If you have read (hope you shared it if you liked it!) our latest post about how to travel to some world capitals on a budget, this one here will bring some extra light into a specific country as I will be giving you some tips to make traveling in the UK for cheap doable and worth pursuing.
- Be aware of the British Pound exchange rate and wait until it is a fair one for your pocket.
- Get familiar with the low-cost airlines operating in the country and connecting the archipelago with the rest of Europe mainly. Subscribe to their online newsletters and be the first one to know when they will be running special promotions and offers.
- There are also multiple choices for domestic travel that will set you down next to nothing. Hitch hiking or car pooling among them. For instance, sharing a ride between Cardiff and Leeds is more than 30 pounds cheaper than using the National Express bus.
- If you prefer something a bit more traditional, check Megabus and BritRail rates before booking your land transportation. Fares can go as low as £1 for selected journeys if booked in advance with the first company and the second one has several pass options with great discounts as well.
- Buy your meals in supermarkets and visit the pub during the happy hour to save some money – or buy more drinks for the same amount!.
- Find out whether there are some free tours running in the cities you’ll be visiting and grab a spot in advance. Those are based on tips and, definitely, they are a much cheaper option than the traditional ones.
- Take advantage of all the free entry museums and galleries spread all across UK. Like the very own British Museum, in central London, up to 250 Museums enjoy an all year round free admission policy. One of our favorite ones is Nottingham Contemporary, one of the largest art centres in the UK. Think also of buying saver tickets if you want to check a few spots in the same city. For example, a family pass to the Roman Baths, the Fashion Museum and Victoria Art Gallery in Bath valid for a couple of weeks is £52.50 when a single entry to the Baths for just one person is already £15.50. Talk about cheap entertainment and culture!
- Avoid – and I mean it! – big shopping areas, malls and shop filled streets unless you really need those new shoes or that Newcastle upon Tyne t-shirt. Unexpected buys will drain your bank account and, after all, you are looking for a budget time in the UK, not more stuff. Otherwise you won’t be reading this right now, would you?
- On the other hand, get to know when nearby flea markets take place and pay them a visit. Second hand clothes and vintage items can be found there real cheap.
- Instead of buying priced and useless souvenirs, grab some butter cookies boxes to take home with you. Those make a good – and inexpensive – present, they usually please everyone and once the cookies are over, people get to keep the beautiful metal boxes! Win-win