How Much I Spent for One Week in London
London is one of my favorite cities in the world — it’s exciting, beautiful, and historic, with world-class museums and theater, plus great food. But it’s also famously expensive, with pricey lodging in particular.
I recently spent one week in London, but before that, my last trip to the city was way back in 2016. So one of my questions for this most recent visit was: just how much does it cost to visit London these days?
To answer that question, I tracked every dollar I spent during my week in London — from transportation to food to lodging to activities to…everything. Now I’m spilling the beans and telling you exactly how much it cost me to visit London for one delightful week.
Are you:
Then my Travel Spending series is for you. Here, I open up about how much my travels actually cost so you can make informed decisions about which destinations, accommodations, restaurants, activities, and more might be right for you. I also make some alternative suggestions in case you’re traveling on a tighter budget or want to shell out for a little more luxury than I chose.
Check out all the posts in my Travel Spending series here, or read on for a peek into my spending in London.
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The Cost of One Week in London
My one-week trip to London took place in August 2023. If you’re reading this in some future year, you can estimate the cost of my trip in present values using an inflation calculator (like this one, if you’re in the U.S.).
All amounts are in USD.
Transportation
| Ferry from the Isle of Man | $29.81 |
| Train from Liverpool | $53.04 |
| Public transit + Uber | $38.69 |
| Trains + Stonehenge bus | $135.96 |
| TOTAL: | $257.50 |
I traveled to London from the Isle of Man. To do that, I took a ferry to Liverpool (which cost $29.81), and then a train from Liverpool to London (which cost $53.04).
While in London, I spent $38.69 getting around on buses, the Underground, and one Uber ride, and $135.96 on trains and buses to day trip locations elsewhere in England (Rye, Stonehenge, and Salisbury).
My total transportation costs: $257.50.
If you want to spend less on Transportation…
- You’re not likely to spend much less than I did on my travel to London, unless (1) you’re in Europe already and can travel to London via train or budget airline, or (2) you book your flight with points.
- Avoid day trips, which can be expensive thanks to the transportation costs. For example, I spent $78.81 just on transportation for my day trip to Stonehenge and Salisbury!
If you’re looking for more luxurious Transportation…
- Unless you’re coming from somewhere else nearby in Europe, you’re almost certainly going to fly to London. Naturally, you’re free to spend as much as you want on fancy upgraded seats (or hey — book with points!). NOTE: If you’re looking to upgrade only one or two aspects of your experience, I generally wouldn’t recommend choosing this one. While I’m not crazy about sleeping in economy seats on flights, I’m usually able to grab a few hours of sleep (thanks to some critical tools) — enough to help me power through my first day at my destination, at least. But if you’re reaching London via a particularly long flight, the lay-flat seats that are often available in business or first class may be worth the extra cost.
- Upgrade your train tickets to first class. NOTE: I never do this in Europe, as the difference between first and second class on trains is generally negligible and, to me, not worth the extra cost. But if you’re in need of a slightly larger seat or more space for any reason, this is an option to consider.
Accommodations
I spent seven nights in London and spent all of them at Pickwick Hall, a hostel in the Bloomsbury area.
I was happy with this choice — London is quite expensive, and Pickwick Hall was the best deal I could find. I stayed in a private room — which was very basic, but perfectly fine — with a shared bathroom (although I never saw anyone else in there). The hostel was conveniently located very near the British Museum and within walking distance of a Tube station.
The cost of my room also included breakfasts, which — again — were basic but fine!
My total accommodation costs: $505.61.
If you want to spend less on Accommodations…
- It’s very difficult to find inexpensive lodging in London. Unless you have a friend who will host you for free, your cheapest option is probably to book a dorm room in a hostel, such as Pickwick Hall (where I stayed!), Wombat’s City Hostel, Urbany Hostel, or OneFam Notting Hill. This option requires you to be comfy with sleeping on a bunk bed in a room with a few strangers. If that’s the case, hostel dorm rooms are a great option: they’re often incredibly inexpensive, and you can easily meet other travelers if that’s something you’re looking for. (And, if you’re traveling in a group of, say, 4 or 8 people, you may even be able to snag a dorm room for your group alone!) NOTE: some hostels offer women-only dorm rooms for female travelers who would rather not stay in the same room as men.
