London Budget Breakdown: 6 Days in London

Budget

11 June

London was never intended to be a long stay on our trip. It was more of a stopover between Morocco and Mexico, giving us a chance to reset, enjoy some familiar comforts, and show the kids some of the iconic sights they'd only ever seen on television.

After 42 days in Morocco, arriving in London felt easy. The trains worked, the supermarkets were familiar, the accommodation was comfortable, and after months of navigating language barriers and different cultures, it was nice to spend a few days somewhere that felt instantly familiar.

Of course, convenience comes at a price.

The Numbers

As always, our allowable budget is calculated by dividing our total trip budget of $120,000 AUD by 365 days and then multiplying by the number of stay days in the location. In this case, 6 days.

Allowable Budget: $2,296 AUD

Actual Spend: $3,674 AUD

Budget Position: $1,378 AUD Over Budget

Breakdown

Flights - $774 AUD

UK ETA Visas - $156 AUD

Accommodation - $1,046 AUD

Food & Activities - $1,698 AUD

Why We Went Over Budget

The biggest factor was simply the length of our stay.

Spending nearly a week in one of the world's most expensive cities was always going to test the budget. Accommodation alone was over $1,000 AUD, but having a comfortable apartment with a kitchen near public transport made exploring London much easier as a family.

Food and activities were the largest expense category. London isn't a cheap city to visit, particularly when you're paying for four people. We only ate out once to give the kids a true English food experience and our meals were £15.50 each, so roughly $120 AUD. The rest of the time we cooked ourselves and packed lunches, but between food, public transport, sightseeing, and a few treats for the kids, costs added up quickly.

We also needed to purchase the new UK ETA visas that became mandatory for Australian visitors before our arrival.

What We Spent Money On

London was all about experiences.

We spent our time exploring some of the city's most famous landmarks, including:

Buckingham Palace and the Changing of the Guard
Hop-on Hop-off bus tour
Westminster and Big Ben
Tower Bridge
Matilda the Musical
Riding the Underground

The kids particularly enjoyed Hamleys toy store and the Hop-on Hop-off bus, while Kia and I appreciated having access to supermarkets and a proper kitchen again after Morocco.

The Disputed Transaction

One frustrating expense was a £133 transaction from a third-party hop-on hop-off bus website.

After booking tickets online, the payment was processed, but the tickets never arrived. When we contacted the actual tour operator, they had no record of the booking. We ultimately had to purchase replacement tickets directly through the official provider to avoid missing out on the experience.

We're still pursuing a refund for the original charge. If successful, this will reduce the final London spend.

Was London Worth It?

Absolutely.

While London was one of the more expensive stops on our trip, it delivered exactly what we needed at that point in our journey. Comfortable accommodation, familiar food, efficient public transport, and some incredible family experiences before making the long journey across to Mexico.

Would we return for an extended stay? Probably not on a backpacking-style budget. But for a short stopover packed with iconic sights and family memories, London was well worth the extra spend.

Budget Summary