scrubbedexpat091

My GF likes the UK, and has been a few times in the past, myself I have never been. Almost went once, but the USD was too low to the Pound and Australia had a weak currency at the time so I went there instead.

Hotels can be pre-paid on websites like expedia.ca in my currency, airlines can as well.

The biggest cost is seems would be food, but I haven't a clue how much food costs over there to even really try to estimate.

Normally when travelling the US and Canada I budge 40 per day for food, at today's exchange rate that would be approx 22 pounds according to the exchange rate website.

I know $40 dollars would be no issue over here, and Canadian $$ is pretty weak against the pound, but something tells me 22 pounds for food is not enough.

What would a good estimate be?

Not going anytime soon, but maybe end of next year if we can manage as her mom is going and wan't us to come, but all depends on costs.

Not looking for fancy meals, just basic breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Anyone have a clue on a reasonable amount per day needed for meals?

Canveydave

Lots of variables here.

Where will you be staying? London is a lot more expensive than other places, when you say basic, what exactly do you mean by basic? Cooked Breakfast or "continental", Basic sandwich from a supermarket lunch or sitting down in a pub?

My gut feeling is £22 is not going to cut it at all.

I worked in London for the last 11 years, now I work outside of London. It is very easy to spend the following in London:
Breakfast: Bacon Sandwich and a coffee, £5
Lunch: Some sort of Burrito (where I worked there were more burrito shops than anything!) a drink and a packet of crisps, £7
Dinner: A meal in a pub, or restaurant, £20 per head.

That is £32 and is pretty conservative.

Outside of London, you might make £22 a day stretch.

Englishmum

I strongly suggest you stay at the chain hotel brand "Holiday Inn Express". My spouse and I find this chain superior in quality to the Premier Inns and Travelodges and the prices are very reasonable.

At all the HI Express hotels worldwide a choice of a free buffet-style hot and continental style breakfast is included, all you can eat. You can set yourself up for the day and just have a light lunch (or even skip lunch eg. have some fruit, nuts etc.) if you are on the go. Btw you don't get a free breakfast included at the Premier Inns or the Travelodges.

We were travelling around in southern England last August and stayed at the HI Express locations in Bath, Southampton and Exeter (plus a Holiday Inn hotel in Farnborough, Hants, Portsmouth and a nearby Premier Inn when visiting my spouse's twin in the locality).

Breakfast Included | Holiday Inn Express

UK HI Express Hotels:

United Kingdom Hotels | Explore Our Hotels in United Kingdom | Holiday Inn Express Hotels & Resorts

Do you normally have a hearty breakfast, lunch and dinner? I'm just thinking that if you have a decent breakfast, then you could go to one of the chain supermarkets in any high street eg. Tesco/Sainsbury's/Morrisons/Co-Op or Boots pharmacies as they all do a lunch 'meal deal' offer; eg. a sandwich/wrap/pasta or salad bowl, with a choice of a small packet of fruit/hummus & carrots/cocktail sausages and a drink eg. juice/water/soda again at a very reasonable price. If the weather is nice you could go to a nice park, or eat it when you are at an attraction.

For dinner you can mix it up a bit; some evenings spend a bit more and eat at a more fancy place, another evening go and buy takeout at a fish & chip shop, have a pizza etc. and eat at your hotel. Every town seems to have a Chinese takeaway. Go to an Indian restaurant - they are usually very inexpensive. Another night go and have a pub meal; quality varies and you can check Tripadvisor.....or you could always go to the Wetherspoons pub chain for an inexpensive meal out, but it isn't gourmet food by any stretch of the imagination but they always seem to have an offer taking place (often found on their website. Similar chains include Harvester and Beefeater.

If you have a Costco card then you can use it at any of their stores in the UK....you could get something to eat there for dinner.....we did it in Hawaii and bought salad and a hot rotisserie chicken

http://www.boots.com/en/Offers/Meal-deal/

http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/media/l...om-sainsburys/

Restaurant Discount Vouchers: (obviously the deals will change over time):

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/dea...426.1387457275

fozzyb

It depends so much on what/where. Self catering for at least some of your meals is going to be a lot cheaper than eating out all the time.

A full cooked breakfast in a decent pub will cost about £10
A bowl of cereal and milk (bought from a supermarket) and a cup of tea in your hotel room under a £1 (amortized).

I took part in a challenge last year called "live below the line", where people were sponsored to try to live for a week on £1 a day. It is possible but extremely dull (lots of peas and rice...) .

Conversely a 3 course meal in a high class restaurant can easily top £50 a person.

£22 a day would certainly be very doable - but would have to involve at least some meals being bought from a supermarket/eat out place.

christmasoompa

Seems very expensive, there are numerous places where you can buy lunch cheaper than that (example: Tescos, Boots or Asda, who do lunch 'meal deals' for £2-3, which is a sandwich, drink and something on the side i.e. fruit or crisps).

Again, that could be a lot cheaper somewhere like Pizza Express, 3 courses for £13.95 on their deals at the moment. Using vouchers would bring a meal down to quite a bit less than £20.

So personally I'd say £22 is doable, if the OP uses vouchers and eats in chain restaurants (i.e. - Food & Drink Vouchers - Discount Codes for Food & Drink). Granted, it won't be amazing food and may not always be 3 courses for dinner, but it would at least be cheap!

