Travel to London

[pam]

My dream since I was a little girl has been to visit London and some of the surrounding area. I've set a goal to go (hopefully) next year. I know it's terribly expensive to visit there.

For those of you that live in that area and for those of you that have visited in the last 5 years, I'm looking for tips.

Where's the best place to stay to make it centralized to the tourist places. What's the transportation there like and how difficult to get around. What's the best places to go see?

I want to know everything. My brother is there right now with his wife but his checkbook is about 100X bigger than mine so I can't really use him as a gauge for things.

I honestly don't know if it will ever become a reality..but a girl can dream right?

Oh..and does anyone want to go with me? :)

Edited July 10, 2011 by pam

[ChooseTheSun]

You might think about taking a formal bus tour for your first trip. The guides are pros at efficiently getting you to the sights, arranging food/lodging, and you'll know the cost before you go. You'll surely see more on a structured tour compared with winging it in a new foreign country, trying to figure out public transportation....

My family lived in England for years -- it's a beautiful country with much to see! Have fun when you finally go :)

[applepansy]

Many of the high school here in Utah take a group of Seniors on a cultural tour or Europe. Maybe one of the teachers who organize these trips for the kids would be a helpful resource???

[lizzy16]

If you went along as a chaperone for a tour group at a high school it could be cheaper to go :)

And, i'd love to go with you...in like 5 years haha. I'm actually saving up for a trip around europe right now.

[classylady]

I haven't been over to London for years, but I have traveled to Europe numerous times within the past 10 years. (Wonderful to have free flight benefits). I love "Rick Steves" travel books. He gives great advice on places to stay, how to get around, places to eat, approximate prices, etc. His books are my "bible" when I travel. Because I don't use a travel agent, and I find all my hotels, car rentals, train passes, etc. by myself, I have found his books invaluable. I've also found the internet site "EuroCheapo" for hotels helpful. I travel on a really strict budget and it can be done. To save money, I'll often shop in grocery stores over there for bread and make my own sandwiches etc. I've also used the Lonely Planet, Frommers, and Michelin guide books to name a few. Rick Steves is still my favorite.

If I had the finances I'd travel with you. Right now, we're struggling without me working.

[FunkyTown]

London is a beautiful, busy and expensive place. Public transit is brilliant and you'll never be more than a block or two from what you want to see. That said, travelling across Europe can be super cheap.

Depending on how adventurous you are, you could stay in a backpackers hostel. Usually used by university srudents, they are perfect for budget travel where you want to go.

[pam]

If you went along as a chaperone for a tour group at a high school it could be cheaper to go :)

And, i'd love to go with you...in like 5 years haha. I'm actually saving up for a trip around europe right now.

Uhh no thanks on the chaperone job.

[Jamie123]

I think one of the best hotel chains in the UK is Travelodge. My father-in-law (who's American) used it last year when he came to visit us, and he liked it very much. There are planty of them in easy reach (by train) of Central London.

The trains and buses in London are excellent, but you can't beat doing an open-topped bus tour and a river tour. There are also the duck tours which are fun - they use old WWII amphibious landing craft, which go through the streets and on the river. (Trouble is they tend to get booked up very quickly!)

[Bini]

We were there less than a month ago for about a month. Here is what we did and what worked for us..

London is a hustle and bustle location. There's a lot to see and take in, and you'll want to see and take in all that you can. However, it's very expensive to spend a day touring London. So mapping out where you want to go and what you want to do is vital. I've lived in the UK so doing all the touristy-tours has never been a big deal to me BUT my husband has never been there. So this most recent trip we made an effort to do the "touristy thing".

