As of 19 October 2021, you will be able to enjoy quarantine-free travel to, and from, nine more countries — the UK included. So, if vast moorlands, breathtaking cliffs, grand castles, and Sherlock sounds like your thing, keep scrolling for a complete guide on how much it’ll cost to eat, sleep and play in the United Kingdom!
If you grew up in the noughties as I did, you’d probably be very familiar with the British youth culture of the early 2000s. Which may or may not have included questionable fashion choices a la Skins, irreverent dating advice from The Inbetweeners, and hours spent moping around to Arctic Monkeys. Yet, even then, we were already acutely aware of the beauty and regality of the United Kingdom. As a former colony of the nation, to us, England was synonymous with fairytales — the birthplace of queens and knights, gothic architecture and Harry Potter, quaint seaside towns and tea time. Needless to say, we were, and still are, intricately woven into the English way of life, even more than we know. And now that travel to the United Kingdom has become an exciting reality for Singaporeans, we’re thrilled to return and rediscover the nation fresh for ourselves in 2022. If you’re interested, stick around and find out how much a trip to London might cost for the budget, moderate, or luxury traveller — with YouTrip’s guide to the UK.
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YouTrip’s Guide To The UK: Entry Requirements
You do not need to complete a UK passenger locator form before you travel, take any COVID-19 tests or quarantine when you arrive in England. 🎉 This applies whether you are vaccinated or not!
YouTrip’s Guide To The UK: Travel Expenditure Checklist
Disclaimer: As with all our previous VTL guides, we’ll be using the dates of 2 to 9 December to gauge the average cost of post-pandemic travel via VTL UK.
| Budget | Moderate | Luxury | |
| Accommodations | S$98/night | S$266/night | S$449/night |
| Dining | S$6/meal | S$17/meal | S$56/meal |
| Attractions | Free | From S$43.90 | From S$104 |
| Sim Cards | From S$20.50 | From S$20.50 | From S$20.50 |
| Transport | From S$4.50 | From S$4.50 | From S$4.50 |
YouTrip’s Guide To The UK: Accommodations
Psst! Get an extra 7% off your bookings when you make full use of YouTrip Perks and check out with your YouTrip card. We’ve made sure to only include options that provide free cancellations!
From 19 to 25 October: Score a bonus of S$10 cashback on your next booking on top of existing YouTrip Perks offers at Booking.com, Agoda & Klook — just note that this promo is limited to the first 150 users, and applies to a minimum spend of S$200. Travel dates must be from 18 October to 31 Dec 2021.
(A) Budget
KIP Hotel
Photo credits: Agoda
Distance from City Center: 4.9km to Tower Bridge
Price: S$99 per night
No. of Reviews: 3.3k
Score: 8.4/10
Green Rooms
Photo credits: Agoda
Distance from City Center: 10.5km to Tower Bridge (20m to nearest public transportation)
Price: S$98 per night
No. of Reviews: 1.4k
Score: 7.9/10
(B) Moderate
Tower Suites by Blue Orchid
Photo credits: Agoda
Distance from City Center: 560m from Tower Bridge
Price: S$278 per night
No. of Reviews: 3.2k
Score: 9.1/10
St Paul Hotel
Photo credits: Agoda
Distance from City Center: 830m, 9.8km to Tower Bridge
Price: S$266 per night
No. of Reviews: 1.2k
Score: 8.9/10
(C) Luxury
Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel
Photo credits: Agoda
Distance from City Center: 2.9km to Tower Bridge
Price: S$449 per night
No. of Reviews: 19.6k
Score: 8.6/10
Kimpton Fitzroy London
Photo credits: Agoda
Distance from City Center: 4km from Tower Bridge
Price: S$512 per night
No. of Reviews: 2.2k
Score: 9.1/10
YouTrip’s Guide To The UK : Dining
As all savvy travellers do, we sought the help of our travel bible Tripadvisor to sieve out the best food recommendations and reviews to locate the ultimate belly-fillers for every budget.
(A) Budget
Choppaluna
Where: Saint Pancras, London
What: Healthy, sizeable portions of delicious food that caters to everyone — vegans included!
Price range: from S$6
No. of Reviews: 81
Score: 5/5
Find out more.
Goddards at Greenwich
Where: Greenwich, London
What: Comfort food in the form of traditional pie and mash!
Price range: from S$7
No. of Reviews: 1,369
Score: 4.5/5
Find out more.
Regency Cafe
Where: Pimlico, London
What: Another Travellers’ Choice 2021 for the perfect full English breakfast
Price range: from S$7
No. of Reviews: 1,432
Score: 4.5/5
Find out more.
(B) Moderate
My Tortellini
Where: O2 Centre, London
What: Travellers’ Choice 2021 for the best Italian food from Emilia Romagna
Price range: from S$19
No. of Reviews: 987
Score: 5/5
Find out more.
The Harp
Where: Covent Garden, London
What: Good ol’ bar grub, plus beers of all kinds!
Price range: from S$20
No. of Reviews: 541
Score: 4.5/5
Find out more.
Scandinavian Kitchen
Where: Fitzrovia, London
What: Quaint cafe with dang good veggie Swedish ‘meat’ balls
Price range: from S$18
No. of Reviews: 231
Score: 4.5/5
Find out more.
(C) Luxury
Flat Three Restaurant
Where: Holland Park Avenue, London
What: Korean and Japanese-inspired Contemporary Cuisine. Featured in the Michelin Guide.
Price range: from S$56
No. of Reviews: 200
Score: 5/5
Find out more.
Medlar
Where: Kings Road, London
What: Bustling ‘IT’ place, with European cuisine. Featured in the Michelin Guide, and a Travellers’ Choice for 2021.
