Experience with The Total London Experience Tour?
Jul 8th, 2008, 07:53 AM
#1
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Experience with The Total London Experience Tour?
Anyone gone on this tour? The cost is about $156 US, I'm interested to see if this is a good value. It is a ten hour day! Would this be too much surface sightseeing, and not much time on content?
Jul 8th, 2008, 12:55 PM
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Jul 8th, 2008, 11:22 PM
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It's not clear whether your entries are included in the price or not. With that lot, the entry fees are going to be about the same (nearly) as they are charging, so even allowing for the fact that they'll get group rates, they aren't making much profit. Which suggests to me that actually some if not all of those fees are not included.
In which case, very bad value.
Even if they are included, it doesn't sound like a great tour to me. Drive around looking out a coach window for the start - then visit to Covent Garden to visit a pub, which is easily accessible for free (you'd have to buy your own lunch there anyway). You'd pay money for this?
The other places are easy to get to and go in by yourself, you don't need a tour. I'm also a bit dubious about their 'exclusive' claims. I.e. the Household Cavalry museum describes itself as : About us
The Household Cavalry Museum is a living museum about real people doing a real job in a real place.
You can see troopers working with horses in the original 18th century stables and hear first hand accounts of their rigorous and demanding training.
The experience comes alive with compelling personal stories, interactive displays and stunning rare objects – many on public display for the first time.
So you can get to meet a trooper anyway even if you just go on your own.
It's also packing a lot of sites into one day. Do you really want to spend so little time at each place? The Tower alone can take a good half day to do it properly.
In which case, very bad value.
Even if they are included, it doesn't sound like a great tour to me. Drive around looking out a coach window for the start - then visit to Covent Garden to visit a pub, which is easily accessible for free (you'd have to buy your own lunch there anyway). You'd pay money for this?
The other places are easy to get to and go in by yourself, you don't need a tour. I'm also a bit dubious about their 'exclusive' claims. I.e. the Household Cavalry museum describes itself as : About us
The Household Cavalry Museum is a living museum about real people doing a real job in a real place.
You can see troopers working with horses in the original 18th century stables and hear first hand accounts of their rigorous and demanding training.
The experience comes alive with compelling personal stories, interactive displays and stunning rare objects – many on public display for the first time.
So you can get to meet a trooper anyway even if you just go on your own.
It's also packing a lot of sites into one day. Do you really want to spend so little time at each place? The Tower alone can take a good half day to do it properly.
Jul 9th, 2008, 10:14 AM
#5
Your link didn't work, but I'm assuming this is the Grayline tour of the same name. There are many agents/brokers that sell tickets to this tour.
The cost on the Grayline site is $153 so my guess the extra $3 is a booking fee.
Per Grayline here are inclusions/exclusions:
INCLUSIONS:
Admissions: Tower of London, St Paul’s Cathedral, Thames River Cruise & Flight on the London Eye
Hotel or Pickup Point Transfer
EXCLUSIONS:
Return Hotel Transfer
Food & Beverages
Optional Gratuities
Everything else except the Cavalry Museum is a "drive-by".
BUT - the afternoon portion includes 1) A walking tour of Covent Garden, 2) driving through the City of London to "see" the Bank of England and the Mansion House, 3) St Paul’s Cathedral, 4) The Tower of London & Crown Jewels, 5) a boat trip, and 6) the Eye
"This tour will finish at London Eye around 7pm." It looks like you'll have a total of 6 hours for the walking tour/St Paul's/the Tower/boat trip/the Eye, and travel in between all of the above. This is nuts.
For two people that is more than $300 and it will be a rushed blur. How long will you be in London?? Unless just a day or two, you don't have to cram everything into one day
The cost on the Grayline site is $153 so my guess the extra $3 is a booking fee.
Per Grayline here are inclusions/exclusions:
INCLUSIONS:
Admissions: Tower of London, St Paul’s Cathedral, Thames River Cruise & Flight on the London Eye
Hotel or Pickup Point Transfer
EXCLUSIONS:
Return Hotel Transfer
Food & Beverages
Optional Gratuities
Everything else except the Cavalry Museum is a "drive-by".
BUT - the afternoon portion includes 1) A walking tour of Covent Garden, 2) driving through the City of London to "see" the Bank of England and the Mansion House, 3) St Paul’s Cathedral, 4) The Tower of London & Crown Jewels, 5) a boat trip, and 6) the Eye
"This tour will finish at London Eye around 7pm." It looks like you'll have a total of 6 hours for the walking tour/St Paul's/the Tower/boat trip/the Eye, and travel in between all of the above. This is nuts.
For two people that is more than $300 and it will be a rushed blur. How long will you be in London?? Unless just a day or two, you don't have to cram everything into one day
