Planning a visit to the UK? Here we help with ways to cut your costs. AVOID BIG EVENTS  Big sporting events, concerts and exhibitions can increase the accommodation and make it harder to find a room. A standard double room at the Thistle Brighton on the final Friday of the Brighton Comedy Festival (19, Oct.) cost PS 169.15 at Booking. Com. A week later, the same room cost PS 118.15. If you can be flexible and want to know dates to avoid - or you're looking for a big event to pass your time - check out sites such as Whatsonwhen.com, which allow you to search for events in the UK by city, date and category. STAY AWAY FROM THE STATION  If travelling to your destination by train, you may want to find a base close to the station, but you could end up paying more for the sake of convenience at the start of your holiday. Don't be too choosy about the part of town you stay in. Booking two months in advance, the cheapest room at Travelodge's Central Euston hotel in London for Saturday 22 September was PS 95.95. A room just a tube journey away at its Covent Garden hotel was PS 75.75. And at Farringdon, a double room cost just PS 62.95.  LOOK AFTER YOURSELF  Really central hotels in cities such as London, Edinburgh and Cardiff can cost a fortune, especially at weekends and during big events. As an alternative consider checking into a self-catering flat with its own kitchen. Often these flats are hidden away on the top floors of city centre buildings. A great example is the historic O'Neill Flat on Edinburgh's Royal Mile, available for PS 420 for five days in late September, with room for four adults. GET ON A BIKE  London's 'Boris bikes' have attracted the most attention, but other cities also have similar programmes that let you rent a bicycle and explore at your own pace, saving you on public transport or car parking costs. Among the smaller cities with their own programmes are Newcastle (casual members pay around PS 1.50 for two hours) and Cardiff (free for up to 30 minutes, or PS 5 per day). Cardiff's programme allows a free bike for a maximum period of   _  .
half an hour one hour one hour and a half two hours