So, you should visit your mother-in-law in London but don't really want to stay the night with her? Well, there are plenty of alternative places to stay in London and loads of things to do whilst in the Capital.Hotels in London are quite well-known for their high costs; however, if you have some foresight and plan ahead, you can stay there without emptying your pockets. Accommodation in London is variable, ranging from luxury, 5-star hotels to snug and comfortable bed & breakfast pubs and guest houses. A great way to save money on accommodation in London without staying with your mother-in-law is to simply choose to go in the off-season time. Accommodation in London is extremely expensive and quite hard to find over the summer. In general, accommodation in London is the most expensive in the UK and Ireland.
It's possible to stay in London on a slim budget. B&Bs are comparatively cheap places where you can stay in London and still be comfortable.
You could even become a member of Hostelling International and get discounts on accommodation, trips, activities and admission to museums and cultural centres. If you get an international youth hostel card, you can stay in London hostels for under $30 a night. You can join through your local Youth Hostel Association.
Your mother-in-law may offer you a meal but if not there are plenty of places to eat, but eating out is generally expensive in London. But it is a place that enjoys diverse restaurants offering cuisines of different kinds and places. In fact, they rival the restaurants of some of the modern and thickly populated American cities like New York and San Francisco.
Some of the finest bars and restaurants in London may be on your mother-in-law's doorstep, along with many attractions like Buckingham Palace and the Royal Academy of Arts.
London has some ambitious Indian restaurants that offer outstanding and original Indian cuisine. Some Indian restaurants even specialise in the cuisines of another country, calling it their own and attracting new admirers to it.
You may prefer French food and whilst there are excellent French restaurants in London they can also be found in Greater London, too. It's true that restaurants in London are famous for variety and you'll find just about every type of food imaginable from all over the world but probably not quite like your mother-in-law will provide! Restaurants in London are certainly not cheap and you may sometimes have to cough up more than you bargained for! Remember that if you stay at a guest house in London, you may be able to arrange an evening meal along with your bed and breakfast.
Some of the places you can visit whilst you are in London include the British Museum, Natural History Museum, the London Eye, Tate Modern, National Gallery, Science Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Madam Tussauds (now with a new figure of Michael Jackson), the Tower of London and National Maritime Museum. Other places to visit in London include Covent Garden, Harrods in Knightsbridge for some retail therapy, the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich, London Zoo, Hampton Court Palace (try the maze) and Kew Gardens. A guest house in London makes a very good base from which to visit all of these interesting places.