5 nites in paris 4nites in london 3 nites in barcelona oct.19-nov2 2011
Oct 8th, 2011, 04:43 AM
#42
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IMHO the #1 London must-see sight is the Tower...if you could do only one thing, that would be my pick...and it is usually covered by the Day's Out 2-for-1 coupons (which is an important fact, since it is pretty expensive). Hook up with one of the Beefeater guides to get a great tour of this historical gem.
Also, I recommend a Thames cruise and a couple of neighborhood self-guided walks (available in most guide books, including, of course, Fodors).
I do not recommend wasting time on the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace...a walk up Whitehall is nice, stopping at the Horse Guards (on the left as you go towards Trafalgar Sq), who have a more modest changing of the gaurd, but one you can stand right next to - close enough to have your picture taken standing next to an on-duty guard.
If you like early 20th C. art (Fauves, Expressionism) and want a not-so-well-known museum (much better than the Tate Modern), the Courtauld Gallery is the best -- On the Strand, a couple of blocks from the Temple tube stop.
...and find a nice pub for luch or dinner. The Dog and Duck (corner of Bateman and Frith Sts near Soho Sq) is one we liked with a great atmosphere and some historic significance...but there are tons of great ones in London.
SS
Also, I recommend a Thames cruise and a couple of neighborhood self-guided walks (available in most guide books, including, of course, Fodors).
I do not recommend wasting time on the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace...a walk up Whitehall is nice, stopping at the Horse Guards (on the left as you go towards Trafalgar Sq), who have a more modest changing of the gaurd, but one you can stand right next to - close enough to have your picture taken standing next to an on-duty guard.
If you like early 20th C. art (Fauves, Expressionism) and want a not-so-well-known museum (much better than the Tate Modern), the Courtauld Gallery is the best -- On the Strand, a couple of blocks from the Temple tube stop.
...and find a nice pub for luch or dinner. The Dog and Duck (corner of Bateman and Frith Sts near Soho Sq) is one we liked with a great atmosphere and some historic significance...but there are tons of great ones in London.
SS
Oct 10th, 2011, 05:32 AM
#44
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http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/
You have to have a train ticket to show - but a regular paper transport card for tube/bus (like a 1-day Travel Card) qualifies, as long as it is BOUGHT AT A TRAIN TICKET OFFICE - in which case it will have the red British Rail logo on it.
Of course, a regular train ticket will do as well - but the Heathrow Express will NOT qualify, I believe. However, if you are coming from Gatwick Airport, take Southern Rail and the round trip ticket will qualify you for your entire stay.
You can print out the coupons before you leave the US. The process is a little cumbersome, since you can only print 3 at a time - but you can keep picking more groups of three as often as you want to.
You'll also need to spend some time working your way through all the attractions to zero in on the ones you might be interested in -- when it doubt, print the coupon!
FOR INFORMATION ON THE PAPER TRAVEL PASSES...Go to:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14414.aspx
and scroll down to the 2nd table - a 1-day off-peak travelcard zones 1-2 (£6.60) will cover all your post-9:30 am and weekend tube/bus travel as well as allowing you to use the 2-for-1 coupons that day.
A 7-day off-peak travelcard (£27.60) my be worth it as well (even though you're not in London 7 days), depending on how much you ride the tube and how many 2-for-1 attractions you visit...you have to do the math yourself to decide. Keep in mind a number of major museums in London are free.
If you feel you need to travel before 9:30 am on a weekday -- which I do not recommend -- rush hour is horrendous -- you can spend a bit more for the anytime card.
REMEMBER - I CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH - The travelcards must be PAPER cards bought at a TRAIN ticket window to qualify for 2-for-1. Electronically loaded "travelcards" on the Oyster smartcard do not qualify...nor do paper cards bought at a tube station or TFL (Transport for London) ticket office.
I hope I covered most of the info you need -- feel free to respond with any other questions...and many Fodorites who know more than I can chip in -- we were last in London in May -- rules may have changed a bit.
SS
You have to have a train ticket to show - but a regular paper transport card for tube/bus (like a 1-day Travel Card) qualifies, as long as it is BOUGHT AT A TRAIN TICKET OFFICE - in which case it will have the red British Rail logo on it.
Of course, a regular train ticket will do as well - but the Heathrow Express will NOT qualify, I believe. However, if you are coming from Gatwick Airport, take Southern Rail and the round trip ticket will qualify you for your entire stay.
You can print out the coupons before you leave the US. The process is a little cumbersome, since you can only print 3 at a time - but you can keep picking more groups of three as often as you want to.
