Holiday To Uk

[dazk]

The wife would like to go to the uk for a break to see the country and meet some family i have worked out it would cost around 200k baht not cheap what do you think to the budget below realistic or not

Air fare 100K B

10 nights hotels £70 per nite 33K B

Car Hire £25 per day 12k B

Spending £100 per day 50K B

[Bangkokhatter]

Depends if you want to try and save some money, you could easily get a car for less than that, but would be a 1300 or something similar. Also £70 for hotels could be beaten, especially if you booked in advance and used travel lodges for example.

Hope you have a good trip.

[Bangkokhatter]

double post

[chiang mai]

You might get the hotels a little cheaper depending on where you're going and how far ahead you book, figure a bog standard Travelodge for around 50 GBP.

Car hire at 25 GBP sounds too cheap, by the time you add in insurance etc you're more likely going to be closer to 35 GBP a day.

The tricky one is spending costs, petrol is very expensive so you need to consider that, my guess is that you'll spend closer to 150 GBP a day.

I went last year by myself and lived inexpensively but paid for everything vs staying with family etc., my deaily spend was closer to 150 GBP a day.

My guess is that two/three weeks will cost you 5k GBP or THB 250K.

[cardholder]

A good thread here:-

[theoldgit]

If your going to rent a car don't forget to factor in the price of fuel.

When working or your budget for accommodation, 70 is doable but it would depend where you want to visit and when.

I didn't notice your budget for food and drink, eating and drinking out don't come cheap, no somtam stalls in the UK.

I think you could do it on your proposed budget at a push.

Depends where you want to visit, do you really need a rental car for the duration? Trains and buses are fairly cost cost effective.

[RabC]

You might get the hotels a little cheaper depending on where you're going and how far ahead you book, figure a bog standard Travelodge for around 50 GBP.

Car hire at 25 GBP sounds too cheap, by the time you add in insurance etc you're more likely going to be closer to 35 GBP a day.

The tricky one is spending costs, petrol is very expensive so you need to consider that, my guess is that you'll spend closer to 150 GBP a day.

I went last year by myself and lived inexpensively but paid for everything vs staying with family etc., my deaily spend was closer to 150 GBP a day.

My guess is that two/three weeks will cost you 5k GBP or THB 250K.

Try Enterprise for your hire car for 10 days you should get a 1600 (Astra) or similar for under £18/day. Google "Hire Car Excess Insurance" and it will be considerably cheaper than any hire company. Have a good visit.

[dazk]

would like to start in kent, thats where family is then maybe see a bit of the south west then wales maybe scotland

forgot to factor in petrol maybe will look at trains as an option but last time i used them i thought they where expensive

though 100 pounds a day was enough for food and drink for 2

and 70 a night was a good average for hotels

[chiang mai]

You might get the hotels a little cheaper depending on where you're going and how far ahead you book, figure a bog standard Travelodge for around 50 GBP.

Car hire at 25 GBP sounds too cheap, by the time you add in insurance etc you're more likely going to be closer to 35 GBP a day.

The tricky one is spending costs, petrol is very expensive so you need to consider that, my guess is that you'll spend closer to 150 GBP a day.

I went last year by myself and lived inexpensively but paid for everything vs staying with family etc., my deaily spend was closer to 150 GBP a day.

My guess is that two/three weeks will cost you 5k GBP or THB 250K.

Try Enterprise for your hire car for 10 days you should get a 1600 (Astra) or similar for under £18/day. Google "Hire Car Excess Insurance" and it will be considerably cheaper than any hire company. Have a good visit.

I just checked it out and their prices are excellent, usefull to know for next time.

[theoldgit]

would like to start in kent, thats where family is then maybe see a bit of the south west then wales maybe scotland

forgot to factor in petrol maybe will look at trains as an option but last time i used them i thought they where expensive

though 100 pounds a day was enough for food and drink for 2

and 70 a night was a good average for hotels

We are planning a similar trip next year, basing ourselves in Kent where we are staying with friends, we can do our day trips to London from there, this cuts our accommodation costs down considerably. Our proposed budget is nearer Chiangmai's.

Trains can be expensive, but if you plan well ahead and travel off peak you can get some good deals.

We are renting a car to do a sweep of the South East of England, and will probably fly up to Edinburgh with Easyjet or even BA.

