London as a Launching Pad

I had the pleasure of living in London for six months. The city taught me a lot about life outside the U.S. and helped shape who I am as a traveler today. And it also proved to be an excellent place to start planning future trips.

With its convenient location and affordable prices, you can do some world-class exploring without breaking the bank! London actually offers the perfect launching pad for travelers who want to visit other countries in Europe.

If you are wondering how to get the most out of your stay, then you’ve come to the right place! Using London as a jumping-off point you have access to cheap travel to any number of countries: Greece, France, Italy, Egypt, Portugal, and Morocco just to name a few. 

Want to see Vienna? If you were in London in July, you could get a round-trip ticket for $24 on RyanAir.

Prefer the coast of Croatia? A round-trip ticket to Zadar for the same peak season summer dates is $55.

The access and affordability you gain from being in London is amazing and something many in the U.S. are not used to.

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Use this guide to show you how to get the most out of this fantastic city.

1. Step one is to grab a long-term rental from either AirBnB or Vrbo. Rates can be found from just under $1,000 for a private room to right around $3,000 for an entire apartment for the month. Very affordable considering how much hotel rooms can go for each night in the city.
2. Look at flights. Use Skyscanner to determine the most affordable destination from London during your stay. Use the London (Any)feature in the “From” box and the Everywhere feature in the “To” box and set your dates. You will get a list organized by price of every possible destination from London.
3. Click on the destination of your choice and play around with the rates and dates to get the most affordable price. After all you’ll be in London for a while! You’re flexible!
4. Book your mini-trips around Europe knowing that the bulk of your luggage can stay in your London flat. You just need to bring an Economy class friendly carry-on.
5. Don’t want to book hotels for that mini-trip? Consider the train for a day trip! Check out Eurostar’s website for day trips to Paris, Lille, or Brussels. Tickets are most affordable when planning far in advance.
6. Before you purchase, double-check that you got the best price by looking at Trainline.com. This site allows you to compare cheap prices across multiple European train and bus providers.
7. Consider taking a ferry. You can take a ferry from England to Ireland, Spain, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Take a look at FerrySavers.com to find the best rates from the UK. Travel can be cheaper if going mid-week.

Thinking about London as a launching pad and more than just a destination is exciting. Europe has so many cities just waiting to meet you!

We hope you’ve found this post informative and helpful. If you have any questions about affordable travel in Europe, please don’t hesitate to drop us a note! And if you want more tips on how to enjoy your trips abroad without breaking the bank, be sure to check out the weekly subscription to the Travel Goals Newsletter!

Do you have any advice on affordable family travel across Europe? We’d love it if you’d leave a comment below!