DETAILS: London Neighborhoods

At roughly $2 to the pound, the exchange rate can be a real pain in the wallet. To keep costs down and to sample life as a Londoner, get out of touristy and expensive Zone 1 and into the surrounding neighborhoods. Here are some money-saving tips for the outskirts of town.

GETTING THERE: United, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, BMI and Continental fly nonstop from Washington to London, with round-trip fares averaging about $950. Sales do pop up, however, especially in the offseason. Also check Zoom: The low-fare carrier now flies between New York's JFK and Gatwick and has round-trip fares at about $700. Prices also might fall because of the new Open Skies agreement, which liberalizes transatlantic trade, creating more flight options.

GETTING AROUND: Oyster cards, available for $6 at all London Underground stations and many news agents, are essential for traveling around the city by bus and subway. The Oyster card works like a debit card and can be used for the week or pay-as-you-go. Individual tickets cost twice as much as the Oyster fare. Info: http://www.tfl.gov.uk.

STAYING THERE: Neighborhood guesthouses and chain hotels such as Travelodge and Holiday Inn Express are usually cheaper than central London properties. Check for B&Bs on such online booking sites as http://www.bedandbreakfasts.co.uk; http://www.lastminute.com and http://www.laterooms.com are good for heavily discounted rooms without much advance planning.

CHEAP EATS: There is no lack of budget restaurants in London, but sometimes quality suffers. Check such guidebooks as Time Out's "Cheap Eats in London" before digging in. As a rule, if a pub has been turned into a gastropub (look for the telltale chalkboard menu of fancy ingredients), the meal will cost as much as a moderately expensive restaurant, if not more. However, chain pubs such as JD Wetherspoon (various locations, http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk) serve generous portions of basic pub fare for about $10 per entree. In addition, ethnic restaurants, notably Indian and Chinese, are often good values.

OTHER TIPS: Neighborhood attractions such as Hampstead's Kenwood House (011-44-20-8348-1286, http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server.php?show=nav.12783), which includes a collection of art by such masters as Turner, Rembrandt and Vermeer, generally are free. Though there aren't many museums outside central London (fortunately, the city's major museums are free), there is a lot of history to see on foot. For routes, see Andrew Duncan's "Walking Village London: 22 Original Walks Through London's Villages" (Globetrotter Walking Guides; available at http://www.amazon.co.uk).

INFO: Visit London, 011-44-20-7234-5800, http://www.visitlondon.com.

-- C.N.