Affordable England
Saturday, October 25th, 2008“Affordable England” has been almost unthinkable in the past few years, with the pound at $2.00 at the start of 2008 (when we were in England), but on Friday the pound was below $1.60, making England more affordable to American tourists.
The high for the pound was $2.11 in November 2007. On August 1 2008 the pound was at $1.97, then there was a steep dropoff to $1.75 by September 11 and $1.59 on Friday October 24.
Here are some sample prices.
- Our vacation rental cost £340 per week (large 2bed/2bath house with garden, including all utilities and broadband) - $680/week last January and $544/week now - a savings of $136/week.
- A Cream Tea (tea/coffee, two scones, clotted cream, jam) cost £4.00 (at The Kitchen, Minchinhampton) - $8.00 (per person!!) last January and $6.40 now.
- Lunch at a pub was about £25.00 for the two of us (Fish and Chips, a veggie bake, two half pints at The Tunnel Inn, Coates) - $50.00 in January and $40.00 now.
- A Tall Americano at Starbucks was £1.75 - $3.50 in January and $2.80 now. Yes, they have Starbucks in England :)
- A “Saver Return” train ticket from Stroud to London cost £39.00 (off-peak hours, return) - $78.00 last January and $62.40 now (still worth driving to Oxford where the price is £19.00, the trains run frequently and you can use a network discount card).
- We experienced the $100 tank of gas last January. Diesel was £1.15/liter - $2.30/liter (about $9.20/gallon). Diesel costs £1.07/liter now (according to What Gas) - $1.71/liter (about $6.84/gallon). Since our midsize car got very good mileage - over 40 miles per gallon - and at home our old gas guzzler gets 16mpg, gas did not seem expensive.