Price range: from S$56
No. of Reviews: 1,001
Score: 4.5/5
Find out more.
Core by Clare Smyth
Where: Notting Hill, London
What: Personalised, perfected seasonal menus (3 Michelin stars)
Price range: from S$300
No. of Reviews: 877
Score: 5/5
Find out more.
YouTrip’s Guide To The UK : Entertainment
(A) Day Trips
Save yourself the hassle of renting a car, or fussing with public transport, by simply opting for one of these day tours!
Stonehenge and Bath
Photo credits: Tripadvisor
A trip to England wouldn’t be complete without spending at least a day in the English countryside. Expect to learn about the history of the two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in this 12-hour crash course, starting with the iconic Stonehenge and ending with the city of Bath (Roman baths included!). As expected, you might need to do quite a bit of walking so make sure to strap on a comfortable pair of shoes!
Admission: From S$134
Find out more here.
Cotswolds
Photo credits: Tripadvisor
Fans of Downton Abbey and solo-travelling, this one is for you. A perfect solution for days when you’re feeling a little bit more social is this small-group tour to Cotswolds. You’ll get to know more about the history of the region plus listen to a ton of interesting local stories (plus a spot in Bampton where the scenes were shot) — but you’ll also be given ample time to explore the charming village for yourself at your own pace.
Admission: From S$104
Find out more here.
Windsor Castle
Photo credits: Tripadvisor
You can’t quite leave England without paying a visit to a castle — in particular, Windsor Castle. Note this tour down as a fast and convenient solution to seeing the sights if you’re in a bit of a time crunch. With two hours of leisure time to walk around the Castle on your own (remember to grab the audio tour and headsets!), you’ll be able to check out the staterooms, chapel, and more vital locations! Just remember to pack some food along because you may not have time for lunch and might get quite peckish.
Admission: From S$121.50
Find out more here.
(B) City
Harry Potter Tour of Warner Bros. Studio
Photo credits: Tripadvisor
We had to mention this one. You can’t quite come to London without a peek at Platform 9 ¾ or a visit to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Take a stroll down Diagon Alley, pop by the Great Hall, and learn all about the special effects that brought your favourite book to life.
Admission: From £27 (~S$87.10)
Get your tickets here.
Borough Market
Photo credits: Tripadvisor
Before COVID-19 happened, Borough Market was a lively hub of workshops and events. While most of those activities have shifted online as of now, it is still a great spot to come by for a taste of the UK. Even though it was established back in 1756, the wholesale market has evolved with the times — with its current focus being sustainability.
Admission: Free
Open from 10am – 5pm.
Find out more here.
Watch A West End Musical
Photo credits: Tripadvisor
It’s one thing to have seen a musical at Marina Bay Sands, and another to watch a West End show in London. There’s a ton to choose from: Matilda, The Lion King, Wicked, The Book of Mormon — the list goes on!
Pro-tip: There are tips and tricks to getting cheaper theatre tickets in London. One common way is via the TKTS booth located in Leicester Square. There’s also the West End Lottery that takes place two to three hours before the performance — winners can purchase up to two tickets at a discounted rate.
Price: From £23.70 (~S$43.90)
Get your tickets here.
YouTrip’s Guide To The UK : Travel SIM cards
| 30 Days Plan | |
| Three | £40.90 (~S$75.70) |
| Orange | £26.90 (~S$49.90) |
| O2 | £20 (~S$37.10) |
| Giffgaff | £12 (~S$22.20) |
| Cellhire | £29.70 (~S$55.10) |
YouTrip’s Guide To The UK: Transport
(A) London Underground
Photo credits: BBC
There are essentially six travel zones and four ways to pay for rides onboard the tube. The latter consists of paper tickets, Oyster Cards, Travelcard and Contactless Credit Cards. Most opt for the Oyster Card, which you can choose to order in advance (there are additional discounts available for tourists!) and get it sent to your home. Alternatively, you could choose the 7-day Travelcard for traveller benefits.
How much you pay really depends on when you choose to ride the tube (i.e. peak periods). However, most end up visiting zones 1 and 2 which averages out to £2.90 per ride during the peak if you get the Oyster Card. Both Oyster and Travelcards can be used on all of London’s public transport — buses, water taxis and gondolas included!
Prices: from £2.40 (~S$4.50)
Find a comprehensive guide here.
(B) Rideshare Apps
For days when you’re in a bit of a hurry, treat yourself to any one of these private hire cars!
| Pricing | Fares | |
| Uber | Based on distance & duration | £2.50 base fare + £1.25/mile + £0.15/mile for Clean Air fee |
| Bolt | Based on distance & duration | £2.50 base fare + £1.28/mile |
| Ola | Based on distance & duration | £2.50 base fare + £1.25/mile |
| Green Tomato Cars | Based on distance & duration | £14.25/hour and £8/hour off-peak rate |
| Free Now | Fixed | £2.50 base fare + £1.25/mile |
Prices: from £10 (~S$18.50)
London Calling To The Faraway Towns
Now that you’re better acquainted with the entry requirements and average cost of accommodations, transport, and entertainment in the United Kingdom, it’s time to start planning your London getaway! As always, whenever you make your bookings or spend overseas, be sure to use your YouTrip card to skip out on those pesky bank fees!
If you don’t have a YouTrip card yet, use <BLOG5> during your sign-up to enjoy a free S$5 in your account!
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Stay safe, and happy travels!
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*All currency conversion rates are accurate to the nearest 10 cents on 13 Oct 2021 SGT 6:30 PM. Bank card prices are calculated based on 3.25% foreign currency transaction fee.
