aggiegirl

I see on the British Parliament website that tours are offered in September when I'll be in London, but it doesn't say what is covered in the tour. Has anybody been? How much do you get to see? Is it worth the pricey admission (approx, $24 USD)?

Kate

I've done a tour (not quite the same tour - mine was arranged through my MP, but I imagine you get to see the same stuff), and it was fantastic.

If you think the Houses of Parliament look amazing/crazy/Magic Kingdom on Acid from the outside, then you should see the interior.

Every last detail was designed by the original designer - right down to the last chair/wallpaper/light fitting and it makes a spectacular sight from an architecture/interiors point of view. You will have seen nothing like it.

PLUS you get to walk through both the houses of Commons and Lords - you get to stand at the despatch box where the Prime Minister delivers his speeches, and to stand next to the throne where the Queen opens parliament every year.

I found it a fascinating insight into the 'Mother of Parliaments' plus a unique building to visit. I would rank it as a lifetime must see.

dfr4848

We thought it was well worth it. Kate's description is pretty much on point. Includes a lot of history, some of which was very detailed and interesting and previously unknown to us. Got to visit some areas you wouldn't otherwise see.

House of Commons was in session when we took it so we didn't get to go down on the first floor. But you can spend as much time as you wanted in the gallery listening to debates - which were more than slightly entertaining.

Underhill

Absolutely more than entertaining! We got tickets for the House of Commons from the American Embassy for what turned out to be the debate over Britain's entry into the Common Market. Wow!

flanneruk

We're getting confused here:

- Kate's been on the free 75 min tour MPs or peers arrange for UK residents. These happen throughout the year: take one while Parliament's in session and you get all the buzz of the Palace: take one while there's a debate on and you don't get onto the floor of either House

- dfr almost certainly was on one of these too.

- The only tour non-residents can take is the paid for £12 one. It's virtually identical to the one Kate took, except that it's organised only when Parliament's supposed to be in recess. So there oughtn't to be any debates on, so you get to stand on the floor of at least the House of Commons. This is what aggie's asking about.

- Non-residents can watch debates and committee meetings while Parliament's sitting. Getting into them (whether you're a resident or not) can involve queueing, so embassies and High Commissions have a quota of tickets - which Underhill got hold of. This is quite separate from the tours: indeed you can get a ticket from your embassy for a debate only if you're not a resident, so you're in effect disqualified from the free tours, and debates only happen when the paid-for tours aren't on.

RM67

Debates can run quite late into the evening, so you could try getting into the public gallery then to avoid queuing.

luv2cthings

Well, I've done exactly the tour that aggiegirl is asking about, and I think it is well worth the price. The route visitors take through Parliament during the Summer Opening is identical to the tours run during session.

I found this site on the web which describes the tour rather well: http://tinyurl.com/5pflp7.

walkinaround

>>>>>
Is it worth the pricey admission (approx, $24 USD)?
>>>>>

about the cost of seeing a film. pretty good deal i would say.

janisj

100% totally worth it. I am a bit concerned about the "pricey admission" bit tho'. That is not overly expensive for London, and is pretty typical for places that have admissions charges.

Cabinet War Rooms = £12
The Eye = £15.50
Tower of London = £16.50
Westminster Abbey = £12

aggiegirl

janisj,
Price is all relative, that's why I was asking how much you see. £12 can be considered expensive if a tour doesn't cover much. I've been in London a few times before, so I am prepared for costs, but want to spend my money where I get good value.
Everybody,
Thanks for your responses, I really appreciate it. I will officially incoroporate the tour in my plans.

twk

I was in London while Parliament was in session, so as a foreigner, the only thing I could do was go to a debate, which I did on a Monday evening. It was great just to see the interior of the building.

I'd pay £12 just to get to stand at the despatch box, let alone see the rest of the building.

janisj

Aggiegirl: Hope you didn't think I was "dissing" you. Was only trying to let you down gently if you thought £12 was high for a tour of anything in London

But since you have been there before, you won't be shocked by the prices . . . . .

aggiegirl

Thanks janisj. Nothing shocks me too much over there anymore. And while I try to be a good budget traveller, for some things like my favorite European chocolates, price never matters!

sallyky

aggiegirl -- changing the subject entirely -- what are your favorite European chocolates? Are they in the UK? If not, what UK chocolate would you recommend?

A fellow chocoholic

emily71

I took this tour 2 years ago the the £12 was well worth it just to see the incredible art work and rooms. We were taken through the path that the Queen travels to open Parliament. From the Throne Room(with Queen Vic's tiny throne) to the Lord's Chamber as well as being able to stand on the floor of the House of Commons(sitting on the benches was NOT permitted.

You also learn about the Parliamentary system of government and some of the great statemen. Most guides are very knowledgeable(our was a barrister) and are vastly entertaining.

Funniest thing on the tour was when one of our group asked what was behind one of the closets in the Lords chamber. Our guide didn't know and asked one of the workers preparing for closing time. He looked at us puzzledly and said "Nothing special love, just a mop and a vacuum." Kind of lessens the grandour of the room.

Bree

I took the tour in 2004, and count it among the highlights of my 10+ visits to London. My guide was a woman with a nice, dry sense of humor. (Her only flaw, if she had one, was that she assumed the people on the tour knew next to nothing about English history, in which she may well have been justified.)

One word of caution: get there on time. Because so many people take the tours, they have to be precisely choreographed, which means that they move into the building at precisely the time on your ticket. My impression was that anyone who showed up late was out of luck.

aggiegirl

Thanks Bree and Emily for your responses. Sallyky, my favorite chocolate goodie is from the UK (and also in Ireland), it's "Extremely Chocolatey Mini Bites" from the Marks & Spencer food hall. There's something very addictive about them! M&S has lots of yummy treats and I'm also a fan of the chocolate chip cookies from the bakery (love getting them fresh from the oven). I confess when I first got into Dublin last summer, the first thing I did after checking into my hotel was to go to the Grafton Street M&S and get my treats!