In our A total trip series, authors document what they spent on a recent trip. In this edition, Lonely Planet Senior Director, Breck Fletcher, shows us what he spent on a four-day trip to London to see Paul Mescale (on stage).
It’s a little confusing given how much I love to travel and how much money I spend on travel. If you think Lonely Planet fits the bill for any of that, think again. But I’m a carpe diem kind of guy, so even if a trip seems out of reach, I usually splurge and figure the money out later.
If you haven’t seen it common people Watched a great movie on Hulu. After the sun, then the following may not make sense to you. I flew from New York to London in April to see Paul Mescale. His limited run as Stanley Kowalski A Streetcar Named Desire. I Phoenix Theatre It got great reviews, and I wanted to see it and hear what an Irishman would do with a southern accent.
Three of my best friends were along for the ride. Because the play was at Covent Garden, and I had heard great things about it. NoMad London In this area, I used my American Express Platinum Card to book a room through their Fine Hotels & Resorts portal (5x Membership Rewards points), which earned me a $200 credit, a room upgrade, and two Got a free breakfast. (Also, if you want to know which travel credit is right for you, read this article.)
Pre-trip expenses
Hotel $1,311 (for one): Four nights Gypsy London. We loved it! Upon arrival, we received a complimentary distribution of champagne and fruit, a suite upgrade, and breakfast for two. The main restaurant is absolutely beautiful, and the breakfast was fantastic: omelets, fruit, granola, fresh pastries, you name it. The room is wonderful. The hotel has another adjoining restaurant with high ceilings and a bustling bar, a chic lobby/living area with plush seating and fully-stocked bookcases. There they serve light bites, coffee and drinks and to cap it off (or down), they have an underground speakeasy with a menu of specialty cocktails and a DJ.
Total: $1,311
on the ground
Thursday
transporting: Upon arrival at Heathrow Airport in London, I purchased a ticket for the Paddington Express for $30. Turns out it was significantly more expensive and no faster than taking the new Elizabeth line, which I did on my way back. I moved from Paddington to Tottenham Court Road.
Dinner: the taste A lively Spanish restaurant. Our four-top ordered a lot of food, but it was all delicious, especially the croquettes. The vermouth cocktails were fantastic. It came to me $80.
Total: $113
Friday
transporting: Approximately 40 minutes and one transfer from Covent Garden to Highgate ($3.75 on the tube). This tube station, of course, has elevators, but this pighead from New York decided to use the stairs. Did you all know that this particular staircase is narrow, circular and consists of 193 steps? Because I didn’t.
Lunch: We had delicious fish and chips along with a few other dishes Flask, Highgate. We also indulged in beer, wine and dessert ($75).
Then it was time for another pint ($7). It was eaten in the leafy, sunny courtyard of the Gatehouse in Highgate.
Cocktail: On Savoy HotelWhere I enjoyed a $32 Cocktails (I know that’s a crazy amount to spend on a single cocktail, but the view is divine, we were ready for our evening at the theater, and we skipped dinner because we had Highgate I had a late lunch, there.)
Theater: On the main show (which is why we were in London) – A Streetcar Named Desire. at the Phoenix Theater ($101 for a ticket – purchased weeks in advance). Paul Mescale was absolutely magnetic. His performance was more Brando than Colum, very animalistic and intense and sweaty. The staging was high-concept, and the mostly British (not Paul!) displayed their best New Orleans, Louisiana accents. However, Meskel played it without the drawl – spaced it out a bit, which worked for me. To be honest, I paid too much attention to it. Also: Can you eat and drink in London theatres? It would never fly in NYC. And the tickets were much cheaper. London theater scene FTW!
Total: $130.75 (+ pre-purchased theater ticket @ $101) = $231.75
Saturday
Breakfast $23: For a mince per ado and a cappuccino Dishom, a cute Bombay-style cafe that has become a household name in London since its inception in 2010. We dined at the original location in Covent Garden.
Activity: Next was iced coffee. ($4.50) On Notes On St. Martin’s Lane, which I sipped to St. James’s Park. The sun was shining and the flowers were blooming. We walked the length of the park, literally stopped to smell the flowers, saw people feeding the birds (illegal!) and wandered all the way to Buckingham Palace before wandering around Mayfair. 20,000 steps!
Snacks: Negronis and nibbles ($60) in the absolutely divine (and yes, sunny!) courtyard of The American Bar at the Stafford Hotel. The courtyard is lined with carriage houses — formerly stables — converted into hotel rooms.
Total: $87.50
Sunday
Activity: Started the day by watching. Exhibition of Hilma Af Klint and Piet Mondrian ($25 At the Tate Modern. The exposure was exceptional. We also browsed some of the permanent collections. There is also a cute cafe outside along the Thames Way, so we sat there to people watch, before and after.
Dinner: But our last meal Jacuzzi Super Chi-Chi in Kensington – where the room was a show in itself. And as for the food on this trip, it was a steal at double the price. They had lots of nice touches, including a fish-shaped water pitcher. We had garlicky focaccia, a margarita pizza like Napoli and lots of negronis. It came to me $64.
Total: $89
Airport Transportation: I learned my lesson and took the Elizabeth Line ($7) to Heathrow instead of the Paddington Express, and I’ll be doing it that way from now on.
Final count (for one): Housing ($1,311) + Land Expenses ($528.25) = $1,839.25
Notes
We don’t usually include airfare in our calculations because prices vary depending on your departure point, but if you’re curious, here’s my round trip from New York’s JFK Airport to London’s Heathrow Airport The flight was $869. I booked two months ago.
Price vs. Cost
London has something for every budget, but if you’re staying in a posh hotel, want to eat out, it’s going to cost you. You can easily do a much shorter version of this trip by staying in an Airbnb and taking a fancy outing. It was definitely a lot to spend on a four day trip, but to me it was worth every penny.