On a Budget - A week in London for under $1,000
As I mentioned in my weekly newsletter, last Friday I was supposed to move to London. (Thanks a lot COVID 🙄). I had grand plans to do a series called “On a budget” where I took you on my weekend getaways for under a certain budget. I wanted to show you that you CAN travel for cheaper than you expect, you just have to do some legwork. Although we cannot travel abroad right now, it is still great to keep this information in mind when borders do open back up again.
FYI- The UK is only allowing visitors to arrive from the US if they quarantine for 14 days. The penalty for not quarantining is 1,100 pounds. I am NOT suggesting you go abroad right now. Nope, not even to Mexico.
This post is more for you to bookmark for your future travels (and maybe daydream a little).
Obviously the first city I wanted to feature was LONDON. Known for being expensive, I planned to de-bunk this myth first. Well, and because I had been traveling there a good amount Pre-COVID. This is my own personal trip details and how I did the whole trip for under $1,000 back in end of January.
First let’s talk about rewards, because there are numerous types to score free flights, hotels, etc. For this trip, I used my Hilton Honors points, as well as my American Airlines Credit Card miles to score a free night at a hotel as well as a free flight. Want more details on specific travel reward types? Click HERE.
DISCLAIMER- I used rewards for this trip, meaning my hotel and flights were heavily discounted because I redeemed travel rewards. I was NOT sponsored by these companies, but rather racked up the points from previous travel and expenses. Obviously these numbers below are not the current industry standard rates. I also went in January which is off-peak season for London. These are all things to account for when planning your travels and mapping out your travel budget. If you’d like me to help you plan your trip, please contact me HERE.
London for a week - $1000 Budget
Flight: $186
AA 34k Miles roundtrip + $186**This is the standard airport taxes and fees for London that you cannot avoid
Flight came with free checked bags since I am an Advantage Credit Card holder.
Accommodations: $490
3 night hotel- $295**
My room at the Doubletree Hilton by Tower Bridge- great location & I used points for a free night!
** I used my Hilton Honors points (46,000) for a free night. The cost at purchase time was 225.20 GBP which on the day charged the exchange rate was 1.31. You can book HERE.
3 night Airbnb- $195
My room at the airbnb- right now $55/night!
While switching accommodations in the middle of a trip isn’t fun, it saved me about $250+ and since I had a busy few days I was barely in the room. The Airbnb was a private room, shared bathroom. You can book the same one HERE.
Food: $207
Breakfast was included at the hotel, and I packed multiple protein bars and snacks for in between meals. My day at Lloyds food was covered as well.
Some places I went to for food included:Cereal Killer Cafe
Elan Cafe
Hawksmoor Steakhouse
Sushi Samba (GREAT views of the city if you want to just go for a drink)
The Crown & Shuttle
Labrotoria Pizza
Dark Sugars
Natural Kitchen
Pret….a LOT
Where the Pancakes are
Entertainment: $50
Junkyard Crazy Golf- $12
Comedy show at The Comedy Store- $20
Harry Potter walking tour via AirBnB- $18
My Harry Potter walking tour was an inexpensive but fun afternoon activity! $18
Transportation: $54
I had about $5 leftover on my Oyster card from my last trip to London.
If you have more than $5 at the end of your trip, you can turn back in your Oyster card & get the money back. But of course I just save mine for next time!
I tried to take the bus more because it’s only a one time fee no matter how far you ride it.
I took the underground to & from the airport (Heathrow). It was only $4.50 on the Piccadilly line because it’s off-peak and total time to Tower Bridge area was 1 hr 15 min. I have also taken a direct line 30min train to Gatwick on past trips for ~$15!
Some notable FREE things that I did….
Red photobooth picture
Visited the Barbican Centre (did you know there are 27 FREE MUSEUMS in London?!)
Millennium bridge
Had dinner with my Dad at Khans in Kensington (thanks for the free meal, love ya!)
Tower Bridge
Caught a view of London from the Sky Garden
Walked through the Sunday markets in Shoreditch
Got a tour of the Lloyds of London building
More FREE things to in London HERE
The coolest part of my recent London trip- touring Lloyd’s of London!
TRIP TOTAL- $987
So there you have it, a week in London for under $1,000! This was my fifth time in the city so I obviously skipped the more touristy things, but just know you could make this budget even cheaper by staying in a hostel instead of hotel, cooking at the Airbnb more, see the sites without a tour guide, walk more, etc. Just know, it IS possible to afford your dream trips!
Where would you like me to feature next? Did you find this helpful? Let me know! Sincerely,
Sarah
P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe to get more updates on future travels and tips!
