat cheaply.
Or you can spend a fortune.

Walking along Southbank watching buskers and Tate modern.
Thames clipper to Greenwich and the tunnel under the Thames and a walk around the market.
Swimming in the Lidos or the serpentine if you’re really brave.
Harrods food hall then a picnic in Hyde park.
Changing of the Guard with St James Park and the pelicans.
British museum then playing at Coram Fields
Science museum, natural history museum but many other excellent smaller free places too - Museum of London and climb the monument at a cost or St Paul’s dome for free.

Do people actually take spending money with them or is it a turn of phrase?

@Nancy75 how lovely of you! I will respond to others when I get to work. We arrive on Saturday lunchtime at coach station in Victoria. Gig isn't until the Sunday evening at Wembley stadium. Then we have a full day Monday (we have a groupon voucher for a Japanese place in camden) then leave first thing Tuesday x

@RottnestFerry

I like to save spending money so I dont go short!