Money Matters – How much to take and how to take it to London & the UK

Money matters when you are travelling. Cause did you know, the heaviest baggage for a traveller is an empty purse?  Therefore, try and save as much money as possible for your trip to London and the UK. The more you have the more freedom and choice you have to do and see things. So how much money should you take and how should you take it?

How much money to take to London for your working holiday

But how much money do you need? To apply for your working holiday visa you need to show you have the equivalent of £1890 (about $4000) in your bank account. You will need this amount to prove you can support yourself during your initial stay until you find work and somewhere permanent to live.

As well as having the equivalent of £1890 before you even set off you need to cover the following items:

1. Airline ticket  $………….
2. Travel Insurance  $………….. (check out our Travel Insurance blog)
3. Youth Hostel membership $……………..
4. 1-2 weeks short-term accommodation for your arrival   $…………….
5. Transportation in and around the country (countries) $…………..
6. Passport $………….
7. Visa/s $…………….
8. Vaccinations $………………
9. Backpack $…………….. (check out our Packing blog)
10. Other items (sleeping bag, shoes, travel guides, etc.)
    _______________ $……………
    _______________ $……………
    _______________ $……………
    _______________ $……………
    _______________ $……………

On arrival in London (or other cities in the UK) you need to budget for:

1. Transport from the airport/seaport to your accommodation  $………….
2. Meals x 3  $…………………
3. Sightseeing (entrance fees)  $…………………
4. Longer term accommodation  $…………………
5. Spending money  $………………….
6. Other items
   _______________ $……………
   _______________ $……………
   _______________ $……………
   _______________ $……………
   _______________ $……………

How to take your money to London

In decades gone past travellers cheques were the way to carry your money. Today’s travellers carry their money in a number of ways including having a combination of cash, debit and credit cards. Most can easily access their bank account by the Internet or by their banking app. Pop in to a branch of your current bank and see what they suggest.

What to carry your money in

There are different options of wallets and purses to carry your money in. When travelling having a travel wallet that will house your money, credit cards and identification such as your passport all in the one place is ideal. I suggest having a travel wallet such as the one pictured below but shop around to see what you like and what suits you. I never leave home on my travels without the one pictured. You can purchase one here.

All in all I highly suggest you take as much money with you to London that you can because as I said, the more money you have available to you the more you can see and do. And that is the main reason why you want to travel!