UK budget travel: London calling! (part 1)

Can you tell that travel is on my mind again?

We had a chance to visit the UK a few years back. It was a "spur of the moment" kind of trip. Sometimes things have a way or working out when you least planned for it. This was the result of a confluence of good deals that came our way. We saw the opportunity, and well...grabbed it with both hands!

Background of the trip: British Airways had an amazing deal on RT fares to London (under $400 per person), and hotels.com had a 'stay 5 nights and get 1 night free' promo. We also got complimentary breakfast for the duration of the stay. The whole trip came under $2,000!

The trip would not be complete without a visit to Buckingham Palace (gates shown here), I must have stood by the gates for a long time just looking at the details....wondering if it was really made of gold...



Kensington Palace...



We also visited the Tower(s) of London. Being married to a history buff, we kept thinking about what could have transpired inside these buildings hundreds of years ago and how old place was (this one is called the White Tower).



We walked around London one night after dinner at a hole-in-the-wall joint, and saw this uplit building (We had no idea where we were at that time...)




We also visited Westminster Abbey. I did not realize that there were people buried there ... shows you I didn't do my homework before the trip!




Again, aimlessly walking somewhere in London - still amazed at the architecture...

London is calling! Need to save up some more moolah to make it to the Olympics in 2012...or maybe win the lotto?

Some travel planing tips:
1. Define what you want. Need a nicer hotel? Want to travel business class? Want to catch a show? You need to know what you are gunning for.
2. Scour the internet for deals. Kayak.com and virginatlantic.com have really great deals on packages. Find deals that give you free breakfast with your accommodations. Be prepared to do your research.
3. Identify 1-3 key places of interest you would really like to visit and work around those. We really wanted to see Buckingham, Kensington, and Stonehenge. Everything else was icing on the cake.
4. Set a budget for the entire trip, and stick to it. Include land transportation, food and shopping money in the equation.
5. Be prepared to pounce when you find a really great deal!

Good luck and remember to take lots of pictures of your trip!
Lease

p.s. Stay tuned for part 2 on Stonehenge and Bath...