{"id":4074,"date":"2013-04-01T06:07:17","date_gmt":"2013-04-01T12:07:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldwanderlusting.com\/?p=4074"},"modified":"2014-04-14T12:39:41","modified_gmt":"2014-04-14T18:39:41","slug":"tour-of-great-britain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldwanderlusting.com\/?p=4074","title":{"rendered":"Free Hotel Hopping on a Tour of Great Britain"},"content":{"rendered":"

Don’t forget to like us on Facebook<\/a> and follow us on Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I was amazed to hear that one of our most diligent wanderlusting fans was surprised to learn of the incredible “Buy one free night – get one free night” deal that Club Carlson generously bestows on holders of its already generous rewards points card.<\/p>\n

So, let’s get it out there [megaphone voice] “Attention everyone: Club Carlson Premier Visa<\/a>\u00a0Cardholders get the last night of their stay free. \u00a0What that means is that if you book one night (with the 97k points you’ll have including the 85k bonus and the 5x points you get while meeting the $2500 spending requirement) you’ll get the second night free!!!”<\/p>\n

I know that even if I yelled it til I were blue in the face, it wouldn’t quite connect until you were able to see how it would work for you when making vacation plans. \u00a0We’ve done this already with our post about a Florida Family Vacation<\/a>, but let’s go big this time… I’m taking you to the motherland. England.<\/p>\n

Flights to England<\/h2>\n

Our favorite “free-way” to Europe right now is the American AAdvantage shoulder season rate of 40k AA points for a RT flight from the US<\/a>. \u00a0You can generally get these flights in April and October… times fewer people travel, but those are amazingly gorgeous times to be in England. \u00a0You can get 40k AA points with the Citi AA cards<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Another option would be United, but even at the best points-rate, you’ll need to cough up 60k miles. \u00a0If you already have Chase Ultimate Rewards, you can transfer them to United.<\/p>\n

Delta will also cost you at least 60k. \u00a0If you just need to top off your account, you can get 30k with the Gold Delta Skymiles Card.<\/p>\n

No matter how you do it, you’ll likely arrive in London in the early morning. You could also do this tour from Manchester(MAN) or Birmingham(BHX) if those flights happen to work better. We’ll assume you start and finish in London, which makes it a little easier.<\/p>\n

Renting a Car<\/h2>\n

You can rent a car for 10 days in England for less than $250. \u00a0Many of our trips are centered around renting a car because we love the freedom it allows you to go at your own pace and discover things on your own. \u00a0Book with Autoslash.com or Expedia and keep checking back for better rates as you get closer. \u00a0Most car reservations don’t even require a credit card and thus are totally risk-free.<\/p>\n

Yes, you will be driving on the left side of the road. \u00a0Isn’t that exciting? That’s part of what makes this such a fun adventure. The other part will be attempting to spend an entire day talking to your travel companion in a British accent. \u00a0You need simple joys like this because with a few exceptions, the food in England is bland.<\/p>\n

\"Britain<\/a>Tour of Great Britain<\/h2>\n
\"What

Bargate, part of the historic Southampton city wall (Photo credit: Wikipedia)<\/p><\/div>\n

Arriving in London early, you step inside your fuel-efficient rental car and hit the road. You’re headed for Southampton, which, among other historic notes, was the port from which the Titanic departed, where you’ll at least want to see:<\/p>\n