Last year we booked a number of nights in Travelodges at 9 a night, Hilton's they are not, but they are clean if basic. I think their sale prices are now 12, get yourself on their mailing list, you might be lucky.

As we intend to visit Amsterdam during our trip we are flying in and out of Amsterdam from Bangkok to reduce the UK Air Passenger Duty, especially as we intend flying in a premium cabin.

Just the visa to sort out now, but that's another story.

[dazk]

would like to start in kent, thats where family is then maybe see a bit of the south west then wales maybe scotland

forgot to factor in petrol maybe will look at trains as an option but last time i used them i thought they where expensive

though 100 pounds a day was enough for food and drink for 2

and 70 a night was a good average for hotels

We are planning a similar trip next year, basing ourselves in Kent where we are staying with friends, we can do our day trips to London from there, this cuts our accommodation costs down considerably. Our proposed budget is nearer Chiangmai's.

Trains can be expensive, but if you plan well ahead and travel off peak you can get some good deals.

We are renting a car to do a sweep of the South East of England, and will probably fly up to Edinburgh with Easyjet or even BA.

Last year we booked a number of nights in Travelodges at 9 a night, Hilton's they are not, but they are clean if basic. I think their sale prices are now 12, get yourself on their mailing list, you might be lucky.

As we intend to visit Amsterdam during our trip we are flying in and out of Amsterdam from Bangkok to reduce the UK Air Passenger Duty, especially as we intend flying in a premium cabin.

Just the visa to sort out now, but that's another story.

sounds great and i good idea about flying into amsterdam, got me thinking now. What is the visa situation with doing two countrys

[Pseudolus]

Why not cut the accommodation, food and drink budget by imposing on TV members hospitality? Keep a list of where people on here live in the UK and arrange to meet them followed quickly by a "oh, the hotels are all booked up in your area. What to do?" lol

National express coaches might be the way to go; but such a short trip, doing all of that will be pricey, and push you for time. Perhaps cut back on the itinerary a little and concentrate on the south of England to begin, and if you want to include scotland jump on a cheap flight. The train line all along the south coast is fairly decent, and driving to Scotland is just a pain in the arse.

[beano2274]

Was in the UK in April over Songkhran with the wife and Mother in Law.

Had 700GBP in cash that went (8 days approx) including petrol (visits to Bath and Clark's Village)

Car hire cost around 9000 for 6 days, check www,carrentals.co.uk

No hotels required.

Flight tickets 38,890 (this was flights BKK to LHR, a short 7 day stay at home, then LHR to ZRH, then 6 days in Switzerland then back ZRH to BKK via LHR) with BA.

Use itasoftware to find cheap prices or deals

[theoldgit]

sounds great and i good idea about flying into amsterdam, got me thinking now. What is the visa situation with doing two countrys

Two visas I'm afraid, Schengen and UK.

[MichaelJohn]

I'll confirm previous posts from a recent trip to UK; car hire £35 + Fuel which is currently £1.50/lt. Trains expensive unless booked well in advance (+21 days)

You can get much cheaper accomodation; e.g. Travelodge at £19/night if you book in advance (again 21 days), or many B&B's are clean and very good value - and of course you get a cooked breakfast which is £5 ea in a travelodge.

Enjoy the trip :-)

[WilliaminBKK]

On my last trip I stayed within budget except for those bloody Sunday lunches - no idea when I go to town the family picks the most expensive place.

I decided to treat myself to a posh car and boy did I regret it, firstly Avis demanded two credit cards, one for excess and the the other for the actual rental, sat nav, congestion fee, parking & petrol cost me a small fortune.

Premier Inn can often have some decent deals, if you are staying in Kent, self catering can cut down on costs - a mate of mine went to Kent and stayed here http://www.eversleighlodges.co.uk/page9.html when you factor in eating in the unit it saved him money.

Enjoy your trip

[roamer]

Let you in to a big secret,

http://www.airbnb.co.uk/

Its like ebay for accomodation. Btw, I use it in Los as well.

Bear in mind your dates make a massive difference. Scotland is mind-blowing by any standards (and I'm English)and luxury camper vans are a lot cheaper out of season and certainly give you a chance to see some of the worlds best scenery. 30 mins out of Glasgow and the wife will be "Wow"....

