Thread: London help

Bill, is right, you have to try the Fish and Chips at least once from an English pub. The ones in England are totally different from the ones in the US. Come to think of it, the variety from pub to pub was quite striking (3 pubs, 3 total different flavors).

If you are daring there is a carbonated beverage called lemonade. It is similar to Sprite but more lemon and no lime flavor. It is also a lot lighter and far less sweet. I loved it.

You've got it Neal. London is so very special. However, we absolutely loved our time in Dover this year and the weather was superb.

Originally Posted by TheREALSirMartin

And York ..... would be at the top of my list

If I remember rightly you turned down an invitation to lunch last time you were this way Can I take it that you might accept next time?

Originally Posted by nealberk

But London is, well, London (sigh)!

Why do you think I worked there for a couple of years? It is a very appealing place for a young lad But there are a lot of other places that are far better in this country.

Originally Posted by pnhmrk

Why do you think I worked there for a couple of years? It is a very appealing place for a young lad But there are a lot of other places that are far better in this country.

Engerlund has a lot of fantastic places to visit, but our original poster was interested in London specifically.

Malcolm, what sage advice can you give to Jackie about London?

I just finished my first trip to London and Europe this past summer and so I understand the newbie factor.

1. Heathrow - you can get from the airport either by subway (the tube as they call it) or the Heathrow Express Train. I'd choose the later as its a nice comfortable ride and if you can afford it I'd say travel first class. The Heathrow Express travels to Paddington Station. From there you can subway or taxi wherever you are going. Unfortunately I am NOT familiar with the City Inn so not really sure if there is a better route to take but I am sure others with help you out. I stayed near Kensington Palace so the taxi ride to Paddington was short and inexpensive.

2. I understand there is a train to the port in Harwich so I think training it is best. Unfortunately I am unfamiliar with Harwich as I went to Southampton. So hopefully others can help on this one.

3. Must sees in London? Well we stayed in London for 5 days and saw: The Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, The Royal Albert Hall, the British Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum and still didn't get to see everything we wanted. Reality check: London is big and you go with the knowledge you can't see everything but hopefully with the knowledge you'll be going back. He he he! We are as we're returning in October 2008. But still do any of the above and you should be happy. They are all in the core of the city which runs from the original City to Kensingston at the furthest point west. All are easily accessible from each other by tube so getting a 3 day transit pass before you leave home is probably the best way to get around the city. If you have the money and love theatre I also recommend seeing something in the West End. Can you guess that we absolutely fell in love with London!

Warning! London and the UK is expensive for most of us North Americans. However, go with that knowledge and enjoy. Don't let it get to you or you'll not do anything and miss out on a wonderful cultural experience.

David

I have always loved Central London. I stayed at the Comfort Inn Knightsbridge, Comfort Inn, Heathrow, and at the Park Inn Heathrow, which is across the street from Heathrow Airport, near Term. 3. We used the tube from Heathrow to Central London, then to Knightsbridge. We took the Hoppa Shuttle bus to the Comfort Inn Heathrow hotel, for 3 pounds each way in 2004.

Transportation from London Heathrow Airport

London Heathrow Airport

Transport From Heathrow to London & Beyond

To and From the Airport.com - London Heathrow Airport.

Paddington Heathrow Connect Train - Timetable & Prices

Europe trains fares and schedules, European rail tickets

To get train schedules, you have to check within 60 days of your travel.

Some of the sightseeing things have already been mentioned, but I enjoyed the Changing of the Guard, walking to Buckingham Palace, the Parliament, Prime Minister's Office at #10 Downing St, a cruise on the River Thames, a visit to Harrod's in Knightsbridge, Tower of London, Tour of the Tower Bridge, and the City Tour on the hop on hop off bus.

Guide for London Destinations - Map Search : VisitBritain

Transportation to Harwich:

cruise : VisitBritain

London Heathrow Airport Transportation London Heathrow Airport Chauffeur

CruiseDrive.com - From Cruise Ship to Airport - The Southern UK and London Region! - Southampton Docks Transfers and Pickups

Hope those links are helpful.

Originally Posted by Char

our original poster was interested in London specifically.

I've never disputed that. My response was to Bill G when he said that he'd been there twice and there were still things left to do. I pointed out that there are years of things to do in London, but not to forget that there is more to England than just London. I wouldn't advise anyone to do more than London on a first trip but, if it comes to a third or fourth, I would suggest trips into the rest of the country

I live in London, so transport (rather than tourism) is my speciality here....

You can get from Heathrow to central London by:
(i) Tube (£4-ish) multiple stops, to South Kensington and then a short cab journey
(ii) Heathrow Express (currently £14.50), 15 minutes to Paddington and then get a cab or a tube and a cab (though getting a tube here defeats the object of not getting it in the first place!).
(iii) National Express coach to Victoria (£4). Takes 50 mins to an hour, then a very short cab journey. Even if the traffic gets clogged up, you will still be on a comfy coach with air conditioning... something to consider over the Tube if you are here in summer and it is hot.

One thing to remember about the Tube (London Underground) is that access to most platforms involves some stairs. There are plenty of escalators for most of the ups and downs, but you are likely to meet stairs at some point. If you look at Home | Transport for London they will have various maps that you can look at. The Tube map will show some stations with a wheelchair symbol - these offer platform access with no stairs (e.g. they have lifts) - unfortunately, these stations are rarely the ones you want them to be. One of these days I will count the stairs at the major stations (whilst hubby carries my bags!) and write a practical guide book to the Tube.

I cannot recommend strongly enough getting an Oyster card if you are stopping for a few days and plan to make use of London Transport - again, look at the London Transport site for more info. They are not complicated to use, particulary if you are just travelling within central London - just watch what other people do with their card, and off you go.

You get to Harwich by train from Liverpool Street Station. There are direct trains, and they often run extra services to co-incide with cruise departures. It takes about an hour and 25 minutes and (at the moment) costs £23 single for an adult after 9.30am. Group discounts are available if there are 4 or more of you travelling together (e.g. 4 travel for the price of 2). National Rail Enquiries - Official source for rail information, UK train times and timetables for more details.

To get from your hotel to Liverpool Street, you can either get a cab, or get the circle line on the Tube (the yellow line).

As for what to do.... it depends if you like art (walk along the Southbank, take in the Tate Modern then cross the Millennium footbridge to St Pauls), theatre, museums (I love the Victoria and Albert museum - the fish slice collection is something to see), shopping (Harrods foodhall, Oxford Street - but go early), monuments & houses... (don't forget Buckingham Palace). A bus tour is easy on the feet, and going up something is always recommended for a good view of the diverse architecture - as is the boat tour. Finally, pop into a food store eg. Tesco / Marks and Spencers, grab some food for a picnic and take in one of the parks. Maybe walk from Piccadilly Circus (lights) down towards Green Park (perhaps book tea at the Ritz) pop into Fortnum and Masons foodhall (for a window shop) before heading through the park to Buckingham Palace before walking back up the Mall to Trafalgar Square then head down to Westminster to the Houses of Parliament, making sure that you pass Horseguards en route ... Is that enough walking for you????

J.

Thank you TG What a detailed description of available transportation. Fruworthy post