* * * FLY TO LONDON / EDINBURGH FROM HAHN AIRPORT * * *

MY EUROPE BASE : LONDON & UK TIPS

London can still strip your wallet – but deals abound if you know where to look. Here we share with you possibilities for hotels, self-contained riverside chalets and canal boats from less than 10 pounds per person per night. We've concentrated at places conveniently on the rail line between London's Liverpool Street Station (right in London City) and Stansted Airport, where low-cost airlines can fly you to 100+ destinations. This is what we've found (and visited in Oct 2010):

STANSTED AIRPORT: London-Stansted, 31 miles to the NE of Central London near the town of Bishop Storton, is the world's busiest low-cost airport, about 35 minutes by express train from Liverpool Street. It's big, glassy and modern and the main hub for Ryanair. Processing seems faster than Heathrow, as does the planes getting in and out of the air. Air Asia is the only airline flying into Stansted from Asia and Australia. There's airport bus services from many points in London with National Express or Easybus (very cheap fares are possible if booked online). By comparison, Heathrow's old terminals 1, 2 and 3 are daggy (T4 and T5 are newer) and the tube ride while cheap is slow and often crowded.

TRAVELODGE @ HARLOW TOWN: On the way from Stansted Airport to London is Harlow Town, 20 miles out of London. We like the convenience and deals of the modern (if boring) Travelodge Harlow, 100m from the heritage-listed Harlow Town rail station, a 1960 cubic exercise in concrete, glass and tiny green tiles, partially restored. It's 25 minutes (one or non stop) to Liverpool Street (day return about 10 pds, add 5 pds for a 5-zone London pass), 10 mins to Stansted Airport Terminal station (5 pds) and convenient also to Cambridge. Most Stansted Express services stop here and are not crowded. Book the Travelodge 21 days in advance for bargain rates from 19 pds a room a night – for 1 up to 4 persons! Walk up on the night and it is 60+ pds. You can check rates easily online and see what they are for every night. Rooms are all ensuite, the size is comparable to 4+ star international hotel rooms (20sqm) with a comfortable queen bed and sofa - and can sleep up to 4 adults for the one price. Even larger rooms can be requested and are no extra if available. Furniture is similar to a 4 star but simpler in style and standard. Rooms are clean. A bistro-pub is next door and did an excellent all-you-can-eat for 7.50 pds. While Harlow is a modern town with a big shopping centre (1 mile away), Harlow Town station lies beside the River Lee Canal – walk across the bridge and you're in the Essex countryside. You can walk along the canal tow path and there are more traditional villages up and down the river which mostly follows the rail line into London. London's suburbs have more Travelodges as well as the slightly more upmarket Holiday Inn Express chain and a similar concept from Hiltons. Inner London can be a trap with many 2 and 3 star BnBs offering cramped awful rooms. It is very hard to get a nice spacious London hotel room at a value price. There are over 400 Travelodges in the UK and most are less than 20 years old. www.travelodge.co.uk

RIVER LEE CHALETS @ BROXBOURNE: Two stops closer to London from Harlow (on the slow trains) is the village of Broxbourne (17 miles out), home to Lee Valley Boats. As well as day hire canoes and boats, they offer 3 riverside chalets on Mill Stream off the River Lee for rates of 200 to 300 pds a week. While not luxury, the self-contained chalets sleep up to 6 persons, a very affordable family or group option. The station is 5 minutes walk and local trains take 40 mins to Liverpool Street. The area is part of the scenic Lee Valley Regional Park with lots of walking. Rye House is nearby and Waltham Abbey is a stop on the train into London. http://www.leevalleyboats.co.uk/chalets.htm

LOCKVIEW CANAL BOATS @ HARLOW: We found a great way to do London for a week if one of your group has any disability or difficulty (read on...). The not-for-profit 'Canal Boat Project' has specially built self-drive live-aboard canal boats for hire at less than commercial rates that sleep up to 10 or 12 persons and are fitted with lifts. 7 nights costs between 820 and 1040 pds and mid week 4-night hires are a tad over 100 pds a night. When we looked there were half-price deals in Jan-Feb. The boat base is over the bridge from Harlow Town Rail Station (platforms have lifts) on the River Lee. It is about 2 days relaxed cruising into London and you can tie up for free along the canals through Central London! It's also easy to tie up along the river near a tavern and catch the train in to the city. See www.canalboat.org.uk and www.lockviewcanalholidays.org.uk . Quoted from the Lockview website: “You can hire our boats: As an individual, if you or someone onboard has a special need or difficulty or disability. As a group, if it is a community group, youth organisation, guides, scouts, school, college etc... As a family, if one of your group has a special need or difficulty or disability. All people have a range of differences and difficulties, the groups that have hired our boats include those with arthritis, sight impairment, mobility difficulties ... Please ask us if you are not sure.”

Here's a time-lapse video of canal boating: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHx0S3VYONg

LONDON TRANSPORT: Rejoice, London has been returned to the pedestrians – the inner streets have almost emptied of cars thanks to the congestion charges. Walk if you can! The Tube might be convenient but it is crowded, dusty and hot and stuffy in summer. It's awful to do with luggage. Buses give great views from the upper deck and are faster than they were. As an alternative to a one day Travelcard, consider buying a set (carnet) of 10 tickets.

BIKE TEASE: Across London are 400 tempting rows of new blue Barclays 1 pd a day hire bikes. But sadly they are there for locals only, requiring advance online registration with a UK address that is the same as your billing address! Back on the bus for all of us. Update – there is a way for tourists to now use the bikes!

CAR HIRE: Harlow and Stansted are convenient to hire from the major companies and you are immediately in the countryside. Sixt is best value at Stansted because they are based just outside the airport and run a shuttle bus to the terminal. One week and weekend deals are usually the best value and can be under 20 pds a day for VW Polo size. Ask ahead for diesel and you will save more. Good comparison websites are www.carhire3000.co.uk & www.easycar.com but often the best deals are clearer on the major company websites (Avis, Budget, Hertz, Europcar, Sixt, Dollar). If driving around the countryside, remember there are 400 Travelodges with cheap deals if you book 3 weeks ahead, otherwise roadside and village pubs can offer excellent bed-n-breakfast for 40-80 pds for two.

MEGABUS: Plan ahead and ride between UK cities for as little as 1 pound. Last year we had 1 pound tickets booked from Bristol to London but had to forfeit them because Ryanair cancelled a flight on us (airlines may try and rationalise services about 30 days out if they think the numbers look poor – good argument for booking later). Day Megabus services from London to Edinburgh we saw at 5 pounds, the night bus 12 pounds. www.megabus.co.uk

NATIONAL TRUST & MUSEUM PASSES: Many London museums are free however where they apply, entry fees can be expensive and tourists don't have as much time to spend in each place as the locals do. Therefore passes are the best idea.

YOUR SUGGESTIONS: We invite further ideas for the page.