A trip across the Atlantic doesn’t have to blow your budget. A week in New York or LA can easily run past £1,000 per person once you factor in flights, hotels, food and phone charges. But most of that cost is avoidable if you plan ahead.
The good news is that flights, hotels, food and mobile data all have cheaper alternatives if you know where to look. Here’s how to keep your costs down without missing out.
Book Smart Flights and Skip the Pricey Hotels
Getting to the US will take up the biggest chunk of your budget, so it’s the area where you’ll find the biggest savings too. Rather than defaulting to Heathrow, check fares from Gatwick, where budget long-haul carriers like Norse Atlantic Airways fly direct to New York and Orlando on Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
If you’re wondering how to avoid roaming charges and inflated airfares at the same time, flexibility is the answer, and it starts with your departure day. Flying midweek will often be cheaper than weekend departures. Expedia’s 2026 Air Hacks report found that Friday is the cheapest day to depart internationally, at around 8% less than Sunday, while Tuesday is the cheapest for US domestic flights at 14% less. The day you book matters far less than the day you actually fly.
Once you land, staying right in the centre of Manhattan or downtown LA will cost a fortune. You’ll get much better value in areas like Long Island City in Queens or Williamsburg in Brooklyn, both of which are one or two subway stops from central Manhattan. You’ll pay significantly less per night and get a better sense of what local life actually looks like.
Cut the Cost of US Mobile Data
Phone charges are one of the easiest costs to lose track of. The major UK networks charge steep daily fees for using your phone in America. EE’s daily roaming pass for the US costs £5 a day, or £25 for a 7-day pass, while Vodafone charges between £6 and £8 a day depending on when you signed up, as the US falls in its Zone C pricing band. Over a 10-day trip, that’s £60 to £78 from one phone alone.
Phone charges are one of the easiest costs to lose track of. The major UK networks charge steep daily fees for using your phone in America. EE’s daily roaming pass costs £5, while Vodafone charges between £6 and £8 depending on your plan. Over a 10-day trip, that’s £50 to £80 from one phone alone.
You’ve got a few options. Buying a US eSIM before departure will give you a local data plan at a fraction of UK roaming prices, and you’ll keep your UK number active on your physical SIM for calls and bank verification codes.
If you’d rather stick with one SIM, providers like Lebara offer US roaming add-ons from just £5 for 8 days, which is still far cheaper than what the big networks charge per day. Either way, sort it before you fly so you can use maps, message home and look up restaurants without a nasty bill waiting when you get back.
Eat Well Without Overspending
Dining out in American cities is expensive, especially once you add local taxes and tips. To keep food costs down, eat your main meal at lunch. Many restaurants in New York and LA run fixed-price lunch menus that are significantly cheaper than their dinner service. Food trucks, diners and pizza slice shops are another easy win, and in cities like New York they’re often better than the sit-down restaurants anyway.
Tipping catches a lot of UK visitors off guard. Standard tips at sit-down restaurants run between 15% and 20% of the pre-tax bill, with 20% now the expected baseline for good service. Always check the receipt before adding a tip, as some restaurants, particularly in tourist-heavy areas, add an automatic service charge to your bill. Paying twice for service is an expensive mistake.
Get Around Without Relying on Taxis
Taxis and ride-hailing apps will drain your daily budget fast, especially in LA. In New York, the subway is genuinely the quickest way to get around. The OMNY system caps your weekly spending at $35 (about £28). Just tap your contactless bank card or phone at the turnstile and after 12 rides, the rest of that week is free. In LA, Metro fares are capped at $5 a day or $18 a week, and the system now accepts contactless credit and debit cards at fare gates too.
Beyond transport, free entertainment is everywhere if you look. In New York, the Brooklyn Museum operates on a pay-what-you-wish basis, the Staten Island Ferry gives you free views of the Statue of Liberty, and the High Line is one of the best walks in the city. Walking tours, public parks and free museum evenings will often give you a better experience than the expensive ticketed attractions.
Spend Less Getting There, More While You’re There
A US city break from London doesn’t need to be a budget disaster. The savings are in the details: choosing the right departure day, sorting your phone before you leave, and knowing how local transport works before you arrive.
Those small decisions will free up cash for the things that actually make a trip memorable. Start comparing prices early, set up your phone plan in advance, and you’ll land in America knowing your money is going further.
