If you haven’t been to London I would recommend it as a frugal destination. It may not be known as one, but I visited last month and that was what I came away feeling. Let me tell you more.
Flights
You are able to get to London from $335 roundtrip which is pretty incredible as it often costs that much to fly domestically. There are also ways to get there on points, but if you go through Heathrow it often has a lot of taxes and fees which means unless you want to fly business class then looking for a great cash price may be the better choice.
Transportation
Getting around London is pretty easy. I used Uber, bus, and subway. The subway can get you close to anything but the prices add up and it can be crowded and hot inside. I preferred riding the bus as it was often a double decker and had nice views going around. The city roads are quite narrow and wind about. I also walked at least 5 miles a day which is good enough to get you between a lot of the attractions.
Attractions
Most museums are free with an optional donation. This allows you to see stuff from all over such as the Rosetta Stone in the British Museum, modern art in Tate Modern, double-horned narwhals in the Natural History Museum, and much more. Of course, there is also stuff you could pay for like going to the top of building or on the London Eye.
Food
Food seemed reasonably priced, but a bit more than I pay for something in Austin.
Hotels
If you don’t need a nice place to stay in the center of town, you can find a place for $100 a night.
Conclusion
This trip is just a suggestion. I wouldn’t consider it a very exotic destination as it is a big city and English speaking. However, it does have lots of history and once had a world-spanning empire.