How Much Does a Trip to London Cost? (2023 London Trip Budget)

London’s popularity as one of the costly cities on the earth is well-earned, however that doesn’t imply it may’t be loved by households from price range vacationers to luxurious aficionados. If you might be questioning, “how much does a trip to London cost?”, we’ve obtained your solutions.

After planning our personal 7 days in London, and serving to quite a few different households plan a visit to London, I’ve finished a ton of analysis into resort choices, actions, and methods to chop prices in your London journey price range (test this put up for concepts of free issues to do in London with youngsters.)

If you might be nonetheless debating the place to go, additionally try our price range guides for Italy, Paris, Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Japan, and Iceland.

London Budget assumptions

To aid you create your London journey price range, this put up outlines pricing for 2 adults and two youngsters between the ages of 6-11, touring in the summertime, and spending per week in London (six nights, seven days). If you might be touring within the off season or not with a household, your prices will undoubtedly be decrease. When planning your individual London journey price range, make changes as wanted to fit your particular journey companions and journey type.

I’m going to imagine that this household is touring in the summertime months, since that’s when most households journey, though London would even be a terrific spring break vacation spot and we additionally loved visiting London for Christmas. This price range additionally isn’t for price range vacationers, however quite households which are snug sharing a family-size room in three to four-star lodging.

London Trip Cost

Note: This put up might include affiliate hyperlinks. If you click on a hyperlink and make a purchase order, I’ll obtain a small fee. All opinions are my very own.

Remember to bear in mind the trade price when charges listed in British kilos. I exploit xe.com to transform foreign money. To work out how a lot is a visit to London, I included the next parts:

• Airfare from a serious U.S. airport hub
• Hotel/Accommodations (6 nights in family-friendly, mid-range lodging)
• Tours/Entrance Fees (for a mixture of self-guided and personal household excursions and actions)
• Transportation inside London and to/from the airport
• Food (together with one particular excessive tea)
• Souvenirs/Miscellaneous
• Travel insurance coverage

Airfare

While it was once widespread to search out airfare between the U.S. and London for $500 per particular person, these costs have gone up just lately, particularly for summer season journey. If you guide no less than six months upfront or journey throughout shoulder seasons, you’ll find airfares underneath $700 in case you are keen to attach (usually by Iceland or Dublin utilizing Iceland Air or Aer Lingus). However, direct flights in the summertime will value nearer to $900 per particular person.

This is definitely the time to redeem frequent flier factors or bank card factors to cowl flights. If you’ve flexibility in your trip time, I like to recommend subscribing to a airfare deal web site equivalent to Scott’s Cheap Flights to search for gross sales.

Heathrow airport is a serious international hub for many worldwide airways, however you could discover offers on price range airways equivalent to Play or Norse Airlines to Stansted or Gatwick airports.

Total airfare value: $2700 (4 folks x $900 per particular person)

Accommodations

The two greatest components in figuring out resort room prices shall be house and placement. If you’d like two adjoining rooms or a household suite within the quick central a part of town at a 4 or five-star resort (we beloved the Atheneum Hotel & Residences), plan to spend $1,000 -2,000 per night time. If you’ve the price range, you’ll be inside strolling distance to many sights with luxurious resort providers like a concierge, on-site effective eating, and many others.

However, if you happen to’re keen to remain in considered one of London’s charming neighborhoods, only a quick tube journey away from the quick middle of town, then not solely will you lower your expenses, however you’ll be able to typically discover extra spacious lodging like apartment-style lodges or great vrbo leases.

The common value per night time for four-star lodging or condominium leases in areas like South Kensington (we additionally beloved the Royal Garden Hotel), Notting Hill, and Little Venice are roughly $300-600 per night time.

Just watch out when reserving stand alone leases… ask for the precise handle or closest main cross road so you’ll be able to map it out. If you’re exterior the T1 London Tube space, you’ll pay extra for transportation and waste treasured time every day touring into town. See my ideas for reserving Airbnb or different trip leases.

Total lodging value: $3,600 (based mostly on $600 per night time for six nights)

Tours/Entrance Fees

Investing in a Blue-Badge information for half-day excursions or a strolling tour is a good splurge and an ideal strategy to discover a few of London’s hottest sights. The value of a personal household tour is normally round $300-400 for a half day expertise.

These guides could make the historical past of London come alive for you and your youngsters. My two favourite sights to spend money on a information are the British Museum and the Tower of London. We additionally loved having a personal tour of Westminster City.

If a personal information is an excessive amount of of a stretch, spend the additional few kilos to provide every member of the household with an audio information at main sights. Many have devoted youngsters’s variations.

The different sightseeing expense that provides up rapidly when visiting London is entrance charges. Expect to spend $15-50 per particular person to enter locations just like the Tower of London, Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace, London Eye, and the Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio.

Keep your eye out for household passes when reserving tickets upfront. Most sights supply a reduction for households that can embody admission for 2 adults and two to 3 youngsters for one discounted quantity.

If you propose on visiting fairly a couple of sights in simply a few days, the London Go City Explorer or the London Pass can be a cash saver! .

