Exchange rate of 1 GBP costing $2.02
Jul 13th, 2007, 05:01 PM
#41
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 268
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
On the topic of exchange rate...what is the typical rate of exchange currently at airport? Say as opposed to buying some GBP before leaving in the states?
(I need to find that little symbol on my keyboard; I said something about lbs. to my friend in the UK and she had no clue what I was talking about
(I need to find that little symbol on my keyboard; I said something about lbs. to my friend in the UK and she had no clue what I was talking about
Jul 13th, 2007, 06:06 PM
#42
your best rates will be using your ATM card after you are in London - approx US$ 2.03 today. Anyplace else and anyother method will cost more.
to get the £ symbol type <b><u>& pound ;</u></b> w/o the spaces.
to get the £ symbol type <b><u>& pound ;</u></b> w/o the spaces.
Jul 14th, 2007, 01:19 AM
#43
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,057
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It's impossibel to compare pure incomes - as although our taxes are a bit higher than the US (although not as high as Americans routinely assume) this also includes health costs - ie we don't have to pay health insurance and it also covers benefits if one becomes sick or unemployed.
According to this goverment site:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=285
The average wage for London is £572 pwk ie £29,744 pa. This feels about right to me.
I think the going rate for a ruby with a couple of Brittneys is around £20 where ever you go.
In any case - if you can't afford London - go somewhere else (and that goes for Northerners too), we've got enough povs of our own to worry about.
According to this goverment site:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=285
The average wage for London is £572 pwk ie £29,744 pa. This feels about right to me.
I think the going rate for a ruby with a couple of Brittneys is around £20 where ever you go.
In any case - if you can't afford London - go somewhere else (and that goes for Northerners too), we've got enough povs of our own to worry about.
Jul 14th, 2007, 02:11 AM
#44
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,314
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I don't really want to dive into this melee, but audere questioned my statement that it would cost $1000 to spend two nights in London and I have to respond.
I said we were looking for a 3- or 4-star hotel in a central location, not necessarily "modest" accomodations. I researched a lot of hotels and the places that we wanted to stay cost, on average, GBP200 per night. That's US$800 for 2 nights. Add to that the cost of two nice meals, plus entrance fees to major attractions, and you are well over $1000. Even if we found a hotel for GBP150, we still would have reached the $1000 mark fairly quickly. Of course it is possible to spend less than that, my point is that we would have had to lower our travel standards to stay in London, and we didn't want to do that.
Over the course of our trip, we stayed in a wide variety of accomodations. We averaged about GBP80 or $160 per night, splurging on a few places and saving at others. Our entire trip, including hotels, meals, gas, and entrance fees, came in at a bit over $5,000. To have spent 20% of that on two days in London would have seriously cut into our budget for the remainder of the trip.
Regardless, I still hold to my original statement that travel on the continent is cheaper than in the U.K. because average prices for food and lodging are lower.
A couple of examples:
A dingy 2-star B&B in Dover (which we found to be sadly quite run-down) cost GBP50, or $100. We'll be staying in a nice 3-star Gasthof in the charming town of Hall in Tirol, Austria in August for Euro 68, or $94. A medicore meal in Grasmere in the Lakes District cost GBP50, or $100, whereas an excellent meal in Tuebingen recently cost us Euro 40, or $50.
I loved England and Scotland and will surely return, recognizing that my money will not go as far as it does on the continent.
I said we were looking for a 3- or 4-star hotel in a central location, not necessarily "modest" accomodations. I researched a lot of hotels and the places that we wanted to stay cost, on average, GBP200 per night. That's US$800 for 2 nights. Add to that the cost of two nice meals, plus entrance fees to major attractions, and you are well over $1000. Even if we found a hotel for GBP150, we still would have reached the $1000 mark fairly quickly. Of course it is possible to spend less than that, my point is that we would have had to lower our travel standards to stay in London, and we didn't want to do that.
Over the course of our trip, we stayed in a wide variety of accomodations. We averaged about GBP80 or $160 per night, splurging on a few places and saving at others. Our entire trip, including hotels, meals, gas, and entrance fees, came in at a bit over $5,000. To have spent 20% of that on two days in London would have seriously cut into our budget for the remainder of the trip.
Regardless, I still hold to my original statement that travel on the continent is cheaper than in the U.K. because average prices for food and lodging are lower.
A couple of examples:
A dingy 2-star B&B in Dover (which we found to be sadly quite run-down) cost GBP50, or $100. We'll be staying in a nice 3-star Gasthof in the charming town of Hall in Tirol, Austria in August for Euro 68, or $94. A medicore meal in Grasmere in the Lakes District cost GBP50, or $100, whereas an excellent meal in Tuebingen recently cost us Euro 40, or $50.
