kinkajou007

Whee, getting really excited for my July/August UK trip which is ALMOST here, finally! I had a few little straggly questions I wanted to toss out to the experts... Maybe bad form to throw this salad of questions in together, but they're so tiny on their own, so here goes:

- I'll be tramping around Skye, the Lake District, the Cotswolds, etc. Not crazypants for me to be planning to wear my rainboots for this, right? Or will I be the only yahoo gadding about in Wellies?

- Arrival day, if plane is on time, I should have a 10+ hour window between Gatwick arrival and 21:00 train from Euston to Fort William. (Left big buffer to allow for flight delays). During this time block I plan to (1) purchase nice road atlas for drive portions of my trip (which begin following day, driving FTW to Skye) and (2) obtain/install/activate a UK SIM card in my unlocked AT&T Samsung phone. Can I find good bookshops/phone stores near Euston for these tasks? (I.e., allowing me to stash my pack first!)
Other suggested good uses for this time? Popping up in the London Eye? Catching a double-decker bus for some sedentary sightseeing? Brain won't likely be too sharp on day one, after all.

- Similar question for departure day. Unsure about dropping the money on it, but am *considering* booking Harry Potter tour for that day. Will be checking out of London accomm near Victoria Station; leaving Gatwick on 18:20 flight.
9:30am HP tour should allow me to spend several hours there yet arrive comfortably to Gatwick by 4pm, no?

Many thanks!!

flanneruk

I've got no idea what " Not crazypants for me to be planning to wear my rainboots for this, right?" is meant to mean.

If by "rainboots" you mean wellies, it's irrelevant whether you're the only Yahoo wearing them (why on earth do you care?).

But for most people, wellies are truly awful things to do any serious walking in, because blisters are practically inevitable for most grownups unless their legs and feet are already hardened - and for many over about 60, prolonged use of most wellies can create serious problems with leg veins and arteries.

In July/August, especially in the Cotswolds, they're the footwear of choice among younger attendees at those next-generation "music" festivals locally known as Poshtocks, like Cornbury, Wilderness and The Big Feastival (as well as at all the other festivals elsewhere, like Glastonbury) unless a drought's certain.

But what's an almost harmless fad for twenty-somethings (mostly trained from childhood in wearing wellies in the country) intending little more than listening, drinking and bonking is both unpleasant and possibly life-threatening for most elders intending any proper walking.

If you're just planning meandering on foot round places that might be wet, reasonably stout shoes are all you need. If you want real walks over a mile or two across undulating footpaths, and if it's likely to be wet (forecasters are beginning to talk about summer droughts, but they're less reliable than my Auntie Molly's race forecasts used to be), proper water-resistant walking gear is essential.

By and large, specialist outdoor shops in Britain have staff who understand that most customers aren't planning serious "hikes" across inhospitable terrain, but do need shoes you can walk comfortably in across grassy fields when it's raining. You're likely to get far better advice on this than you'll get at home at any outdoor shops you drive past, or at the cluster of outdoor places around Southampton Street in Covent Garden.

Drop your bags at Euston left luggage (simply get the FCC to St Pancras then walk the 300 yds), then go shopping.

PatrickLondon

SIM cards: I happened to notice vending machines selling these in the arrival corridors at Heathrow Terminal 1 en route to the immigration desk. Or in other words, they're pretty well everywhere (try the WH Smith newsstand/bookstore you're bound to see somewhere en route, probably immediately on exiting the customs hall at Gatwick; or if looking round more than one shop in central London, look for a Carphone Warehouse - they should have an online store locator).

Road atlases - again, likely to be at any large-ish service station. WH Smith branches might have some; if you do have time to get to Covent Garden you could go to Stanford's on Long Acre as the ultimate travel/map store, but you could do just as well with a remainder store's cheap copies of last year's editions.

Or for both outdoor footwear and road atlases, I'd have thought (though don't know from recent experience) Fort William would have plenty on offer.

bilboburgler

Like Flanner I struggled with some of your language. However as he says Wellies are not a sensible walking aid for anyone over 15 or so when your feet stop growing.

We both may be usure about how successful his Aunt Molly was at betting but I'll hazard a guess at "not very".

Other than that, as he says.

Hooameye

"SIM cards: I happened to notice vending machines selling these in the arrival corridors at Heathrow Terminal 1 en route to the immigration desk. Or in other words, they're pretty well everywhere"

The machines I've seen charge you a tenner for the card and then you have to pay for some airtime. Better buying from the Carphone Warehouse or even the pound shops sell them at the tills.

PatrickLondon

There's usually a premium on being the first product to catch the tourist's eye, I suppose.

