As I had a 10-day London vacation for $ 700

As I had a 10-day London vacation for $ 700 -

Back in September, I wrote the ultimate guide to travel hacking. It was a way for me to share tips and advice to travel as cheaply without sacrificing comfort. And as I watched people's reactions and answers questions about this guide, I came upon an idea. It is one thing to say: "Hey, this stuff works," but it's another to actually show that this stuff works. I decided that I hopped, skipped and jumped around the world, I wanted to take what the man as "expensive" places to see and show how they are visited in a household. - Without sacrificing comfort

The first city on my list is London. I came here for a 10-day trip for a travel conference, and it is the perfect place to begin my series. London is known to be one of the most expensive cities in the world to visit. No one goes to London, assuming they will not spend much money.

And that's why London a perfect primarily to do this. Because if you can hack London travel, you can chop travel anywhere.

my own journey with hacking tips, 10 days in London only cost me £ 481.21 or $ 710 USD. This works in about $ USD 70 per day. And that's not just my day to day expenses. These include ALL my flight to London, my hotel, transportation, food, drink and attractions

think about it for a second. I had a 10 -day holiday in London for $ 700 USD, which contain airfare. When was the last time you for so little money went to Europe? If the last time, cost so much money every major international trip was

Note: The readers of my blog know that I for a long time in Europe. However, I also went home to Boston in September on a return flight from London. I use this flight as a basis for this article.

How did I do it?

Before I explain how I did it, I I want to laid out for me to take a second to explain some of the basic rules. I have not London backpack. My goal was, the budget travelers to show in the world - the two-week holiday - that you can do London on the cheap without a backpacker to be. , This saves money is not all dorm rooms, CouchSurfing, and eat noodles

So, to visit London as a budget traveler, I made three rules:

I would not stay in hostels . I wanted to stay in a nice place to prove that a hotel stay can be inexpensive.

I had to eat a couple of nice meals . If you go on vacation, you want to eat good food, so I agreed that I would have at least two really nice meals in London.

I could not say "no" because it was expensive . skip Many backpackers sightseeing because of the cost, but I wanted to do all the normal sightseeing activities regularly do tourists. They do not go on a short holiday to not sightsee right

With these principles in place, I have from London to do than your average, everyday travelers:

flight: I used my American Airlines frequent flyer miles for my flight pay. A return flight from Boston to London costs me 60,000 miles, and a service fee of $ 165.10 in taxes and fees.

The miles I had used "anytime Miles", but American Airlines also offers "OFFPEAK Miles" (out of season really), and you can actually for as little as 40,000 miles round-trip to London fly.

how do I get so many miles?
I'm a frequent flyer, so I can generate a lot of miles per year. I usually fly 40,000-50,000 miles per year, which is quite low compared to most travel writers. But I have written in detail how to get miles for free. I'll get on to the bonus credit, sign up for deals on preferred use distributors, and sign up for each competition, which gives additional miles. All in all, I have collected over 400,000 frequent flier miles with American Airlines by these methods alone

While I have written many blog posts, how to get free miles, here is a brief summary of the best methods .:

Log created for a brand airline credit card: Whether you love Delta or fly United and the Star Alliance, all US airlines have a brand travel credit card that you 25,000-30,000 points are when you sign up and make a purchase. This is a free economy ticket right. Airline credit cards are the best way to make your mileage to kick-start. They often offer huge sign-up bonuses. For a while, American Airlines gave you 75,000 miles when you got her branded credit card. Virgin Atlantic has offered 50,000. United has done 40,000. The quickest and best way to win a lot of free miles is to get one of these credit cards

Look I sign up on special promotions .: for all airline mailing lists. I always watch out for special two-for-one deals mile. Or, if they have an extra to earn miles special card deals. American Airlines gave me to watch on the new shopping toolbar only 1,000 miles for a demo. I once 5,000 miles accession Netflix. Often you get miles for surveys filled in, or they will give up buying miles a 100% bonus. Promotions help, a little at a time, and airlines seem to always be able to offer them. Using actions in the course of a few months great results can provide

application for a non-airline credit card on .: application for a non-airline credit card as a Starwood American Express to map and you can get 25,000 points mark-up. If you transfer 20,000 points to miles, you will get a 5,000-mile bonus. I recommend signing up for this card very well, but for all "points" card as the AMEX travel card or Capital One card will not sign. Then you can make your sign-up bonus to the airline transfer use and redeem points for flights.

For all these methods, take the bonus points to post 6-8 weeks from the time you sign up for a credit card. If you want to sign up for my free newsletter at the bottom of this post - I post always the best mile bonuses on them. Or read range Boarding, all mileage bonuses big and small with a view of

Accommodation .: I was hoping that I went from time to London, my Marriott Starwood points to my account would credit. Marriott is offering a new card with Chase that I got 70,000 points plus a free stay for signing and after the first use. I jumped on this deal, but the points took too long to my account to place. On the plus side, I have 70,000 points and a free night at a Marriott now for future use.

A few months ago, offered Starwood Hotels a 60,000 point bonus. I registered, but forgot the card fast enough to use, and by the time I. Remembered, it was too late for this trip

Since my score did not get credited on time, I used to more American Airlines miles for it. I used 68,000 points plus 25 $ USD for five nights in a four star hotel. I stayed in a hotel near Hyde Park, a well-to-do neighborhood in London.