First, here's some heads-up on a couple things.. The fastest and most efficient way to get around London and surrounding areas is using the tube. It's not glamourous and it does get crowded. But your destination is never more than a couple to ten minutes away, which otherwise, could easily be half an hour to an hours walk on foot. We spent two days using the tube and hit all the major sightseeing destinations within London (in a matter of 10 minutes or less). Our first day in London, we decided to see London Tower and London Bridge. Both are fascinating sights and the boardwalk (so to speak) is a beautiful view overlooking the water etc etc. There's plenty to do once you've stood in front of and snapped a few photos of the tower and the bridge, like shopping and restaurants. There's also an old War War II battleship museum that sits right there in the harbour that you can checkout if you so desire. If you're into musicals/broadway type stuff, go to Picadilly and hit one of the shows that are playing. We recommend matinee showings as they're much cheaper but depending on the time of year you go etc, these shows get filled up QUICKLY! But you'll have the option to purchase months a head or right at the door. You can find discounts EVERYWHERE to these shows, so don't feel like you're stuck with one price, look around a bit. We saw the Phantom Of The Opera and it was fabulous! This has probably been the third or fourth time I've seen it. I've also heard fantastic reviews on Lion King, Wicked Witch (I think it was) and We Will Rock You. Ask the local people what they think about each show but don't bother trying to get reviews from the ticket sellers (they are NOT allowed to share opinions regarding shows).

Also, toilets are very difficult to find in London. It's not like the United States where you can walk into just about anywhere and do your business. I was 6 months pregnant and had to pee A LOT so it was really uncomfortable for me trekking about 99% of the time, haha. But places where you'll always find public restrooms are at the tube station and at any of the local parks. I warn you, however, they are very unclean and very busy. Typically you'll stand in line for a while before you get the chance to.. relieve yourself. Also, this last trip we were in London, there was a lot of construction going on and many of the public restrooms were in fact SHUT DOWN and out of order.. So in which case, buying an Italian ice-cream or drink from a restuarant is sometimes your only hope in using the bathroom (as they don't like tourists from off the streets using their private facility's restrooms—understandable!).

If you'd rather not use the tube system (which you should try at least once cos it's a real neat experience), you certainly can take a bus or taxi. I personally would say forget the taxis cos they're not nearly as cool as they were 10 years ago.. The taxi cabs used to be very traditional looking etc etc but in recent years look like regular cabbies you find here in the US. So other than snapping a shot, I wouldn't pay the money to sit in one.. The tour buses however are still decent choices for sightseeing around London. The double-deckers are a lot of fun but be warned, it rains a lot over there so being prepared with an umbrella is important! The tour buses will drop you off at any of the tourist attractions you're interested in. So if you're afraid to venture out on your own, this is definitely an option where you won't get lost and you're with others that are also new to the area. I confess, the tube system may be a bit overwhelming to foreigners.

When you buy stuff, remember that their pound has a lot more value than our dollar :] When you see something for £4 it's really more like $8 US dollars.. So keep that in mind when you're buying stuff.. even little knickknacks..

Umm.. If I think of some more stuff I'll post it. I should share some of my vacation pictures on here of what we did. May be of some interest to you.

[Mahone]

When you buy stuff, remember that their pound has a lot more value than our dollar :] When you see something for £4 it's really more like $8 US dollars.. So keep that in mind when you're buying stuff.. even little knickknacks..

As we're talking finances, bear in mind that all prices in the UK are inclusive of tax. I've visited the USA multiple times over the last year and the lack of this catches me out every time, so I'm assuming having it vice versa will have the same effect

[Jamie123]

As we're talking finances, bear in mind that all prices in the UK are inclusive of tax. I've visited the USA multiple times over the last year and the lack of this catches me out every time, so I'm assuming having it vice versa will have the same effect

Or rather the opposite effect :)

I always get caught out by the "exclusive of VAT" every time we go to Cosco!

[O2BNSD]

My dream since I was a little girl has been to visit London and some of the surrounding area. I've set a goal to go (hopefully) next year. I know it's terribly expensive to visit there.

For those of you that live in that area and for those of you that have visited in the last 5 years, I'm looking for tips.

Where's the best place to stay to make it centralized to the tourist places. What's the transportation there like and how difficult to get around. What's the best places to go see?

I want to know everything. My brother is there right now with his wife but his checkbook is about 100X bigger than mine so I can't really use him as a gauge for things.

I honestly don't know if it will ever become a reality..but a girl can dream right?

