How many days did you spend in the Southern UK?

We spent 11 days, from June 8 to June 19, 2018, visiting London, Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon, Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Portsmouth.

How much does an 11-day UK trip cost for a family?

For our family of four, 11 days in England and Wales cost 1,601.51 GBP (about 2,133 USD at 2018 rates), or 36.40 GBP (about 48 USD) per person per day.

How did you get around Southern England?

We rented a car to travel between cities, and used the London Underground with Oyster cards to get around the capital.

Where did you stay in the UK?

We stayed in 3 different Airbnbs for 8 nights and in 2 hotels for 3 nights, including a Marriott in Portsmouth.

What are London's free museums?

Many of London's major museums, including the Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum, are free to visit.

Southern UK Itinerary: 5 Charming Places & Budget Tips

Looking for an itinerary through the Southern UK? Over 11 days we drove from London to Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon, Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Portsmouth, taking in the Seven Sisters cliffs and the village of Arundel along the way. Here is what we saw, how we got around, and what it cost our family of four.

England is dear to my heart: I lived there during part of my studies, and it was in Portsmouth that I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Applied Physics. Returning after 17 years with my family was both joyful and nostalgic — revisiting familiar places through the eyes of a more seasoned traveler, and discovering new corners of a country I thought I already knew well.

Our Favorite Places in Southern England and Wales

The Natural History Museum of London

Without a doubt, the biggest wow-factor of our whole UK trip was the central hall of the Natural History Museum of London. The building is an architectural masterpiece inside and out, and the blue whale skeleton suspended in the central hall left a lasting impression on us.

Natural History Museum Main Hall, London — Natural History Museum Main Hall

The Victoria and Albert Museum

We had no real expectations going in, but among the 6 museums we visited in the English capital (the British Museum, the Natural History Museum, the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum), the Victoria and Albert Museum turned out to be our absolute favorite. With its huge exhibition halls and countless artifacts of every size and age, our two boys were endlessly fascinated and didn’t want to leave!

Victoria and Albert Museum, London — Victoria and Albert Museum

Oxford University

The world’s most prestigious universities are living museums, carrying a country’s cultural history while shaping its future. We added Oxford University to our list of campus universities visited — along with Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Princeton, Columbus, MIT and the Sorbonne — and recommend a stop in Oxford to anyone touring England. Harry Potter fans will recognize a few familiar sights too.

The Seven Sisters Cliffs

Normandy has the chalk cliffs of Étretat. On the other side of the Channel, England has nothing to envy in its French neighbor with the Seven Sisters cliffs of Sussex. The best view of these beautiful cliffs is from Seaford, where we parked the car for an unforgettable walk down to the beach — our boys had never seen so many shells per square centimeter!

Seven Sisters Cliffs, Seaford — Seven Sisters Cliffs

Arundel

Have you ever been driving down a winding country road when, rounding a corner, you suddenly discover an enchanting place you never even knew existed? That’s exactly what happened to us when we came across the village of Arundel on our way from Portsmouth to Brighton. Arundel is a charming village with an imposing castle and a remarkable church overlooking an exceptional panorama. Walking through the village felt like being transported back in time.

Planning an 11-Day Trip Through Southern England and Wales

Itinerary

We spent the first 4 days in the beautiful and eccentric city of London. From there we hit the road to Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s birth town, with a stop-off in Oxford to visit the prestigious university. We then headed west to visit Bath and Bristol, and stayed in Cardiff in Wales for 2 nights. We made a detour to the famous Neolithic site of Stonehenge, with an obligatory stop-off in Portsmouth in the south of England. We also discovered the beautiful medieval village of Arundel and the breath-taking white cliffs of the Seven Sisters, before taking a well-deserved rest in London for 3 days.

Getting Around

We rented a car to get from town to town. Thanks to our American Express Platinum credit card, we got a free vehicle upgrade with Hertz and ended up with a little SUV, a Vauxhall Mokka. Driving on the right took some getting used to, but I adapted quickly.

2026 update: Amex Platinum cardholders must now re-enroll for their complimentary Hertz status benefit through a new enrollment process — do it by December 31, 2026, or Hertz may remove the discount from your profile (source).

In London, we parked the car to get the Tube, as it is a much quicker and more practical way to get around. We took two Oyster cards which helped us save transport costs and which we could top-up when needed using a credit card. The kids travelled free in our company.

2026 update: Oyster cards are still valid, but for most visitors a contactless card or phone now offers the same fares and daily caps, with no card fee and no deposit to reclaim (source).

Accommodation

We stayed in 3 different Airbnbs for 8 nights, where we were able to do our washing, and also 3 nights in 2 different hotels. We enjoyed the benefits of our Marriott Gold Elite status (now Marriott Bonvoy) at the Marriott in Portsmouth, where we received VIP treatment with a free breakfast buffet which would have cost 16.50 GBP (21.97 USD) per person.

We didn’t spend a single penny on activities, as the various museums in the capital were free to visit. We gave change to street performers, but as Mateo and Luka’s favorite activity was finding coins on the floor, we managed to collect a small fortune for extra purchases!

Food

No offense to the Brits, but the culinary specialties and grocery-store choices in the UK are a bit lacking compared to other countries. Still, there was no way we’d miss the famous fish and chips — we had it 4 times, since once wasn’t enough!

In London, we often ate in Asian restaurants. Classic!

How Much Does an 11-Day UK Trip Cost?

All in all, our trip through England, with our excursion to Wales, cost us:

1,601.51 GBP (2,132.57 USD)
145.59 GBP (193.87 USD) per day
36.40 GBP (48.47 USD) per person per day.

Amounts were paid in pounds sterling. US-dollar equivalents use the average exchange rate during our trip (June 8 – June 19, 2018): 1 USD = 0.75 GBP.

In detail:

Expense Category	Amount Spent
Flights	143.64 GBP / 191.27 USD
Accomodation	645.49 GBP / 859.54 USD
Transport (including gas)	375.04 GBP / 499.40 USD
Eating out	248.66 GBP / 331.12 USD
Groceries	188.68 GBP / 251.25 USD
Total	1,601.51 GBP / 2,132.57 USD

Conclusion

We loved our stay in the United Kingdom and we would love to return there one day, more specifically to visit the northern regions of England, as well as Scotland and Ireland. England and Wales were the second and third countries visited as part of our world tour.

See you in France!