Sheila

Has anyone used Evan Evans Tours in London and if so, what is your opinion? Also, are there any other good tour companies for visiting places outside of London that you can recommend. I would appreciate any help on first trip to London. Thanks

Marilyn Ham

We used Evan Evans last year for a tour from London to Stonehenge and Bath. It was well done, not too expensive, but like all tours you were on the bus and stopping at sites for a limited time. I like independent travel better, but since we were there and didn't want to drive it worked great. Our only problem was finding the "couch" station, but we made it. I made my reservations over the internet and paid there. It worked fine. Marilyn

elvira

We've taken the Mystery/Murder Bus tour of London many times, and enjoyed it. The guides have been actors, so are very animated and entertaining; each time, the tour was slightly different.

Sheila

To Marilyn: What do you mean by finding the "couch" station? Is there any time to look in shops in Bath? I was thinking about the Leeds and Canterbury tour. Has anyone taken that one with Evan Evans? Thanks

Miane

"Coach" station, coach is the british word for a more comfortable tour bus (vs. "bus" eg. city bus).

Carol

Sheila I guess you mean the Leeds Castle/Canterbury tour. Yes I have taken that one. At the time I enjoyed it but have since done it on my own, driving there, wow what a difference!! When I went with Evan Evans it was winter and we were taken to Leeds Castle which wasn't open to the public at the time, someone met us at the gate, opened up for us then met us at the castle and took us through (quickly). None of the other parts of the castle were open to us, eg. the dog collar museum or the grounds. I don't think we spent more than 45 minutes there. When I went on my own, I discovered that there is so much more to see and do there and could spend the best part of a day there. They took us to Canterbury, into the cathedral grounds, gave us a quick explanation, then told us we were on our own and to meet back at the gate in one hour. I would say that if you are really rushed for time the tour is worth taking, but you do miss an awful lot and if you can find a way to do it on your own it would be much better. I have driven there twice since taking the tour and really enjoyed it much more. It is also possible to take a train/bus combo on your own if you don't want to drive. http://www.hotelsandflights.com/london-daytrips.html <BR>Good luck, hope you have a great trip

s.fowler

We did the Evan Evans Stonehenge/Bath tour last March. Aside from the expected briefness of the stops it was fine. In Bath in order to go shopping you will need to rush through the museum at the baths. We had a nice lunch at Cafe Uno.. saw the cathedral and did some window shopping. It's not enough time... but as long as you know not to get stuck in the baths you can manage. <BR> <BR>As for finding the "couch" station WE just used a map to walk from Victoria Station to the bus statiom. After that we found things fairly well marked.

Cindy

Took the Jack the Ripper tour that Elvira described above. It was done professionally, and I felt we weren't rushed. I had major problems with the London Dungeons part of the tour, but just stay on the bus and skip that part and you'll be fine.

rob

Sep last year our travel agent gave us an Evans-Evans brochure for London and it outlined a myriad of tours all through England. We booked 2-3 before we left, and went on 5 tours (Leeds/Stratford on Avon/Warwick castle/Dover/London all day with a cruise + lunch on the Thames) in as many days and had a great time. The guides we had were superior, the prices were reasonable; and, staying at a B&B by Victoria Station put us 1/2 block from the bus terminal--NO cabs, etc required.

Sheila

To Rob: On the Evan Evans tour of London with river cruise, how much walking was involved and how much time was actually spent on the bus? Did they allow time to stop along the route for pictures, for example, Big Ben? I am going in June and I am trying to decide how is the best way to get an overall view of the city on the first day. After that, we can explore and go back to the places that we want to spend more time. Also what did you think of the Stratford trip with Evan Evans and did you see Ann Hathaway's Cottage? Was there any time to pick up souvniers in Stratford? I don't like to be rushed on tours but I do enjoy a guide in some places. Thanks for all the help from everyone so far. The London walks that I have read about so far sound very interesting. I am interested in the Beatles, ghost and Jack the Ripper walks as I will have two teenage boys along. They have also informed me that they are intersted in castles of any sort. Thanks again and any more help will be appreciated.

Cindy

Sheila, <BR> <BR>One more detail. We considered taking the Jack the Ripper walk with London Walks and rejected the idea. I searched this forum and also posted questions about it. The response was that the London Walks tour was excellent, but had become much too popular with crowds of 100 or more. You might search and see if you can bring these threads up. Good luck!

Alice

Would some of you responders mind posting the cost of some of the various tours you described? I would like to compare them with "doing it on your own". <BR> <BR>Thanks a bunch! Alice <BR>

s.fowler

The Evan Evans Stonehenge/Bath tour is currently listed at 46.50 pounds per adult person. [About $66. USD]Their website is: http://www.evanevans.co.uk/

Mark

Sheila, <BR> <BR>Our family took the Evan Evans Tour to Leeds Castle/Canterbury/Dover and we had a delightful time. As others have mentioned, your time at the various stops is limited and we would have stayed the whole day at Leeds Castle if it were possible. We took our tour in August and the weather cooperated nicely. Since it was our first trip to England, we thought the tour was the best way to get at least a small taste of the sites we visited. We paln to return some day and take a little more time and most likely plan our own tour schedule. But we were glad we went with the guided tour first. And we were quite pleased with the service of Evan Evans. <BR>Safe journeys! <BR> <BR>PS We stayed at the Grange Rochester on Vincent Suare, just a short walk from Victoria Coach Station and Evan Evans Offices on Vauxhall Road.