London is becoming unaffordable...

[Serial_Apologist]

I dont use travel cards oyster cards et al.

I just stick my bike on the train.
And its quicker!
Last train back is 0040.

I do have to dash after a concert for last orders in a pub however!

3VS

You have to be careful about bikes on trains.

Last year I was debarred at the barrier from taking my bike back here from Victoria at 4 pm after a Cadogan Hall midday gig. Last time I looked, Tfl's webpage was very confused as to when and on which lines you can take bikes, and whether or not they're fold-up type - the general implication being that on deep-level tubes they're always a no-no, and on other lines disallowed at certain busier times of the day. It all seems to come down to which lines and which services - so you may not find out until you arrive "puncturally" and are told, "Sorry pal/sir" (dress code-dependent), "not on this one".

http://www.tfl-gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/11701.aspx#page-link-tube

S-A

[3rd Viennese School]

Of course, you can only travel on Saturdays and Sundays!

That 4pm is correct- the same station wouldnt let me take my bike on the train at that time to Clapham Junction (it was raining!)
Which lucky city office people get to leave work at 4pm?

3VS

[Lateralthinking1]

It is just over 15 minutes on the train from London Victoria to East Croydon. There is a train every hour through the night. This is not a recommendation but for some it could be an answer.

[gurnemanz]

We drive to London for theatre, opera, concerts and exhibitions and go often. We wouldn't want to miss these visits and the high hotel and public transport charges mentioned here would be off-putting. It is 86 miles on the clock (mostly motorway) from Wootton Bassett to free off-peak street parking close to Waterloo. From there you are right next to South Bank venues and it is only 20 mins walk across the Thames to the West End or ROH. We have free bus passes but it's a pleasant stroll and we don't use them unless it is raining. If the performance finishes by 10 we can easily be home by midnight. Luckily, if we want to stay over, we can find a bed at our daughter's flat in Balham. We are doing that this weekend, taking in a play on Saturday night and the Sunday afternoon Harnoncourt Missa Solemnis at the Barbican (where there is also free street parking).

[Simon B]

I've found that the trick is to, on no account, stay in the place. It'd be a different story if I had friends within striking distance prepared to put me up (more put up with me), but no such luck.

I go to London a lot, mostly for concerts/opera. Historically that has meant 10-15 times a year, never travelling from less than 110 miles away, sometimes 150, sometimes 200. In this context, overnight stays have always seemed prohibitively expensive - and I agree it's got rapidly worse recently.

A few things have helped me - being a nightowl, not being bothered about being on late trains/coaches and luck that these were available to somewhere near where I was staying.

When I was out of work for 7 weeks recently, I still went to London concerts for which I already had tickets. I caught a mid-afternoon Megabus from Bristol to London, walked to the Festival Hall from Victoria and reversed the process after the concert using buses which left at 22:00 or 23:45. Total cost, £2.50. Admittedly, you have to book months in advance to get the £1 fares and the journeys were pretty tedious, but it did the job. By the same method, I've managed to go from Cardiff to a Prom for £7.50 including an arena day ticket.

I much prefer to use the train (albeit at 10x the cost of the Megabus) - and again there are trains to Bristol until 23:30 7 days a week, to Cardiff at 22:45/23:30 on weekdays, Swansea until 22:45 on weekdays etc.

Similar things have worked when I've been briefly based in Birmingham (trains at 22:30/23:30 from Euston), Bournemouth (trains until 23:00+ from Waterloo) and Leeds (23:00+ from Kings Cross).

Curiously, Manchester was a problem. No trains from London after 22:00 - a non-starter. Sometimes I drove to Sheffield (last train from St Pancras was about 22:30 - a bit tight with no later backup option) or Derby (last train at 23:00+). These options were both expensive and long-winded, but all there was. Quite why trains to the NW conurbation (with its massive population and relatively short journey time) pack it in so early I could never fathom.

A final advantage of this is that those late trains invariably have the cheapest possible advance tickets readily available if you book as soon as they go on sale. Ditto carefully selected mid-afternoon trains up to London. So Bristol and back is often £20, Cardiff £23, Bournemouth £20, Birmingham £12 etc etc.

Of course, if you can't abide (or don't feel safe on) late trains or buses or don't live within striking distance of similar options this is all irrelevant. I'll always look for a way of avoiding the overnight stay as I reckon doing so almost always halves the total cost of a concert - the inconvenience is a price worth paying. In effect I get to go to twice as many concerts.

And finally... To echo what others have said - definitely get an Oyster card if you make even occasional trips to London. A zone 1 journey on the tube is £2 with Oyster, about £4 (don't know exactly as I wouldn't even consider it these days) if you buy individual tickets. No decision to be made there really...

