How to get to London without breaking the bank

It’s no surprise that most South Africans choose to start their European adventure in London. After all, the English capital is arguably one of the best cities in the world. But while a direct flight to London might be great in terms of kicking your trip off in style, it might not be the best option as far as your bank balance is concerned. Perhaps it’s time to think outside the box when it comes to making those travel plans…

A good place to start is here, on Cheapflights.co.za. We search through thousands of websites to bring you the best available prices for flights, as well as hotel and car hire. Nifty, huh? You can also check out these tips on how to get to London without breaking the bank. You never know, a little bit of flexibility could save you loads of money.

Fly from Joburg

Regardless of where you live in South Africa, take a look at flight prices from Johannesburg. More airlines fly to London from Joburg than Cape Town, so you’ll have more options to pick from – including lots of indirect, cheaper flights. You can often find very good value fares via places like Dubai and Abu Dhabi. And, as a bonus, you can tick off a whole other continent on your way to Europe.

Book a flight to another European city

If you can’t find a cheap flight to London, it might be better to fly to another European city and go from there. Why not look at places such as Paris, Amsterdam, Milan and Barcelona, and stay a few days before connecting to your final destination with a budget airline like EasyJet or Ryanair? If you’re tight for time and want to catch your connecting flight straight away, Amsterdam is a good option as it’s relatively small and the budget airlines fly from the same terminal as the main long-haul carriers.

Choose your dates wisely

Flight prices will vary depending on the time of year, and even the day of the week. It’s usually cheaper to fly during the middle of the week rather than the weekend, and flights that take off during anti-social hours are usually better value too (just remember to set your alarm clock). It goes without saying that you should try to avoid any major holidays such as Christmas, New Year and the school summer holidays (for both South Africa and England) as well. Instead, time your visit for spring or autumn. The unpredictable weather means flights are less popular at these times.

Travel light

Although budget airlines in South Africa don’t charge for hold luggage, most European ones do. So if you need to catch a connecting flight, it’s worth thinking about travelling with hand luggage only. Not only will you save a bit of cash, you’ll also save time by not having to wait around for your bags when you land. Win-win.

Save on public transport

You found a cheap flight to London, but how are you going to get from the airport to the city centre without paying over the odds? Whatever airport you’ll be flying to and from, there’ll always be multiple options, but not all of these options are created equal. Generally, the easyBus service is the cheapest mode of transport from any London airport, with tickets costing as little as £2 each way (if booked in advance). The service runs every 15-20 minutes and it takes up to an hour to get to Central London (depending on traffic). The best part is, if your plane is delayed or arrives early, the ticket can be used on the next available bus or up to 90 minutes before or after the booked time. If you want to travel in by train, you can save by booking in advance – you’ll be able to find information on where to book your tickets on the various airport websites.

Ready to plan that trip? Search for flights to London on Cheapflights.co.za…