City brief London Excellent food two Tube stops from the postcard. Tesco meal deal + Oyster is the Lean plan. Loading the printable brief… VacationMath orientation — not live rates When to go January, February, and November — dark, damp, and honestly cheaper. Top money-saving tips Contactless daily cap. You almost never need a paper ticket. A rental car is a Congestion Charge you do not want.Premier Inn or Travelodge Zone 1–2 on Lean. Mayfair is leftover — luxury is the room plus £8 pints.Bakery or Tesco breakfast. Borough or Maltby lunch. Zone 2 Indian or Turkish dinner, not a West End prix fixe every night.British Museum or National Gallery are free. The Eye is a pick-one with the Tower — not both on Lean.West End rush / day seats before a full-price orchestra. Stretch is one reserved seat, not three.Book the Atlantic 2–4 months out, midweek. Open-jaw with Paris or Dublin often beats two one-ways.Skip a paid Eye ticket on Lean — South Bank walk is the product.Hotel-included breakfast only if it is actually in the rate. Pret is a fallback, not a personality. Build a hard-budget plan