Business: On the Road

Expense account living

Planning a business trip to England? Better pack a suitcase full of traveler's checks. This year London has become the world's most expensive city for an executive to visit, nosing out such traditional high-roller havens as Paris and Tokyo. Two days in the shadow of Big Ben—with first-class wining and dining all the way—now cost a princely $1,093, excluding airfare, according to a new survey of 30 cities by Business International, a New York consulting firm.

London leads the world in pricy hotel rooms, typically $192, but not in everything. A three-course dinner for four at a leading Paris restaurant...