[RabC]

I'll confirm previous posts from a recent trip to UK; car hire £35 + Fuel which is currently £1.50/lt. Trains expensive unless booked well in advance (+21 days)

You can get much cheaper accomodation; e.g. Travelodge at £19/night if you book in advance (again 21 days), or many B&B's are clean and very good value - and of course you get a cooked breakfast which is £5 ea in a travelodge.

Enjoy the trip :-)

I really dont understand how you are paying £35/day for a hire car unless you are driving a Merc. I just did a search for a 10 day hire in June with Enterprise, pick-up and drop off at Heathrow and a 1.6 (Astra/Focus) was £16/day including vat and airport pick-up premium.

[chiang mai]

I'll confirm previous posts from a recent trip to UK; car hire £35 + Fuel which is currently £1.50/lt. Trains expensive unless booked well in advance (+21 days)

You can get much cheaper accomodation; e.g. Travelodge at £19/night if you book in advance (again 21 days), or many B&B's are clean and very good value - and of course you get a cooked breakfast which is £5 ea in a travelodge.

Enjoy the trip :-)

I really dont understand how you are paying £35/day for a hire car unless you are driving a Merc. I just did a search for a 10 day hire in June with Enterprise, pick-up and drop off at Heathrow and a 1.6 (Astra/Focus) was £16/day including vat and airport pick-up premium.

I'll confirm previous posts from a recent trip to UK; car hire £35 + Fuel which is currently £1.50/lt. Trains expensive unless booked well in advance (+21 days)

You can get much cheaper accomodation; e.g. Travelodge at £19/night if you book in advance (again 21 days), or many B&B's are clean and very good value - and of course you get a cooked breakfast which is £5 ea in a travelodge.

Enjoy the trip :-)

I really dont understand how you are paying £35/day for a hire car unless you are driving a Merc. I just did a search for a 10 day hire in June with Enterprise, pick-up and drop off at Heathrow and a 1.6 (Astra/Focus) was £16/day including vat and airport pick-up premium.

I initially thought that Enterpise was a good find for rentals but now I've looked into their terms and conditions I'm not so sure. Maybe I've missed something but I don't understand how they can be so cheap compared to the competition, I think the answer has something to do with the insurance. You'll note from their web site that there's no charge for insurance anywhere, you'll also note that they say that their "partners may charge you an insurance excess which can later be refunded by post from Enterprise". Something somewhere doesn't sound quite right in all of that. Also, have you seen the list of exclusions and things you must do in the evnt of an accident etc, it's frightening.

[RabC]

I'll confirm previous posts from a recent trip to UK; car hire £35 + Fuel which is currently £1.50/lt. Trains expensive unless booked well in advance (+21 days)

You can get much cheaper accomodation; e.g. Travelodge at £19/night if you book in advance (again 21 days), or many B&B's are clean and very good value - and of course you get a cooked breakfast which is £5 ea in a travelodge.

Enjoy the trip :-)

I really dont understand how you are paying £35/day for a hire car unless you are driving a Merc. I just did a search for a 10 day hire in June with Enterprise, pick-up and drop off at Heathrow and a 1.6 (Astra/Focus) was £16/day including vat and airport pick-up premium.

I initially thought that Enterpise was a good find for rentals but now I've looked into their terms and conditions I'm not so sure. Maybe I've missed something but I don't understand how they can be so cheap compared to the competition, I think the answer has something to do with the insurance. You'll note from their web site that there's no charge for insurance anywhere, you'll also note that they say that their "partners may charge you an insurance excess which can later be refunded by post from Enterprise". Something somewhere doesn't sound quite right in all of that. Also, have you seen the list of exclusions and things you must do in the evnt of an accident etc, it's frightening.

As I said in my very original post Google "Hire Car Excess Insurance" and you will get it for pence a day. I use Enterprise every time I am in the UK and then use an independent insurance company to cover my excess. I do agree that it is so strange the differences in prices but thats what they have always been like, I have been using them for about 15 years now.

Their website states next to each quote "Total Charges include Damage Waiver(including Theft Protection), Third Party Liability, Road Fund Licence, and VAT. Additional surcharges may apply." so basic insurance is covered.

I have no connection with this lot at all and was trying to pass on good advice but for some reason people think anything less than £35/day is a con.

[chiang mai]

I'm grateful to read your endorsement, I'm afraid the old adage of "if it seems to good to be true..." comes into play here hence people do tend to be suspicous, but if you say it's all bona fide then great, I'll certainly use them next time.

