Europe Trip: London, UK part 1

To continue with the theme of logistics, I'll present the UK side since most was also planned prior to setting foot onto European soil.

From France to the UK
After 8 days in Paris, we took a train to London via Eurostar from the station, Gare du Nord. We booked the tickets online about 1 month in advance and printed our tickets. I quickly realized booking it in euros was significantly cheaper as it was 70 eur ($77) per person vs. $90 USD.

• Getting to the Eurostar was very speedy. You go through UK customs before accessing the waiting lounge. 
• No strict guidelines with luggage either! So we brought a feast with us (as did many other people). Knives and non-cap cups aren't allowed though. The train ride was smooth as silk. 

Maps, GPS...where am I?
In both Paris and London, Google Maps has been exceptionally helpful in providing the public transport schedule. My family T-Mobile plan (Simple Choice) also features free global coverage: unlimited text and data + $0.20/min calls. I couldn't believe my eyes at first. It has been wondrous.

• I noticed in Paris that I could only get the metro system to show up (which was plenty useful). In London, both buses and metros work. 
• In the event that my 3G isn't working, I had saved offline maps of the cities on Google and relied on the phone's GPS function (which should be free for all smartphones). Star all the places you need to go. I like how the compass arrow still works offline so I'll know which direction I'm facing. 

Where to stay?
Lodging in the UK is much more expensive! Granted, the pound is much stronger against the dollar (1.5-to-1). Most single beds in center-city hotels start at 150 pounds ($205) and even the cheapest options in hostels are at least 70 pounds ($105) per person. I tried AirBnB but couldn't find an option that had the same convenience and value as I did in Paris.

While perusing independent B&B places, I stumbled upon Arlington Avenue (Positive TripAdvisor reviews). It was only 55 pounds ($80) for a double (45 pds for a single) a night  + breakfast!! I noticed most of its units are booked 3+ weeks out, and there wasn't availability for all the days were were staying.With the host responsive via email, I immediately paid the full cost of 2 nights upfront.

• The place was only 15 min bus ride (#73 or 476) from the train station St. Pancras.
• Thomas, the host, is very friendly and responsive. He lives in the floor above but is very hands-off. Our room was splendid. Full review to come. 

For the remaining nights, we opted to stay at Premier Inn. It's a hotel chain that caters to business professionals with wifi, large beds + sofa bed at reasonable prices. Our last 3 nights averaged 120 pounds a night (~$550 total) at the central Waterloo station.

• There are many locations around central London, and each vary significantly in price, so I recommend using the map view search function to scan for the best deals.

Transportation
I read extensively about Oyster cards vs. Visitor Oyster cards vs. Travelcard (paper) passes. All options are valid for the Tube and buses. There is a nice chart breaking down what to buy based on how long you're staying.

• Oyster cards - costs a refundable 5 pounds ($7.50). Load what you need. Each tube ride is 2.30 pounds ($3.50), and you'll never spend more than the daily "cap" of 6.40 pounds ($9.50). You can load week-long travel passes onto it. 
• Visitor Oyster cards - costs a nonrefundable 3 pounds ($4.50) as a "activation fee". Acts similarly to Oyster cards in that the amount you spend on traveling will cap daily. 
• Single day Travelcard - 11-17 ($16-25) pounds depending on zone coverage. 
• 7-day Travelcard - 32.1 pounds ($48). Can only be purchased for and loaded onto Oyster cards
• Single-rides tickets - from 4.80 pounds ($7), expensive

We decided to go with buying and loading Oyster cards with 20 pounds (total $38 each) because it is refundable and the most economical with its "daily cap". The St. Pancras train station had a large tourist office (closes at 5PM)) where I purchased mine.

Attractions
Most touristy attractions are free!! We thought we had some wiggle room to book tickets to Buckingham Palace: Royal Mews and the Queen's Gallery as well as a private tour to the state rooms ($380).

Overall
The expenditures of traveling to the UK with the train tickets, lodging, and transportation was $775. Adding the Buckingham Palace package, our total became $1,155. This meant that before setting foot onto Europe, Paris + London upfront costs were about $2,050, leaving us just under $1,000 for food and goodies.