When you visit London, there are several excellent choices for hotels, fine dining, live entertainment and of course, popular attractions. Because London is a world-class destination and a very large city, it is helpful to plan ahead prior to visiting some of the popular tourist spots.

This article will focus on two famous London sites, Kensington Palace and Hyde Park and what you can do and see when you are there. These two sites border each other so it’s conceivable that you can see both sites on a single day. If you are planning on staying in this central location then both Kensington apartments and Hyde park executive apartments can offer a cost effective way of staying and exploring the area.

Some of you may recall that Kensington Palace was once the official residence of Lady Di, the Princess of Wales and Princess Margaret, but the palace is rich in history and has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the early 1600s. In fact it was the birthplace of Queen Victoria, who became Queen of England in 1837. Kensington Palace is on the grounds of the beautiful Kensington Gardens and was the royal palace before there was Buckingham Palace. It was here where Lady Diana’s body was returned after her tragic accident in Paris in 1997. Thousands of cards, letters and flowers were brought to Kensington Palace in honor of her memory. Her body was eventually taken to Westminster Abbey by horse-drawn carriage to her funeral.

One of the top attractions at Kensington Palace is the Enchanted Palace, which is in a newly remodeled section that might alter your perception of what a royal palace has to offer. Here within the Enchanted Palace, rooms have been transformed into visual memories of what they may have looked like during that era. In one room, you might see Princess Victoria’s room before she became queen and another room might display many outfits from Lady Di’s wardrobe.

Nor far away from Kensington Palace is the grand and glorious Hyde Park, where there are plenty of activities to choose from. Hyde Park is the among the 7 designated Royal Parks, originally owned by the monarchy of the United Kingdom. Popular activities include swimming, hiking, jogging, tennis, row boating and of course perhaps the most recognized activity is at Speaker’s Corner, where people from all walks of life have a public forum in which to speak openly on subjects such as religion, politics and war. In the same section of Hyde Park is the famous Marble Arch, which is made of one of the most expensive types of marble, Carrara from the city in Italy, which bears the same name. The park also has some great 8 places for food and beverages.

Hyde Park has also been home to many notable rock concerts with artists such as the Rolling Stones, the Who and Queen, performing there over the years. Next year, during the 2012 London Summer Olympics, Hyde Park will host the triathlon and marathon swimming events.

Hyde Park and Kensington Palace are both located in central London, northwest of Westminster. It is easily accessible by the London Transport and staying in any central London apartments when you are in the city will mean you have a great base to to explore from. Between visiting Hyde Park and Kensington Palace, you are certain to have an enjoyable day, bringing back a lifetime of wonderful memories.

Student life can be expensive – the government says around £11,000 a year! With all the fees and rent and things there’s often not much left over to spend on your social life. However, with a little bit of care you can write a budget that will be workable and let you spend a bit on you too and limit the amount of debt help you may need when you leave University.

Write a Budget Sheet
Start by putting pen to paper and write down all your income and expenses. (two columns). Make sure you include everything you spend money on such as library fees, food, laundry etc. not just rent and bills.

Organise your Income
Expenses can be daily, weekly or monthly, and income may be the same, or may even be in lump sums once a term. You might work in the holidays and then not during term time. If you can, set up one account for all your rent/hall fees and don’t use this for daily expenses. Divide your remaining money into even chunks for each week/month it has to last so you can see clearly how much you have to live on.

Maximise your Income
Working to give you extra is a good way to help maximise your income – it won’t hurt your CV either, but don’t try to work too hard or your education might suffer. Full time work in the holidays can sometimes lead to part time work through the term. You might be able to earn £50-100 extra per week this way.

Get Discounts
Look for places offering student discounts – restaurants, bars, cinema, etc. Sites like studentbeans.com can tell you about some of these, and the NUS Extra card can get you money off in shops too.

Learn to Cook
Cooking for yourself is cheaper even than the college canteen. Make coffee and carry it in a flask, buy cheap vegetables and fruit on the market, and own brand supermarket products and a decent cook book and you’ll save yourself a fortune. One person can easily live on £20-£25 a week and less with care.

Buy & Sell
Second hand stores and sites can save you money on things like text books, and if you’ve finished with the item then you can sell it on and make some of your money back. Ebay and other similar sites can also be good for selling on other unwanted items too.

Avoid Debt
Overdrafts, credit cards, store cards – all are often on offer to you as a student, but before you accept any of these, think carefully about whether it’s worth it. A low interest overdraft can be extremely useful towards the end of the term, but you should avoid taking on any unnecessary debt. Keep an eye on your finances and use cash where you can. Never take out more than you need and stay in control.

Don’t Overspend
Ok this sounds obvious, but if you’re in a shared house, you don’t EACH need a TV licence, just one between all of you. If you’re living in private accommodation you may not need to pay council tax, and if you can get a cheap washing machine instead of using a laundrette you’ll save £’s.

Image courtesy of Images of Money

Going on holiday, at home or abroad, is expensive enough before you’ve even jetted off with your nearest and dearest. Nobody wants to be concerned about money when you’re supposed to be kicking back, enjoying a bit of much-needed rest and recuperation and having some fun in the sun. However, you can watch the pennies and have a stress-free time by factoring in the following money-saving tips.

Book up early
For the best deals possible on things like accommodation, flights and travel insurance, try to book as far in advance and do it online if you can. When it comes to getting reduced holiday insurance over 70 different quotes are potentially just few clicks away on price comparison websites so it’s important to shop around. Last-minute sites also offer enticing discounts so there are pros and cons to either sorting out a holiday months before you go or leaving it late.

Carry on surfing
Don’t forget to stay connected to the Internet when you’re away as there could be online discounts and vouchers relevant to wherever you are in the world. Major tourist attractions will, no doubt, have their own websites that can sometimes have offers available to people that book in advance on their website. Take the London Eye, for instance. You can save up to 18 per cent on a standard ticket for a family of four simply by booking online 24 hours before you plan to take in stunning aerial views of London.  This means that ‘daycations’ can now be a little bit easier on your pocket.

Get back to basics
You need to get around on holiday and that usually means hiring a car, hailing a taxi or jumping on and off public transport. Yet, there’s a lot to be said for seeing as much of a city or resort as possible by foot. For starters, it’s free, then there’s the fact that it’s a great way of exploring and finding out more about the culture and customs in a different country. Plus, the fresh air will do you no harm, will it?
Be picky at meal times
Eating out a couple of times every day will decimate your holiday budget, so either go self-catering or cook your own meals whenever you can. Nobody is suggesting you need to slave over a hot stove three times a day, every day, for the duration of your break. Rather, you could keep dining out to a minimum and perhaps only venture out for your evening meal. Breakfast and lunch tend to be pretty basic meals anyway and you can quite easily pick up some local produce and prepare something yourself with the minimum of fuss. You’ll only end up paying over the odds if you don’t, just like you will if you don’t recycle and reuse water bottles.