London 2005

7 days in London is an expensive trip. Luckily I was on someone else's expense account but even then one realizes that this is one expensive city with the exchange rate currently. Transportation is expensive. You can buy 'day passes' on the tube for 4.70BP or USD9.40 but be prepared to walk up and down 50-75 steps in some of the tube stops. We found that taxis are more convenient but from our hotel to Chinatown would cost 15BP or $30 each way. Buses are equally expensive as tubes. You have to plan your transportation I suppose better than we did. But for young people, if you are prepared to walk a bit, eat cheaper (i.e. Burger King or buy food at a grocery store like we did alot) you can do London on $40/day. I learned that making a phone call from your room isn't cheap; 2 local phone calls cost 3.75BP or $7.50. To make long distance calls I used my computer (www.skype.com) which really rocks since it is 5 cents/minute; if I had used the phone in my room at the hotel it would have cost $3/minute.

It is fun keeping score of your expenses on a trip. Opens your eyes to what things cost.