mjnx

My daughter and I are huge Beatles fans, planning first trip in July to London.
Wonder if Abbey Rd. is really worth the trip.
Is there more to see than the painted striped crosswalk? Thanks!

sandi_travelnut

Even if there wasn't more to see, I think a huge Beatles fan would like to see that.

WillTravel

Well, if you believe my daughter (14 at the time), this was a bigger thrill than the Tower of London, although my opinion was slightly different. I recommend the Beatles tours offered by London Walks. We only took one of them, but the other is highly recommended too.

cadwex

I agree with WillTravel. I am a huge Beatles fan and we loved the London Walks Beatles Tour. The guy that leads the tour knows more about the Beatles than their parents probably did. It's great fun and I think both you and your daughter will enjoy. The tour ends at Abbey Road and is well worth the couple of hours it takes.

walkinaround

it depends...some people get a thrill just being somewhere with a significance...others like to see real things.

there really is not that much to see on abbey road (just the zebra crossing and the studio) but whether or not it's worth it depends on you...nobody else can say.

it's a quick, painless diversion...why not?

Bill_I

If you would like to see the webcam for Abbey Road, here is the link:
http://www.abbeyroad.co.uk/virtual_visit/webcam/

AR

I went out of my way to get there many years ago and found it well worth it.

Then, a few years later (early 1980s), EMI opened the doors to Abbey Road for tours for one summer only where you could actually visit the main studio. There were instruments that they had actually used such as a beautiful Steinway grand piano (reputedly stuffed with throat lozenges) and I had an amazing time playing some of their songs on this instrument.
There was an hour long video show (which I have to admit I have a copy of) with some unseen and rare footage such as the video for Penny Lane in colour where it is usually shown in B&W.

An unforgettable day out. To answer the original post - taking a detour to just see a building and a zebra crossing is no way worth it. However, to see history and what it stands for - definately worth it! But then I'm like that (when I went to LA, I took a detour to see the steps that Laurel and Hardy filmed "The Music Box" and also visited their graves - so I'm like that!!).

SeaUrchin

We took a taxi out to Abbey Road studios just to have photos of us crossing the road. I have it on my desk, great memories. We didn't go inside, just walked across the crosswalk a few times for the photo op.

SeaUrchin

PS, AR, I used to have a friend who lived at the top of the Laurel & Hardy stairs. He would watch the tourists come and go and for the longest time he had no idea why.

canterbury

Oh, go for it! We did it and took the requisite photos. It was a lotta fun -and we had great photos to send out with our Christmas cards that year.

mjnx

Thank you all for the Abbey Rd. info.
I am going to look into the tour, and go for it. As they say..."when in Rome..."
MJ

francophile03

Since you and your daughters are huge Beatle fans, I'd think it would be definitely worthwhile to see it.

Dayle

Wow, England has never been at the top of my list, but if I do go, it will be to do a Beatles tour (and Wm Shakespeare).

AR & SeaUrchin - the Laurel and Hardy piano stairs! Priceless. I grew up watching them with my Dad and we would both laugh until our stomachs hurt

And here I am an LA native and I have no idea where they are?

SeaUrchin

the stairs are in the Silverlake district, I think on or near Vendome St. I wish I could see the Music Box again.

stokebailey

My husband went to Abbey Rd our second day in London, and then had to return late at night right after getting back from his tour of Liverpool.

Can't say I wasn't warned. When we were dating and he asked who my hero was, I named Mother Theresa. His was Paul.

cigalechanta

I visited friends in Liverpool and the son took me to Abby Road and the Cave. I wasn't impressed but I still like the Beatles.

flanneruk

Eh?

There's no Abbey Road in Liverpool. Childwall Abbey Road IS pretty close to the Eleanor Rigby grave, Strawberry Field and Lennon's Auntie Mimi's house. But not even the most shameless "let me show you the real Liverpool" tout would try to imbue this seriously nondescript row of semidetached houses with any significance. Would they?

PLEASE tell me they haven't started telling people it's the real Abbey Road (a leafy street just north of Central London, on which stands some EMI recording studios)

cigalechanta

Sorry, I meant the real Abby Road in London. We were in London because of some Liverpuddlians doing a Beatles Musical.

Jim_Tardio

Sure, it's fun to see. Just be careful when trying to make your own photo. The traffic is fairly heavy and relentless.

There are no special provisions for tourists trying to make their own "Abbey Road" photos.

cigalechanta

I should have said Penny Lane(Liverpool)