Need some help budgeting for our UK trip!
Feb 5th 2008, 5:31 pm
#106
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 6,848
Re: Need some help budgeting for our UK trip!
I wonder what the town centre is like these days? I do miss seeing market stalls and there was a market most days there.
Feb 8th 2008, 10:40 pm
#107
I'm back!
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2002
Location: Richmond, VA, USA
Posts: 4,316
Re: Need some help budgeting for our UK trip!
~ Jenney
Feb 8th 2008, 10:51 pm
#108
I'm back!
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2002
Location: Richmond, VA, USA
Posts: 4,316
Re: Need some help budgeting for our UK trip!
We got an email from Mark's parents, who suggested that we all rent a cottage for a few days. They suggested looking for places in Yorkshire, but it doesn't HAVE to be Yorkshire. I'm pretty open to anywhere since it'll all be new to me. I have actually been wanting to visit Wales, near Cardiff in particular, but I don't know what they think about that...
Mark and I like the idea of renting a cottage, but only for 3-4 nights, not for an entire week. We don't want to have to cram all the other stuff we want to do in the other 6-7 days we're there.
So, does anyone have any cottage suggestions? There will be 5 of us, including Mark's 80-year-old grandmother so we can't have tons of stairs to have to deal with. We'd prefer something relatively near a town or city that we can drive to and visit, combined with gardens/wilderness that we can explore. We'd need somewhere that will rent out for partial weeks as well.
~ Jenney
I have actually been wanting to visit Wales, near Cardiff in particular, but I don't know what they think about that... Mark and I like the idea of renting a cottage, but only for 3-4 nights, not for an entire week. We don't want to have to cram all the other stuff we want to do in the other 6-7 days we're there.
So, does anyone have any cottage suggestions? There will be 5 of us, including Mark's 80-year-old grandmother so we can't have tons of stairs to have to deal with. We'd prefer something relatively near a town or city that we can drive to and visit, combined with gardens/wilderness that we can explore. We'd need somewhere that will rent out for partial weeks as well.
~ Jenney
Feb 8th 2008, 11:12 pm
#109
I'm back!
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2002
Location: Richmond, VA, USA
Posts: 4,316
Re: Need some help budgeting for our UK trip!
Ok, I have a problem.
I've been looking up cottages online, and I am confused about the bed availabilities. I keep seeing listings like this: "This cottage has 1 single, 1 twin, 1 double, plus a cot available."
What's the difference between a single and a twin? Aren't they the same??
And a double bed -- is that full-sized? Queen-sized? King-sized? There's obviously a big difference between the three!
~ Jenney
I've been looking up cottages online, and I am confused about the bed availabilities. I keep seeing listings like this: "This cottage has 1 single, 1 twin, 1 double, plus a cot available."
What's the difference between a single and a twin? Aren't they the same??
And a double bed -- is that full-sized? Queen-sized? King-sized? There's obviously a big difference between the three!
~ Jenney
Feb 8th 2008, 11:38 pm
#110
@matthewb76
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Missouri
Posts: 21,886
Re: Need some help budgeting for our UK trip!
Ok, I have a problem.
I've been looking up cottages online, and I am confused about the bed availabilities. I keep seeing listings like this: "This cottage has 1 single, 1 twin, 1 double, plus a cot available."
What's the difference between a single and a twin? Aren't they the same??
And a double bed -- is that full-sized? Queen-sized? King-sized? There's obviously a big difference between the three!
~ Jenney
I've been looking up cottages online, and I am confused about the bed availabilities. I keep seeing listings like this: "This cottage has 1 single, 1 twin, 1 double, plus a cot available."
What's the difference between a single and a twin? Aren't they the same??
And a double bed -- is that full-sized? Queen-sized? King-sized? There's obviously a big difference between the three!
~ Jenney
twin = room with 2 single beds
double = room with a double bed
Feb 9th 2008, 12:05 am
#111
I'm back!
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2002
Location: Richmond, VA, USA
Posts: 4,316
Feb 9th 2008, 3:27 am
#113
Pompey Boy
Joined: Feb 2006
Location: Torrejon
Posts: 143
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
On the car do not forget to factor in insurance and of course any fees for drop off if you want to leave motor in a different place from whence you got it that will run you $65 typically.
Movies depends on cinema and timing per adult typically $12-15 kids say $8-10.
Food again relative unless you are more specific decent curry house for two entrees some bits and a couple of pints $80 of course you can find cheaper.
Fast food typically quid for $ in terms of price with a meal around $8-12 from those places.
Pub lunch say $30-40.
