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I don’t know about you but the idea of spending a month abroad is the kind of luxury I live to dream about. I was raised very frugal and annual trips typically centered around driving two hours to a nearby beach town, not traipsing across the pond. So, naturally, when I started my own family, the idea of spending a month anywhere seemed not only impossible but just plain unrealistic.
My view on long-term travel was turned upside down three years ago when I started to learn more about the concept of world-schooling. Stay somewhere for a month? Two months? Six months? It’s not only possible – it’s a very real lifestyle for many families today.
Despite my view on long-term travel changing, I still worry about the cost. It doesn’t make sense to me to go into debt on travel, so if I’m going to do it, it has to be on a budget.
A typical week or two week trip to Europe from the east coast of the US can easily cost more than $3k. From airfare to accommodations costing more than $100/night – the costs just add up.
Can you believe that I’ve found a way to make it possible to travel abroad – to expensive Europe – for less than $5k? And to do it for an entire month? Well, let me share –
$5k Travel Budget Breakdown
The following budget breakdown is designed for a month spent in/around London for two people based on our own recent trip to London. It’s possible to make the trip without sacrificing comfort and safety – no crowded, dirty hostels for you here.
- 2 round trip plane tickets to London – $233.60 + 125,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 1 month Airbnb reservation in London – $1855 (here’s an example of one)
- 2 Oyster transportation passes – $100 (rough estimate, these can be reloaded depending on your own use)
- Food for a month – $1500 (based on $50/day – sometimes you’ll eat more, sometimes less)
Tips for Saving on Trip Expenses
Some things to keep in mind – we paid a little extra on flight tickets because we aren’t near a large airport hub like JFK in New York City. We also used a big chunk of rewards points on our flight and could’ve stretched these further if we had transferred to an airline partner of Chase. Make sure to do your research and explore where you can maximize any credit card reward points.
When looking for a place to stay, make sure to play around with your filters and requirements. You may also want to look at staying a little outside of the city to maximize your dollars – transportation in the UK and Europe makes it a lot easier to travel around than in the US. If you search on VRBO instead of Airbnb, you can actually filter by ‘monthly discount’ to filter out those accommodations out of budget too – now if only Airbnb would implement this tool!
For transportation, if you plan to stay within London city limits, expect to purchase a reloadable Oyster card. Metro costs can add up so the amount here will depend on how much you plan to travel across the city and how far outside London you decide to stay. If you plan to travel outside of London to view the countryside, plan to use a pass for the national rail line, such as BritRail. With passes starting at $171, you can save a decent amount of money on getting around the country.
Lastly – I don’t like including food into a travel budget because you’re going to have to buy food whether you’re at home or traveling. The question is whether you plan to eat out every meal and enjoy luxury dinners – that’s where you’ll want to keep your budget in mind.
Want to read more about visiting England?
Three Weeks in England with a Toddler.
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