London is a must stop on a world mummy tour, thanks to the breadth and depth of the British Museum's Egyptian collections. What's more, depending on the time of year, it's also cheaper to visit London (for visitors from the United States, for example) than it is for U.S. residents to fly to New York or Boston and visit museums.

Here's how to create an affordable London visit:

1. Plan on traveling January through March.

2. Plan on staying over a weekend (the British Museum is open seven days a week).

3. Although hotels in London can be expensive ($200 plus per room per night) and moderate hotels ($100 or so) can be downright uninhabitable, you can afford to house your family, especially if you use one of these tips:

Choose the most affordable nights, if cost is an issue. This means: Stay in London only Friday, Saturday, and possibly Sunday nights; prices will be cheapest then. You can often get a cheaper rate if you book a two-night stay (Friday and Saturday, or Saturday and Sunday).

Staying in Central London: You can book a reasonably-priced better central hotel by visiting LateRooms. Often you can stay near or in Piccadilly Circus for less than $150 a night. 

I have recently found that the Hammersmith Novotel (called the Novotel West) is reasonable and well-located. Take the Piccadilly Line from Heathrow Airport to the Hammersmith stop. The hotel is a five minute walk from the station and provides good value for the location, especially if you are able to book a weekend rate.

I have also found that the Hilton Metropole can offer a good value if you find the right rate. It's a large Hilton, but it is comfortable and convenient to Paddington Station and the Edgware Road tube stop.

Staying in the suburbs: If central London prices are too expensive, stay outside the city center and take the train into town. The trick here is to find a nice hotel with good prices. Two eastern suburbs where I have stayed are Bexley and Bexleyheath. Adjacent to each other, Bexley and Bexleyheath are quiet and situated on train lines into town. Hotel recommendations: the Holiday Inn at Bexley (a 5-minute walk to the station) or the Marriott in Bexleyheath (closer to a 15-minute walk to the station, but taxis and bus service are available). The Marriott in Bexleyheath has large comfortable rooms (the largest I've seen in London); it has become one of my London favorites. (If you have a car, you are within 10 minutes of the huge Bluewater Shopping Center and 20 minutes from Rochester, with its wonderful castle, many antique shops, and good restaurants). By the way, weekend rates at both hotels usually include a free breakfast buffet.

Eating in Central London: London restaurants can be expensive. Based on my own family's experiences, I can recommend the following: 

• PizzaExpress (which you will find all over London). As far from Pizza Hut as you can get, Pizza Express offers fairly-priced pizza cooked in a wood-burning oven. The side salad is great; skip the desserts.

• Chinatown, near Leicester Square. You can't go wrong (or spend too much) at almost any restaurant there. Our own favorite (which costs a little more but is worth the cost) is Joy King Lau. It's almost always crowded, and if you eat there, you will understand why.

After your London weekend, get out of town. Prices for hotels in the countryside are considerably less. Travel by train or car (I've been driving on the wrong side of the road for 26 years now and never had a problem). For other mummy museums throughout the UK, check this page. Oxford, Cambridge, and Manchester are within easy reach (though in the case of Manchester, I'd recommend the train rather than the car, if this is your first time driving; parking around the Manchester Museum is also somewhat of a problem, since it is on a university campus).