London trip budget: a three-night planning worksheet

What this example includes

The example assumes a room at GBP 190 per night, food at GBP 45 per person per day, local transport at GBP 15 per person per day, and activities at GBP 40 per person per day. These are editable planning allowances chosen to demonstrate the arithmetic. They are not researched average prices, guaranteed rates, or an offer. Obtain quotes for your dates before treating the result as a spending target.

The calculation

Three room nights cost GBP 570. Six person-days of food cost GBP 270; local transport adds GBP 90; activities add GBP 240. The example subtotal is GBP 1170 for two adults. A discretionary 15% contingency is GBP 175.50, bringing the illustrative total to GBP 1345.50. The contingency is a planning choice, not a prediction.

Important exclusions

Flights, airport transfers, insurance, visas or travel authorizations, shopping, and currency conversion charges are excluded. Accommodation taxes, deposits, breakfast, and booking fees are not separately assumed; add any amounts excluded from your actual room quote. An extra arrival meal or departure day also needs a separate allowance. Children, solo travel, and multiple rooms change the arithmetic.

Where to adjust first

Replace accommodation with a real total-stay quote before refining small daily costs. Next, price your must-do attractions directly and remove the generic activity allowance for those days to avoid double counting. Check transport products against your actual routes rather than buying a pass automatically. Keep at least one flexible low-spend period instead of reserving an activity in every available gap.

Use the calculator below

Change the nightly room cost and daily per-person allowances to match your quotes. The calculator holds occupancy at two adults and duration at three nights and three sightseeing days so its assumptions remain clear. It shows a subtotal and optional contingency but does not add the excluded items. Save your confirmed prices separately and recheck cancellation conditions before paying.

Separate paid landmarks from the rest of the day

Price the Tower or Abbey if either is a priority, and check the current admission arrangements for your chosen museums or exhibitions. A pass should be compared only against the tickets you would otherwise purchase. Our separate pass guide explains why adding unwanted attractions can make a theoretical saving misleading.

Check the airport and payment method

Price the route from your actual airport separately; the local daily allowance is not a quote for every London rail service. Confirm your card’s foreign-currency fees with its issuer. TfL advises keeping the same card or device throughout each journey. Keep your worksheet in GBP and convert the final total with an explicit exchange-rate assumption rather than mixing currencies line by line.

Official sources and booking checks

Use these direct sources to confirm current arrangements. Routes and comparisons above are Talooki’s planning suggestions; budget allowances are illustrative.

• Visit London: first visit (opens a new tab)
• Transport for London fares (opens a new tab)
• Tower of London visitor information (opens a new tab)
• TfL: paying the right fare (opens a new tab)

Recheck opening calendars, entry requirements, accessibility, prices, and cancellation terms for your dates. Tell us about a correction.

Continue planning London

• ItineraryThree days in London: landmarks, neighborhoods, and breathing room →
• Where to stayWhere to stay in London: South Bank, Bloomsbury, or Paddington? →
• Activity comparisonThames sightseeing cruise or a riverside walk? →
• Activity comparisonTower of London or Westminster Abbey: choosing one paid visit →
• Activity comparisonIs a London sightseeing pass worth it? →
• Advance bookingLondon attractions: what to book before your trip →