alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Just been down for the weekend for the God-daughter's wedding. Taxi fares from KX to Northumberland Avenue, £9.20 out, £11.20 back;(, tube fares at £4 a go to go 5 stops to see my uncle on the Saturday morning, £176 for a REDUCED rate at the hotel, negotiated for wedding guests, and it had NO restaurant, NO bar and only provided ONE large towel per double room.

Jeez, at that rate, there's no wonder people are staying away, I know I shant be back for a long while

Only good thing was the wedding........brillliant, and the reception held in Middle Temple Hall, which is the setting for Hogwarts hall I drank so much I reckon they'd have to put me in Slytherin House

Alcazar

Snazy

Aint so bad
Better if you plan ahead and can choose where you stay.
Try the bus, £2 for one stop

lol @ people staying away............ are they??? I cant say I had noticed it was quiet.

Simon 69

Doesnt matter to us; we dont have to go to the awful cespool of a place.

Snazy

Really that bad?

Simon 69

Yes Michael.

Snazy

Thank you Simon

Just out of interest, where you from and what makes you feel that way about London.
Its far from perfect, but I could name another 5-6 UK cities that I would rather live in London before

angrynorth

Having lived in London for 2 years. Despite completely hating it, I would still be inclined to agree with you. I could only possibly live in either Manchester or London, every where else that I have lived in the UK has seemed insular and dated.

Liverpool (unfortunately ) and perhaps Birmingham (centre only) are perhaps the only exceptions to this rule. Most of the other UK cities that I have visited and spent considerable time in have felt like visiting a motorway service station.

Sorry

Simon 69

Im from Derbyshire and I live in Sheffield. but Im not the Northern monkey that I pretend to be. In these infraction-aware times it isnt really possible for me to explain what I dislike about London particularly, but contrary to common opinion here, it isnt all Labours fault.....

Simon

Clarebabes

We went to the Ace Cafe on Saturday night. An hour journey took over 2 as the traffic was so bad. Took a wrong turn and ended up in some God-awful town centre - Harlesdon I think. Was horrible! Ace Cafe was good though. Nice burger and chips

I will only go to London if I really have to.

billythekid

Went down for my mates wedding a month ago. Was shocked to find out the hotel charged £24 for overnight parking!!!!! There was a massive car park (hotel was near Hayes). Managed to get them down to 1 nights charge (for 3 nights parking). Complete p1ss take, their answer was "all hotels in this area charge for parking".. would have been nice of them to tell me that when booking.

paulr

I too hate London. I find it not a city, but approx 8 large towns all joined together. If you want a good northern city try Sheffield.

what would scooby do

Somebody should have got an oyster card

£1 per bus journey (unlimited stops)
£1.50 single zone one tube journey

p.s. there are serveral hotels such as the Ibis that charge £80 a night.

The prices don't keep people away (ok maybe a few bumpkins ) it's probably more to do with supply and demand.

Abdabz

I stayed in Kensington on business last week... £275 a night in a holiday inn Mandatory 12.5% service charge on every food and drink order. £4 for a bottle of stella... £25 a night car parking etc....
Taxi to Hammersmith Road going out £7 coming back £11 because the cockerny wide boy *** heard the accent and made up loads of excuses for the fact he didnt know all his rat runs had been made one way recently
So London is dear, busy, very "multicultural" and a bit smelly... It was nice to come home

DCI Gene Hunt

I actually LOVE London...

Shows, bars, shops.... and loads of totty as well.... although £11 for a Bacardi and coke was interesting .... that one bar bill ended up at over £200

Walk everywhere.... don't bother with the tube....

ChefDude

bus journeys on oyster are 90p for a single fare now.

i can't remember the last time i went in a black cab cheaper than a tenner.

midnight in soho and being able to go to a pattiserie and eat fine cream cakes with a coffee

£25 to see the latest film in the west end and not the best sound system either

£25 to see transformers at the UK's biggest screen (waterloo's IMAX) with an awesome sound system

walking over london bridge and looking down the thames at the eye, parliament, the oxo tower, the avia 'pickle', etc at morning sun or entirely lit in the night

New years eve, at midnight, on the top of a building in shoreditch watching the thousands of firework displays everywhere, 360 degrees

2am in soho on a saturday night trying to get home

hearing the same buskers in the tube all the time coz you travel on the tube twice a day in zone 1

not batting an eyelid when the 3 course meal and a bottle of wine exceed £150

the photographer's gallery in the west end for free

Seeing the odd celebs being normal, eating dinner with family and carrying their dry cleaning

realising it'll cost us at least £350K to buy a nice 1 bedroom flat of less than 500sq feet

OllyK

I lived in London for 4 years and I really hate the place.

Was down there twice last week, £117 train ticket plus £9 parking each day only to arrive and find the Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith and City lines are all closed meaning the Victoria line and others are massively delayed and over crowded.

dpb

isnt this part of the attraction tho

dont know bout Sheffield heard its good

Simon C

Usually I hate the place, but my PT job means I have to be there.

Depending what I want to do there it can be enjoyable or complete pain. Shopping a socializing aint band, traffic, well I refuse to drive in london. 22mpg on the open road is bad enough


Went to a friends flat in E14 on sat, over looks the basin. I could quite happily live there, if it wasn't for the fact I like green fields.

Snazy

Fair enough mate, I would be inclined to say the same about your chosen location but I guess each to their own. Would not personally infract you for having an opinion on an area

London is more Ken's fault (Labour) than directly the gov, but they are all in it together. Guess its one of those places you have to love to appreciate or hate whats happened to it.

As for your experience Billy, do you mean Hayes Middlesex? Up near Heathrow?

Chef, nicely put, definatly some pro's and cons

I love London and can sum it up in one word. LIFE, there is loads of it, energy all day and night, and yes its busy, its the capital, and a pretty small one at that

phil_wrx

iTrader: (2)

went down last summer for cricket at lords.

drove down and stayed at holiday inn canary wharf £60 for room with 2 singles so split between 2 of us and free parking.

tube cost a tenner all day

beer wasnt that bad but cost £20 for taxi home at 4 am

not to bad to be honest but did spend in excess of £200 in spearmint rhino

Snazy

Perfect example of how to make the most of London without getting ripped off. But if you will insist on going Spearmints.... lol

phil_wrx

iTrader: (2)

was rude not too but quality night had

Leslie

I come from near London but won't cry if I never have to visit it again. Its a right rip-off and the air is so bad you get a splitting headache within 30 minutes of arriving!

Les

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Supply and demand.

Two years ago the demand for hotels in London rose dramatically. Before then I could pretty much always get a quality room for £100-120 per night at places like the Cumberland, Grange City, Grange Holborn.

Now, if I do not plan two weeks ahead even a **** hole Comfort Inn is £100 plus and all the business hotels now average £200.

Simon 69

Sheffield: Rome of the North

Snazy

Built on 7 hills as is Rome so I am told.
Catchy name, but no comparison

Snazy

I think the confusion there is the City of London is a small area within the area generalised as "London"
London itself is a small area, within a bigger district also know as London.

Bit like I live in the borough of Lewisham, but not IN Lewisham....

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

theres no shame in spending money in a titty bar.

Chip

With a little effort London can be very cheap. We stayed on Saturday night in a 5* hotel (Grange city) which cost £68+vat for the two of us and included continental brekky as well. Parked the car free as well in Kensington .

Bought a day travelcard to use on Sat for a fiver.

We usually go up on megabus for £1 each way if booked early or from £22 return on the train from Cardiff.

A bargain if you ask me.

Chip

Janspeed

iTrader: (1)

Too expensive.