cathy

Traveling to London soon with 3 teens for 5 days. Hotel & bus tour are paid. How much spending $ to bring? Thanks.

JD

Well, that depends...Are you teenage sons going to visit the London club scene? If so, then remember (according to a previous post)that a hit of "X" or "E" costs around $20 a pop

abw

Hi Cathy! I haven't been to London yet but will be going soon. I had the same questions you did and asked most everyone I knew, I'll share those responses with you. With me, my hotel is paid for as well, I also have a "London for Less" travel card which you may want to purchase if it was not included with your package. It gives you coupons for 10%-40% off of admissions of certain attraction, but you must go on the days of the week specified and there are other restaurant discounts etc. <BR> <BR>Keep in mind my itinerary includes seeing all the sights and I don't just mean from the outside. I have been told the admission into to each runs around $15 US per person. Also food is much more expensive in London and so is transportation. <BR> <BR>To sum it up, I was told to budget $100/day for each person if you plan to do everything and plan on using the tube and taxis as well as eating 3 meals/day. This would cover all small souveniors and such you may purchase as well. I would hope this would include everything except special shopping at say Harrods or a trip to the theater. (also i hear if you want to do a formal tea at one of the hotels this around $40/person but I think it would be worth it to do just once!)

debbie

Also remember - you can use ATM machines to get more cash - just verify that your TYME card will work in Europe. ( I think it needs a PLUS, CIRRUS or Interlink symbol on the back) . <BR> <BR>Used mine in Ireland - worked great. <BR> <BR>P.S&gt; avoid using an ATM with your credit card though! you will be charged the cash advance rate and will cost you a ton! <BR> <BR>good luck.

lisa

<BR>i think london can be done on $65 per day...that includes a fair amount of shopping.. and nice meals. <BR>i always just keep in mind that some days i will spend more and some less... it always seems to work out.

jason

Don't bother bringing any $ - you'll need £'s in London, and lots of them.

Rumiko

You said that hotel & bus tours are already paid for --- does this also include meals? Or is that part of your 'how much money will it cost per day' query? <BR> <BR>Are your 3 teens guys or gals? Shoppers? Souvenir hunters? Big eaters? <BR> <BR>When traveling abroad, I usually bring two credit cards (at least one should be a Visa Card) and my ATM bank card. That way you get your best exchange rate when get cash or if you pay with credit.

Mark

cathy, <BR> <BR>The $100.00 per day per person sounds like a good amount to budget for, but I think you will find that more than enough. The advice to use the ATMs as much as possible is a good one. We were advised to make sure that all our vacation money was in our checking account as you can only access one account at UK ATMs. While I am not sure that is the case for all ATMs, it worked out for us well. We travelled with three teens last August and we budgeted about $100 per day per person and had a decent amount left over. Safe journeys.

Bryan,18

It all depends on what your lifestyle is. <BR> <BR>I'm 18, I'm a smoker, I'm gay, and I love the club scene.. I love eating out as well.. <BR> <BR>A so-called "budget" is hard to give specially when I dont know you, or your 3 teens. <BR> <BR>Here's a typical day : <BR> <BR>2 packs of cigarettes - 4.50 UK each (about US$7) <BR> <BR>Breakfast (PUB) - 4.50 UK <BR>(about US$7) <BR> <BR>Lunch (Satsuma japanese restaurant) - 25 UK (about US$ 37) <BR> <BR>Dinner - average UK 25 - 30 (US$ 37 - 45) <BR> <BR>3 bottles of evian the whole day (mineral water) - UK 3 (say, about a pound each) <BR> <BR>1 day Underground Tube Pass (zone 1 & 2) - UK 3.90 (say about US$5) <BR> <BR>that's just the basics for me.. all other expenses are not included... so i should say, about US$ 150 a day for meals, transportation, museum fees and all. <BR> <BR>Shopping, on the other hand, is a different story. <BR> <BR>Clubbing is the same. If your kids want to experience the whole London Club Scene, expect to shell out US$100 - US$150 for that. A typical Saturday night comes with a price.. Typical entrance fees vary from UK12 - UK20.. <BR>drinks dont come cheap too. <BR> <BR>Avoid the tourist infested places. Avoid Harrods. If you want pure luxury, go to Harvey Nichols instead - no annoying irritating noisy loud tourists with their children, cameras and caboodles. <BR> <BR>This is London..everything is expensive here. Just bring whatever you CAN bring and try to budget it once you get there. Planning for that budget before you leave is useless - I'm sure you'd break it once you get there. <BR> <BR> <BR>Happy trip. <BR>

David White

Cathy, <BR> <BR>I'm going to assume that you won't want your teens to do the club scene...traveling is complicated enough without having to deal with the chemical and other complications that could cause. <BR> <BR>I would bring very little cash, as others have indicated, and rely on your credit cards and ATM cards for the most part. <BR> <BR>Check with your credit card issuer to find out whether they tack on an overseas transaction fee of any type. If they do, get another credit card (the British Airways Visa card is one that does not charge the fees, I believe). The rate of currency exchange on credit card transactions is usually very good, sans fees. <BR> <BR>On the ATM side, check with your home bank to ensure that the card will function overseas. You'll need a 4 digit PIN. Also, you can usually only get to money in your primary checking account via a foreign ATM...do not count on being able to transfer funds or remove funds from savings accounts. <BR> <BR>When using an ATM, its probably wise to do fewer, but larger transactions...the same fee applies to any transaction, so taking out £20 at a time can get very expensive. Balance this against the risk of carrying too much cash around in London, however. <BR> <BR>Travelers checks (AMEX) still work, but buy them in UK pounds only! Otherwise you will have to exchange currency at an AMEX office or some other location at poor rates. <BR> <BR>Never exchange currency at "Bureau de Change" or hotel front desks. The rates are virtual robbery! Use a large commercial bank if you must exchange currency. <BR> <BR>A budget? Hard to tell...maybe $150-200 per day for meals, entertainment, admission and shopping? <BR> <BR>Remember that students get free or reduced admission to many musuems and other sights. Make sure the teens carry student IDs with them. <BR> <BR>Hope this helps. You may also find my new book helpful. It is LET'S TAKE THE KIDS TO LONDON--A FAMILY TRAVEL GUIDE. Available from on-line bookstores or directly from the publisher at: <BR> <BR> http://www.iUniverse.com/marketplace/bookstore <BR> <BR>Also, my website may be helpful: <BR> <BR> http://www.KidsToLondon.com <BR> <BR>Enjoy the trip! <BR> <BR>David White <BR> <BR>