To be able to visit London on a budget in half term?

[SadUselessMum]

After the disappointment of not being able to get Taylor Swift tickets for a reasonable price, my DD(14) has decided that she would like to go to London with the money that she saved instead. She has about £300 and I can probably add an extra £100 or so. Sadly, we are on a very strict budget. She is at school (and I teach) so we are restricted to half term in October.

We need to get the train into Euston (which will cost about £100 with her disabled railcard).

She does like museums but has done the main ones (Natural History, Science, Transport) on a school trip. She’s not into shopping but would like to go to a Sephora. She would also like to see the Globe theatre and the changing of the guards on horseback.

I’ve been looking at Premier Inn and Travelodge but they are still really expensive in Central London and I have no idea if it’s feasible to stay in one further afield and travel into London every day. I also need inspiration for things in London that a 14 year old girl would enjoy.

I did also wonder about driving down to a commuter town and getting a fast train into London every day, thus saving on train fare and maybe getting a cheaper hotel?

Any recommendations for hotels or things to do from people who know London would be very gratefully received.

She might like the V&A museum? Lots of jewellery/gems to look at from what I remember.

The Thames Clippers going east-west or west-east aren't very expensive and it's really nice when you see all the sights lit up at night.

There was a 2 for 1 entry scheme a few years ago, so if you travelled by train you got one free entry to certain attractions. But you probably have an Access card anyway.

I can't help with accommodation ideas, but I went to Frameless just off Marble Arch recently, and it was brilliant. An interactive art gallery. I keep recommending that to everyone looking for something to do in London.

Whereabouts are you travelling from? Might be cheaper to get a national express coach rather than a train?

She might like to see a musical? Mean girls, Six, Moulin Rouge?

The sky garden is pretty cool and is free. You can also go to some of the bars in the Shard and just have a drink (as long as you meet the dress code!).

Food wise you could stick to chain places like Bella Italia, wagamamas etc. Could also use the toogoodtogo app to get stuff for breakfast and lunch and have a picnic in a park if the weather is okay.

What’s the nature of her disability? London can mean a lot of walking. Buses are great but sometimes slow in traffic or if you are able to get the tube you could look at premier inn/travelodge further out but by a tube stop. Finsbury Park/Archway/Manor House arent the fanciest areas but you can be in central London in a little over 10 mins. Southgate/walthamstow etc a little further.

could you see if there are any cheap tickets for a show? Mean Girls/wicked etc.

Premier inns are much cheaper the further in advance you book. We paid about £112 per night last October for a family of 4 - but we booked it the November before. Have you checked prices for half term in February, or Easter? I would imagine trains may also be cheaper if booked further in advance?

You mention a disabled railcard - Does your daughter have mobility requirement? If so this can impact tube use as only a few tubes have lifts.

If no requirements, then I'd recommend seven dials market for lunch and the whole area around there for shopping, into Covent Garden for sephora etc. Some cool vintage and jewellry shops at 14yr old budget level. Lots of teen girls around there (I have a DD16 who discovered seven dials with me when she was 13 and now goes with friends on her own!)

My DD also loves musical theatre. If you don't mind cheap seats (which are always much better than you think, we only buy cheap seats) then you can get tickets to a show.

And when I say cheap seats usually no more than £30 a seat.

Oh and in terms of accommodation, look east to the square mile. My DH stayed in a big hotel room at moorgate last week for £100 a night. Lots of availability in the city esp at the weekend.

It should be possible for you to stay further out e.g. zone 3 or 4 and take public transport in. Only because I know the area, there's a Travelodge by Walthamstow Central station, for example, which is likely cheaper than the ones in the centre, and you could take the overground to Liverpool Street or catch the Victoria line from the same station, both of which would get you to the centre of town in 20 mins or so.

Hi- with accommodation, I don’t think you’re going to be able to avoid it being expensive I’m afraid, but do have a look at premier inns or travelodges at places along the main tube lines to see if they are any cheaper ones? for instance there’s one in Richmond which is nice and you can get the tube or train from there into central london and you are also close to the river and Richmond park there too.

For days out, there are many cheap museums and parks : it depends a bit on what your daughter is into.. She may like to spend some time in one of the Westfield shopping centres (Stratford or Shepherds bush). Also, if you book well in advance (try as soon as you can) you can get tickets to see the view from Sky garden . Greenwich is good as you can get the DLR or the Uber boat there, visit the maritime museum for free and then there are good planetarium shows at the observatory for only £6 a ticket. Also try the free galleries too: national, national portrait, Tate and Tate modern.

Is this £400 including your £100 ticket on train? So £300 in London?
Are you planning to stay one night?

You can stay further out and take tube in. I'd suggest the Premier Inn at Tottenham Hale station - it's right by the tube station which is on the Victoria Line (will take you to Euston directly as well as Oxford Street, Green Park etc) and it is on fast overground rail to Liverpool street where you can change to Elizabeth Line, central, circle lines etc.
The area around the hotel is not exciting (it's basically new build flats, student dorms and a Homebase) so you'll want to eat dinner while out in town and then head back there just to sleep.

