Money

What will a trip to Britain cost?

We print only prices an official source states, with the date we read them. For everything else, a calculator that adds up your own figures, and links to where each region's costs are published.

Facts last checked 1 November 2026. Britlens is independent: see our editorial policy.

Market stalls in Cambridge Market Square with Great St Mary’s Church behind
Photo: John Sutton, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Official prices we can quote

As read on the official pages on 1 November 2026. Prices change: follow the link before you rely on one.

Fixed costs stated on official pages, read 1 November 2026
CostAs statedWho it applies to
Electronic travel authorisation (ETA)£20 per person[1]Nationalities on the ETA list: check yours
Standard Visitor visa, up to 6 months£135[2]Nationalities on the visa list
London bus or tram, adult pay as you go£1.85 a journey; daily cap £5.55; weekly cap (Monday to Sunday) £26.10[3]Contactless card or device, or Oyster
Single bus fares in England outside LondonMostly capped at £3 until 1 January 2027; £2 cap on participating buses from 1 January 2027 to the end of 2027[5]Participating operators; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set their own fares

On the Tube and rail in London, TfL caps what you pay in a day or a week on the same card or device; its fare finder gives the amounts for each zone.[4] See contactless and Oyster in London.

Costs we cannot quote

Hotels, meals, attraction tickets and train fares vary by date, demand and how early you book, and we have no official source for typical amounts, so we do not print averages that could mislead you. Where to look instead:

Red New Routemaster double-decker bus at a bus stop in London
Photo: Anthony O'Neil, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

By region

Local transport, free sights and places to stay are on each region's pages:

RegionGetting aroundGuide
Aberdeen and AberdeenshireTransport in Aberdeen and AberdeenshireAberdeen and Aberdeenshire guide
AngleseyTransport in AngleseyAnglesey guide
BathTransport in BathBath guide
BirminghamTransport in BirminghamBirmingham guide
Blackpool and the Lancashire coastTransport in Blackpool and the Lancashire coastBlackpool and the Lancashire coast guide
Brighton & HoveTransport in Brighton & HoveBrighton & Hove guide
BristolTransport in BristolBristol guide
CambridgeTransport in CambridgeCambridge guide
Canterbury & KentTransport in Canterbury & KentCanterbury & Kent guide
CardiffTransport in CardiffCardiff guide
CornwallTransport in CornwallCornwall guide
CoventryTransport in CoventryCoventry guide
DevonTransport in DevonDevon guide
EdinburghTransport in EdinburghEdinburgh guide
GlasgowTransport in GlasgowGlasgow guide
GloucesterTransport in GloucesterGloucester guide
HerefordTransport in HerefordHereford guide
Ironbridge GorgeTransport in Ironbridge GorgeIronbridge Gorge guide
Islay and JuraTransport in Islay and JuraIslay and Jura guide
Isle of ArranTransport in Isle of ArranIsle of Arran guide
Isle of ButeTransport in Isle of ButeIsle of Bute guide
Isles of ScillyTransport in Isles of ScillyIsles of Scilly guide
LeedsTransport in LeedsLeeds guide
LeicesterTransport in LeicesterLeicester guide
LincolnTransport in LincolnLincoln guide
Lindisfarne (Holy Island)Transport in Lindisfarne (Holy Island)Lindisfarne (Holy Island) guide
LiverpoolTransport in LiverpoolLiverpool guide
Llangollen and PontcysyllteTransport in Llangollen and PontcysyllteLlangollen and Pontcysyllte guide
LundyTransport in LundyLundy guide
ManchesterTransport in ManchesterManchester guide
Mull and IonaTransport in Mull and IonaMull and Iona guide
Newcastle and GatesheadTransport in Newcastle and GatesheadNewcastle and Gateshead guide
Norfolk and the BroadsTransport in Norfolk and the BroadsNorfolk and the Broads guide
North Coast 500Transport in North Coast 500North Coast 500 guide
Northern IrelandTransport in Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland guide
NottinghamTransport in NottinghamNottingham guide
OrkneyTransport in OrkneyOrkney guide
OxfordTransport in OxfordOxford guide
Portsmouth and SouthamptonTransport in Portsmouth and SouthamptonPortsmouth and Southampton guide
Salisbury & StonehengeTransport in Salisbury & StonehengeSalisbury & Stonehenge guide
SheffieldTransport in SheffieldSheffield guide
ShetlandTransport in ShetlandShetland guide
ShrewsburyTransport in ShrewsburyShrewsbury guide
St Andrews and FifeTransport in St Andrews and FifeSt Andrews and Fife guide
Stirling and the TrossachsTransport in Stirling and the TrossachsStirling and the Trossachs guide
Stratford & WarwickshireTransport in Stratford & WarwickshireStratford & Warwickshire guide
The CotswoldsTransport in the CotswoldsThe Cotswolds guide
The Jurassic CoastTransport in the Jurassic CoastThe Jurassic Coast guide
The Lake DistrictTransport in the Lake DistrictThe Lake District guide
The New ForestTransport in The New ForestThe New Forest guide
The Outer HebridesTransport in The Outer HebridesThe Outer Hebrides guide
The Peak DistrictTransport in the Peak DistrictThe Peak District guide
The Scottish HighlandsTransport in the Scottish HighlandsThe Scottish Highlands guide
The South DownsTransport in The South DownsThe South Downs guide
WalesTransport in WalesWales guide
WindsorTransport in WindsorWindsor guide
WorcesterTransport in WorcesterWorcester guide
YorkTransport in YorkYork guide
YorkshireTransport in YorkshireYorkshire guide