[RabC]

I'm grateful to read your endorsement, I'm afraid the old adage of "if it seems to good to be true..." comes into play here hence people do tend to be suspicous, but if you say it's all bona fide then great, I'll certainly use them next time.

I have just had another look at their site and noticed there IS something different with Insurance if collected at LHR, I always collect from the local branch close to my parents and pay nothing more than the quoted rate. I do also know that if you hire on a non UK license then the rate also goes up due to insurance, this may be where the difference in hiring at Heathrow comes in.

[theoldgit]

I have used the excess insurance companies and they are certainly a lot cheaper than the excess insurance offered by the rental companies.

One thing worth bearing in mind though, the rental companies will still

block the excess on your credit card and will take the excess in the event of any damage to the car, you then have to reclaim the excess from your insurance.

[dazk]

been looking at the option of flying into amsterdam its much cheaper than london, i usually fly with emirates how does klm compare for service etc

[Rinrada]

Weatherspoons aint bad for food and drink where you can get not a bad Fish and Chips,mushys etc and coffee for 3-99p and as of a couple of weeks ago Carlsberg was 1-99 a pint with some bitters @ 1-50.

Have taken a lot of Thais...mostly students ...and the wifes mates there and all raved about/ thought much better than Bangkok....certainly price wise.

UK is on a bit of an economic downer at the moment so look around/use internet ...lots of good deals.

Have a good one..

[theoldgit]

been looking at the option of flying into amsterdam its much cheaper than london, i usually fly with emirates how does klm compare for service etc

Think Eva would get you a better deal or even China Airways, make sure flights from London are on a separate ticket or you still pay the higher rate of APD.

[theoldgit]

Weatherspoons aint bad for food and drink where you can get not a bad Fish and Chips,mushys etc and coffee for 3-99p and as of a couple of weeks ago Carlsberg was 1-99 a pint with some bitters @ 1-50.

Have taken a lot of Thais...mostly students ...and the wifes mates there and all raved about/ thought much better than Bangkok....certainly price wise.

UK is on a bit of an economic downer at the moment so look around/use internet ...lots of good deals.

Have a good one..

I'm a big fan of Wetherspoons, it's not just the students that eat there, during my latest trip I noticed all the OAP's having their breakfast there, I was one of them, some fairly well to do people there.

[dazk]

been looking at the option of flying into amsterdam its much cheaper than london, i usually fly with emirates how does klm compare for service etc

Think Eva would get you a better deal or even China Airways, make sure flights from London are on a separate ticket or you still pay the higher rate of APD.

Not looking for a cheap ticket at the cost of good service as i said i have always flown emirates as find there service a1 what are eva and air china like for inflight service.

Was looking at euro star to london can get good price booking in advance and will be an experience for the wife

[theoldgit]

been looking at the option of flying into amsterdam its much cheaper than london, i usually fly with emirates how does klm compare for service etc

Think Eva would get you a better deal or even China Airways, make sure flights from London are on a separate ticket or you still pay the higher rate of APD.

Not looking for a cheap ticket at the cost of good service as i said i have always flown emirates as find there service a1 what are eva and air china like for inflight service.

Was looking at euro star to london can get good price booking in advance and will be an experience for the wife

Eva and China are both good, I have flown them both, they are probably not as good as Emirates, but not far off.

Eurostar doesn't go directly from Amsterdam, you have to connect in Paris or Brussels, not a bad journey though. We are flying Amsterdam to Gatwick, and on our return journey Ashford to Paris, a few days in Paris and then the Tyles [sic] to Amsterdam.

[cardholder]

been looking at the option of flying into amsterdam its much cheaper than london, i usually fly with emirates how does klm compare for service etc

Think Eva would get you a better deal or even China Airways, make sure flights from London are on a separate ticket or you still pay the higher rate of APD.

Not looking for a cheap ticket at the cost of good service as i said i have always flown emirates as find there service a1 what are eva and air china like for inflight service.

Was looking at euro star to london can get good price booking in advance and will be an experience for the wife

Eva and China are both good, I have flown them both, they are probably not as good as Emirates, but not far off.

Eurostar doesn't go directly from Amsterdam, you have to connect in Paris or Brussels, not a bad journey though. We are flying Amsterdam to Gatwick, and on our return journey Ashford to Paris, a few days in Paris and then the Tyles [sic] to Amsterdam.

Agree 100%