Oh..and does anyone want to go with me? :)

Oh Pam, you would love this trip...I go to the UK every year, usually around Sept/Oct, but I tend to spend most of my time in Scotland (it's my heritage) & I love, love, loooooove it there, in fact, I almost didn't come home last year!! Getting around is quite easy, the tubes can take you just about any where, the signage for them is very good, clear & easy to figure out. I recommend getting the Oyster Card which you can fill up with any amount of funds to use for your tube fares (you can use your credit or debit card for this). I don't recommend the taxis as they are more expensive, I only use them to get me back to Heathrow for my flight out. You may want to check out the train system & the different packages that they offer where you can do daily day trips out & about, thereby seeing more & more of England (or even Scotland, if you choose). People are very helpful over there, if you are standing on the steet perusing your map, someone will stop & ask if they can help you, it's great! Now as far as the money exchange goes, it is almost double ours, the best advice that I was given is to only exchange a small amount to be used for incidentals that a credit card would not be accepted for, such as tips, etc. Using your credit or debit card is better as it will do the exchange according to the current exchange rate of the day, plus there is no exchange rate service fee. As far as hotels, well, since I travel so much I build up lots of Hilton points which I then use for my various stays over there (there are more Hiltons than Marriotts or Hyatts over there), but I've also stayed at some incredible Hostels over there. I recommend the Hostels that are more geared to the older crowd rather than the younger, party type crowd. And the bestest advice is to get the current travel books from Barnes & Noble for either Great Britain or the individual ones for specific UK areas. They are invaluable!! Heck, if you're game to go to Scotland next year instead of England, drop me a note as I'm always looking for additional travel companions.

Deborah

[mrmarklin]

I have been to London several times and highly recommend the Tube as a means of transport. There is a pass called the "oyster" card that allows as much travel as you want within specified time periods.

You're right, London is not cheap, but it's better than when I was there last with the $ 2:1 vs the pound.

I personally like to stay in Kensington near a Tube stop for a suburban feel, and if you look online, there can be some reasonable prices (all relative). You will also be close the Hyde Park, Kensington Palace the V&A museum (free BTW) and many other sights.

One can stay in London for a month, and not see everything so if you want to get out of town and not go to the expense of renting a car etc then I would recommend some sort of bus tour which can be arranged through your hotel. If you want to be more independant, trains are a good alteernative.

One of the highlights of my trips there is a "tour" called London Walks where one just shows up an an appropriate Tube station and goes on a walking tour for a couple of hours with a host that is an expert on the City. Last time I was there these were 7 pounds each, a bargain for all the knowledge you can get. There are many tours to choose from. Try London Walks "first and best of the walking tour firms" Fodors

Get one of Rick Steve's guides for advice on going "cheap". His tastes don't really coincide with mine, but it's a good place to start.

edit: Harrod's is also in Kensington!

Edited July 13, 2011 by mrmarklin

[pam]

My brother got to go to the British Open there yesterday. He's loving it. Tonight on to Ireland for him. Must be so nice.

[Bini]

My brother got to go to the British Open there yesterday. He's loving it. Tonight on to Ireland for him. Must be so nice.

Once you land in London Heathrow, you can pretty much travel anywhere from there.. Of course, checkout the beauty Isle of Great Britian first but the surrounding countries are so easy to navigate to. Ireland is a beautiful place, I much prefer it to France.

There are cheaper ways to afford a trip to Europe. You can purchase your tickets and reserve hotels months in advance. Certain times of the year etc can play a part in when prices are more bearable and when they're rocket-high. Google online to see when are ideal times to travel. Something to keep in mind.. I think the Europeans get out of school in August.. sometime around there.. And a lot of them will vacation in the UK. So certain tourist areas will be CROWDED with massive groups of school children. Another way to save money, go on a group trip with some friends or maybe someone in your ward? You can find group discounts for certain activities abroad and it helps break up the cost of traveling etc.

[mrmarklin]

One other thought:

It's cheapest to go in the winter, and England is relatively mild. The very heavy snows the last year or so are very unusual. My first trip was at the end of January, and aside from being somewhat cold, was very pleasant.

[Nelly]

The UK is really expensive. You'll come broke. (Like I did when I went there broke and came back even more broke than before). London is even more expensive compared to everywhere else .

London is pretty, I recommend you to take a bus, or the underground tunnel. -Someone- made me walk all over London, who knows how much I have walked? The London eye, Buckingham palace, Big Ben, etc are all in the same place. So it's more reasonable to walk around that area.

I recommend Summer, like pre summer or beginning of the year, depending if you like it cold! I'm not use to it! I left 86 degrees Florida weather for 25 degrees weather over there! So wasn't expecting that.

Oh Pam, maybe you can come visit me and James? Maybe then we can have tea with the Queen .