Now, while you can use airline miles for vacations and hotels that you never heard of a point transformation, as you get so good do with flights. Five nights with hotel points would cost me only 50,000 points. The point here is that for a hotel branded card by yourself, you can set them free nights can get for your next vacation. Or you can use the bonuses of an airline. Either way, it's free hotel rooms do not get so heavy.

for the other four nights I was in London, I have Wimdu, an apartment rental. While I normally would like hostels, I wanted some peace and quiet and a kitchen, while in London. The room costs 150 GBP (238 USD $) for four nights

all these credit cards Regarding :. While a small short-term thing many credit cards in a short time can get through the opening in the long term credit in order will be as long as you pay off all your cards at the end of the month. open even after all these credit cards, I still have a score of about 800.

interest London is ideal for sightseeing, because there is so much free. It makes sightseeing on a budget really simple. The best museums - the British Library, British Museum, National Gallery, Natural History Museum and Museum of London (to name a few) - are all free. Hyde Park? Free. Kensington Gardens? Free. It is simple, without ever spending a penny fill a couple of days sightseeing in London.

Unfortunately, everything is not free. For attractions that were not free, I used the London Pass. With this card, it cost me 54 GBP ($ 86 USD) for two days of sightseeing. It includes more than 32 destinations and offers free public transportation. You can store up to six days to get a passport for (87 GBP). There are hundreds upon hundreds of dollars in savings with this pass. However, I did not have much time nor the desire to see all 32 spots. I was to see able:

Westminster Abbey
Tower of London
St. Pauls Cathedral
Ben Franklin House
Britain at War Museum
Shakespeare Globe Museum
London tombs

Without this pass the same attractions would cost me £ 104.55 have. I saved 50% by the London Pass with, and I did not use it for everything that it offers. For this reason, in so many of my posts about the different towns, I emphasize a city always happen when you plan to do a lot of museums and tours. You can so by saving a lot of money. there is one of the best budget travel tips and is all too often overlooked

Eating .: I did not want to be the typical backpacker and eating kebabs and pasta for every meal. But at the same time, I know locals 100% of the time do not eat, either, and a great way to save money is to cook, what part of the reason why I got a place with a kitchen for my last four nights , I wanted to mix with cooking a few meals food. During my 10 day London I spent 103.80 GBP (165 USD $) on food, the following manner broke:

I spent £ 9.11 on food, such as bread, sandwich meat, vegetables and noodles. That was enough for three dinners and three lunches.

I spent £ 2.20 on bottled water, which I replenished in the course of my journey.

My Hotels and serviced apartment available breakfast, although I did go for a morning McDonald. I just love this hash browns.

The rest was spent on dining out. I have a pizza day went for a dinner for good Thai food out, had great Indian one night, ate typical fish and chips the next, had a couple of Starbucks green tea, and ate tons kebabs. They are everywhere in London. According to my friends, you are a real London if you are on skewers to eat in the restaurant, especially if it is made after one night.

As I said, I did not want to skimp on meals. I ate, as and when I wanted. I look for deals, even though, like any good budget travelers know that good food need not be expensive. In London I found the best way to eat on a budget for the lunch deals was seen. Most restaurants that I came, had offered a 'one sale, get one free "offer for takeaway on the lunch specials and many pizzerias.

Another great way to save money is the taste to obtain card. This restaurant Club card offers 50% off on thousands of restaurants, as well as two-for-one specials. It can really pay off, especially on the beautiful meals that you want to be. You can only live on fish and chips for so long

Transport :. My London Pass public transport for the two days covered it was valid. And as London taxis are notoriously expensive even by London standards, I gave them.

For transport to Heathrow Airport, I took the Heathrow Express to get to town (£ 18.50) and the London Underground to get out (5 GBP). Around the town, I invited my oyster card (metro map) for unrestricted use in Zones 1-3 for seven days at a price of 32.20 GBP. (Everything you really need to see is, especially in the zone 1, but my conference was in Zone 3, so I had to get it out.)

How much would this trip regularly?

I had fallen into the trap that most people do a "normal holiday", the book this London trip would cost me three times as many have.

a flight to London from Boston now runs around $ 650 USD.

Currently, the average price of a decent three or four star rated hotel in central London 70-100 GBP ($ 111-158 USD) per night. For my nine eight ride, that adds up to around $ 1,000 USD, as I would have gone with the cheapest.

I had the cook waived, I would have probably added about 70 GBP (111 $ USD) to eat at the restaurant to know, my eating habits.

If you all that and add my transportation and meals, I would have spent about $ 2,000 USD. By traveling efficiently Hacking and with bonus points, I spent 10 days in London for less than the current price for a flight to London, saving me $ 1,300 USD! think about it. I saved 66% off the cost of a normal vacation, and I did not skimp on anything. I traveled only wise use reward systems and employs daily contentment to my advantage. I was in beautiful places, ate well, and saw all the attractions I wanted. I do not have to sacrifice comfort.

One of the main points that I wanted to convey with this trip was to show people that cheap travel does not mean bad travel. I wanted to take a vacation to London, that my parents or friends - people who are not dead sleep would be taken in 15-bed room to save money - could accept. I wanted to travel cheap without sacrificing comfort.

And I did just that. "Travel hacking" might not be the best expression in the world, but the principles behind it are simple and easy. Travel need not be expensive. Repeat this. Traveling need not be expensive. plan for the cost of the standard price for a flight to London With just a little more time to invest in my trip, I was able a wonderful trip. You do not need to spend thousands on travel. A holiday does not have an arm and a leg, and the next time you are inclined to taste, to think that way, just remember that yes, it possible is to travel cheap, and everyone can do it.

Note : One thing missing from this article is my conference costs. Most people do not visit London for travel conferences, so I add any costs to this conference on this post related.

Disclaimer : This content is not provided by American Express are available or commissioned. Here opinions expressed are author's alone, not those of American Express, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express. This site may be compensated through American Express Affiliate Program.

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