Breakfast could be included with a hotel room, so just lunch and dinner could be easily done for £22 per person imo. Although there are so many amazing restaurants in the UK now I'd suggest the OP tries to budget more for a couple of special meals out somewhere nice.

Sally Redux

Is the £22 budget for one or two people?

Pub meals have gone down in price. Some places have 2 for £10 deals or similar, but even without that, around £10 each plus a drink

As Englishmum said, most of the supermarkets have 'meal deals' for lunches at £3. This would be a sandwich or salad, bottle of drink and packet of crisps or fruit

The supermarkets also do dinner meal deals which are very good but you'd need access to a microwave. You get a main course, side, dessert and a bottle of wine. £10 for 2 people.

Indian restaurants are usually very reasonable.

If you go to a place with markets/ street food it's usually cheap. Camden Lock has a huge range of stalls selling big lunches all at the same price (£4 last time I went).

Canveydave

[QUOTE=christmasoompa;11469044]Seems very expensive, there are numerous places where you can buy lunch cheaper than that (example: Tescos, Boots or Asda, who do lunch 'meal deals' for £2-3, which is a sandwich, drink and something on the side i.e. fruit or crisps).


Tesco Meal deal has changed recently. It is now about £3.50 which is a sandwich, can (not bottle) of drink and packet of crisps. Let me tell you after 3 days of the same sandwich drink and crisps you need something else!

If you can point me in the direction of a meal deal that is £2 please do. I could do with it! If you are in the city you cant get a 500ml bottle of coke for less than £1.50 unless you stumble across a Tesco's!

Appreciate the Burrito seems expensive, just using it as an example. I worked in the City and I know it is more expensive, but a Burrito would be at least £4 (small) and a drink nearly £2.

I was basing my numbers on the city and not microwaving things in your hotel room. I have never stayed in a UK hotel with a microwave in 35 years.

I have however had a very average steak and chips at a half decent restaurant which cost me over £25 without drinks.

I hate London!

christmasoompa

Asda is about that, but I'm guessing you don't have an Asda in the city somehow?! How about Boots? Just for a change, they do all sorts in their meal deals including pasta salads etc.

It's not just London, you can find overpriced average steak and chips everywhere in the UK. But use vouchers, and Groupon too, and you should find a good steak for a lot less!

Englishmum

[QUOTE=Canveydave;11469069] You've just jogged my memory; I've stayed a few times at a Days Inn (American hotel chain) in Hounslow (3 stops on the Piccadilly Line from Heathrow) and there was a definitely microwave oven provided; however this was in the family rooms (where I was upgraded). You can get discounts of 10% with a US AAA card when you book via their US site and I daresay if there is a Canadian site then this would also apply.....but breakfast is not included.

London is always going to be more expensive than other provincial towns and cities - as are other major destinations such as New York City, Paris, Rome etc. However, there are places to get cheaper meals.....how about Brick Lane with all the famous curry houses for cheap eats? Or check out the lists here:

London's best cheap eats – Restaurants – Time Out London

How to Dine for Less Than a Fiver in London

Top 10 Greatest Little Cheap Eats In London | I know this great little place...

jean1947

Wetherspoon pubs, all you can eat Chinese food in and around Soho, all you can eat Pizza place in Victoria station upstairs.

robin1234

I'd say 10 to 15 pounds per person, per day for all food, IF bought in supermarkets, bakeries etc. and that is probably more food than I can actually eat, since my eyes are bigger than my stomach... it would be easy to do it on much less.

That leaves money in the budget for a meal in a pub once every couple of days. As others have said, pub meals can be keenly priced (two meals for 10 pounds) or you could be paying 15 pounds or more per person.

We are flying to England this evening, so I'll be seeing if I'm totally off base!!

Englishmum

I think I read on the MBTTUK thread that you are going to check out Norwich and north Norfolk as a possible place to semi-retire in?

I remember going to Wells-Next-The-Sea in Norfolk a couple of years ago and sitting on the harbour wall. There are lots of little shops and cabins selling freshly caught cockles from the sea (lovely with vinegar), mussels, prawns etc. and we saw a long but quickly moving queue at the fish & chip shop across the street; I sent my spouse over there too......so I sat on the harbour wall, ate some cockles and then some haddock and chips with one of those little wooden 'sporks'. Such a feast in the fresh open air....it was inexpensive and fabulous!

Sally Redux

Norwich is great - it has so many old buildings but also all the shops and masses of restaurants and coffee shops. It looks like a wonderful area to retire to.

When I was in Harborne today I kept noticing all the deals because of this thread. One pub (admittedly one of the less salubrious ones) was advertising meals anytime £4.95 each or two for £6.45. A little restaurant had a burger meal inc. drink for about £3.50. Also tipping has gone out of fashion, so that will save you money.

Bob

Only if you book direct.

If you book through a third party like Expedia, it is not always included.

Also, it wasn't included in the one in Edinburgh which was £13 a person and only posted on a tiny sign at the back of the hall when we were there, so that turned into a bit of a shock

robin1234

Yeah I like Norwich, fabulous new public library and plenty of second hand book shops. Strange thing for an old cathedral city, though, not that many decent looking pubs.