You'll also need to spend some time working your way through all the attractions to zero in on the ones you might be interested in -- when it doubt, print the coupon!
FOR INFORMATION ON THE PAPER TRAVEL PASSES...Go to:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14414.aspx
and scroll down to the 2nd table - a 1-day off-peak travelcard zones 1-2 (£6.60) will cover all your post-9:30 am and weekend tube/bus travel as well as allowing you to use the 2-for-1 coupons that day.
A 7-day off-peak travelcard (£27.60) my be worth it as well (even though you're not in London 7 days), depending on how much you ride the tube and how many 2-for-1 attractions you visit...you have to do the math yourself to decide. Keep in mind a number of major museums in London are free.
If you feel you need to travel before 9:30 am on a weekday -- which I do not recommend -- rush hour is horrendous -- you can spend a bit more for the anytime card.
REMEMBER - I CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH - The travelcards must be PAPER cards bought at a TRAIN ticket window to qualify for 2-for-1. Electronically loaded "travelcards" on the Oyster smartcard do not qualify...nor do paper cards bought at a tube station or TFL (Transport for London) ticket office.
I hope I covered most of the info you need -- feel free to respond with any other questions...and many Fodorites who know more than I can chip in -- we were last in London in May -- rules may have changed a bit.
SS
Oct 10th, 2011, 05:44 AM
#45
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Globetrotter007...
Here's an example: In May on the day we visited Hampton Court, we used £8.00 Day card zones 1-6) which not only covered the round trip train to Hampton Court (cheaper than buying a regular £11.00 Round Trip ticket) but got us the 2-for-1 deal on entry.
Normal RT Train for two: £11.00 x 2 = £22.00
Normal Admission for two: £15.95 x 2 = £31.90
Normal Total: £53.90
Two Day Travelcards: £16.00
Admission for two using coupon: £15.95
Total: £31.95
Savings: £21.95 (~$35 at today's exchange rate)
Well worth the trouble to get the travel cards and print out the coupons.
SS
Here's an example: In May on the day we visited Hampton Court, we used £8.00 Day card zones 1-6) which not only covered the round trip train to Hampton Court (cheaper than buying a regular £11.00 Round Trip ticket) but got us the 2-for-1 deal on entry.
Normal RT Train for two: £11.00 x 2 = £22.00
Normal Admission for two: £15.95 x 2 = £31.90
Normal Total: £53.90
Two Day Travelcards: £16.00
Admission for two using coupon: £15.95
Total: £31.95
Savings: £21.95 (~$35 at today's exchange rate)
Well worth the trouble to get the travel cards and print out the coupons.
SS
Oct 10th, 2011, 06:26 AM
#46
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BTW, Globetrotter007, how many people in your party?
If you are traveling on a regular train (not tube), there is GroupSave:
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_...discounts.html
3 or 4 adults can travel for the price of 2, and additional children travel for £1 each.
There are blackout days on some trains.
Using a GroupSave ticket does not disqualify you for the 2-for-1 coupons, either...so you can piggyback your discounts. We used these on our 2008 trip that we took with another couple.
SS
If you are traveling on a regular train (not tube), there is GroupSave:
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_...discounts.html
3 or 4 adults can travel for the price of 2, and additional children travel for £1 each.
There are blackout days on some trains.
Using a GroupSave ticket does not disqualify you for the 2-for-1 coupons, either...so you can piggyback your discounts. We used these on our 2008 trip that we took with another couple.
SS
Oct 12th, 2011, 04:43 PM
#48
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we are staying in earl,s court in kensington . is the train vs. the tube as convenient to take to the tower of london , mayfair, tate museum, churchill's war room theater district. In order to use the day 's out 2 for 1 tickets the train has to be used. Is there a train close to earls court district?
Oct 12th, 2011, 09:57 PM
#49
"<i>is the train vs. the tube as convenient . . .</i>"
"<i>In order to use the day 's out 2 for 1 tickets the train has to be used</i>"
You perhaps are misunderstanding the 2for1 scheme. You do not need to ride a 'train' to get the discounts. You need a <u>paper travelcard</u> bought in a <u>train station</u> -- but it does not need to be for a "<i>train</i>". And in any case, you really can't use a mainline train to cross central London for general sightseeing. You will use the tube and maybe buses. And you can use your paper travelcard ticket on the tube/buses.
