travel budget

How much does a trip to London cost?

Q: How much does a trip to London cost?

A reasonable budget for two for a week in London is around £2,000. This is based on staying in good, mid-range accommodation and having a few meals out per week, while preparing some yourself.

Q: How much does accommodation in London cost?

You can expect to spend between £120-£200 a night, per couple, on accommodation in London. This will get you a private room with your own bathroom in a 3-4-star hotel or apartment rental.

Q: How much should I budget for food and drinks in London?

Budget to spend around £550 for two for a week in London. This assumes you’re cooking some of the time and drinking a small amount of alcohol.

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If you’re planning on travelling to London, you’re probably wondering how much you need to budget for your trip. While your travel costs will depend on your travel style, generally speaking London is best for travellers with some spending money.

Accommodation costs are generally on the high side and food and drinks are reasonably-priced. Many of London’s best attractions are very affordable or even free and, while some activities could set you back a fair amount, there’s plenty to do at lower price points too.

Costs are in

How much should I budget for a trip to London?

A reasonable budget for two for a week in London is around £2,000.

This is based on staying in good, mid-range accommodation and having a few meals out per week, while preparing some yourself. It makes allowances for a couple of sightseeing activities, but doesn’t take into account expensive activities like adventure sports or private tours.

Generally speaking, the longer you travel, the cheaper it costs per day, while fly-in, fly-out trips can be more expensive.

How much does accommodation cost?

You can expect to spend between £120-£200 a night, per couple, on accommodation in London. This will get you a private room with your own bathroom in a 3-4-star hotel or apartment rental.

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Hostels are, of course, cheaper, but a private room with a shared bathroom will still cost around £120 per night. A bed in a dorm room also averages around £40 per night, per person, although there are definitely cheaper options out there.

See the highest rated hostels in London

Like many major cities, accommodation costs in London vary depending on which neighbourhood you choose to stay in. Generally speaking, the closer you are to central London and the major sights, the more expensive the neighbourhood. Saying that, there are a few cheaper neighbourhoods in London which are still very convenient. If you're still deciding where to stay, read our neighbourhood guide for London.

How much should I budget for food and drinks in London?

Budget to spend around £550 for two for a week in London. This assumes you’re cooking some of the time and drinking a small amount of alcohol.

If you enjoy eating out, you can expect to pay around £70 for a nice dinner for two, including an alcoholic drink. A meal at a pub is likely to be around £40 for two, with cheaper meals available (especially for lunch) for around £13 each.

Assuming that you’ll be eating out some of the time, budget at least £45 a week for groceries. If you enjoy a few drinks, you’ll need to increase this amount – beer costs around £2 for a 500ml bottle and good bottle of wine is around £10, although you can always find cheaper options in the supermarket. Milk typically costs around £1 for a two-litre bottle and you can expect to pay around £3 for a cappuccino from a local café.

How much does it cost to get around London?

Getting around London is easiest with a train. Transport costs fluctuate depending how much you travel, but budgeting around £150 for two per week is a good starting point. This should allow you to take a couple of intercity train routes. If you’re planning on doing any tours or using hop-on hop-off buses, you’ll need to up your budget a bit.

The Underground is the most convenient way to get around London. The above amount includes a couple of day trips out of the city - if you stick to central London, your transport costs should be less.

What should I expect to spend on activities?

A lot of the best things to do in London are free. However, there definitely are some attractions that cost money – entry fees to a museum or an art gallery are usually around £20 - £35 per person. If you want to do organised day trips or join smaller tour groups to learn more about some of the sites, budget around £80 per activity per person.

Popular activities in London

In summary

London is a beautiful destination to visit and although it’s not cheap, it’s definitely possible to travel there for less. Cooking your own meals, carefully selecting accommodation or limiting meals out will definitely help you to reduce your travel costs. Slow travel is another great way to help your budget to stretch further, while exploring a place in more depth.

Travelling through London is definitely possible on a budget – just pick your priorities and compromise on the rest or consider travelling in the off-season (Spring, Autumn and avoiding school holidays) to cut down on costs. And, if you’re on the luxury end of the scale or wanting to treat yourself, the sky’s the limit.

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