Need some help budgeting for our UK trip!
Jan 30th 2008, 2:58 am
#46
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,397
Re: Need some help budgeting for our UK trip!
They have those Marks & Spencer Simply Food places at a few service stations now, including Donnington on the M1. Expensive but at least you're getting gorgeous food for your money.
Does anyone else miss M&S food adverts on TV? They used to make my mouth water. Whereas food ads here all make me want to barf.
Does anyone else miss M&S food adverts on TV? They used to make my mouth water. Whereas food ads here all make me want to barf.
Jan 30th 2008, 3:27 am
#47
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Grand Rapids MI
Posts: 448
Re: Need some help budgeting for our UK trip!
Jan 30th 2008, 4:26 am
#48
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,023
Re: Need some help budgeting for our UK trip!
Why the hell did someone have to mention M & S food?
Where is the slitting your wrists smilie?
Where is the slitting your wrists smilie?
Jan 31st 2008, 10:13 pm
#49
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,542
Re: Need some help budgeting for our UK trip!
Just thought I'd better let you know that USAA have told us they will not cover us for insurance on international travel. You may know that already but I just thought they would cover us that will add quite a bit more to budget if that info is correct.
Feb 1st 2008, 12:02 am
#50
I'm back!
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2002
Location: Richmond, VA, USA
Posts: 4,316
Re: Need some help budgeting for our UK trip!
Hi Jenney we managed to book and get discount through USAA with your info, thanks.
Just thought I'd better let you know that USAA have told us they will not cover us for insurance on international travel. You may know that already but I just thought they would cover us that will add quite a bit more to budget if that info is correct.
Just thought I'd better let you know that USAA have told us they will not cover us for insurance on international travel. You may know that already but I just thought they would cover us that will add quite a bit more to budget if that info is correct.
I love USAA, they really know how to treat their members right.As for the insurance, I thought that I read somewhere -- where is anyone's guess! -- that our insurance covered international car rentals. I can't seem to find that information now, naturally. I sent off an email to USAA asking them about it, so I should hear back from them tomorrow.
Thanks for the heads-up -- I would have been really pissed off if I'd assumed it covered us when it didn't!
~ Jenney
Feb 1st 2008, 1:26 pm
#51
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,023
Re: Need some help budgeting for our UK trip!
Hi Jenney we managed to book and get discount through USAA with your info, thanks.
Just thought I'd better let you know that USAA have told us they will not cover us for insurance on international travel. You may know that already but I just thought they would cover us that will add quite a bit more to budget if that info is correct.
Just thought I'd better let you know that USAA have told us they will not cover us for insurance on international travel. You may know that already but I just thought they would cover us that will add quite a bit more to budget if that info is correct.
Feb 1st 2008, 3:27 pm
#52
Sursum corda
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Richmond Hill, GA USA
Posts: 38,860
Re: Need some help budgeting for our UK trip!
If either one of you ladies wants me to check it out with the company I use for o'seas car rentals (they go with who has the best deal) send me a PM and let me know. That is, IF either your insurance does not cover you overseas or if it does and you want to see how good a deal it was.
Feb 1st 2008, 3:37 pm
#53
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: TN
Posts: 1,759
Re: Need some help budgeting for our UK trip!
So Mark and I are finally going to the UK for a two-week visit in May -- we're so excited! Both sets of parents were very kind and gave us money to use for our trip; without it we wouldn't have been able to go, so we are not taking this trip for granted at all. We want to budget wisely and I'm trying to do as much planning for that now as possible. Luckily we'll be staying with Mark's folks so lodging is free; they live in Bishop's Stortford, about 30 mins northeast of London in Hertfordshire.
We're decided to hire a car (we get a 25% discount through USAA), which will cost about $500 for the two-week period. However, I can't seem to find any information about how much petrol costs over there, on average. Anyone have any info on this?
As for entertainment, we're going to try to limit ourselves as much as possible to free activities -- museums and such (which we really enjoy anyway). We're going to also try to get free tickets to attend a taping of a UK TV or radio show if we can, which we think would be really cool.
I'm having a hard time really figuring out how to budget for the day-to-day stuff -- you know, food, gifts, going to the movies, that kind of thing. The dollar-to-pound exchange rate is so horrendous that we really need to try to keep things at a minimum if at all possible. For those who have been in the UK recently, what kind of general daily budget would you suggest is realistic?
Any other travel tips? We're arriving May 3rd and leaving May 17th.
~ Jenney
Both sets of parents were very kind and gave us money to use for our trip; without it we wouldn't have been able to go, so we are not taking this trip for granted at all. We want to budget wisely and I'm trying to do as much planning for that now as possible. Luckily we'll be staying with Mark's folks so lodging is free; they live in Bishop's Stortford, about 30 mins northeast of London in Hertfordshire. We're decided to hire a car (we get a 25% discount through USAA), which will cost about $500 for the two-week period. However, I can't seem to find any information about how much petrol costs over there, on average. Anyone have any info on this?
As for entertainment, we're going to try to limit ourselves as much as possible to free activities -- museums and such (which we really enjoy anyway). We're going to also try to get free tickets to attend a taping of a UK TV or radio show if we can, which we think would be really cool.
I'm having a hard time really figuring out how to budget for the day-to-day stuff -- you know, food, gifts, going to the movies, that kind of thing. The dollar-to-pound exchange rate is so horrendous that we really need to try to keep things at a minimum if at all possible. For those who have been in the UK recently, what kind of general daily budget would you suggest is realistic?
Any other travel tips? We're arriving May 3rd and leaving May 17th.
~ Jenney
i moved from the Stortford area 10 months ago and know it well.
You can take the overground train from BS to london liverpool street. Its about £14 each rerturn PLUS travel card for the tube in london. This is still cheaper than driving, parking and paying the london congestion charge.
