Happier Abroad Forum Community

Hello. I was wondering if anyone here have experience with getting good prices on flights and what some good strategies are in order to make sure one doesn't get ripped off. I was looking at doing a short trip to London for a weekend this autumn and wondered if the 700 USD after taxes/fees prices I currently see are considered normal for travelling from the northeastern US or if that's too much. Would doing the trip during the week be a big difference in October or November or not? Also, as a first-time visitor to the UK and first-time flyer, what should I expect after landing? I shouldn't have any checked luggage, just my backpack which is carry-on.

Thanks very much, travel veterans.

Just go on lots of airfare comparison sites and do fare searches. Just keep doing fare searches on as many sites as possible. After a while, you'll find the lowest price you can get.

You can also do those sites we mentioned before where you get tickets that are unsold at the last minute.

From my experience in the UK, be prepared to be asked a lot of (inane) questions regarding your trip, its purpose, duration, your itinerary, etc. I've heard stories of people being denied entry for smarting off to the border agent so just be cool- you may get asked my seemingly irrelevant questions. If you fly from North America you are more likely to land in Gatwick which is a nicer airport than god-awful Heathrow, but I don't believe it's connected to the subway as Heathrow is.

The next most important thing is to remember to LOOK RIGHT before crossing the street. I knew I guy from my university who had lived in the UK for several years and actually used to work for a mortuary there. He told me stories of people from other countries who got slammed the very first time they tried to cross the street...literally within an hour of arriving in the country.

icarus wrote:From my experience in the UK, be prepared to be asked a lot of (inane) questions regarding your trip, its purpose, duration, your itinerary, etc. I've heard stories of people being denied entry for smarting off to the border agent so just be cool- you may get asked my seemingly irrelevant questions. If you fly from North America you are more likely to land in Gatwick which is a nicer airport than god-awful Heathrow, but I don't believe it's connected to the subway as Heathrow is.

The next most important thing is to remember to LOOK RIGHT before crossing the street. I knew I guy from my university who had lived in the UK for several years and actually used to work for a mortuary there. He told me stories of people from other countries who got slammed the very first time they tried to cross the street...literally within an hour of arriving in the country.

Thanks for the heads-up. If anything I'll be more nervous than wanting to try crack JOKES to them government agents. Also, about how much money is usually considered right for a few days there that won't raise any red flags, and how is it best represented (I don't want to get turned away due to insufficient funds based off some arbitrary number, and I also don't want to get turned away for forgetting to have written proof of funds if that's required? Would paying for as much of the trip as is possible ahead of time (eg booking hotel rooms, buying rail passes/tour pass, etc) be better with security or does it matter?

BTW, many flights from my area (the north-east) go to either Gatwick or Heathrow. Does one airport cause less trouble w/ visitors than the other or are they basically the same?

icarus wrote:From my experience in the UK, be prepared to be asked a lot of (inane) questions regarding your trip, its purpose, duration, your itinerary, etc. I've heard stories of people being denied entry for smarting off to the border agent so just be cool- you may get asked my seemingly irrelevant questions. If you fly from North America you are more likely to land in Gatwick which is a nicer airport than god-awful Heathrow, but I don't believe it's connected to the subway as Heathrow is.

The next most important thing is to remember to LOOK RIGHT before crossing the street. I knew I guy from my university who had lived in the UK for several years and actually used to work for a mortuary there. He told me stories of people from other countries who got slammed the very first time they tried to cross the street...literally within an hour of arriving in the country.

W: Everyone looks both ways before crossing any street, even a one way street. Don't you mean to look right before crossing an intersection?

Vinstonas wrote:

icarus wrote:From my experience in the UK, be prepared to be asked a lot of (inane) questions regarding your trip, its purpose, duration, your itinerary, etc. I've heard stories of people being denied entry for smarting off to the border agent so just be cool- you may get asked my seemingly irrelevant questions. If you fly from North America you are more likely to land in Gatwick which is a nicer airport than god-awful Heathrow, but I don't believe it's connected to the subway as Heathrow is.

The next most important thing is to remember to LOOK RIGHT before crossing the street. I knew I guy from my university who had lived in the UK for several years and actually used to work for a mortuary there. He told me stories of people from other countries who got slammed the very first time they tried to cross the street...literally within an hour of arriving in the country.

W: Everyone looks both ways before crossing any street, even a one way street. Don't you mean to look right before crossing an intersection?

I should have clarified. I meant to look right FIRST- then left. The order is key.

icarus wrote:

Vinstonas wrote:

icarus wrote:From my experience in the UK, be prepared to be asked a lot of (inane) questions regarding your trip, its purpose, duration, your itinerary, etc. I've heard stories of people being denied entry for smarting off to the border agent so just be cool- you may get asked my seemingly irrelevant questions. If you fly from North America you are more likely to land in Gatwick which is a nicer airport than god-awful Heathrow, but I don't believe it's connected to the subway as Heathrow is.

The next most important thing is to remember to LOOK RIGHT before crossing the street. I knew I guy from my university who had lived in the UK for several years and actually used to work for a mortuary there. He told me stories of people from other countries who got slammed the very first time they tried to cross the street...literally within an hour of arriving in the country.

W: Everyone looks both ways before crossing any street, even a one way street. Don't you mean to look right before crossing an intersection?

I should have clarified. I meant to look right FIRST- then left. The order is key.

doesn't the UK have one-way streets as well as two-way? Or are they all set up so that traffic always comes at you from the right?