Traveling to england.

[tim2x]

Hey guys, I think i'm gonna bite the bullet and use some of my paid leave and bite the bullet and finally go traveling. I'm thinking england. Could anyone give me a rundown of the prices that they've paid if they've done this before?

I've got 3 weeks leave....No idea about accomodation or food or anything. But im suspecting like..$5000 or something?

cheers!

[RG]

Return flights are dirt cheap atm, you can get the for the $1300 mark or so. Accomodation, food and travel in London are the killers. A day ticket for the Tube for the zones was 8 pound when we were there last year so if you are going to be doing a lot of travelling through the city I'd be looking for a deal on a weekly ticket. You might also want to think about spending a few days in Paris or as it is only 2 hours or so by Eurostar and is one of the most beutiful places I've seen. Look at the price differences on travelling in and out of Heathrow compared with CDG Paris.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by tim2x

Hey guys, I think i'm gonna bite the bullet and use some of my paid leave and bite the bullet and finally go traveling. I'm thinking england. Could anyone give me a rundown of the prices that they've paid if they've done this before?

I've got 3 weeks leave....No idea about accomodation or food or anything. But im suspecting like..$5000 or something?

cheers!

3 weeks in England is a decent amount of time. I too will suggest a few days in Paris. You can get there by bus from London for a minimal charge.

Costs?? That's totally up to you. I'm a backpacker so I can only comment on hostels. Expect to pay around 12-15 pounds for a well located bed per night if booked in advance, and 17-25 pounds for a newer place or a last minute booking.

Food will also set you back a bit. A pie at the Walkabout hotel set me back around 3.99 pounds! But if you have a budget of $5 grand for 3 weeks that's TONS of money in my opinion. Depends on your comfort level.

Trains etc are pretty costly. From what I remember, the price there for a lot of things in pounds was similar to our prices here in dollars.

Cheers,

Jason

[Jastel]

As Festiva said, pretend your spending the A$ and you will have a good time
If you start converting everything, (roughly double) you will freak out

London caters for all budgets from backpackers to millionaires
A decent middle of the road Hotel is the Imperial Chain, about 70pounds a night, near tubes and bus routes or staggering distance from Covent Gardens, the main nightlife area. Their biggest one is the Royal National is used by Contiki, so lots of action there if thats what you are after

Re the train, buy an Oyster card, a prepaid card, you touch a pad when you get on/off the train or bus, put 20 pounds on and top up when you get low. When you leave you get it all refunded at the airport.
It also avoids the lines at ticket machines
The tube and buses are the best way to get around, just try to avoid rush hour like any big city, and the tube stops about 1am as well

The best way to get around in the first few days is the Hop on Hop off open top Explorer buses, you buy a day pass about 20 pounds and it goes to all the major atttractions on a set route, buses come every 15 minutes or so. On a nice day the top deck is a must.

You can do daily tour bus trips around the traps like Oxford, Stonehenge, Castles and all the famous attractions.

There are plenty of free things to do there, all National museums and art galleries are free (except for some special exhibits) and you can spend days inside, good if the weather goes bad.

Take the missus to a musical, around Covent Garden/Picadilly you can get tickets for half price for the shows that night for some of the ones that have been on for a while, if your lucky even some of the new ones.

The London Eye is a good thing but only on a sunny day, try for a sunset ride as it gets dark, which is about 9pm over there now.

The usual sights such as Buck Palace, the Tower, Greenwich, Lords, Westminster, Harrod's, Whiteghall, St Pauls etc are all on the tour

For a car nut a walk down Park Lane is a must, and if you are into war the Imperial War Museum is very good as well.

The Eurostar train to Paris is a good experience but only if you pay the low price of about 60pounds each way. When you get off in Paris watch your valueables though. It is very pretty but full of dodgy characters around all the tourist traps. Do not let anyone tie string around your hands, usually a big black African dude!!

Basically it is peak season over there now so be prepared to queue for EVERYTHING!!!

It is a brilliant city but you are very glad to come home usually!!!

Any specific questions you have I will try to help.

[mad machs]

Does it have to be London? The capital is ok for a couple of days once you've seen the sights (I haven't been for years)
Plenty of other palces to see, but be watchout for the accomodation prices at coastal resorts during the Summer months.

[Geez Louise]

+1 for an oyster card. Best way to travel around on the Tube. The Hop on Hop Off Explorer buses are great. There are plenty of things to do in London.

As others have said, it is very expensive for accomodation. We had our first taste of England's famous fish and chips at The Sherlock Holmes pub.We also found a great pub called the Crooked Surgeon. It is down a lane way close to Chinatown. Great little spot.

Hope you have a great trip. 5k should be plenty depending on what you want to do.