- NOTE: Other than flights, accommodations are often the biggest line item in a travel budget. The great news is that most destinations have a variety of lodging options at all sorts of price points — so if you’re looking to cut on-location costs, start here!
If you’re looking for more luxurious Accommodations…
- There’s certainly no shortage of excellent lodging options in London. Before settling on Pickwick Hall, I actually was planning to stay at The Distillery in Notting Hill (which has since closed for good). I’ve stayed in Notting Hill before — it’s possibly my favorite part of London — and was tempted to do the same again, but ultimately I couldn’t justify the expense.
- For more traditional hotels, check out The Montague on the Gardens in Bloomsbury, The Belgrave Hotel in Westminster, or Batty Langley’s in Spitalfields.
Food & Drink
Oof — I spent $345.08 on food and drinks. That includes all my meals (other than breakfast), snacks, coffee, and alcohol. I was visiting London with a friend, and we also did two afternoon teas, which can be a bit pricey.
If you want to spend less on Food and Drink…
- Eat fewer meals at sit-down restaurants, and opt for more street food instead.
- If you’re staying at a hostel or an apartment with a kitchen, you could buy groceries and prepare some of your meals, which typically costs a lot less than eating at restaurants. You can also buy cheaper, premade meals at many grocery stores.
- Buy fewer beverages, especially expensive drinks like cocktails.
If you’re Willing to Spend More on Food and Drink…
- Eat at fancier restaurants!
- Go wild with afternoon teas — they’re often quite lovely, in my experience. We had tea at Browns Covent Garden, which was nice, and at The Ivy Chelsea Garden, which was excellent (and what a beautiful setting!).
Activities
I spent $359.48 on activities, which included the London Eye, three different musicals, entrance to several churches, a ticket to Stonehenge, and a ticket to see Barbie at the Electric Cinema (my favorite movie theater anywhere!).
We were busy! I essentially did everything I wanted to do (and had time to do), and didn’t hesitate to shell out for an entrance fee if something I wanted to see charged one. And while we spent an afternoon or two relaxing in our hostel, we otherwise pretty much filled each day with sightseeing. Had we traveled a bit slower and kept ourselves less busy, my spending on activities could have been quite a bit lower.
We also visited several free museums in London, which I highly recommend. The Wallace Collection is woefully underappreciated!
If you want to spend less on Activities…
- Chill out! Do a little less. Spend more time just walking around or people-watching at cafes.
- Be choosier about the activities you spend money on, and opt for more free activities instead of paid activities.
If you’re Willing to Spend More on Activities…
- Well, I think it might be tough to do even more than we did, but if you have a large budget for entertainment and activities, then don’t hesitate to visit museums, see shows, etc. to your heart’s content.
Shopping
I spent $131.96 on a mixture of stuff — souvenirs, replacements for a few items of clothing, some toiletries, and a plug converter.
If you want to spend less on Shopping…
- Easy: don’t buy anything!
If you’re Willing to Spend More on Shopping…
- Easy: shop more!
- In all seriousness, there’s no shortage of places to spend your money while traveling, including (of course) in expensive countries like England. If you want to come home with even more souvenirs than I did, or take the opportunity to shop at some fancy London stores, it will not be hard to do.
Other
I spent $6.31 to do laundry at my hostel.
Grand Total
| Transportation | $257.50 |
| Accommodations | $505.61 |
| Food & Drink | $345.08 |
| Activities | $359.48 |
| Shopping | $131.96 |
| Other | $6.31 |
| TOTAL: | $1,605.94 |
In total, I spent $1,605.94, or $229.42 per day.
Whether that sounds like a lot or a little to you will of course depend on your own perceptions of how much travel should cost. To me, it sounds like a lot (especially given that it doesn’t include flights), but it reflects a trip where, other my accommodations, I didn’t put much effort into saving money.
If you want to visit London but spend less than I did, it would not be hard to do so — so long as you find similarly priced lodging. You could spend hundreds less than I did just by taking fewer day trips, being more thoughtful about spending on food, seeing fewer shows, and limiting your shopping.
More Information About England
LONDON | Read about what to do and where to stay during your first trip to London.
NOTTING HILL | How to spend one day in my favorite part of London, Notting Hill.
DAY TRIPS | Visit the charming town of Rye or explore Stonehenge and Salisbury in one day.
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