RM67

If you mean you are doing a bit of proper walking in the countryside rather than just exploring the villages, I'd take some lightweight walking boots - you can get the trainer style ones which still have a decent sole (eg Karrimor) if you prefer, though these tend not to be fully waterproof. A thin jacket/pac a mac type thing will do for light showers, and/or a brolly in town. Hopefully though the weather will be dry enough you'll not actually need them.

kinkajou007

Thanks all! Apologies that I was unclear - indeed, I did mean, "Are Wellies a poor choice of footwear for proper walking in the countryside if rainy/potentially boggy." Answer: yes. Sounds like Covent Garden will offer a great shoe *and* map selection.

I think it'll be wise to hit an actual store for the SIM; I want to also ask after data devices as it might be wise to have an emergency backup plan so I can still work if the local B&B wifi is iffy. Carphone Warehouse will be getting a visit!

Mimar

If you have any sightseeing time left after your shopping, the British Library is near Euston Station. The Treasures collection displays some of the most famous books and manuscripts in the history of the world: a Gutenberg bible, Handel's Messiah, Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks, Shakespeare's First Folio, the original, handwritten Alice in Wonderland, and on and on. If you like this kind of stuff, it's mindblowing.

But do check the opening times.

janisj

If it was me I wouldn't wait til I was in London to look for shoes. First of all most UK shoe brand lasts don't fit my feet all that well. You may be different, but when you are sitting there in Covent Garden faced w/ a wall of shoes - none of which are comfortable fits . . .

But you can get good, substantial soled shoes at any reasonable walking store or outdoor equipment store back home. I'd definitely want to have them well broken in before hitting any footpaths in Scotland or the Lakes.

historytraveler

Ditto what janisj says about shoes in UK. Plus they're likely to be more expensive. Unless doing long walks it's really not necessary to purchase a special pair of shoes. Most trainers as Brits call them will work. There are many in US.that are already waterproof or waterproof them yourself.

denisede

kinkajou, I may be butting in here, but if you are returning to Orlando from Gatwick, please check your departure time. We live in Florida and use the BA Orlando flights on occasion, and an 18:20 departing flight is quite late for a westbound flight from Gatwick. Ignore this of course if you have other arrangements; I just wanted to mention this if you have perhaps mis-read your departure time.

Ackislander

I would go to REI or eastern Mountain Sports or your local equivalent in the US and ask their advice for what you plan to do.

There are at least three kinds of ambulation you might want to do:

toddling down a drippy path through a field to see a ruin or a ring of standing stones (waterproofing is most important here)

Walking cross country from town to town or pub to pub on something like the South Downs Way (waterproof + ankle support)

Real hill walking like Helvellyn or Glen Coe needs waterproofing, ankle support, and stiff soles.

Even in the Us, trails in the east are generally much rougher than trails in the west and require different footgear.

flpab

I love my hunter wellies and they are comfy to me and I am over 15 by many years. I use them in our woods and doing yard work so that I don't step on fire ants or snakes. The problem is they are a lot to pack. They do make packable ones now. Just wear cushioned socks with them. I hate wet feet and have always ended up with them so take an extra pair of leather walking shoes if you don't take a pair of wellies. Wear what you want.
http://usa.hunter-boot.com/product/o...our-rain-boots

PatrickLondon

I see, by the way, that someone has reinvented galoshes:

http://www.feetz.co.uk/

elizzie4000

Please don't wait until you arrive in London to buy shoes. You need to buy them now and walk in them A LOT before you leave. Otherwise you could be in for some very miserable walks. Blistered and bloody feet.

Buy them, walk in them, break them in BEFORE your trip

Annaandlulu

"Thanks all! Apologies that I was unclear - indeed, I did mean, "Are Wellies a poor choice of footwear for proper walking in the countryside if rainy/potentially boggy." Answer: yes. "

I don't think you should apologize. People in other countries might word things differently than the British do. I would hope they would be okay with that by now. Also, in the UK I've worn my Hunters (the brand that actually invented the "wellies") when it was snowy or rainy, they were fine, and I definitely did not feel out of place. But wear Nikes or something for more serious walking. Have a wonderful trip!

kinkajou007

Y'all are awesome, thank you. I may be overthinking this: after all, I tackled hiking all over New Zealand in just my trusty Converse Chuck Taylor hi-tops (a shoe that always comes with me no matter where I go). It's largely the wetness issue that had me concerned; living in FL, I know that if the climate is already humid/damp, the shoes you soaked yesterday can't necessarily be counted on to be re-deployed the following day.

And your comments reminded me: never travel with un-broken-in shoes!! Just as a matter of unthinking habit, I never pack anything that hasn't been well tested at home.

denisede, that's very thoughtful of you: I am actually flying back to NYC before heading home to MCO, so all is well with that flight time.

patrick: those 'galoshes' are hilarious! they've refined the emergency sack-from-the-shops-over-the-foot principle. I can see it being a not-bad thing to keep in one's glove compartment.

flpab

Thumbs Up to The Chucks.