London | A winter visit is easier on the budget

London is more culturally vibrant and cosmopolitan than ever, but the sagging value of the U.S. dollar is almost enough to keep you at home.

Prices in pounds look like the same prices you'd pay in a U.S. city. Except thanks to the exchange rate, you're actually paying double (or more) for everything.

Don't be deterred. Despite the high prices and the often dreary winter weather, the best time to visit London can be in the off-season. There are fewer tourists; theaters, galleries and cultural events are going strong; and airfares and hotel rooms can be significantly cheaper than in summer.

Airfare in February from Seattle to London starts at about $650 to $800 round trip (including fees/surcharges). Decent hotel rooms can be found for about $150 a night. Or a package that combines flights and hotels can be the most budget-friendly way to go. Comparison-shop with airline on flights and packages; ask a travel agent; or check with online companies such as Bothell-based Go Today, wwww.gotoday.com, which has London packages starting at around $800 per person (including taxes and fees) for airfare plus six nights' hotel if you travel before Feb. 22.

Information

Tourist information : The British tourist office has details on sights and hotels at: www.visitbritain.com or phone its U.S. office at 800-462-2748.

Time Out magazine: Once in London, get a copy of the weekly magazine for its extensive listings of cultural events, restaurants and more. Or check out things ahead of time at www.timeout.com/london/.

With air and hotel covered, you can keep your costs to a minimum by taking buses and the Underground. Don't even think of renting a car; London traffic is gridlock; gas is about double Seattle prices; and there's a daily "congestion pricing" charge for driving into the central city.

What's called the Oyster card — a pre-paid fare card for public transit or — or the London Travelcard can keep your costs down; a seven-day central-city Travelcard costs about $44 and includes discounts to some attractions. (Get information on both at www.visitbritain.com.)

One of the best cultural bargains anywhere is London's museums. World-class ones such as the British Museum, National Gallery, Tate (and Tate Modern), Victoria & Albert and other major ones charge no admission, thanks to national government policy.

If you're a theater buff, look for discounted and half-price tickets at the TKTS booth in Leicester Square in the heart of London (www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/tkts/leicestersquare).

One of London's great free pleasures is simply walking — through the parks, the outdoor markets and the streets — to soak up the architecture and daily life.

Fab museum freebies

Some don't-miss — and free — museums (all will happily accept donations and may charge for some special exhibits):

• Tate Modern: Through April 8, the Tate Modern's vast Turbine Hall — the museum is in a converted power station — is occupied by Carsten Holler's Test Site, a series of tube slides that range from mild (one story tall) to daunting (four stories.) Perfect for kids and playful adults — and fun even if you're just watching; some slides require free timed-tickets. www.tate.org.uk

• British Museum: From mummies to the Elgin Marbles, the vast British Museum has it all. Don't miss the new exhibit Living and Dying, featuring masks, carvings and other ethnographic arts. Tours and access to the permanent collections are free. www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk.

• The child- (and parent-) beloved Natural History Museum — think dinosaurs and much, much more — also hosts the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition through April. www.nhm.ac.uk

• Changing of the Guard: For something completely different, go watch the royal guard ceremony in front of Buckingham Palace. It's on even-numbered days this month; for February and March the ceremony is scheduled provisionally on odd-numbered days. For information and background on the soldiers who guard Britain's queen: www.changing-theguard.com.

Take a walk

Walking is one of the great pleasures in London. It's rich in parks, from Hyde Park in the heart of the city to the wild Hampstead Heath in North London. Or walk along the Thames River on the South Bank, a pedestrian riverfront walkway with excellent views .

Save on meals

Dining out can do in your budget. Dodge the best restaurants, and you should be fine. Here are reasonably priced places to eat.

Eat well, do good

• Fifteen: Located between the financial district of The City and up-and-coming Clerkenwell, Fifteen offers training scholarships to troubled kids, who take classes and food-related trips and work in Fifteen's kitchen. Though super chef Jamie Oliver doesn't own the place, he did start it and keeps a hand in it

The regional cuisine justifies the long wait for dinner reservations in the main restaurant; there's also a less formal tratorria upstairs.

A three-course fixed-price lunch is 25 pounds (about $50), but you'll have to resist the temptations of the regular menu, where entrees start at around 20 pounds (about $40). Proceeds go to the Fifteen Foundation. www.fifteenrestaurant.com

• Salvation Army cafes: Simple, tasty soups and fresh sandwiches at a bargain price are served at Salvation Army's cafes near St. Paul's Cathedral, 101 Queen Victoria St., and a smaller one at 275 Oxford St. Grab your lunch, then drop a contribution in the kettle. Free lunch concerts are offered Fridays at the Oxford Street facility. Even if you're not religious, you'll be comfortable; there's no proselytizing. www.salvationarmy.org.uk

• Cafe in the Crypt: This crowded cafeteria is saved by the atmospheric vaults beneath the church of St. Martin in the Fields, located at Trafalgar Square. A hot meal, plus wine, costs about 10 pounds ( $20). Proceeds support the work of the church, perhaps best known for its classical and jazz concerts at lunch and many evenings. The cafe is open 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Wednesday; until 10:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, noon-8 p.m. Sunday. www.stmartin-in-thefields.org

More dining tips

To save money:

• Stick with neighborhood restaurants and pubs.

• Grab a sandwich for lunch. The Pontis chain is everywhere and has fresh sandwiches for under $5; www.pontis.co.uk. The Pret a Manger chain has grab-and go soups, sandwiches, yogurt and more.

• Check out pre-theater fixed-price menus at restaurants in the West End theater district. Two-course meals sometimes are offered at less than 10 pounds, or $20.

• Don't be put off by chain restaurants. Even places like Pizza Express offer a good food and sit-down experience.

• Museum cafes: Each of the city's major museums has one or more cafes where food is good and relatively inexpensive; most are open only at lunch. The cafe atop the Tate Modern also has spectacular views of St. Paul's Cathedral. Words to the wise: Watch your bags; cafes in the free museums suffer from thieves.

Glam on a budget

• If you must go to a "name" restaurant, do it at lunch. Or get a taste of the high life at the Food Halls within the luxury Harrods department store. The Food Halls have been expanded to include casual eateries for tapas, crepes, pasta, pizza and other cuisines. Order judiciously, and a pleasant lunch with wine can cost about 15 pounds, or $30. (Avoid the oyster and champagne bar, where you will not stick with your budget.) Open noon until 8 p.m., 6 p.m. Sundays. www.harrods.com And if you need a taste of home, there's a Starbucks in Harrods.

• Tea time: The time-honored tradition of an elaborate tea at the Ritz Hotel or the upscale Fortnum & Mason department store can require reservations well in advance — and comes at hefty price. An alternative is The Wolseley, across Piccadilly from the venerable Ritz. Along with regular meals, this historic room serves a la carte tea from 3:30-5:30, with cream tea (scones, clotted cream and a pot of tea) for under 8 pounds, about $15. Or have more elaborate afternoon tea for 18.50 pounds, about $37 (that's about half the price of the Ritz tea). Reservations advised. www.thewolseley.com