Saturday, April 27, 2013

How much money should I save for a week long vacation in London?

Q. Flight, hotel, food, bars and tourist attractions. I would be flying out of Chicago. I haven't set a date, but would likely go next summer. Can anyone who has done this give me and estimate of how much you spent?

A. Start saving as much as you can.
Flights cost between $700 to $1200. depends on when you fly and how far in advance you book. Mid-week flights are a little less than weekends. I have found that there are better prices if you book directly through the airline, rather than the "discounters". Check British Air and Virgin Atlantic to see if they fly direct out of Chicago (non-stop is cheaper)

Hostels, Hotels, B&B's the cost varies by location, timing, size of room. Hostels within central London are quite cheap, but offer no privacy and limited security of belongings. Shared spaces and showers, etc.

Hotels are the most $$--can range from $100 a night and up--for $100 you get a tiny room in a grade b or c hotel and may not have a shower or toilet in the room. Depends on what your comfort needs are and how much time you will actually spend in the room. B&B's are a little better for cost.
Go to www.visitlondon.com and start looking at the list of accommodations to get an idea. Some also offer breakfast, even dinner. Don't pay extra for dinner--it will require you to be there at a set time and may not be worth what you pay. You can find plenty of inexpensive places to eat--that's the easy part!
During the summers, some of the colleges rent out dorm rooms as hotel rooms, not glamorous but economical and centrally located. It's also less $$ if you don't stay right in Central London--and it's so easy & quick to get into the city, and you can see a little more.

Pubs are all around, but I have no idea of the cost. Some offer meals that I understand are quite good and priced reasonable.
tourist attractions: Check out the London Pass--you can pay for it in advance & pick it up when you get there. It can also include your daily travel cost--which can add up! The pass gives you free admission to most tourist sites and discounts on purchases--sometimes lets you skip the lines when it's busy--I used it and found it well worth it. I also went on a few day excursions with the London Walks company and it was fantastic--went to the Cotswolds and Oxford one time and Salisbury & Stonehenge another. Check out their website for info www.walks.com

Figure in a couple of hundred, at least, for shopping and snacking and all the things you don't plan on.
I'm guessing a rough estimate of $3000 to have a great trip.
the travel for london site - www.tfl.gov.uk is useful for finding out how to get somewhere so you can see how far you might be from Central London if you decide to do something.
Have fun! feel free to email, I'll be living there come January.

Would you wait to take a trip to London until the US dollar improves?
Q. I'm turning 30 this summer and I am starting to plan a trip to London, maybe a few side trips to nearby countries. I've been dying to go for a long time, but so many people have said that I should wait until the US dollar gains strength, otherwise I'm going to be spending way too much money. Also, do you have any suggestions of good websites with reasonably priced travel packages that will tour you to multiple regional destinations? London, Paris, Frankfurt, etc?

A. Holy crap, yes! I went to Edinburgh and London last November, and it was WRETCHED. You just spend the entire time thinking about how much you're actually paying for stuff. To give you an idea:

London Tube ride (1 way!): 4 pounds (8 USD)
Dinner at Wagamama (great noodles, btw): 46 pounds (92USD--seriously? for noodles?!)
Entrance to British Museum, special exhibit: 19 pounds, with audio tour (38 USD)

I spent almost 4 grand on that trip, and I went as cheap as I could go and I was gone for 12 days.

I don't think you should wait forever; you're never going to know WHEN the dollar would improve. However, you can, at least, go when it's not high season in Europe, to at least better your chances of staying there affordable. (Just note: I went in the low season!)

You can try tripadvisor.com, where you can read reviews by travelers and see their actual travel photos of hotels and attractions. You can also do a search for flights and hotels on the site, or you can try kayak.com or last-minute.com. I've also found that if you find a hotel you like on those discount travel sites, you should also go to the hotel's website and see what kind of special discounts you can get. I do it all the time. They often offer specials, or include breakfast in the price of your stay (that's what I did and got breakfast for the week!), or even have rates that are better than what you're finding on those sites--and without the processing fees. You should also check with your human resources department, if you work for a company. They often have employee discounts for personal travel although they may not necessarily advertise that you do.

Hope you have a great trip!

Who would you perfer to fly with between Australia and London?
Q. Im planing to go to London next year. Im not sure what airline I should fly with.

My options are

Virgin Atlantic
British Airways
Qantas

If you have had any experience with these what are you suggestions.
Also if you know if one of these airlines has a lounge at Heathrow or Brisbane / Sydney, who do you gain entrance.
I will by flying economy because I'm a cheap such and such

A. Virgin
qantas
british

thats my choice.
All the airlines are offering discount coupons and vouchers these days due to recession.
You can visit this site for Free Vouchers,Discount Coupons,Latest News on Airlines and Hotels
http://freetravel4ever.blogspot.com




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