Planning a visiting to the UK ? Here we help with ways to cut your costs.
AVOID BIG EVENTS Big sporting events , concerts and exhibitions can increase the cost of accommodation and make it harder to find a room . A standard double room at the Thistle Brighton on the final Friday of the Brighton Comedy Festival (19 Oct.) cost $220 at Booking .com. A week later , the same room just cost $170 .
If you can be flexible and want to know dates to avoid --- or you’re looking for a big event to pass your time --- check out sites such as Whatsonwhen.com , which allow you to search for events in the UK by city , date and category .
STAY AWAY FROM THE STATION If traveling to your destination by train , you may want to find a good base close to the station , but you could end up paying more for the sake of convenience at the start of your holiday .
Don’t be too choosy about the part of the town you stay in . Booking two month in advance , the cheapest room at Travelodge’s Central Euston hotel in London for Saturday 22September was $ 95.95 . A room just a tube journey away at its Covent Garden hotel was $75.75 . And at Farringdon , a double room cost just $62.95 .
LOOK AFTER YOURSELF Really central hotel in cities such as London , Edinburgh and Cardiff can cost a fortune , especially at weekends and during big events . As an alternative consider checking into a self-catering flat with its own kitchen . Often these flats are hidden away on the top floors of city centre building . A great example is the historic O’Neill Flat on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile , available for $420 for five days in late September , with room for four adults .
GET ON A BIKE London’s Boris bikes’have attracted the most attention , but other cities also have similar programmes that let you rent a bicycle and explore at your own pace , saving you on public transport or car parking costs .
Among the smaller cities with their own programmes are Newcastle ( casual member pay around $1.5 for two hours ) and Cardiff ( free for up to 30 minutes , or $5 per day ).
9. The Brighton Comedy Festival is mentioned mainly to show big events may _____________ .
A . help travelers to spend some wonderful time B. let travelers pay more for accommodation
C . attract lots of travelers to the UK D . allow travelers to make flexible plans
10. “ Farringdon ” in Paragraph 5 is most probably ___________ .
A . the tube line to Covent Garden B. an ideal holiday destination
C. the name of a travel agency D. a hotel away from the station
11. The passage shows that the O’Neill Flat ___________ .
A .lies in the ground floor B.is
located in central London
C . costs over $100 on average per day in late September
D.provides cooking facilities for tourists .
12. Cardiff’s program allows a free bike for a maximum period of __________ .
A. one hour and a half B. one hour C. two hours D half an hour