DETAILS

Budget London

GETTING AROUND: The one-, three- or seven-day Travelcard allows unlimited travel on the Tube and buses. A one-day card, for example, is about $13 for travel at peak times and $10 off-peak within zones 1 and 2, the center of town; if you paid cash for just three Tube rides in a day in the same zones, you'd spend $23.60. But you must opt for specific dates, zones and times, and the charges for going outside those boundaries add up. Instead . . .

. . . Opt for the pay-as-you-go option on the Oyster card. You load money on the card, swipe it on entering and leaving the Tube, and Oyster deducts the fare. Once you hit the charge cap for the day, further travel is free. The Oyster cap is always less than a one-day Travelcard, and it's cheaper than cash. For example, taking the Tube from Heathrow Airport to the center of town costs $7.85 in cash, but with Oyster it's $6.90 (peak) and $3.90 (off-peak). Bus fares, regardless of zone, are $3.90 (cash) or $1.96 (Oyster). Ordering the Oyster card through Visit Britain ( http://www.visitbritaindirect.com/), tacks on $10 for shipping to the United States; instead, buy it at Heathrow, Tube stations or London shops. Leftover money on the card can be refunded or saved for another trip; unlike the Travelcard, the Oyster card doesn't expire.

Transport for London ( http://www.tfl.gov.uk/) offers journey planning and two-for-one Oyster deals on tours, restaurants and theater tickets.

DINING TIPS: Take advantage of the free breakfasts offered at many hotels. I stuffed myself silly on the basic but serviceable continental breakfast included in my hotel, which held me over until late afternoon.

Avoid ordering drinks at dinner. Oddbins, Sainsbury's and Marks & Spencer stores sell decent wine at good prices; have a glass in your hotel room before or after dinner (pack a corkscrew) or bring it to a BYO restaurant. (Londoneats.com lists several.)

Check your restaurant bill to see whether the tip is included.

Buy picnic fare. Borough Market (8 Southwark St.), Spitalfields Market (105a Commercial St.) and the Sunday UpMarket (in the Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane) are feasts for both eyes and stomach; other picnic picker-uppers include the Marks & Spencer, Simply Food (owned by M&S) and Tesco chains. The London Farmers' Markets site ( http://www.lfm.org.uk/) lists venues across the city where there are no middlemen between the farmer and consumer.

Ask locals for recommendations. Brick Lane is lined with ethnic restaurants where, according to Londoner Dominic Ball, haggling can get you 10 to 20 percent off the bill; in Whitechapel, he recommends New Tayyabs (83 Fieldgate St., 011-44-20-7247-9543) and Lahore Kebab House (2-4 Umberston, 011-44-20-7488-2551). The area near Angel is filled with bargain eats; local Judy Batalion suggests the Indian Veg Bhelpoori House (92-93 Chapel Market, 011-44-20-7833-1167), where the all-you-can-eat buffet is $6.90.

In Soho, Hummus Bros. (88 Wardour St., 011-44-20-7734-1311) serves delicious bowls of hummus topped with choice of salad, vegetables or meat starting at $5, pita included. For $2 discounts, carry out or eat before 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (no discounts on Saturdays; closed Sundays). There's also a Holborn location (37-63 Southampton Row, 011-44-20-7404-7079). The Stockpot (18 Old Compton St., 011-44-20-7287-1066) is far from fancy but seriously cheap for a sit-down; my set dinner, with eggplant parmigiana, salad, fries and a glass of wine, was $12.60. A piano player makes it more than just a meal at Pierre Victoire (5 Dean St., 011-44-20-7287-4582), which offers generous entrees such as steak frites ($25) and a tortellini platter ($17.60).

To make the ubiquitous Wagamama the deal everyone says it is, go for dinner rather than lunch; a massive bowl of saien soba soup with fresh vegetables and tofu is $14. For a reasonable afternoon tea, try the British Museum's Court Restaurant (Great Russell St., 011-44-20-7323-8990; $17.60) or the Orangery at Kensington Palace (Kensington Gardens, 011-44-20-7376-0239; between $15 and $20; closed April 12-20).

WHAT TO DO: The London Free List ( http://www.londonfreelist.com/) is updated daily with lists of events and attractions that are free or less than $6, such as museum events and concerts. (London has more than 200 museums, at least 60 of which are free, according to the Web site.) Venues such as the Brick Lane Gallery (196 Brick Lane, 011-44-20-7729-9721; free) and the Photographers' Gallery (5 and 8 Great Newport St., 011-44-20-7831-1772; free) are small but dynamic. Londontourist.org ( http://www.londontourist.org/free.html) lists free salsa lessons and concerts and offers ideas on how to put together your own "hop on/hop off" bus tour. Well in advance, check the schedule and apply for free tickets to tapings at the BBC ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/whatson/tickets). For last-minute tickets, call 011-44-87-0901-1227.

INFORMATION: "Pauline Frommer's London," by Jason Cochran (Wiley, 2007) addresses the needs of budget travelers. The magazine Time Out London highlights free events; sign up for its free events newsletter before your trip ( http://www.timeout.com/email). London's official tourism agency, VisitLondon, offers budget ideas on its site ( http://na.visitlondon.com/city_guide/budget).

-- A.M.