FYI, there are masses of eastern Europeans in Britain now who also work for peanuts and are living under the radar. Some are quite exploited. There have been tons of illegals working in the pubs and restaurants for years.

If people want to go to a European city where people speak English, go to Dublin. I went there in the late 1990's and had a blast!

I live in a very European, very British city on the Pacific Ocean, it's cheaper than London and only a few hours flight from California (and an easy drive+ferry from WA.) Tourism is our main industry and you will find everything from world-class hotels to cozy B&Bs and lots of excursions to the natural wonders of Vancouver Island by bike, car (lots of 4x4s for rental, best way to go around the island), sailboat, motorboat or even helicopter.

Give Victoria a chance (I mean Victoria, BC, Canada, not the Australian province ;) ), you'll love it. :)

PS. My mom is a travel agent, I try to help her as much as I can... ;)

Real estate is comparable to NYC. (I've seen studio apartments in new buildings downtown going for $800K!)
I lived there when Ken was referred to as "Red Ken" because of his super-left leaning views. Funny how times have changed. London is ridiculously expensive. The gas and public transportation prices are insane. Great city though. I always have the best time when I'm there.
On the plus side, they have electric cars and anyone who drives them, doesn't have to pay road tax. I think they're exempt from the commuter tax as well. London is aiming to be one of the greenest cities in Europe.

The high costs of food and lodging are one of the main reasons we pretty much avoid London and usually get a self-catering facility somewhere else in the UK. A week of self-catering is usually cheaper than a few days in London, and everybody gets his or her own room to boot. None of the overpriced hotels with twin beds crammed together military style into what used to be a closet, and we can shop and do our own cooking and laundry and live right in town and take day trips from our "own" little cottage or apartment.

We are not "canned tour" people--would WAY rather live in a town with the regular people than spend 2 or 3 weeks on a bus full of other tourists and/or pay 500 bucks a night to listen to people gripe on a hotel elevator about high prices. It is even possible off-season to rent some facilities for 'short breaks' of 3 weekend days or 4 weekdays.

But if one is in London and doesn't want to have to file for bankrupcy, there is always take-out from Sainsbury's and other supermarkets. There was one right off of the Cromwell Road that had fantastic things that could be dragged back to one's tiny overpriced cell in Earl's Court and consumed without heating or chilling first (this was 4 years ago). Soft German bluecheese spread on wonderful Irish crackers and fruit salad with huge raspberries and gooseberries (and lots of other delicious stuff), wonderfulo cold chicken--stuff like that. I hope the place is still there next trip. (I heard a rumor that some other company is trying to buy out Sainsbury's, and I know that the results won't be as good as they are now).

I won't pay 40 US bucks for a pizza no matter how good it may be.


Another good idea for London and elsewhere is to eat lunch in a pub...some have very good sandwiches and salads and the prices are usually reasonable and the atmosphere can be a lot of fun.

If you don't like reading stuff like this, then don't! No one's twisting your arm!

How sad if what you say is true! Seems to me that the US is the only country where people actually brag about vacationing in junk places like Vegas and Branson when, for the same amount of money or even less, they could be seeing the world.

It is very possible to travel without behaving even temporarily like a multi-millionaire. The people who live and work in London find affordable places to eat where the food is good. For gawdssakes, when you get hungry, just ask somebody in the neighborhood or look for a crowded place. If at a b&b or some hotels, take advantage of the huge (price-included breakfasts), then eat a late lunch in a pub and get a take-out dinner.

We aren't deliberately mingy, but we would rather have three or four or even five modest trips in which we live like the Brits than one big splurge at Clairidge's that is supposed to last for a lifetime of memories.

IT IS TRUE THAT LONDON IS PRICEY...

THE REAL PROBLEM IS THE FOOD...

SAME OLD BRIT SLOP...

AH, WITH A NOUVELLE CUISINE TWIST... BUT SLOP NONETHELESS...

whatever it is... in pudding form... and warm beer! Ah the degenerates!

THE BRITSHITS ARE NOT EUROPEANS... THEY'RE ATLANTISTS, AMERICANS REALLY... JUST ABOUT AS OBESE AND STUPID AND WHITE AND DOUGHY AND...

WELL, YOU GET MY DRIFT.

SAME PERSPECTIVE ON WAR AND FOOD AND... WELL EVERYTHING... AS ameriKKKans...

both needing to be vaporized off the surface of the earth.