The high exchange rate of pounds so far often makes Indonesian people discouraged from going on holiday to the Uited Kingdom. The vast difference in exchange rates makes everything there is more expensive than in Indonesia. Starting from the cost of lodging, meals, tourist attractions, to transportation. Even cheap plane tickets also make holidays to the UK only limited to dreams.
Even so, famous airlines often hold plane ticket promos to the UK because the interest of the Indonesian people to these destinations is indeed high. Besides looking for ticket promos, it turns out you can save money when going around London, Manchester, Edinburgh, York, and Liverpool. To realize your dream of a #OMGB vacation to the UK without having to spend deeply, consider the following economical holiday strategy.
Use a Magic Card
If your budget is limited, make sure you have “magic cards” that will help you get around the UK cheaper. These cards can not only be used for public transportation but can also get discounts everywhere.
• Oyster Card
One way to save money while visiting London is to use an Oyster Card. This card is an electronic card that can be used for all public transportation in London that can be refilled. With an Oyster Card you can save half the price of riding a Tube (subway in London) compared to buying a single-trip ticket. You can buy this card for £ 20 for a 1-2 day trip to £ 55 for 7 days.
How to use it is quite easy, you only need to tap the card every time you ride the train or bus. Besides saving money, using this card also saves time because you only need to tap without the need to queue to buy tickets again every time you take the train or bus. Another advantage that you can get from Oyster Card is discounts and exclusive offers at 40 merchants such as Planet Hollywood, London Beatles Store, and M & M’s World.
• London Pass
For you who want to visit famous tourist attractions and attractions in London, it’s a good idea to buy a London Pass. This card can take you to more than 60 attractions and tourist attractions in London for free. It also offers special discounts at several restaurants and shopping places. This card is available for trips of 1-6 days. Prices range from £ 44.10 (children, 5-15 years) and £ 62.10 (adults, 16 years and over) for 1 day to £ 99.90 (children, 5-15 years) and £ 129.60 (adults, 16 years and over) for 6 days.
This card not only saves you more money, but also time. Because this card offers fast-track facilities in some of the most crowded and popular tourist attractions and attractions. This card also offers you to be able to enjoy a trip with a full-day tour bus and can go up and down anywhere that can facilitate your trip around London.
However, this London Pass can only be said to be optimal if it is used at least 3 days by visiting 3-4 tourist attractions and attractions in a day. If you will only travel to less than 3 places in one day, it’s better to buy a unit ticket. So, before buying this card, make sure you know where you are going. In addition, time management is also very important. Tip from me, make an itinerary based on the location of tourist attractions and attractions to be visited. Oh yes, to save more money you can also buy a London Pass that is equipped with an Oyster Card. To get it, you can buy it online at the official London Pass website.
• BritRail Pass
Did you know that traveling around countries in the United Kingdom can use trains? If you plan to visit several cities there is a BritRail Pass that you can buy to simplify your trip and certainly save money. With this one card, you can travel as you wish in any country or region of your choice. This card provides several regional options and the duration of the trip you can get starting at £ 42. But keep in mind that you can only buy BritRail Pass online and must be purchased before you get there. Some of these card options also benefit children passengers to travel for free with every adult ticket purchase.
Book Online Before Flying
The UK Tourism Agency through its website at visitbritainshop.com offers a wide range of discounts for everything you need for your trip there. Starting from ticket attractions, tourist attractions, tours, until the magic cards above you can get cheaper than the prices sold directly by these agencies. For example, London Pass which sells for £ 69, here you can get it for only £ 62.90. In addition you can also see other attractive offers that can help to save your expenses, of course.
Enjoy the UK for Free
UK has a myriad of tourist attractions and interesting attractions that you can enjoy for free or free. These include famous art galleries and museums in London such as the Tate Modern, National Gallery and British Museum, Southbank Center, and open areas such as Hyde Park and Hampstead Heath. Don’t miss the Turning Guard Ceremony at Buckingham Palace, which is the most popular tourist attraction in London.
If in Manchester, you can take a walk on the largest green expanse of Heaton Park, where you can see the Greater Manchester Beekeepers Association in creating honey from bee hives and see various trams at the Tramway Museum. Come on Sunday if you want to try to take the tram.
For fans of The Beatles, it is mandatory to go back to Abbey Road in London and see for yourself the music studio where the band from Liverpool recorded. In addition to Abbey Road, not a few Beatles fans who came to Liverpool to see Penny Lane firsthand, the street whose name was popularized as the title song.
A walk in York that has the best medieval walls in England can also be an interesting idea to fill your holiday itinerary in the UK.
In addition, every September thousands of unique and interesting monuments and buildings, especially those that are usually closed to the public, open their doors for free! Open House London offers your chance to visit the best buildings in London, while Heritage Open Days allows you to see hidden places and create new experiences throughout the UK. In addition you can also enjoy the largest free festival in Scotland, Door Open Days, which offers tourists to see thousands of interesting places.
For you nature lovers, 15 national parks in the UK you can enjoy for free. You can visit national parks that have amazing views such as Peak District, Lake District in Manchester, and also Scottish Highlands in Edinburgh. Many things can be done in the national park, ranging from just walking, biking, to rock climbing.
Cheap Food Hunting
To be able to get food at affordable prices, look for fast-food restaurants, buffets, and traditional cafes. You can buy sandwiches and fast food at the supermarket. In addition, you can also enjoy street food sold in food trucks, some of the best in London are Bleecker Street Burger, Well Kneaded, and Anna Mae’s Mac n Cheese. Not only is it cheap, but you can also get delicious food. Every weekend you can also get affordable food at Maltby Street Market.
In addition, many restaurants provide free food on Mondays. As in the hotel with the theme Titanic, 30 James Street in Liverpool which offers a free starter or dessert for each main meal on Monday nights. If you visit Edinburgh, there is also a restaurant called The Castle Arm located on Johnston Terrace offering a menu for walkers. With this menu you can get a main meal for £ 8.50 for just £ 6.50.
Holidays in the UK do not always have to spend more money. Some tips above to get cheaper prices, discounts to free ones can realize your desire to visit there immediately.