Travel

Things You'll Need

Take your budget into consideration when deciding how to travel. If you are coming from distant places such as the United States or Australia, you will pay a hefty price for an airline ticket. The average cost from the U.S. is about $500, but it varies on the economy and travel seasons. Check your travel budget and include the price of an airline ticket. There are some inexpensive international travel airlines that fly to London, such as FlyThomasCook and MyTravelLite, which recently merged to be www.flythomascook.com. These are not well-known but have discounted prices worth checking out.

Decide how to travel if you are already in the UK or in Europe. You have more options, and you will not spend nearly as much. You will also have the choice of several dates and times for travel.

See if there are inexpensive airline alternatives. Several run from almost every country throughout Europe to the UK, including Easyjet, Ryanair and British Midlands. Prices range from $30 to $100, depending on the time and season. Using these airlines is an ideal way to travel to London because they are inexpensive, quick, and have several different airports and departure times.

Consider train travel. If you are already in the UK, this is an ideal option for you. You can take the Eurostar through the Chunnel, an undersea rail tunnel, to reach London but is more pricey than the usual Eurail prices (fees vary widely). There is also MegaTrain and National Rail that travel to London from different parts of the UK, but look closely at their rates because two one-way tickets may be less expensive than a round-trip ticket. (See Resources.)

Also look into bus and coach travel. Although this may be slower than train or plane, it most likely will be the least expensive. If you are not in a rush but want to save money, it is ideal for you. Great value coach options include the National Express, MegaBus, Barry's Coaches, the Oxford Tube, and Greenline Coaches. These companies can be found online with their rates listed. (See References.)