I will be going to England soon, and as you can tell by my frequent posts, I am excited and anxious about this. I am using travel books, and will ask my friends, but I value the input of the Dopers. About how much should I plan on spending for 2 adults who will suddenly move without warning? (my husband hates the idea of a detailed plan with pre-booked hotels) We might stay near or in London, or take off for the hills. This makes it hard to budget. What did your England trips cost you? What were they like? Should I trash the husband’s plans for 2 spontaneous weeks and pre-book hotels?
I was in London for a few days, and I have a few pieces of wisdom to impart:
- Know the subway schedules. For example, if the subway closes at (I think it was 11:45) on a Sunday night, don’t show up at 12:00 expecting to be able to catch a ride home. If you do, you can spend an hour and a half walking back to the hotel. In the rain. (And yes, I know from experience- we were too stubborn to get a cab.) Also, always bring an umbrella. Especially for situations like the one above. Another thing- while travelling, wear shoes that you have worn everywhere at home and that you know are comfortable. When I had the walking-through-London-in-the-rain experience, I was wearing a pair of sandals that I had worn a couple of times before and that had seemed comfortable, but that turned out not to be for such a long distance.
England (and especially London) is expensive. As a very general rule, a $1000 holiday in the US will cost ₤1000 in the UK. If you plan to come in the summer, book a hotel for at least the first few days after you arrive. Britain doesn’t have much in the way of cheap hotel chains. A few years go I turned up in Oxford in the summer and I got literally the last room anywhere in the whole city.