How many Pounds should I bring to London?

When preparing a trip abroad, one of the most common doubts is how much money to carry in cash. Traveling through the Euro zone, there is no major problem, since you can pay with card without commissions, conversions or extra expenses. But in countries with different currencies, we must think a little more. If you are going to travel to London and ask yourself how much money to bring in cash, we help you to solve your doubts with this budget for 7 days per person.

Transportation

The easiest and quickest way to get around the city is the tube. London has one of the world's largest (and on-time) metro networks.

The simple ticket costs around 5 Pounds, so it is best to buy tickets for the day or a Travelcard for 7 days, if your trip is going to last more than three days.

A 1-day metro ticket for zones 1 and 2 (where most tourist attractions are) costs 6.60 Pounds and the 1-day Travelcard for the same areas costs 12.30 Pounds. The Travelcard for 7 days for zones 1 and 2 costs 33.00 Pounds.

The advantage of buying a Travelcard is that you can use different public transports: tube, bus, tram,... if they are in the area for which you have paid.

As for transportation to and from the airport, there are several options. These are the usual prices for train travel from Airports to Central London with return included:

• Heathrow: 37.90 Pounds
• Southend: 16.20 Pounds
• Gatwick: 35.60 Pounds
• Luton: 18.00 Pounds

If you need to use the taxi service, keep in mind they are a bit expensive. If you travel with more people the expense is divided, but with the other transports you can easily reach any place you want to visit.

SUMMARY:

• 7Day Travelcard: 33.00 Pounds
• Transfers from and to the Airport: 27,00 Pounds

Food and drink

This point depends a lot on the budget and tastes of each one. It is true that there are bargains and places that only Londoners know where food is good and cheap, but as a rule we usually go to the places that we have of passage in the most tourist areas, so let's do a rough calculation with the average prices.

A fast-food restaurant (McDonald's, Burger Kinf, KFC,...) can cost between 5 and 7 Pounds per person. A complete meal (main dish with salad, potatoes or rice) with a pint in a pub costs about 10 or 15 Pounds. A pint of beer, around 4 Pounds. And you also have the option to buy some food in a supermarket or in street stalls where you can eat for 5 Pounds per person. And if one day you want to indulge yourself, you will find many restaurants of good quality where you can taste typical dishes or international cuisine from about 25 or 30 Pounds per person.

If your accommodation doesn’t include breakfast you will always find a Starbucks, Costa Coffee or Pret a Manger where you can have coffee and something to eat. You will have to add about 5-6 Pounds per person per day.

SUMMARY (6 dinners and 6 meals):

• 4 meals in a typical English pub: 50,00 Pounds
• 2 fast-food restaurant meals: 12.00 Pounds
• 3 dinners in typical English pub: 38,00 Pounds
• 2 dinners with food of supermarket or street position: 20,00 Pounds
• 1 dinner in restaurant: 50,00 Pounds
• Make 3 breaks to drinka pint (soda, wine, ...): 12,00 Pounds

Sights

Many museums in London have free admission so you can enjoy art and culture for very little money. In addition, one of the main charms of the city is to walk it, to visit monuments, to go to street markets,... where you will not have to pay any entrance. However, in other tourist attractions you will have to pay tickets. We show you the usual prices (there are passes for several attractions that come cheaper or discounts with the Travelcard).

British Museum: free except for special exhibitions costing about 17.00 Pounds

British Library: the entrance and some exhibitions are free and the pass for the other exhibitions costs about 14,00 Pounds

National Gallery: free admission

Museum of London: free admission

Ride on the London Eye: 39.00 Pounds

Buckingham Palace: 23.00 Pounds

London Tower: 21.50 Pounds

Westminster Abbey: 22.00 Pounds

SUMMARY:

• Free entrance to the mentioned museums (without exhibitions of payment): 0,00 Pounds
• Tickets to other attractions: 105,50 Pounds

Whims or unforeseen

When calculating your budget, keep in mind that there may be expenses with which you had not counted. Although almost anywhere you can pay with card, remember that you can be surprised if the rate set by your bank is bad or if they charge a commission for paying in another currency.

In addition, there are things you can’t pay with a card like a second hand T-shirt in Camden Market, a roll of cinnamon in the Portobello market or some postcards to send to your family.

For this type of expenses you can take about 50-70 Pounds per person.

Total budget

Transport: 60,00 Pounds

Meals: 182,00 Pounds

Attractions: 105,50 Pounds

Whims / Unforeseen: 60 Pounds

TOTAL RECOMMENDED: 407.50 Pounds

This budget is an approximate average of the money that is usually spent spending a week in London and, as we have said, depends on tastes, prior organization and what everyone can afford.

We hope that you have been guided to calculate how much money to take on your trip. Remember that you can exchange the leftover banknotes back to Euros in any of our exchange offices, so don’t worry about carrying too many Pounds.

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Do you think we have forgotten any important expenses? How many Pounds have you spent on your trip?

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