Travel across the Atlantic can be expensive. So when you are there, you will want to save as much as you can. You don’t want to not go abroad, so saving money at the destination is key. There are a lot of things that you can do in Europe for cheap or free. You don’t have to miss out on the big sites or attractions, just because you don’t want to spend a lot when you are out there. Today, I’m sharing with you some things that you can do in England, to make sure that you don’t spend too much.
There will be some sites that don’t cost anything to see. Sites in London like Tower Bridge, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament are all free to see. You can take pictures and get as close as you want, without having to spend a penny. There are also lots of other things that you can do in cities for free. Cities like London, Bristol and York all have museums that are free to visit. The National Railway Museum, Science Museum and the National History Museum are all included. You can spend several hours in each and not spend anything.
Think of other things to do that are cheap or free, like hiking in the Lake District, or hitting the beach in Brighton. You can still have such an awesome time and see a lot of things. Even something like Stonehenge can be done cheaply. There is a fence around it, and you can pay to get closer. But that is all that you are paying for; getting closer. There isn’t anything else to it. So save some money there and just see it from behind the fence. You can still take pictures and take selfies to prove you were there.
There are other cities and places that would be a good idea to visit too. If you visit areas in the north of England, it can cost a lot less money than in the south. London can be overpriced for food and accommodation, but if you went to visit Blackpool, it would cost a lot less to stay. Blackpool is full of good restaurants and hotels, but they will cost less than London. So sometimes, it might be a good idea to visit some of the areas that are a little out of the tourist trap.
It is a good idea to think about getting your own food. It is common sense that the more you eat out, the more it costs. If you are able to get to a supermarket over in the UK, you will spend a lot less money. So it might be worth looking into staying at a self-catered hotel or villa, rather than a regular hotel. The best supermarkets in the UK to shop on a budget are called Aldi and Lidl. So have a look out for those when you plan your stay. If you do plan to eat out, though, it is worth noting that tipping isn’t big in England. There is no real need or expectation to go over 10% when tipping. Servers don’t make the majority of their money from tips. You can tip more if you want, but there is no real expectation of it.
It is a good idea to plan your itinerary well before you go. You might not know when or how often you will have wifi on your trip. If you use your phone on data roaming to look things up, it can cost so much money. You don’t want to try and save as much money as you can on your trip, to be hit with a huge phone bill when you get back. Getting a notebook and making a note of bus routes, trains, address and locations of shops, hotels and sites is a must. The more organised you are, the easier it is to save money.
A good piece of advice is to pack light. If you decide to visit somewhere like London, you don’t want to spend extra money on travel. If you can, you should walk or travel by tube. You won’t be able to do either of those things if you are weighed down by heavy suitcases. A small suitcase and a backpack would be perfect for travel. You could even ride on the Boris bikes around London if you only had a backpack. One of the cheapest ways to travel!
Have you been to England before? I’d love to hear if you have any money saving tips for travel over there.