The Washington Times recently featured an article about how now is the time to book a trip to Europe. Prices are down, airfares are down, exchange rates are down. You can tell as much in the sidebar on this blog, airfares are a steal right now!
Many people have been turned off of going to England because of a weak dollar and all around expensive costs associated with going to Britain. Things literally cost twice as much as they do everywhere else.
Well, now that is all changing. The US Dollar is strengthening against the British Pound (and the Euro as well), to the point where it is now affordable to go to England again. With prices the way they are right now, the trip my wife and I took two years ago would have cost about 30-40% less. The cost of our last trip literally broke our backs. That won’t happen this year.
Now is the time to book your trip, especially if you want to make a quick Christmas jaunt to London. Airfares in Early December are dirt cheap. From New York or Chicago you can get a roundtrip ticket for $400-500! That’s a steal!
Where is the cheapest place to book tickets. I recommend using airfare aggregation services like Kayak.com. You can find the cheapest transatlantic fares
through it. You can search by your preferred airline and see a pricing trend for the whole year.
Keep in mind, exchange rates may yet go lower, but there’s a better chance of them also going up.
If you want to plan further ahead, plan your trip to avoid June, July and August; the peak tourist months. Spring/Winter is the best time to get a cheap deal on airfares and hotels. If you want to lock in low exchange rates right now, then you can buy your Pounds using a service from Travelex, where they FedEx you your currency.
TravelEx has an option to put your Pounds on a Visa debit card that works just like any other debit card. It’s like having a UK based bank account of your very own. It’s a great way to protect yourself while traveling. More on this later.
So, if you’ve been looking for an excuse to pull the trigger and plan your dream vacation to London, now is the time to do it.
And when you come to London, here are some things you have to do.
London has several seasonal outdoor ice-skating rinks and a good one is at Somerset House, just off the Strand. (In winter time of course)
London is famous for its night-clubs round up some friends and hit some of the famous night spots.
Visit some of the famous parks, bring picnic food as well.
Go to Madame Tussauds, it’s a tourist trap and I would advise any visitor to London to avoid the queues and save their money but still its unforgettable.
If you have a tight travel budget book your accommodation online. Hotels in London are fairly expensive and living as well.