London on the Cheap

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	Overview of Areas
	Charing Cross
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	Gay Bars
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	Where to Eat
	Where to Stay
	Saunas/Fitness
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	Events - London
	Cheap London
	Dangers etc.
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Eating cheaply:
In the each of the main gay areas, I have identified at least one venue where you can fill yourself up with good food for £4 or less - to find them, click on the map pages, and look out for the "£!" symbol on the listings. Detailed reviews of most of these can then be found in 'Where to Eat'. Top

Half Price Theatre Tickets:
If your favourite Sondheim musical or Chekov play is in town, then you may be able to get half price tickets by going to the "Half Price Ticket Booth" in Leicester Square (nearest tube is Leicester Square). The booth is the freestanding building towards the bottom end of the square (see picture ). sxyq

It only sells tickets for performances on the day, and charges a £2 handling charge. It starts selling from 1200 for matinee performances, and 1430 for evening performances (1200 on Sunday). Look out for the display boards outside the booth which tell you which shows are available. Obviously, if the show is really popular and a sell out, they will not be falling over themselves to sell of tickets half price - so you might consider having one or two possible shows in mind. Also, be sure to take cash - they don't accept credit cards. And to state the obvious, go early to be at the front of the queue which forms - this booth is very popular given the normal prices of London shows! Top

Taxis:
Don't even think about trying to haggle with a black cab. However if you do decide to take a minicab back to your hotel after a club (but see my page on dangers!), it is worth bargaining. Be emphatic and tell the driver that the price quoted is far too much for that distance; then knock 25% off, and offer that. If the driver refuses, simply offer the reduced fare to the other drivers hanging around - the competition is usually fierce, and there is invariably one who will accept. And don't forget to ask any of the other customers leaving if they want to share a cab - you will be surprised how many will. Top

"It is only by not paying one's bills that one can hope to live in the memory of the commercial classes."
- Oscar Wilde

Hotels:
London hotels are open to bargaining, but success in extracting discounts will depend on how likely they think they can fill the room at full price; whether they think you will go elsewhere; and how persuasive you are. For example, if you turn up very late at night out of the blue, perhaps after visiting a club, you should be able to negotiate up to 50% off. Similarly, if you want to extend a weekend stay to cover a Sunday night, hotels like the Philbeach in Earls Court might offer to knock 50% off the cost of the extra night. And of course, most will give a discount for longer stays - if you ask. Top

Staying a Night In London for £10-12:

Some people who are only in London for a night, skip hotels and go to one of the all-night saunas instead - you will see them grabbing some sleep on the many mattresses provided, gorging on complementary coffee, soft drinks, fresh fruit and biscuits and of course sampling the other delights that you can expect from a gay sauna. However, the saunas probably don't actively encourage that - at least if the volume of the piped music is anything to go by. . .

Drinking:
You can easily pay £2.80 or more for a beer in the centre of London - and a double measure of spirits with a mixer can set you back a whopping £3.40. So, if you want to get pissed on the cheap, here is a list of some happy hours and special drinks offers currently on offer. I try to keep these up to date - but as the bars continually muck around with the details of the offers, do let me know if you come across any errors:

Top

Times:	Venue:	Map:	What's the deal?
Monday: 1900-2100 1700-closing 1700 onwards	Teds Place Halfway to Heaven Colehern	Earls Court Charing Cross Earls Court	two spirits for the price of one (e.g. around £1.70 for double spirits plus mixer) cheap drinks drinks for £1
Tuesday: 1900-2100 all night???	Teds Place Barcode	Earls Court Soho	two spirits for the price of one (e.g. around £1.70 for double spirits plus mixer) drinks £2 all night
Wednesday: 1900-2100 1700-closing	Teds Place Halfway to Heaven	Earls Court Charing Cross	two spirits for the price of one (e.g. around £1.70 for double spirits plus mixer) £1 entry, then selected beer / spirits for £1.50
Friday: 1900-2100 2000-closing	Teds Place Retro Bar	Earls Court Charing Cross	two spirits for the price of one (e.g. around £1.70 for double spirits plus mixer) 2 for 1 on certain drinks (as many time as you like) if you buy a £5 queue-jump ticket to 'Popstarz' club
Saturday:
Sunday: all day 1700-closing	Bar Aquada Halfway to Heaven	Charing Cross Charing Cross	a bottle of house wine, for price of two glasses £1 entry, then selected beers/spirits for £1.50
Weekdays: 1700-1900 1500-1900 1600-1800	Barcode Bar Aquada Balans West	Soho Charing Cross Earls Court	£1.90 for Spirits and draft pints of beers a bottle of house wine for price of two glasses cocktails: 2 for the price of 1
Everyday: 2000-2200 (but all day Sun) 2300 onwards 1700-closing all day	79CXR 79CXR First Out Cafe-Bar Retro Bar	Tottenham Ct Rd Tottenham Ct Rd Tottenham Ct Rd Charing Cross Rd	£2.00 for selected beers and double spirits £2.90 for selected double spirits + mixer £1 for spirits 'only' £3 for a double measure of spirits

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