<p>Budget-fudget, we once went lower than low-end, in Hongkong, and the room was so tiny, there were fold-up-into-the-wall beds, and one bed had to be put up in order to open the bathroom door. It was pretty funny, esp. since my H had that bed.</p>
<p>Lefthandofdog-- No, I really meant a 14-bed dormitory in the hostel. This one: <a href="http://www.the-generator.co.uk/london/homepage/generatorlondon.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.the-generator.co.uk/london/homepage/generatorlondon.html</a></p>
<p>I notice that the 14-bed rooms (mixed sexes, BTW) are only 10 pounds a night. And they're offering the first night for only 1 pound, if you stay a week. With a light breakfast thrown in. But you can't stay there if you're under 18. And from what my daughter says, if you're over 30, it won't work all that well either.</p>
<p>dmd77, my son's stayed at the Generator several times. It's the kind of place that makes me break out in hives, but he and his freinds loved it. Actually it was his highschool art teacher (who is English) who took the group there on the trip I wrote about a few posts back. It is a very cool place.</p>
<p>Do you have to do the tour with that particular teacher? EF Tours must operate lots of tours. Just find one where the date works and forget the teacher.</p>
<p>dmd77 - thanks for the link, I'll pass it along to right-aged people.</p>
<p>My D went on two EF tours in high school and I felt both tours were well worth the money. I did have a bit of trouble dealing with EF before she left, but everything else was fine. </p>
<p>They packed an incredible amount into the tours, and she saw much more than she would have if I had taken her myself. The first tour was London and Paris and the second was Italy; both were ten days. Each tour had a European tour guide with the group; in Paris and in each city in Italy they also had a local guide to go with them as they saw sights. My D thought very highly of their tour guides. Her groups were only about 25 people and she thought the hotels were local and charming and the food was usually OK. They also had some free time to go shopping or see extra sights.</p>
<p>You can transfer your deposit to another tour with EF.</p>
<p>Oh, bookiemom, I'm so glad to hear your EF tours went well. I really hoped they weren't as dreadful as the one trip.</p>
<p>She really had a great time on both trips and we still talk about them (she is now a college soph.). The Italy trip was particularly wonderful: Florence, Rome, Assisi, Sienna, and Capri! She saw masterpieces in Florence and Rome; she got to wade in the water in Capri wearing her new Italian leather sandals; she saw the procession of the seven stations of the cross on Good Friday in Assisi; and she saw the Pope in Rome (we are not Catholic but this was all very interesting to her). Their Italian tour guide explained everything to them as they went along. </p>
<p>I would have loved to have seen all this, but I could never have kept up with their pace! I am so glad that we were able to send her on these two trips. I think it added greatly to her overall education.</p>