[ostuni]

gurnemanz, I'm intrigued by your free off-peak parking close to Waterloo. It's some time since I drove into the centre (coming from Stroud, not that much further from the M4 than WB, I tend to park near Northfields, & tube in), so any tips are most welcome!

[pmartel]

That said about London, I would believe it ESPECIALLY with the Olympics coming.

Living in Toronto, Ontario Canada is not cheap either. The average house price is around $300,000 and condos are going up EVERYWHERE and some going for OVER $1M dollars CAD. This is absurd.

Transit in this city is $3 each way for cash fare and my transit pass monthly runs around $111.

Property taxes are skyrocketing and for what we get for our services is another story.

All the building going is causing OLD infrastructure to suffer greatly.

The average price for a coffee here is around $2.

I live in a 246 sq ft condo and by the time I pay my mortgage, taxes and maintenance fees, I have very little left.

THANK GOD my entertainment needs are minimal. As long as I have my music collection and internet I'm happy.

Being an avid photographer helps too.

So, there's a brief run down on Canada's second most expensive city, Vancouver B.C being the first

[handsomefortune]

hello pmartel! - some going for OVER $1M dollars CAD.

what is 'CAD'?

causing OLD infrastructure to suffer greatly.

i particularly loathe this aspect, as even if we do return to less crazy times, in terms of over inflated prices, what's gone is gone, heritage-wise.....

more than likely, the olympics 2012 will come and go, and prices will rise for the occasion and ....stay there. (but hope not).

maybe brian paddick will be voted 'lord mayor of londres', and sort some affordable transport.accom.entertainment prices out, amongst his 'duties'. (fingers crossed)

[Serial_Apologist]

Cash on delivery?

[Frances_iom]

hello pmartel! - some going for OVER $1M dollars CAD.

what is 'CAD'?

the previous pink-coloured looneys ?
my front room is larger than 280sq ft - and I get a view of hills, sea + a castle (+ 10th century tower) thrown in gratis

[pmartel]

hello pmartel! - some going for OVER $1M dollars CAD.

what is 'CAD'?

causing OLD infrastructure to suffer greatly.

i particularly loathe this aspect, as even if we do return to less crazy times, in terms of over inflated prices, what's gone is gone, heritage-wise.....

more than likely, the olympics 2012 will come and go, and prices will rise for the occasion and ....stay there. (but hope not).

maybe brian paddick will be voted 'lord mayor of londres', and sort some affordable transport.accom.entertainment prices out, amongst his 'duties'. (fingers crossed)

CAD, Canadian dollar currency.

AND if what you say is true about demolishing history for the Olympics, how sad.

The same is happening here, but for UGLY condos. We've lost so much history.

Oh yes and I should also add that Toronto is hosting the Pan Am games in 2015, I feel the pain of Londoners

[Serial_Apologist]

All the building going is causing OLD infrastructure to suffer greatly.

Pointing out the Georgian terraces lining the streets off Covent Garden and Mayfair, my Toronto friends told me, "There's nothing much in Toronto buillt before about 1890".

My grandfather, an antiquarian, who lived in Suffolk, and loved nothing better than taking us around the county's Mediaeval churches, once accompanied my father on a business trip to Rome. Meeting up in the evening, my father enquired, "Well, Father, what do you think of Rome?" "Oh", replied my Granddad, "it's all much too old for me!"

[pmartel]

Pointing out the Georgian terraces lining the streets off Covent Garden and Mayfair, my Toronto friends told me, "There's nothing much in Toronto buillt before about 1890".

My grandfather, an antiquarian, who lived in Suffolk, and loved nothing better than taking us around county's the Mediaeval churches, once accompanied my father on a business trip to Rome. Meeting up in the evening, my father enquired, "Well, Father, what do you think of Rome?" "Oh", replied my Granddad, "it's all much too old for me!"

Hmmm, if one looks around this city of our there are some structures which date before then.

Old Fort York is 200 years old and quite humbling being surrounded by condos, and then there is the St. Lawrence Market district which is around the same period, and have been restored, but most are being destroyed.

My neighbourhood, The Beach just had the 1906 firehall restored

[pmartel]

Pointing out the Georgian terraces lining the streets off Covent Garden and Mayfair, my Toronto friends told me, "There's nothing much in Toronto buillt before about 1890".

My grandfather, an antiquarian, who lived in Suffolk, and loved nothing better than taking us around the county's Mediaeval churches, once accompanied my father on a business trip to Rome. Meeting up in the evening, my father enquired, "Well, Father, what do you think of Rome?" "Oh", replied my Granddad, "it's all much too old for me!"

Thought you might enjoy this;

http://www.fortyork.ca/

[Serial_Apologist]

Thought you might enjoy this;

http://www.fortyork.ca/

Thanks for this, pmartel.