How Much Will It Actually Cost?

The most common question British travellers ask about America: "How much do I need?" The honest answer: it depends enormously on where you go, how you travel, and what you do. New York in August costs roughly double what Arizona in March costs.

Budget hero

This guide gives you realistic, current prices based on first-hand experience — not wishful thinking. We'll show budget, mid-range, and comfortable scenarios so you can plan for your actual holiday, not someone else's.

Budget Breakdown by Category

Flights (Return)

RouteBudgetMid-RangePremium Economy
London → New York£350-450£500-650£800-1,200
London → Los Angeles£400-550£600-750£900-1,400
London → Miami£400-500£550-700£850-1,200
Regional UK → US East Coast£400-600£600-800£1,000-1,500

Save money: Book 6-10 weeks out. Fly midweek (Tue-Thu). Try Norse Atlantic from Gatwick for budget fares. Use Google Flights for price alerts.

Accommodation (Per Night)

TypeBudgetMid-RangeUpscale
Hostel / budget hotel£40-80——
Standard hotel (3-star)—£100-180—
Boutique / 4-star hotel——£200-400
Airbnb (per room/studio)£50-100£80-150£150-300
Motel (road trip)£40-70£60-100—
Campground£15-25——

Key insight: US hotels charge per room, not per person. Two people sharing a room halves the per-person cost. This makes mid-range hotels excellent value for couples or mates.

Food (Per Day)

CategoryBudgetMid-RangeComfortable
Breakfast£0 (hotel) – £5£5-10£10-15
Lunch£5-10£10-15£15-25
Dinner£10-20£20-35£35-60
Snacks/drinks£5-10£10-15£15-25
Daily total£20-45£45-75£75-125

Save money: American portions are enormous. A lunch portion often works as dinner. Supermarkets (Trader Joe's, Walmart, Target) sell excellent pre-made meals for £3-8. Fast food is genuinely good — In-N-Out, Chick-fil-A, Shake Shack are all under £8 for a meal.

Transport

MethodCost
Car rental (per day)£25-50
Petrol/gas (per tank)£25-35
Uber (typical city ride)£5-15
Subway day (NYC/Chicago)£3-8
Domestic flight (one-way)£50-200
Amtrak train (city-to-city)£30-120

Activities

ActivityTypical Cost
National park entry (per vehicle)£25-30
Museum (major city)£15-30 (many are free)
Theme park (Disney/Universal)£80-130
Broadway/show ticket£50-150
Guided tour (half-day)£30-60
Sports event ticket£15-80
Helicopter/scenic flight£150-400

Sample Trip Budgets

7 Nights in New York City

ItemBudgetMid-RangeComfortable
Flights (return)£400£550£900
Hotel (7 nights)£560£1,050£1,750
Food (7 days)£210£525£875
Transport£60£100£150
Activities£80£200£400
Total£1,310£2,425£4,075

10-Day California Road Trip

ItemBudgetMid-RangeComfortable
Flights to LA (return)£450£600£1,000
Car rental (10 days)£300£400£500
Fuel£100£120£120
Accommodation (10 nights)£500£1,000£2,000
Food (10 days)£250£500£900
Activities£100£300£600
Total£1,700£2,920£5,120

14-Day Multi-City (NYC + Vegas + LA)

ItemBudgetMid-RangeComfortable
International flights£500£650£1,100
Domestic flights (2)£150£200£300
Hotels (14 nights)£840£1,680£3,500
Food (14 days)£420£840£1,400
Transport (local)£150£250£400
Activities£200£500£1,000
Total£2,260£4,120£7,700
Miles are cheap. Attention is not — pick a corridor and stay on it.
Miles are cheap. Attention is not — pick a corridor and stay on it.

Money-Saving Tips

  1. Use a fee-free card. Starling, Monzo, Chase UK, or Revolut. No foreign transaction fees. Real Mastercard/Visa exchange rates. This saves 3-5% on every purchase compared to a standard UK bank card.
  2. Eat lunch, not dinner. Many upscale restaurants offer lunch menus at 40-50% less than dinner. Same food, same quality, lower price.
  3. Free museums exist. The Smithsonian in Washington DC (20+ museums, ALL free), the Getty in LA (free), many NYC museums have free evenings.
  4. Hotel parking kills your budget. In cities, choose hotels without cars and use Uber/public transport. Hotel parking in NYC or SF is £30-50/night.
  5. Supermarket breakfasts. A box of cereal, milk, and fruit from Walmart costs £6 and covers 4-5 breakfasts. Hotel breakfast buffets cost £10-20/day.
  6. Buy the America the Beautiful Pass (£64/year) if visiting 2+ national parks. Pays for itself immediately.
  7. Happy hour is real. Most American bars and restaurants have happy hour (usually 4-7pm) with discounted drinks and appetizers. Half-price cocktails are common.

Tipping Guide

This is non-negotiable in America. Workers in service industries rely on tips — base pay is often below minimum wage.

ServiceExpected Tip
Restaurant (sit-down)18-20% of the total bill
Bar (per drink)$1-2 per drink
Taxi/Uber15-20%
Hotel bellhop$2-5 per bag
Hotel housekeeping$2-5 per night
Hairdresser / spa15-20%
Tour guide15-20%
Valet parking$2-5 when car returned
Coffee shop (counter service)Optional, $1 or round up

At restaurants: The tip is added on top of the pre-tax total. A £40 dinner becomes £47-48 after tip. Do not skip this — it's how the system works in America.

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