I loved England and Scotland and will surely return, recognizing that my money will not go as far as it does on the continent.
Jul 14th, 2007, 10:29 PM
#47
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 70
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm going to jump into this discussion because my love of London keeps me constantly checking the currency rates and agonizing over how I'm going to scrape up the money for my next trip (I've been 7 times in the past 6 years). I surf all the discount websites and although there are some reasonably priced hotels I have to admit that I still want to be in a safe area since I travel alone and above all I need for the hotel to be CLEAN! With the current exchange rate I can expect to pay at least $300.00 per night. That's really getting out of my comfort level. I really try to save money on food when I'm there - since I'm alone I just pick up a pizza or sandwiches to take back to the hotel. I've always stayed in places that have a lot of small restaurants and neighborhood grocers. Don't get me wrong - I love to eat, it's just that there are things I'd rather spend my money on than expensive meals. I agree with some of these posts that you can find good food at reasonable prices if you look.I hate paying $300.00 per night but in keeping with the rural vs. large city debate here I have to tell you that 2 weeks ago I stayed at a hotel in Myrtle Beach, SC which is just an hour away from my home and it was $285.00 per night plus taxes and when I travel to Charleston, SC (3 hours away) the nicer hotels there are $300.00 +. I guess the difference is that when visiting these places I generally just stay 1 or 2 nights but when I pay airfare to London(around $1,000.00 roundtrip now)it would be stupid to just stay 1-2 nights. I can tell you that is significantly more expensive than 6 years ago. Not just because of the exchange rate but also the increase in the price of hotels. I realize that those of you living in London would probably advise me to "stop belly-aching" and stay home but then you just don't understand my obsession with London. I've been to this forum before for understanding of what causes the rise and fall of exchange rates but with what I'm reading here it stills seems the answer is way more involved than just interest rates. And as a note to iangf on the effect of tourism in the UK - it has been pointed out to me on this forum that the UK does not rely on tourist from the U.S. alone - they have tons of tourist from the European continent. So...I will be busy scraping my pennies together for yet another trip in October. What I need is a job that pays to fly me to London often.
Jul 15th, 2007, 03:29 AM
#48
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,057
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hausfrau:
You're not travelling smart in Britain. Do what we do and get one of the guides (AA and RAC are reliable) and book hotels and B&Bs in there - that's where the bargains are.
Ditto food. You could live like a king on the money you're saying only gets "modest" service in Britain.
Also: People go on holiday in Germany? Why?
You're not travelling smart in Britain. Do what we do and get one of the guides (AA and RAC are reliable) and book hotels and B&Bs in there - that's where the bargains are.
Ditto food. You could live like a king on the money you're saying only gets "modest" service in Britain.
Also: People go on holiday in Germany? Why?
Jul 15th, 2007, 03:41 AM
#49
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 8,351
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Michael, Holland is actually one of the cheaper EU countries when it comes to buying food - due to the supermarket wars, but that doesn't excuse the Dutch and their need to take half the supermarket with them. I have no idea why the Dutch take their own food on holiday - our neighbours even take a fridge full of food with them in the back of their car! They are quite conservative eaters and maybe are afraid of funny foreign stuff. I have even known people who pack a suitcase with their favourite food for when they fly to other destinations. Strange bunch the Dutch in some ways.
That said I am now so used to Dutch tea I always take a packet or two with me to the UK. Can't drink tea with milk in it anymore, and English tea is too strong without...
That said I am now so used to Dutch tea I always take a packet or two with me to the UK. Can't drink tea with milk in it anymore, and English tea is too strong without...
Jul 15th, 2007, 03:57 AM
#51
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,271
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sorry Linda...
I can easily find many perfectly acceptable clean hotels with private facilities in good neighborhoods (whatever that means) for £50 a night everything included including breakfast. There is no need whatsoever to pay £150 a night and be quite comfortable (after all, you're not going to be doing much in the room except sleep)!
I can easily find many perfectly acceptable clean hotels with private facilities in good neighborhoods (whatever that means) for £50 a night everything included including breakfast. There is no need whatsoever to pay £150 a night and be quite comfortable (after all, you're not going to be doing much in the room except sleep)!
Jul 15th, 2007, 04:44 AM
#53
linda_j: as often as you travel to London, you must have heard about 1) renting flats, 2) Londontown and Laterooms (both sites usually have goods hotel deals), and 3) Priceline
Yes, room rates have gone up and the exchange rate is the pits, but w/ any of the above you would find terrific places to stay for much less than £150 a night.
Yes, room rates have gone up and the exchange rate is the pits, but w/ any of the above you would find terrific places to stay for much less than £150 a night.
