London and nearby suggestions

Old Apr 16th, 2015, 05:26 AM
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London and nearby suggestions

Staying with a friend for two weeks in England, and I'm on a big budget. I know were visiting London, any suggestions on what to see and do? Any other near by places that we should visit? THANKS!
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Old Apr 16th, 2015, 06:29 AM
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Which month, it affects what is best to do?
How many people? Just you 2 or more?
What do you like to do, flower gardens, castles, silver, skydiving, needle crafts, kayaking, mountain climbing, monkey sanctuary visiting, arts-&-crafts, armour, story telling, Harry Potter, Thomas Hardy, etc...

It is a big city with loads to do nearby.
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Old Apr 16th, 2015, 06:51 AM
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no one can answer w/ some of the info bilboburgler asks . . . and WHERE does your friend live? England is a big place.
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Old Apr 16th, 2015, 09:16 AM
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>

Seriously? You're asking what there is to do in LONDON? As if there are not dozens of travel books, ton(ne)s of websites, numerous web pages (hey look: there are some on this site!) and an infinite amount of resources on this subject?

And you're asking the question without providing any information regarding what you like, where you'll be, and what a "big budget" really means ($4k is big for a collegian with no lodging costs, not for a family).

Reset the topic so you can get help that's relevant to you.
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Old Apr 16th, 2015, 09:59 AM
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If you look above at destinations it will give you all the basic info. If you search ths board it will give info on the most popular day trips from London (but we don;t know wher you are actually staying).

Note that many museums in London are free.
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Old Apr 16th, 2015, 10:43 AM
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Neat places near London - esy day trips by train on your own

Cambridge
Oxford
York (well 2 hrs each was but to many the finest English city outside of London)
Bath - 90 minutes but ditto for being to many the finest English city outside of London.
Stratford if Bard fans
Salisbury and Stonehenge

Or places like the Cotswolds which though are hard to do justice to on a day trip - maybe stay in one of those dreamy cottages for a few days?

Those are the main ones on everyone's list but there are zillions more.

Trains are great - www.nationalrail.co.uk has all the schedules and fares (Stonehenge has buses right from Salisbury's train station) and if doing say more than two by all means check out the London Plus Railpass that lets you hop any train anytime over a wide area of southern England - Bath and Stratford are included by York is outside its boundaries - that pass also includes a return train ticket from Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted on the airport express trains - for more info on British trains - www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. That pass is not sold in England so must be gotten before leaving your home country.
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Old Apr 16th, 2015, 01:32 PM
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Paris is "near" London - 2:30 or so by train - a nice day trip.

07:01 train gets you there at 10:24.
21:10 train gets you back to London 22:39.

Gives you over ten hours in Paris.

(There's also a 5:40 out of London, but it takes a half-hour longer so you only gain an extra 50 minutes of time in Paris.)

SS
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Old Apr 16th, 2015, 02:21 PM
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The OP is staying w/ a friend somewhere in England. We know not where. So is she looking for places 'nearby' London, or 'nearby' wherever it is she's staying? Who knows?

We really can't help w/o more info . . .
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Old Apr 17th, 2015, 04:32 AM
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Janisj...I agree with you completely. I was being facecious -- trying to illustrate that the OPs query was so vague as to invite a unreasonably huge range of responses.

Sorry, if I sounded too serious and missed the mark.

Marylin...we really do need more info.

SS
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Old Apr 17th, 2015, 07:14 AM
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Oh -- I wasn't responding to your post. More re all the neat places near London
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Old Apr 17th, 2015, 09:15 AM
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I know were visiting London, any suggestions on what to see and do? Any other near by places that we should visit? THANKS!>

It is obvious or should be to the least intuitive observor that nearby means London in this context - any other nearby places (to London) that we should visit. Any other interpretation would be daft!
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Old Apr 17th, 2015, 12:40 PM
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Weird how folks pose a question and apparently never ever come back to read the answers or answer the questions their question gave way to.

Marilyn must be traveling I guess.

Weird but happens all the time - one wonders why they took time to post if they never read - if they read they would clarify what they meant.

Weird.

Brande new member as of April 2015 and only post - probably one of zillions of sites she posted the same somewhat vague (but not really with a careful reading) query.
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Old Apr 17th, 2015, 01:48 PM
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I'm also curious about the budget - "big" meaning plenty to throw around? Or "big" meaning quite limited? Many people on a limited budget will mention it, while most others don't need to.
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Old Apr 17th, 2015, 04:00 PM
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When someone who is obviously unfamiliar with a place gets several snarky responses, it is no wonder they do not come back for more . .
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Old Apr 18th, 2015, 05:21 AM
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Fodorgarchs do it again?
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Old Apr 20th, 2015, 04:39 AM
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Thank you nytraveler, ssander & PalenQ for the suggestions. I am also very unfamiliar with the exact area where I'll be staying in England. My friend just moved over there and I'm waiting on her to let me know. Thanks for taking the time to respond, I'm definitely going to start my research.

@Bilboburgler- I will be going in June and staying for 2 weeks. It will be just the two of us and were open to anything. Sightseeing, castles, museums, biking, arts and crafts. We're thinking of possibly going to Scotland and France as well.

Thanks Rich, you couldn't have said it any better... It's always so pleasant to hear from people like BigRuss.
It's actually my first time asking anything on a site like this, so I'm learning as I go along.
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Old Apr 20th, 2015, 04:41 AM
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@Janisj,
Just checked my email, she said the area where she is at is called- Bury St. Edmunds.


Thanks again to everyone!
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Old Apr 20th, 2015, 04:54 AM
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Well your friend should drag you to Cambridge, Ely and Bury St Edmunds each of which is lovely. It is possible to bike from one to the other as the area is flat and a thing called sustrans has developed some great bike paths in the area, but the distances between may be too far. Cambridge also has a good museum.

You could also take the train up to York (a medievel city with walls) for a day trip or stay over a night. If you are driving then going up to Yorkshire (in June) makes for a lovely holiday.

East Anglia (which is area your friend is based is dead flat and has some lovely old towns, this little site is useful as a starter for 10 http://www.britainirelandcastles.com...st-Anglia.html
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Old Apr 20th, 2015, 06:00 AM
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You may want to look into the London Plus Railpass which covers all the areas between Bury St Edmunds and London and out to Bath and over toe Exeter and Stratford - plus gives a round trip on airport express trains from Heathrow, Gatwick or Standsted

http://www.raileurope.com/rail-ticke...ass/index.html
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Old Apr 20th, 2015, 09:42 AM
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>

People like BigRuss voluntarily pop on this board and give advice (see the numerous posts and replies) and are happy to do so when the poster has a question that is somewhat specific or at least indicates that the poster is not asking everyone else to spend their time in lieu of sacrificing his or her own.

There are more sites than you can imagine with information on London, including Fodors, londontown.com, timeout.com and various other travel book publishers.

Inquiring what you mean by an unspecific term like "big budget" is highly relevant to you and useful because it makes you give us information so that we can provide you responses that fit your expectations, desires, and wants. If you don't see the value in providing information or doing your own research, that's on you. Don't you (or Rich) complain about those of us who have been paid nothing to help you for giving you some tough love.
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