Travelling anywhere in the world is an expensive proposition. London, noted as the sixth most expensive city on the planet by The Daily Mail, is no exception. Having said that, however, the Big Smoke is increasingly well known for its wide variety of holiday packages offering cheap hotel prices. As The Telegraph writes, whereas the prices for hotel reservations skyrocketed across the United Kingdom following the 2012 Olympics, a hotel search for London shows that prices in the capital have only gone up by an average of £4.
Of course, finding cheap hotel prices is only part of being able to afford a trip. You have to find ways to save on food and transportation, and you have to be careful not to spend more than you have on the city’s well-known but pricey attractions. Especially if you’re a lover of cinema, London offers a great way to enjoy your trip while keeping to the budget that had you searching for discount hotel rates in the first place. Here are four locations where you can reenact your favorite films and truly see the soul of London on a shoestring budget.
- Sleepy Hollow’s New York
- An American Werewolf in London
- Skyfall’s Bombing of MI6
- Diagon Alley from the Harry Potter Films
1999’s “Sleepy Hollow” told the classic tale of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman to a new generation. At the end of the film, Johnny Depp’s Ichabod and Christina Ricci’s Katrina leave the haunted town of Sleepy Hollow, moving into the Big Apple to start anew. In actuality, what’s shown to be 19th century New York is actually the Somerset House in the Strand of London, according to TotalFilm.com.
According to Movie-Locations.com, the David Naughton led “An American Werewolf in London” was predominantly shot in London in the early 1980’s. The most famous London-framed scenes include Naughton’s character causing terror in Piccadilly Circus and the climax where the werewolf is finally captured in Winchester Walk in London’s West End. The latter hasn’t changed much since filming wrapped and retains a spooky air.
2012’s “Skyfall” saw Daniel Craig’s 007 bounce back from the abysmal “Quantum of Solace” in a big way. Not only did the film focus on a strong character-driven story, but it showed us Bond’s home of London like we’d never seen it before. One of the more memorable scenes in the film is the bombing of the spy agency MI6 by the villainous Silva. In real life, the headquarters is the home of Britain’s real intelligence agency, the Special Intelligence Service, located on the Albert Embankment near Vauxhall Bridge.
For the hundreds of millions of people who’ve read or watched J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, few locations are more memorable than Diagon Alley. In the fictional world, wizards and witches head to Diagon Alley to buy their wands, books, and other magical implements. As The-Magician.co.uk points out, Diagon Alley’s real life analog is Leadenhall Market, located near the Monument tube station. You won’t be able to buy a wand or robes, but you will be able to relive a moment from the magical world of Hogwarts for free.
Seeing London on a budget can be a tall order, but by taking advantage of cheap hotel prices and free attractions, like these filming locations, you can have a memorable experience with your family without breaking the bank. Read more like this.