Jul 15th, 2007, 05:37 AM
#55
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 36,842
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
All this talk of "it isn't necessary to spend that much for a hotel" and "you can get a decent place to stay for ____" really misses the point.
People have different levels of comfort and quality that they are comfortable traveling with. Sure that same person could also stay in a Days Inn in the US instead of a Four Seasons or even a Hyatt for a whole lot less, but that doesn't mean they're going to -- or that the bottom line of their travel is getting the cheapest deal. The point really isn't "can you put a roof over your head and a bed under you for a small amount of money if you look", but rather -- the same style of comfort you're used to will cost you a lot more in London.
People have different levels of comfort and quality that they are comfortable traveling with. Sure that same person could also stay in a Days Inn in the US instead of a Four Seasons or even a Hyatt for a whole lot less, but that doesn't mean they're going to -- or that the bottom line of their travel is getting the cheapest deal. The point really isn't "can you put a roof over your head and a bed under you for a small amount of money if you look", but rather -- the same style of comfort you're used to will cost you a lot more in London.
Jul 15th, 2007, 08:25 AM
#58
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 70
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
NeoPatrick,
Thank you, thank you for putting it so perfectly!! I didn't know how to say it without sounding like a "spoiled" American. Point is, I don't require The Four Seasons, in fact when I'm in London I really love the small, converted townhouse hotels instead of the big glitzy ones; but as you put it, I still want a certain level of comfort. Last October I opted for a hotel in Earl's Court that got many good reviews. When I arrived I was shocked. For $200.00 I got a room that would not hold me and my suitcase at the same time, a small bamboo table and chair (more like patio furniture). I panicked and starting looking to see if I could find a different hotel to move to. But after finding that I would be paying so much more than the $200.00 a night I assessed the situation and told myself that the bed appeared to be very clean and the bathroom, although small, was clean. I used the typical rationale "I'm only going to be here to sleep and shower" and stayed. Yes it is true that I'm out in the city from morning to usually late at night but STILL there are those times when you want to just relax, read over your itinerary and make your next day plans, have a cup of tea. Heck, even a Day's Inn has a cushioned chair and desk. Doesn't seem unfair to ask for a little comfort in a room for $200.00 (of course that didn't include the taxes). I know that the currency exchange rate of the dollar affects my buying power in the UK but how does that translate into the spike in price of hotels in London? As I search websites for a hotel for this October (not exactly peak season) I find many to be sold out indicating that tourism must be pretty healthy - so why the rise in price?
Thank you, thank you for putting it so perfectly!! I didn't know how to say it without sounding like a "spoiled" American. Point is, I don't require The Four Seasons, in fact when I'm in London I really love the small, converted townhouse hotels instead of the big glitzy ones; but as you put it, I still want a certain level of comfort. Last October I opted for a hotel in Earl's Court that got many good reviews. When I arrived I was shocked. For $200.00 I got a room that would not hold me and my suitcase at the same time, a small bamboo table and chair (more like patio furniture). I panicked and starting looking to see if I could find a different hotel to move to. But after finding that I would be paying so much more than the $200.00 a night I assessed the situation and told myself that the bed appeared to be very clean and the bathroom, although small, was clean. I used the typical rationale "I'm only going to be here to sleep and shower" and stayed. Yes it is true that I'm out in the city from morning to usually late at night but STILL there are those times when you want to just relax, read over your itinerary and make your next day plans, have a cup of tea. Heck, even a Day's Inn has a cushioned chair and desk. Doesn't seem unfair to ask for a little comfort in a room for $200.00 (of course that didn't include the taxes). I know that the currency exchange rate of the dollar affects my buying power in the UK but how does that translate into the spike in price of hotels in London? As I search websites for a hotel for this October (not exactly peak season) I find many to be sold out indicating that tourism must be pretty healthy - so why the rise in price?
Jul 15th, 2007, 08:32 AM
#59
There are very few £50 rooms in London that I would find acceptable either. But there are <u>many</u> $100 ones using priceline. If I am on a budget and not renting a flat for some reason - I use PL.
Jul 15th, 2007, 09:06 AM
#60
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5,579
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A quote from linda_j:
"As I search websites for a hotel for this October (not exactly peak season) I find many to be sold out indicating that tourism must be pretty healthy - SO WHY THE RISE IN PRICE?" My caps.
"Elementary" said Holmes. Prices tend to rise when there is a demand. Economics 101.
"As I search websites for a hotel for this October (not exactly peak season) I find many to be sold out indicating that tourism must be pretty healthy - SO WHY THE RISE IN PRICE?" My caps.
"Elementary" said Holmes. Prices tend to rise when there is a demand. Economics 101.
