Back from London. It was as great as everyone said.
Jun 20th, 2001, 08:57 AM
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Back from London. It was as great as everyone said.
Just back from 10 days in London. The weather was great except for one rainy day but we kept going even then. We saw Les Mis, Lion King and Mamma Mia - all great. We saw Macbeth at the Globe. We took 3 Evan Evans tours if anyone has a question about them. US Airways was great with their entertainment system to pass time on the flight. We took the train to Windsor and Hampton Court. I found a Lush store in Bath for some goodies. We enjoyed Sally Lunn's in Bath for lunch. If anyone has a question, I would be glad to answer. I really appreciate all the help I received before going. It was a wonderful trip.
<BR>I'm glad the trip went well -- you were traveling with your son right? Did he have a good time?
Jun 20th, 2001, 12:22 PM
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To Greg: We had upper level section M on the front row. We could see and hear great. The play was very good, however, even though we rented cushions, it was very unconfortable for us sitting for almost 3 hours. We are all tall and there was hardly any leg room. We had to sit with our legs bent the entire time. I think the lower level might be better so you can stretch your legs. There is no intermission. I hate to be negative but I was very unconfortable. If you are short, there would probably not be much of a problem. <BR> To Eric: We went to Hampton Court and Windsor on separate days from Waterloo Station by train - very easy. We went both days after 9:30 and asked for round trip tickets and they were not very much - around 3 or 4 pounds. We just took our time at both places and got back mid afternoon both days in time to do other things in London. Eton had a lot of fun shops and it seemed to take us longer that day - plus it is a longer train ride. We enjoyed the maze at Hampton Court. <BR> To S. Fowler: Thanks and welcome back to you. We probably did pass somewhere along. It was me, my 17 year old son, my 20 year old daughter and my 20 year old nephew. We did alot together and then we split up some - girls and guys. <BR>I was really impressed with the great weather. It was 95 when I got back to TN. We all had a great time.
Jun 20th, 2001, 12:54 PM
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Hi Sheila <BR> <BR>Just found out that I need to travel to London on business in early July and plan to add about 10 days to the end of the trip - so I was very excited to see your message. I'm particularly interested in the shows you attended - did you need to pre-book them? Also, any suggestions in terms of must-sees, must-avoids and delicious places to eat would be much appreciated!
Jun 20th, 2001, 01:37 PM
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to Monica: I prebooked all the plays a few months before our trip to have very good seats. We were second row center for both Les Mis and Mamma Mia. In fact we could have been a few rows back but they were both great. We were 7 rows back center for Lion King and those were perfect seats. I am not sure about how good of tickets you could get now as I booked mine so early through Tickmaster.co.uk. We had a kitchen so we did not eat out all of the time but some of the places we enjoyed were Wagamamas near Kensington Palace (they are also in other areas of London), Bella Pasta as you walk up from the train station to Windsor Castle, Sally Lunn's in Bath, The Globe Restaurant/Pub in Marylebone for fish and chips, Maxwell's at Covent Garden and Jade Garden in Chinatown. We also ate at Old Orleans right down the street from Lion King. I can't think of anything we did that I should not recommend except as I mentioned before the legroom at the Globe (but the play was good). We enjoyed the Beatles Walking Tour "In My Life" with the London Walking Tours. We also enjoyed Portobello Market on Saturday (it was tiring as it goes on forever) and we enjoyed the food courts at Harrods. I prebooked our tickets to the London Eye and we really enjoyed the views. I also wrote early for Ceremony of the Keys tickets at the Tower of London and this was very enjoyable. Hope this helps a little.
Jun 20th, 2001, 01:42 PM
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It sounds like you did just about everything right. I would only add that you only need to pre-book the blockbuster plays and musicals (Phantom, Le Miz, Lion King, My Fair Lady and a few others) Most shows are available everyday at the 1/2 price ticket booth at Leicester Square.
