It’s the middle of April in UK now,and the ever changing weather in the country is turning towards the warm, sunny season of the glorious summer, hopefully. While I am writing this blog, the sun just went out, and it’s suddenly dark now. This country’s weather cannot make a mind for itself 😑
Anyway, the summer is coming up, and why not pack your backpack and have a little budget trip around the UK? Having a budget trip in UK can be a very daunting task, I managed it after several tries, so I am going to share some of my tips and tricks with you, my fellow travellers!
Again, coming to London, it has many free sights that you will absolutely love without spending a dime. But you have to book your accommodation beforehand, like waaaaaaaay beforehand. I will suggest booking an AirBnb. It is possible to travel to the UK on a budget, but it takes a lot of work and preparation. But hey, if you want to see the world you have to make some sacrifices. UK food and travel costs do come at a high price though.
Even helpful guides from lonely planet can sometimes not come in handy because of UK’s current economic instability and cost of living crisis. It’s expensive living here; forget about travelling. 😅 I know I talk a lot, so let me go back to giving advice 😀
First piece of advice?-book the accommodation and transport well in advance-like months ion advance. Trust me, these two are the ones that will cost you more money. Look at sites like myTrip or Skyscanner to book flights. My suggestion, if you are travelling from Europe or nearby countries, see if you can book an overnight coach like Flixbus. These will save you a lot of money. And once you are in the city, get an Oyster card for travelling on public transport at a cheap rate, my advice will be to get a travel card for the duration of your stay. I will discuss more about public transport and how to book them cheap ion London at another blog. But do keep in mind that the that the Oyster card only works in London and not in other cities of the country.
The second piece of advice?– make sure to avoid booking accommodations during weekends because they usually hike the price around that time. So advance planning is the key. When booking accommodations, make sure you also see the local sites for cheap rooms and hostels, like Scottish Independent Hostels. Staying in hostels or private accommodation through airbnb saves a ton of money if you are a on a budget.
The third piece of advice is?– Try to avoid eating out as much as possible. Because eating out in UK is quite expensive, whichever cities you are in. Buy some ingredients and make a quick snack at home. Or simply look for meal deals in one of the shops, like Sainsbury’s or Morrison. Wake up in the morning, have a toast, and make a snack for you to take with you on your adventure!
Fourth piece of advice?– use buses to travel, both in London and if you want to travel to other cities. Train journeys cost a lot, even if they are quicker. If you book a bus journey in advance (National Express and Megabus), you can find price as low as GBP 4-5. And a train journey for that price will be somewhere around GBP 60-70. 🙂 I know CRAZYYY- as my middle daughter likes to say!
Before I end this short teaser blog, my last piece of advice- carry an umbrella. It is a wet country, and whatever the season, it rains! (I don’t mind, I love rain). One thing that can dampen a nice trip is the rain, and it might cost you a lot to take a transport to get away from the rain, so make sure you have your cover.
