London has a long history. According to London Online, the city was founded in 45 CE, transforming itself over two millennia into one of the most financially important and culturally diverse metropolises in the world. It has been the center of empires and the home of royalty. Now, it has become one of the greatest locations in the world for amazing cultural experiences. It’s no wonder that, according to BuzzFeed, London Town is the most popular tourist destination in the world.
While you’ve no doubt heard about the best budget hotels in the city offering cheap hotel deals, have you considered all there is to do in London? Certainly, you can use budget hotels as a headquarters for seeing tourist attractions, like Buckingham Palace, but what if your tastes are more literary, more fantastical? Luckily, the Big Smoke isn’t just a place for food from 270 nationalities, as tallied by The London Evening Standard. It’s also a place for lovers of fantastical, fictional worlds to reenact their favorite scenes from cherished novels and films.
Prepare for Your Trip to Neverland
If you’ve read J.M. Barrie’s 1911 story Peter and Wendy or you’ve seen Disney’s 1953 classic “Peter Pan,” you’ll no doubt have fond memories about the scene where Peter, Mary, John, Michael, and Tinker Bell fly to Big Ben, located near some of the city’s best budget hotel chains in Westminster, before heading to the second star on the right and straight on until morning. While you might not be able to scale Big Ben’s height in flight, you can at least stop by to see the inspiration for Peter’s adventures.
Practice Your “Parseltongue”
When Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was published in 1997, it’s unlikely author J.K.Rowling had any idea how huge the Harry Potter books and subsequent film series would become. According to Hypable.com, the first Potter book has sold 107 million copies worldwide.
One of its most famous scenes has Harry at the Reptile House at the London Zoo, placed conveniently in London’s Regent’s Park, a short journey by tube from the city’s famed budget hotels. It’s at the London Zoo that Harry discovers he can talk to snakes in “parseltongue.” If you’d like to give your own parseltongue a try, it will only cost you £20 a head for entry, plus transportation costs from your cheap hotel rooms.
Visit Perdita and Pongo
Few Disney films offer as many adorable characters as 1961’s “101 Dalmatians.” While the film features many of the same landmarks as “Peter Pan,” there are a few locations that belong exclusively to Roger, Anita, and their canines. For example, if you take a stroll through St. Andrew’s Place, according to Londonist.com, you can see the home of Perdita, Pongo, and the rest of the dalmatians.
As you can see, London is no stranger to literary and cinematic history. When you’re on your cheap hotel search, be sure you take location into account. The best budget hotels, after all, are those that put you close to the magical attractions you want to see most. References.
