Spend Less In Britain This Summer

There's a 95 percent chance Senior Editor Christine Sarkis is thinking about travel right now. Follow her on Instagram @postcartography and Twitter @ChristineSarkis.

Christine Sarkis is an SATW-award-winning journalist and executive editor at SmarterTravel. Her stories have also appeared on USA Today, Conde Nast Traveler, Huffington Post, and Business Insider. Her advice has been featured in dozens of print and online publications including The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and People magazine. She has also shared travel tips on television and radio shows including Good Morning America, Marketplace, and Here & Now. Her work has been published in the anthologies Spain from a Backpack and The Best Women's Travel Writing 2008. She is currently working on a travel memoir.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: The Trtl Pillow. It's easy to pack and comfortable, and makes it so I can actually sleep on flights.

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: Seeing the Aurora Borealis from the comfort of somewhere warm, like a glass igloo or hot spring.

Travel Motto: Curiosity is an amazing compass.

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: Aisle all the way.

Email Christine Sarkis at [email protected].

See recent posts by Christine Sarkis

The exchange rate isn’t as good as it was for Americans visiting Britain early this spring, but there are still ways to save on a summer or fall trip to the U.K. this year. VisitBritain and Virgin Atlantic have teamed up for the Get more Britain for your buck promotion, which offers hotel packages and discounts on attractions, plus the latest airfare deals from Virgin Atlantic.

Two things about this deal caught my eye. First, VisitBritain doesn’t usually promote discounts this loudly, and second, a major summer promotion for U.K. travel is rare. Usually, the demand is high enough that providers can pretty much charge what they please. For these reasons, and because the site is full of activity ideas, it’s worth a look if you’re planning a vacation to the British Isles this summer.

Concerned about the exchange rate I mentioned above? Here’s the scoop: Back in March 2008, the exchange rate was pretty terrible for Americans. We had to shell out $2 for every British pound. But a year later, the pound had plunged a staggering 25 percent to about $1.40 per pound. As predicted, the pound has been rebounding slowly, and is currently at about $1.64 (check XE.com for the most current exchange rate). So while it still offers Americans more for their money than in previous years, it’s not the jaw-dropping deal is was a few short months ago.

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.