Budget calculator

Set your own lean, middle and treat daily figures from the prices you find, then add one-off costs such as flights, the ETA and booked tickets.

Trip budget calculator

Define your own three daily bands, pick one, and add costs that do not repeat each day (flights, booked tickets). The sum is multiplied out for you. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

Enter your daily figure for the band you picked to see a total.

In your currency

Approximate currency converter

Prices on Britlens are in pounds (GBP). This gives a rough idea in another currency using European Central Bank reference rates for 30 October 2026, converted by us into rates against the pound. The ECB publishes them for information only: your bank or card will use its own rate and may add fees.

Rate table for 30 October 2026
One pound in other currencies, ECB reference rates for 30 October 2026, converted by Britlens
Currency£1 is about1 unit is about
Euro (EUR)1.20 EUR£0.83
US dollar (USD)1.34 USD£0.75
Canadian dollar (CAD)1.87 CAD£0.53
Australian dollar (AUD)1.91 AUD£0.52
New Zealand dollar (NZD)2.38 NZD£0.42
Japanese yen (JPY)211 JPY£0.0047
Chinese yuan renminbi (CNY)8.91 CNY£0.11
Indian rupee (INR)127 INR£0.0079
South Korean won (KRW)1,789 KRW£0.0006
Swiss franc (CHF)1.10 CHF£0.91
Swedish krona (SEK)13.17 SEK£0.08
Polish zloty (PLN)5.28 PLN£0.19
Brazilian real (BRL)7.28 BRL£0.14
Mexican peso (MXN)25.33 MXN£0.04
Singapore dollar (SGD)1.71 SGD£0.58
Hong Kong dollar (HKD)10.51 HKD£0.10
South African rand (ZAR)22.36 ZAR£0.04
Israeli new shekel (ILS)4.19 ILS£0.24

Source: ECB euro foreign exchange reference rates (opens in new tab), 30 October 2026. Approximate; rates change daily.

Columned front of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge
Photo: Andrew Dunn (Solipsist), CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ways to spend less

  • In London, tap the same contactless card or device every time so the daily and weekly caps work for you.[4] Your bank may charge for overseas use, so check with your card issuer.[4]
  • Many museums and parks are free: see free things and free and cheap in London.
  • Outside London, the bus fare cap in England keeps single journeys cheap on participating buses.[5]
  • Read the bottom of restaurant bills before tipping: do you tip in the UK?

Quick answers

How much does a trip to the UK cost per day?

It depends on where you stay, how you travel and what you book, and we found no official source for typical daily costs, so we do not print one. Use the calculator on this page with prices you find on official sites; we list the fixed costs that GOV.UK and TfL publish.

How much is a bus fare in London?

When we read TfL on 1 November 2026, an adult pay as you go bus or tram fare was £1.85, with a daily cap of £5.55, paid by contactless or Oyster.

Are bus fares capped outside London?

In England, GOV.UK said that until 1 January 2027 most single bus fares outside London stay capped at £3, and that from 1 January 2027 until the end of 2027 a £2 cap applies on participating buses.

Sources

Read on the dates shown. Rules, fees and services change: check the source before you rely on it. Pages marked “not read” refused automated access, so we state nothing from them.

  1. Get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to visit the UK (opens in new tab), GOV.UK, read 1 November 2026
  2. Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor (opens in new tab), GOV.UK, read 1 November 2026
  3. Bus and tram fares (opens in new tab), Transport for London, read 1 November 2026
  4. Pay as you go (opens in new tab), Transport for London, read 1 November 2026
  5. Cheaper travel for millions with a third off fares (news story, 22 July 2026) (opens in new tab), GOV.UK (Department for Transport), read 1 November 2026
  6. How to access NHS services in England if you are visiting from abroad (opens in new tab), NHS (nhs.uk), read 1 November 2026
  7. Euro foreign exchange reference rates (opens in new tab), European Central Bank, read 1 November 2026