Here are some general guidelines on the cost of living to help you plan your expenses:

FOOD & DRINK    

Lunch – takeaway sandwich, snack and drink from Boots     £3.49
Lunch – in a cafe -         £3.50 - £7.00
Meal in a pub/restaurant     £10 - £60
Cup of tea/coffee in Pret/Starbucks, other cafe  80p - £1.90
Pint of lager             £3.00
Glass of wine             £4.50

ENTERTAINMENT  

Cinema Tickets         £ 5.00 (Orange Wednesdays – if you have an Orange mobile phone) - £12
Theatre Ticket          £15 - £80
Special Exhibitions     £5-£15
Music concerts         £10 - £100
Comedy Nights         £10 - £30 Get a taste of our world famous sense of humour at some great stand-up comedy shows
Nightclubs         Free - £30

As London is expensive, British people are always looking for a bargain! You can find cheap tickets for theatre shows, galleries, sporting events, music events etc at websites such as www. lastminute.com. Some tickets are reduced to as little as £15!
 

SHOPPING 
London is famous for shopping and you can find a shop for every budget – from designer label to Primark. British shops have regular sales and many clothes here can be bought at a much cheaper price than overseas. Shops in the UK do not close for lunch. London shops are generally open 9:00am – 7:00pm, but in central London, many shops are open until 10:00pm.

BANKS
ATM machines accept any card with the VISA, MAESTRO or CIRRUS logo. ATM machines are outside every bank, many supermarkets and inside some corner shops (beware the machines in corner shops charge a transaction fee!!)
Banks are open 9:00am – 4:30pm.

TRAVEL INFORMATION  Most people in London use an Oyster card which can generally be used on all public transport.

What is an Oyster card?
An oyster card is a blue plastic card that is used as a travel card. Your credit and travel information is stored on this card. It can be used on London’s tube trains, buses and trains.
Students who are studying for 14 weeks or more are entitled to apply for a Student Oyster Card. This gives them 30% discount on trains, tubes and buses within London. Students should contact Reception staff at London school for details.
The best Oyster option is to buy weekly or monthly travel cards attached to your Oyster. You then have unlimited travel within the travel zones you choose for the time the card is valid. You can buy or renew passes at any tibe station, some bus stations and many “corner shops” or kiosks.

Normal non-discounted travel rates for 2012
Adult Travel Cards in London
Adult            7 Day    Monthly   
Rates including travel in Zone 1
Zones 1-2    £29.20    £112.20   
Zones 1-3    £34.20    £131.40  
Zones 1-4    £41.80    £160.60
Zones 1-5    £49.80    £191.30
Zones 1-6    £53.40    £205.10


London Travel & Travel Zones:

Tube/Underground - There are 6 travel zones in London. Shane Global Language Centre, London, is in zone 1, next to Bond Street tube station. Bond Street is on the Central line and Jubilee line.

Buses – There are no zones for London buses. One ticket or travel card is enough to travel any distance in the network. You cannot by return tickets. A single ticket to most London destinations is £2. Oyster cards are valid on all London buses.

Trains – Oyster cards with weekly, monthly or yearly travel passes can be used on London trains. Pay as you go Oyster cards cannot be used on trains.