Luckily, most main museums are free (the British Museum, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, and many others.), as are all the massive parks (Hyde Park, St. James, Regent’s Park, and the Olympic Park). So pair pricier actions with free choices all through the week.

Total tour/sightseeing value: $1,200 (based mostly on two non-public excursions of $300, plus $100 per day for six days in further entrance charges)

Transportation

Airport Transfers

The Heathrow Express is a good worth and solely prices about $10-15 per particular person when buying an advance ticket for a selected day of journey (versatile tickets are extra.) The journey takes 20 minutes and takes you straight into Paddington Station, from which you’ll be able to normally hail a fairly priced taxi to take you to your lodging. It is a little bit of a protracted stroll inside Heathrow from one terminal to the opposite however it’s price it for the fee and time financial savings. Plus, youngsters aged 15 years and underneath journey free in Express Class when accompanied by a paying grownup.

Otherwise, organize a driver upfront for about $150-200 by your resort concierge. Taxis to and from the airport can generally be a lot pricier as visitors is so unpredictable in that a part of town.

London Tube

Taking the tube is not only a handy and comparatively cheap strategy to get round London, it’s frankly an integral a part of the London expertise. Invest in a Visitor Oyster card for every grownup and any little one over age 10, as it is going to cut back the per journey value in comparison with particular person tickets.

Day Trips

If you’ve seven days in London, a day journey or two out of town is enjoyable. Train tickets to locations like Oxford, Windsor, or Bath normally worth out round $20-60 per particular person roundtrip. Be certain to guide upfront for the most effective charges. If you resolve to rent a driver, anticipate prices to be $500-1,000 for a full day of service.

Total transportation prices: $300 (based mostly on utilizing public transportation)

Food

Food bills could be tough to price range for any vacation spot, each as a result of it may range so drastically based mostly on private preferences and since it’s exhausting to know what your loved ones will need to eat every day. Personally, I like a mixture of fast, handy meals and sit-down, upscale eating, and London provides choices at each ends of this spectrum.

Breakfast

This is usually included in a resort keep. Otherwise, plan to hit a grocery retailer (small retailers are prevalent all through town, search for chains like Waitrose and Sainsburys) and replenish on some fundamental provides to maintain in your room and condominium. Be certain to strive a full English breakfast no less than one morning of your journey… you seemingly received’t want lunch it’s so sturdy!

Lunch

You can rating some nice financial savings at lunch if you happen to duck right into a grocery retailer and benefit from their package deal offers. Most grocery shops supply a sandwich, drink, and a bag of crisps (potato chips) for round $4-5. Pick up some fruit or ready veggies to share, and you’ll feed the entire household for round $20. Plus there are fast service Pret a Manger retailers on almost each nook.

Dinner

If you’ve obtained entry to kitchen services, then as soon as once more you’ll discover nice financial savings on the grocery shops. Most supply high-quality, upscale pre-made meals that solely requires you to warmth and serve (assume roasted rooster dishes, veggies, potatoes, dessert).

This is usually lower than $30 for a wholesome, satisfying meal that requires little effort. Take-aways are additionally pretty cheap, and it’s a enjoyable method of making an attempt the extra ethnically numerous meals like Indian and Thai (or fish n’ chips!) that London is understood for.

When to Splurge

London has some excellent eating places, and I like to have a pleasant sit-down meal no less than a couple of instances throughout a week-long journey, balanced out with informal, cheaper fare. And don’t overlook to bask in afternoon tea!

While it usually costs out between $40-60 per particular person, many lodges will supply reductions or complimentary tea to their friends. Also, know that you simply’ll be served plenty of meals throughout the expertise, so I encourage folks to make their tea bookings for later within the day, and it’ll double as dinner.

Total meals value: $1,200 (based mostly on free resort breakfast, $20 for lunch x seven days, and $150 per day for dinner x seven days)

Souvenirs/Miscellaneous

I’ve a strict rule with my youngsters that the journey itself is the deal with, not all of the kitschy souvenirs discovered within the present store of each main attraction. But London is a good place to buy specialty gadgets.

One of my favourite locations to go for souvenirs or presents is Fortnum & Mason, the place you should buy a few of England’s legendary tea and biscuits, completely packaged to deliver residence. And a cease at Hamley’s toy retailer can also be a superb expertise for the entire household to get pleasure from. We additionally get pleasure from shopping the numerous flooring and departments at Harrods.

Total memento value: $200 (based mostly on every member of the family spending $50 whereas on the journey)

Travel Insurance

I might suggest defending your journey with journey insurance coverage. Pricing varies relying in your degree of protection, ages, journey prices, and extra. However, I might use $300-500 as a tough estimate.

Total Cost for a 7-day Family journey to London: $9,600

Bottom line is that the journey to London value for a household of 4 would value roughly $9,600, or about $350 per particular person, per day. Your household might definitely spend much less if you happen to can make the most of airline miles, rating a terrific lodging deal, prepare dinner your individual meals, or focus your time on the free actions and landmarks in London as a substitute of the pricier locations to go.

That stated, London is an costly metropolis, so it may be a problem for households with a particularly tight price range. If you need an English countryside expertise, I discovered very reasonably priced inns and meals in Northern England this previous summer season throughout my Hadrian’s Wall strolling journey.

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