You could also drive to Epping, about 15 mins away and take the tube. Its the last stop on the central line and the closest to you.
Off peak travel card will cost you about £7 and parking is free on the street after 11am. You can pay at the station which costs £3.50 per day to park, but the car park fills up by 8am.
If you want free tickets to some things in london, PM me. I used to run attractions in the city and have connections.... also know some people that run the TV Show audience ticket company and can hook you up...
Happy planning!
Wayne
Feb 1st 2008, 9:02 pm
#54
Pleasant Pheasant Plucker
Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Palm Bay
Posts: 249
Re: Need some help budgeting for our UK trip!
I grew up in Bath and moved to Hatfield - that's near B-Stortford - (DO NOT GO THERE) for Uni (cough)college(cough).
When I'm back in Bath I spend all my money in the Pub. First thing we do is get hammered in the Crystal Palace (that is the closest pub to the Abbey). So far, you've got good advice on what to see. If you get the time and money, then may I also suggest a rugby game at the rec?
The drive from Stortford to Bath should take about 2.5 hours, but bear in mind that you'll have to drive along the most busy part of the busiest motorway in the entire world (M25, M11 - M4). So, it could take longer. Once you get past Reading on the M4 things will calm down and the drive will be nice.
If you are doing the touristy thing then I would consider taking a few days down the Bath way. There is a lot more to see, like Glastonbury and Wells, and some stones in a circles, and some big old piles of mud etc.
When I'm back in Bath I spend all my money in the Pub. First thing we do is get hammered in the Crystal Palace (that is the closest pub to the Abbey). So far, you've got good advice on what to see. If you get the time and money, then may I also suggest a rugby game at the rec?
The drive from Stortford to Bath should take about 2.5 hours, but bear in mind that you'll have to drive along the most busy part of the busiest motorway in the entire world (M25, M11 - M4). So, it could take longer. Once you get past Reading on the M4 things will calm down and the drive will be nice.
If you are doing the touristy thing then I would consider taking a few days down the Bath way. There is a lot more to see, like Glastonbury and Wells, and some stones in a circles, and some big old piles of mud etc.
Feb 1st 2008, 9:13 pm
#55
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 6,848
Re: Need some help budgeting for our UK trip!
You could also drive to Epping, about 15 mins away and take the tube. Its the last stop on the central line and the closest to you.
Off peak travel card will cost you about £7 and parking is free on the street after 11am. You can pay at the station which costs £3.50 per day to park, but the car park fills up by 8am.
That's our 'local' station back home.....our house is in a village a couple of miles away from Epping (North Weald Bassett) and it used to have the Central Line shuttle service between Epping and Chipping Ongar - with a stop at North Weald - which used to be in operation to take the milk from the farms into central London in the early days of the underground service. They ran the service down and eventually closed the two stations so we had to buy another car to park at the flipping Epping station car park all day (the bus only ran once an hour...:curse
. Some (steam) train enthusiasts now run their own trains between Epping and Ongar:
http://www.eorailway.co.uk/
I remember when that car park at Epping station only charged 20p per day!
Feb 2nd 2008, 12:17 am
#56
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: TN
Posts: 1,759
Re: Need some help budgeting for our UK trip!
That's our 'local' station back home.....our house is in a village a couple of miles away from Epping (North Weald Bassett) and it used to have the Central Line shuttle service between Epping and Chipping Ongar - with a stop at North Weald - which used to be in operation to take the milk from the farms into central London in the early days of the underground service. They ran the service down and eventually closed the two stations so we had to buy another car to park at the flipping Epping station car park all day (the bus only ran once an hour...:curse.
Some (steam) train enthusiasts now run their own trains between Epping and Ongar:
http://www.eorailway.co.uk/
I remember when that car park at Epping station only charged 20p per day!
. Some (steam) train enthusiasts now run their own trains between Epping and Ongar:
http://www.eorailway.co.uk/
I remember when that car park at Epping station only charged 20p per day!
And the traffic wardens there are evil... i left my car at 11am one day (which is when its ok to leave your car) and returned to find a ticket times at 10.59!!!!!!
Feb 2nd 2008, 8:19 am
#57
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 69
Re: Need some help budgeting for our UK trip!
If you are going to make the trip to Bath (which I also highly recommend), please do yourselves a favour and drive another hour through Bristol over to Chepstow. Chepstow castle is my favourite place in the UK. It's an amazing place built at about the same time as Windsor but it's a ruin. Its spectacular. If you have time, Tintern Abby is not far from their either. Well worth seeing:
Check it out:
http://www.castlewales.com/chepstow.html
Check it out:
http://www.castlewales.com/chepstow.html
Feb 2nd 2008, 2:14 pm
#58
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: The Big Apple
Posts: 1,834
Re: Need some help budgeting for our UK trip!
Thanks for the petrol price -- that's about what I expected. 
I need to talk to Mark about taking the car into London and parking there. We might just take the train in instead and get around by the tube. Since the most of our time won't be spent in London (only 2-3 days there at most), we'll have to look into this.
~ Jenney
I need to talk to Mark about taking the car into London and parking there. We might just take the train in instead and get around by the tube. Since the most of our time won't be spent in London (only 2-3 days there at most), we'll have to look into this.
~ Jenney
Feb 2nd 2008, 2:16 pm
#59
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: The Big Apple
Posts: 1,834
Re: Need some help budgeting for our UK trip!
Feb 2nd 2008, 2:19 pm
#60
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: The Big Apple
Posts: 1,834
Re: Need some help budgeting for our UK trip!
you have a US mentality to cars and car sizes - the Focus isnt the biggest car in the world but it perfectly acceptable and comfortable - especially as a rental - its not like we are talking about a Ford Ka....