"<i>In order to use the day 's out 2 for 1 tickets the train has to be used</i>"
You perhaps are misunderstanding the 2for1 scheme. You do not need to ride a 'train' to get the discounts. You need a <u>paper travelcard</u> bought in a <u>train station</u> -- but it does not need to be for a "<i>train</i>". And in any case, you really can't use a mainline train to cross central London for general sightseeing. You will use the tube and maybe buses. And you can use your paper travelcard ticket on the tube/buses.
Oct 13th, 2011, 02:29 AM
#50
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Yes...the paper "travelcard" -- although purchased at a train station -- is good on train, tube, and bus within the given travel zones.
The only difference bewtween that and a travelcard purchased at a tube station or TFL office is:
(a) It has a red British Rail logo on it, and...
(b) It qualifies you for the 2-for-1 deals.
NOTE: You don't even have to ride a train even once to get the 2-for-1 deals. In fact, you don't even have to use the card at all...just have it.
For instance, you could buy 1-day travelcards at the train station (£6.60 each), not travel at all -- walk everywhere --and still show the card for 2-for-1 at the Tower and one or two other close-by attractions, and still save money. (It's not likely you'd go the whole tourist day without using the tube or bus...but it's allowable under the 2-for-1 scheme.)
SS
The only difference bewtween that and a travelcard purchased at a tube station or TFL office is:
(a) It has a red British Rail logo on it, and...
(b) It qualifies you for the 2-for-1 deals.
NOTE: You don't even have to ride a train even once to get the 2-for-1 deals. In fact, you don't even have to use the card at all...just have it.
For instance, you could buy 1-day travelcards at the train station (£6.60 each), not travel at all -- walk everywhere --and still show the card for 2-for-1 at the Tower and one or two other close-by attractions, and still save money. (It's not likely you'd go the whole tourist day without using the tube or bus...but it's allowable under the 2-for-1 scheme.)
SS
Oct 13th, 2011, 07:06 AM
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..."I assume these can be purchased at St Pancras train station."
Never done it there, but I am certain you can, because you do it at the regular UK (not Eurostar to France) train ticket window.
SS
Never done it there, but I am certain you can, because you do it at the regular UK (not Eurostar to France) train ticket window.
SS
Oct 13th, 2011, 09:39 AM
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globetrotter007... I found map of the ground level of St Pancras that I had used in May and circled the UK ticket office:
http://sanderhome.com/st_pancras_uk_ticket_office.jpg
SS
http://sanderhome.com/st_pancras_uk_ticket_office.jpg
SS
Oct 14th, 2011, 01:44 AM
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We've taken it twice:
May 2005 (when it departed from Waterloo Sta) - for a day trip. Left about 6:30 am, got back about 10:00 pm, with lunch and dinner in Paris.
May 2010 - Flew into London. After 1 day, went to Paris for 5 days, then returned to London for 4 days. We had initially planned to go to Paris for a week, but RT Paris airfare per person was $200 more than London airfare, and the Eurostar tickets were only $94 round-trip (£59.00 per person), so we expanded our trip to 10-days, five in each city. Bought the tickets on the Eurostar website quite a lot in advance, and we are over 60 years old, so there was some kind of discount.
It is a great way to travel. We went 2nd class and it was a very nice ride. Both St Pancras and Gare du Nord have separate, modern boarding areas, so be sure to read the signs in the station that direct you to Eurostar. Gare du Nord has excellent Metro and RER access...not more than 5 minutes from the city center by RER B (1-stop to Chatalet/Les Halles) and 1 more stop to St-Michel/Notre Dame).
The French countryside is fun to watch as the small towns go by, each with its own unique church.
SS
May 2005 (when it departed from Waterloo Sta) - for a day trip. Left about 6:30 am, got back about 10:00 pm, with lunch and dinner in Paris.
May 2010 - Flew into London. After 1 day, went to Paris for 5 days, then returned to London for 4 days. We had initially planned to go to Paris for a week, but RT Paris airfare per person was $200 more than London airfare, and the Eurostar tickets were only $94 round-trip (£59.00 per person), so we expanded our trip to 10-days, five in each city. Bought the tickets on the Eurostar website quite a lot in advance, and we are over 60 years old, so there was some kind of discount.
It is a great way to travel. We went 2nd class and it was a very nice ride. Both St Pancras and Gare du Nord have separate, modern boarding areas, so be sure to read the signs in the station that direct you to Eurostar. Gare du Nord has excellent Metro and RER access...not more than 5 minutes from the city center by RER B (1-stop to Chatalet/Les Halles) and 1 more stop to St-Michel/Notre Dame).
The French countryside is fun to watch as the small towns go by, each with its own unique church.
SS
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