INTRODUCTION - London 2015 - page 7

TRIP COSTS
Five components make up your trip costs: airfare, surface transportation, room and board,
sightseeing and entertainment, and shopping and miscellany.
Airfare: A basic round-trip flight from the US to London can cost on average, about
$1,000-2,000 total, depending on where you fly from and when (cheaper in winter). If
London is part of a longer trip, consider saving time and money in Europe by flying
into one city and out of another; for instance, into London and out of Paris. Overall,
Kayak.com is the best place to start searching for flights on a combination of mainstream
and budget carriers.
Surface Transportation: For a typical one-week visit, allow about $52 for the Tube
and buses (for a Seven-Day Travelcard transportation pass). The cost of round-trip train
rides to day-trip destinations is about $28 for Windsor, $15 for Greenwich (two rides on
a 1-2-zone pay-as-you-go Oyster card—see here ) , and $38 for Cambridge. You can save
money by taking buses instead of trains. Add $90 if you plan to take a taxi ride between
London's Heathrow Airport and your hotel (or save money by taking the Tube, train, bus,
or airport shuttle).
Room and Board: London is one of Europe's most expensive major capitals. But if
you're careful, you can manage comfortably in London in 2015 on $135 a day per person
for room and board. A $130-a-day budget allows $15 for lunch, $30 for dinner, and $90
for lodging (based on two people splitting the cost of a basic $180 double room that in-
cludes breakfast). Students and tightwads can do it for as little as $70 a day ($45 for hostel
bed, $25 for groceries).
Sightseeing and Entertainment: You'll pay more in London for sights that charge
admission than you will anywhere else in Europe. Fortunately, most of London's best
sights are free (although many request a donation), including the British Museum, Na-
tional Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain, Tate Modern, British Library, and
the Victoria and Albert Museum. (For a full list of free museums—and advice on saving
money on sightseeing—see “Affording London's Sights,” here . )
Figure on paying roughly $25-35 each for the major sights that charge admission (e.g.,
Westminster Abbey-$30, Tower of London-$36), $12-20 for guided walks, and $50 for
bus tours and splurge experiences (plays range $25-100).
An overall average of $50-60 a day works for most people. Don't skimp here. After
all, this category is the driving force behind your trip—you came to sightsee, enjoy, and
experience London.
Shopping and Miscellany: Figure roughly $2 per postcard, $3 for tea or an ice cream
cone, and $6 per pint of beer. Shopping can vary in cost from nearly nothing to a small