You need to apply at least 28 days in advance but you can save on your daughter's tube and bus fares while in London.
https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/free-and-discounted-travel/11-15-zip-oyster-photocard#on-this-page-0

Teenagers often enjoy browsing quirkier areas like Camden Market? Vintage clothes, music, decor for a bedroom etc. And browsing is free.

Quirkier museums: Sir John Soane's museum. The Hunterian (bit gruesome, it's history of surgery). Denis Severs house.

The Wellcome collection is right by where you arrive at Euston and has interesting explorations of disability that might be of interest?
https://wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions/ZZP8BxAAALeD00jo

Travelodge in Finchley Central is two minutes walk to the tube and gets you into Central London in 30 minutes and is cheap ( though we went in term time so they may rachet up the prices in school holidays).
It was perfect for us. Hope she has a lovely time.
Covent Garden in the evening is magical, lots of quirky stalls and some really impressive busking, really, really good.

Camden Market – still buzzing, free to visit and there’s loads of street food options.

The Delaunay is a fancy restaurant but next door is the Delaunay Counter – a lot of the same, delicious dishes from the same kitchen but for less money

I'd stay at Greenwich but a travelogue is still about £ 80 a night, from there you can visit the cutty sark, maritime museum, royal observatory, greenwich park, lace museum, Greenwich Market and get the user boat to the 02, then the other direction to the globe, Tate Modern and the Tate plus you pass a lot of landmarks. There are also many cheap places to eat, lots of noodle shops, Greg's and Weatherspoons.

I don’t know what side you’re approaching from bit we have driven to the Premier Inn in High Wycombe before and got the train from there (£13, takes 30 to 35 mins).

Try https://www.yha.org.uk/hostel/yha-london-lee-valley?utm_source=google&utm_medium=maps&utm_campaign=google-places

If you don’t mind driving, I’d look at one of the hotels around the Excel area that have free parking and then just get public transport in if your daughter can manage that. Might be cheaper than the train.

I'm not sure when half term is but I just searched Travelodge for end of October and you could get a night at the Greenwich one (which is in Deptford really- 2 mins from Deptford DLR - which is fun to go on!) for £45!
There are other locations for similar prices. Being near a station would be helpful. If you go too far out you'll end up spending a lot more on trains.

It's perfectly feasible to stay further afield and travel into central London every day. I lived in many areas of London (zones 2-4) and it hardly took me longer than 20-30 minutes to get to central London.
Also worth looking into air-bnb and see if you can get a little studio or even a spare room in someone's house. I just saw a double room for £160 for 4 nights in Archway which is only about 15 min on tube from Tottenham Court road.

Look at the universities and see if there is non term time accommodation. The uni I work for does this and rooms are super cheap compared to hotels

If you can travel down on the Sunday then hotels are cheaper on Sunday night. Like pp suggests, universities halls and yha are cheap

In October half term?

You might be better on a Friend's and Family Railcard.
V&A museum currently has a TS exhibit
National Gallery is due to have a Van Gogh exhibit too

Premier Inn wise we normally stay at Stratford or Richmond as they are a little further out so cheaper - Richmond is an easy bus ride to Hampton court and a short walk to Kew.
DD is autistic though so we sometimes stay in the centre, Farringdon last time so that we can come back midday for a rest before going out for the evening, good access to Barbican tube and St Paul's and citylink.

Travel lodge is often a bit cheaper and the only real difference is no hairdryer. I often stay at the Vauxhall one for work and that has great public transport connections.

Look at cost of advance train tickets about 12 weeks before you travel when they get released. I got kids tickets between Edinburgh and London for £30 (return, with railcard) so I'm sure you can get that cheaper.

If she wants to go to Sephora how about looking for.accomodation in Stratford - it's very quick on the tube into central Londom and nice stuff there too, Olympic park, Hackney wick restaurants on canal.

I'd also suggest Brick Lane and Spitalfields market - gives her a proper "London" experience that should be appealing to a teen and give her something that can't be done at home like eating in chain restaurants. Easily walkable from Liverpool Street Station.

There is a cool vintage market at Brick Lane to browse around
http://www.vintage-market.co.uk

And vintage shops like Rockit
https://www.rokit.co.uk/

Or a famous record store
https://www.roughtrade.com/en-gb/stores/east-london
Or a cool skateboard store: Slam City Skates

Brick Lane is famous for cheap curries but actually has a much greater range of food types (Japanese, Georgian, Mexican, Sichuan, crosstown doughnuts, a very fancy hot chocolate shop etc) including lots of tiktok popular options. Just put Brick Lane food in.

Fournier Street and Princelet street having amazing Hugenot era houses to wander past (Denis Severs museum is in one of them)

Spitalfields market is much fancier but has interesting street food and independent stalls selling clothes, art, jewellery as well as established brands in proper shops
There is a branch of affordable skincare line The Ordinary there with lovely staff who can help advise on a skin care routine at much lower cost than Sephora.