

Do not buy travelers checks in American dollars.

Although you can usually use ATMs you cannot rely on their availability.

(Note that it’s far easier to get a cheap lunch than a cheap dinner.) For the cheapest lunch, get packets of sandwiches at a supermarket. Eat a good breakfast at your B+B (it’s included in the price of your room).When you call the hotel to make your reservation, be sure to ask if there are any special rates. When you do visit London, if you must stay in a hotel, plan to visit on a weekend and take advantage of hotel weekend specials.When you do visit London, stay in a B+B out in a suburb.Otherwise, stay elsewhere, and take day trips to London, not from London. Only stay in London if you want a stressful trip. Lodging in London is outrageous-three to four times more expensive than anywhere else-and far less convenient. Travel agents make money by encouraging you to stay in an expensive London hotel and see the rest of the country on day trips from London. Airline specials that include hotels are usually not a good bargain, because you have to stay in London for your whole trip, making everything more expensive. Monitor airline websites for reduced fares, and for deals that include car rental-but not hotels.Check British Airways and Virgin Atlantic especially. Check the websites of specific airlines for specials you are far more likely to find specials on the airline’s own website, than on “cheap fare finder” websites.Most people fly to and from London: Heathrow (LHR) or Gatwick (LGW) but if you know you will spend time in the north of England, compare airfare to and from Manchester.Plan your trip for April or September for lower rates.If you like to shop, adjust that number upward as needed. Add more if you plan to stay on weeknights.ĭaily expenses, outside London: Outside London, plan $100-125 per person per day for daily expenses (see above).Ī typical budget for a modest but comfortable two-week trip to England is $3,000 per person including airfare, car rental and daily expenses for three weekend days in London and the rest of the time in the countryside. Double that amount if you must stay in a hotel in central London. If you travel modestly but comfortably, your trip cost will beĭaily expenses, London: If you stay in a B+B outside the center of London ( more info), plan $200-$250 per person per day for daily expenses (see above) while in London.
