I want to go to Wimbledon

Any suggestions on how to go to London and do Wimbledon on a budget? I have been looking into packages that are not in my price range. I am willing to travel with someone to share expenses. Just feeling clueless right now.

[chloeToh]

Originally Posted by hartrucourt

Any suggestions on how to go to London and do Wimbledon on a budget? I have been looking into packages that are not in my price range. I am willing to travel with someone to share expenses. Just feeling clueless right now.

You are too late to get into the ballot system for tickets, myself as well. You can either pay a lots to get tickets or you are willing to wait in line for hours - and you might not get the tickets.

For myself, I am planning to go next year and will make sure to get into their ballot system.

[West Coast Ace]

Originally Posted by hartrucourt

Any suggestions on how to go to London and do Wimbledon on a budget? I have been looking into packages that are not in my price range. I am willing to travel with someone to share expenses. Just feeling clueless right now.

chloe is right about the lottery. But I do think if you're willing to wake up and get to SW19 by 7AM you'll at least get a grounds pass.

As far as the companies that run tours, they will just sell you tickets (if they have any). Grand Slam Tennis Tours got me RG and USO tickets - I already had my own hotel - at about 1/3 the cost of theirs.

Hotels in London in the summer are expensive any time. And worse now given the bad dollar/pound exchange rate. Hotels by the airport may be reasonable - but you'll have a long subway ride every time you want to go into The City. I'd go to Orbitz or use Priceline and keep trying low numbers and see if you get lucky.

[chloeToh]

Are relatively inexpensive and in great condition - I highly recommend it! It has been a while since I left, but there is a street full of B&Bs. It is close to one of the train stations, ("Victoria"??), I will need to find that out for myself soon.

As for Wimbledon ticket, your luck might be better if you camp out overnight.

Good luck and have fun!

[Phil]

Originally Posted by hartrucourt

Any suggestions on how to go to London and do Wimbledon on a budget? I have been looking into packages that are not in my price range. I am willing to travel with someone to share expenses. Just feeling clueless right now.

Find a girlfriend who's English and lives in London, so you can stay with her cheap (i.e. free). That's what I did, though I can't say that I planned it from the start .

[grizzly4life]

lastminute.com has had amazing european hotel deals in the past... i did 3 countries in europe and almost all my hotels were on lastminute.com. a few years ago, but amazing value.

anyone know if priceline.com works easily for canadians yet. it didn't for the longest time.

[CanadianChic]

I would check out some expat sites - sometimes you can find people willing to host you for short-term or who can provide info on the area, cheap hotels or hostels, transportation, etc. Sorry, that's all I have - I have a cousin who lives in London, but think he is moving before Wimbledon.

[sportsfan92]

anyone know anything about Bath road in Chiswick part of London? It's toward Heathrow, not far from Kew Gardens....about a 25 minute train ride to Wimbledon..... hard to know what's safe.... any help would be grand!

[austro]

Don't know Bath Road but Chiswick is generally a nice area. It's a kind of suburb and some distance from Wimbledon but that's what you get for little money.

As for Wimbledon, I went for the first time last year. I was at work, it was a rainy day and when I came out of the office I though: hhmm, let's go and check it out, they should have a lot of rain-delayed matches on. And indeed I got in, there was no queuing at all (!), bought a £10 ground pass, watched a few games here and there. But then I went to the returned tickets counter, queued 10 mns and got a ticket for the Hewitt-Baghdatis 1/4 final in Center Court for £5!!

Hard to beat, ey? So be adventurous, come on over, see what you can do and remember to just go with the flow. Don't get antsie about particular games, just be open and things will pan out!

[origmarm]

I posted you some stuff re hotels and getting to Wimbledon etc..on your other thread

[austro]

Oh, and of course the exchange rate is going to kill you. Unless it is something you absolutely cannot get elsewhere and must have, London is the worst (ie most expensive) place to buy. I was recently in Japan and even that didn't seem more expensive...

Again, I recommend buying on the web.

[sportsfan92]

Originally Posted by austro

Don't know Bath Road but Chiswick is generally a nice area. It's a kind of suburb and some distance from Wimbledon but that's what you get for little money.

As for Wimbledon, I went for the first time last year. I was at work, it was a rainy day and when I came out of the office I though: hhmm, let's go and check it out, they should have a lot of rain-delayed matches on. And indeed I got in, there was no queuing at all (!), bought a £10 ground pass, watched a few games here and there. But then I went to the returned tickets counter, queued 10 mns and got a ticket for the Hewitt-Baghdatis 1/4 final in Center Court for £5!!

Hard to beat, ey? So be adventurous, come on over, see what you can do and remember to just go with the flow. Don't get antsie about particular games, just be open and things will pan out!

thanks so much! i did plan some additional time at the end of my trip so i could keep my options open. looks like it could really pan out. what time of day were you able to go to those short lines for the return tickets?

[sportsfan92]

Originally Posted by origmarm

I posted you some stuff re hotels and getting to Wimbledon etc..on your other thread

sorry about the double posting. ancy about getting info as i have to make a decsion on flights shortly. thanks again!