Jun 20th, 2001, 02:14 PM
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Monica, <BR>As a once a year visitor to London I also use TicketmasterUK to prebook theater tickets. Since you are going so soon this may not be a good option for you, but log into their website and see what appeals to you that there is availability for. You can buy online and pick up your tickets at the box office (this is what we do). We book 6-8 months in advance and get front row type seats, but you never know you may get. You can also stop at the individual theaters on the day of the show and see what is available (we've never done this, but you can try it). I doubt if you will get tickets to Mamma Mia, but try. We've seen it twice and loved it both times! I can't think of anyplace to actually avoid, just be prepared for crowds as it is summer (vacation) time. We usually go in April so this is not usually a factor. <BR> <BR>Try and go to the London Eye, you can prebook or just go and see if you can get on. It's great, views are wonderful. <BR> <BR>Wagamama's is a fun place to eat, there are several in London, we ate in the one on Duke St. (behind Selfridge's Dept. Store) and very close to The Wallace Collection (a very nice small museum just a few blocks north of Oxford St. off Duke St.). Another interesting museum is the Geffrye Museum - a collection of interior designs - rooms and furniture through the ages. They have a small cafe there as well. The food at the British Museum is not bad either (Gallery Cafe) and we have eaten there twice. The British Museum is huge and well worth a visit. Harrod's Food Court has marvelous stuff, I don't think you can go wrong with any of it. <BR> <BR>An off the beat place (that most tourists don't find) is St. Katherine's Marina. It's to the left (as you exit the Tower Hill tube). It's a lovely marina and quite different from what you would expect in London. Dicken's Pub is located there also. We rented an apt. in this area overlooking the marina and enjoyed it a lot (altho it is about a 15 min. walk to the tube). <BR> <BR>If you are staying 10 days take a couple of day trips. While we go for the non-tourist destinations having seen the tourist sites I'd recommend Hampton Court, Greenwich, Warwick, Bath, Canterbury. All are very accessible via train, www.trainline.com can give you some info on that. We don't do tours so I can't tell you about that. If you are interested in York I'd highly recommend it. It's 2 hrs. via train from London (about 200 miles) and a very good city to visit. Lots to see there too, and doable as a day trip (train from Kings Cross Station). <BR> <BR>Enjoy your trip. <BR> <BR>Camden Market and Portabello Markets are interesting as well, if that is your thing (flea markets) are fun. You can also take a canal ride from Camden Market through Regent's Park to Little Venice (pretty area of London). <BR> <BR>There is so much to see in London you will fill up 10 days very quickly.
Jun 22nd, 2001, 07:31 AM
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TO Ames: Sorry I can't help with the train to Bath as we took the Evan Evans Tour as it included Stonehenge. We felt we had enough time to enjoy both but went by bus from London. Maybe someone else can help with your question so I am bringing to top.
Jun 22nd, 2001, 11:31 AM
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Ames, Have taken the train to and from Bath. They run frequently from both ends. Paddington on the London end is large, the Bath train station is small. Both are charmingly old-fashioned. We arrived at Paddington at about 9am and had only a short wait(also on a Sunday). We arrived at the Bath station at about 7pm and had a longer wait. This was due to delays not lack of scheduled trains. We found it to be an easy experience. Some stores and antique shops closed on Sunday in winter. <BR> <BR>linda
Jul 4th, 2001, 08:38 AM
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Sheila, did you take the Evan Evans Discover London tour? Any thoughts on this tour as oppossed to the Big Bus tour? <BR> <BR>Is the Evan Evans a hop-on/hop-off like the Big Bus? <BR> <BR>I hear that you get past the lines at the sights if you are part of the Evan Evans tour. Was this a significant time saving? Do the Big Bus tour people not get this privilege? <BR> <BR>I am assuming that you might know a little about the Big Bus tour. Anybody else that might have taken the Big Bus or the Original please do post your thoughts. <BR>
Jul 4th, 2001, 01:15 PM
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Actually the two companies have almost identical services, routes and fares. They all use the same bus stops (they can't stop at London Transport stops so they have their own). And folks here often quote a set fare -- not realizing that they can bargain for a lower fare. It is really funny - at the biggest stops -- Victoria, Picadilly, etc. the competing agents are on the pavement (sidewalk) trying to snag riders and they get in bidding wars. Just like carnival barkers - and you will not believe some of the lines you hear.