Its not a cheap place sorry to say my advice is eat with the folks etc and concentrate and spending your dosh on doing things and seeing things rather than basics.
You could for example grab a sarnie or pasty + a drink for say $7 each and that can easily suffice for lunch.
Last edited by gazzpfc; Feb 9th 2008 at 3:42 am.
Feb 9th 2008, 4:01 pm
#115
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 6,848
Re: Need some help budgeting for our UK trip!
We got an email from Mark's parents, who suggested that we all rent a cottage for a few days. They suggested looking for places in Yorkshire, but it doesn't HAVE to be Yorkshire. I'm pretty open to anywhere since it'll all be new to me. I have actually been wanting to visit Wales, near Cardiff in particular, but I don't know what they think about that...
Mark and I like the idea of renting a cottage, but only for 3-4 nights, not for an entire week. We don't want to have to cram all the other stuff we want to do in the other 6-7 days we're there.
So, does anyone have any cottage suggestions? There will be 5 of us, including Mark's 80-year-old grandmother so we can't have tons of stairs to have to deal with. We'd prefer something relatively near a town or city that we can drive to and visit, combined with gardens/wilderness that we can explore. We'd need somewhere that will rent out for partial weeks as well.
~ Jenney
I have actually been wanting to visit Wales, near Cardiff in particular, but I don't know what they think about that... Mark and I like the idea of renting a cottage, but only for 3-4 nights, not for an entire week. We don't want to have to cram all the other stuff we want to do in the other 6-7 days we're there.
So, does anyone have any cottage suggestions? There will be 5 of us, including Mark's 80-year-old grandmother so we can't have tons of stairs to have to deal with. We'd prefer something relatively near a town or city that we can drive to and visit, combined with gardens/wilderness that we can explore. We'd need somewhere that will rent out for partial weeks as well.
~ Jenney
Some of these places can be rented for a few days instead of a week - and may be more suitable for an old lady who can't cope with too many stairs....although they're serviced apartments in and around Cardiff as opposed to country cottages - but maybe something to consider:
http://www.touristnetuk.com/Wa/cardi...at/cardiff.htm
My husband arrived back from London late last night and has brought some newspapers back with him. If you like I will look through the travel section and post some info on country cottages? Since you're not going in high season I would think that you shouldn't find too much difficulty in finding a let for shorter than a week.
A few years ago we rented the grist mill at the Owlpen Manor estate in the south west Cotswolds. It is gorgeous in that area, great for country walks and close enough to drive to Bath or Bristol for the day (we went to Bristol as my spouse grew up there). They have a variety of different sized cottages to let and they definitely do lets for weekends or mid-week as opposed to a full week. The photos are lovely...!:
http://www.owlpen.com/
Feb 9th 2008, 4:14 pm
#116
Sursum corda
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Richmond Hill, GA USA
Posts: 38,860
Re: Need some help budgeting for our UK trip!
There are tons of cottge sites that we used over the 3 years DH and I were meeting up for a week and a lot of them did Short Breaks-3/4 days. The ones we stayed in all had stairs except where we spent our honeymoon. That would fit you and Mark, but nobody else.
My favorite cottage we stayed at other than the above-
We never did solve the riddle though,
http://www.westcountrycottages.co.uk...es/duchess.htm
My favorite cottage we stayed at other than the above-
We never did solve the riddle though,
http://www.westcountrycottages.co.uk...es/duchess.htm
Feb 10th 2008, 12:29 am
#117
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,023
Re: Need some help budgeting for our UK trip!
Ok, I have a problem.
I've been looking up cottages online, and I am confused about the bed availabilities. I keep seeing listings like this: "This cottage has 1 single, 1 twin, 1 double, plus a cot available."
What's the difference between a single and a twin? Aren't they the same??
And a double bed -- is that full-sized? Queen-sized? King-sized? There's obviously a big difference between the three!
~ Jenney
I've been looking up cottages online, and I am confused about the bed availabilities. I keep seeing listings like this: "This cottage has 1 single, 1 twin, 1 double, plus a cot available."
What's the difference between a single and a twin? Aren't they the same??
And a double bed -- is that full-sized? Queen-sized? King-sized? There's obviously a big difference between the three!
~ Jenney
http://www.csgnetwork.com/bedsizes.html
Feb 10th 2008, 2:42 pm
#118
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 22,105
Re: Need some help budgeting for our UK trip!
Can't wait to see how we do when we go over in June. And then throw a small child in there as well.......yay
Feb 10th 2008, 4:04 pm
#119
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,397
Re: Need some help budgeting for our UK trip!
What's stopping you having a kingsize? Staying with rellies or something?