In this post, I discuss how I was able to travel cheap to the British Islands for a little over $120 GBP for flight, accommodation, and transportation.
Note that this post doesn’t cover some of the more popular destinations in the United Kingdom like Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Instead, this post discusses the small islands to the South of England that belong to England. Why? Because it’s an off the beaten path place to visit that’s totally worth it.
I always start with the big 3 expenses in traveling. To travel for cheap, you’ll need to save on Flights, Accommodation, and Transportation. The better deal you’re able to find for all 3, the more money you’ll be able to save.
Flights: 121 GBP
The easiest way to get to the British Islands is by airplane through either London Gatswick or London Heathrow Airport. Note that the two airports are almost an hour apart so be sure you know which airport you booked your flight from!
The airport to fly into is Guernsey (GCI). Flights are quite cheap. In this case, my schedule was not flexible since it was part of my round the world trip so I paid a bit more.
Flights to and out of Guernsey is more prone to getting delayed or even rescheduled for the next day since weather conditions vary quite a bit on little islands.
Accommodation:
Again, I had the luxury of staying with people I knew. But hey, when you travel you take whatever you can get!
Hotels and Airbnbs are available but are reasonable relative to the rest of the U.K. Europe in general is not super cheap unless you head East (Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, etc).
Also, I wouldn’t suggest staying too long as you can see a lot of the Islands in 1-2 days.
Transportation:
There are buses at the main island on Guernsey. But driving is most convenient. Even then, roads are extremely narrow so be prepared if you’re going to rent a car.
If you’re island hopping, ferries are not expensive but be prepared to have enough time to visit each island.
Every island is different but beautiful to see.
Things to Do:
Aside from visiting some of the nearby islands, the main town is where you’ll find restaurants, stores, and a nice historical castle.
A really cool thing to do is just walking out onto a pier that takes you right into the ocean. It’s an interesting experience to be inside the ocean on land.
Some hikes and attraction points may take some planning to get there but it’s worthwhile to see.
You don’t want to leave without trying some of the best scones and tea!
The British Islands is truly an off the beaten path gem you’ll want to see. It’s beautiful and there’s plenty of culture and things to do while you’re there.
Lastly, if you need a local contact or have any specific questions, I’m always happy to help.
Where are some of your tips for traveling to the British Islands?
