could use some advice on future trip to London
 

Hi all.......

What a great site this is!!!! I am new to all this, so please bear with me if I dont know exactly what I'm doing.

I am planning a trip to London in the fall. The first week of October actually. There are several people going, but not everyone is going over on the same day, and making same plans (not that this probably matters to you, just thought I'd throw that in) Anyways, when would the best time be to make my arrangements? Thinking of booking flight and hotel together on an online site, such as Expedia or Priceline....any suggestions? I dont want to jump the gun to soon, but dont want to wait til last minute either.

Next question:: PASSPORT! How long does the whole process take to get it all done and have it in my hands? I dont want to wait to long on that either.

Last Question: MONEY!! This is my first time out of the US and I have heard that London is expensive, but what is a good estimation of how much money is enough to take along? (This is after I have hotel and flight paid for) I dont plan on spending big money on clothes, or high priced items...just a need a realistic idea for a nice vacation. I want to take in as many sights as I possibly can...This is my first trip and I may never have the chance again.

I fibbed....THIS is the last question: I am going to be gone for probably 6 days. In that amount of time, what are the top places/sights that I should go see?? I have plenty of places in my mind I would like to see, but just want an idea from those of you that have traveled in London before.

Well thanks for listening...well I guess reading me rattling on...I'll appreciate any input you can send my way!!

Hi midwestgal77,

October is a great time to be in London, hope to be there again myself this fall. I'll answer your questions in order.

1-Consider getting your tickets now. I believe Virgin Atlantic is having a sale on their website for late spring/early fall travel (the site currently shows $410 including tax from JFK-LHR for mid-Oct travel, which isn't the greatest, but it's not too bad either). If you're collecting miles, etc. it's best to purchase your package on your chosen airline's website. That being said, I've found that off-season travel like yours would not necessarily benefit from package deals, so look at all options and price each one.

2-Start your passport process now. It's better to have it on hand than to wait for the last minute and pay extra for rush handling. I believe passports are processed 6 weeks after the application is received.

3-If it makes you feel better, exchange some British Pounds to take with you, but look for one that has the best exchange rates with lowest processing fee. This means don't look to American Express to exchange your money, look in your yellow pages instead. The best will be an ATM card linked to your checking account. Check your bank for their UK affiliations. For instance, I use Citibank, and they don't charge me extra fees for taking money out at non-Citibank ATMs. From what I've seen posted here, Bank of America charges $5 for each transaction you make at a non-BofA affiliated bank (forgot who their affiliates are in the UK, search this site for Bank of America).

4-Search for London in the Fodors search box and you will see plenty of suggestions. With 6 days, I would definitely check out Windsor Castle and Hampton Court if you're into castles, it doubles as a nice trip out to the country. But there is definitely enough to see in London that will take up 6 days. What places do you have in mind, if you don't mind my asking...

Thanks mcnyc for the input!!! I'm planning on Tower of London, Kensington Palace..want to see the changing of the guard, Big Ben, London Eye, Tate Modern, Westminster Abbey to name a few.

Any one else have any suggestions??? I'd appreciate your insight!

The standard sights are

Westminster (The Abbey, open from 9.30, Parliament, Big Ben, London Eye, Cabinet War Rooms, Whitehall, Horse Guards, Trafalgar Square, National Gallery)

City. St Paul’s Cathedral, open to tourists 8.30 to 4.30, not Sundays.
Tower of London, open Tuesday to Saturday from 9am.

British Museum open late until 8.30 Thursday and Friday. People go to see great monuments of the ancient cultures, but I encourage you also to take the lift up to the rooms for Roman Britain and Anglo-Saxon England, with splendid funeral treasures, even though England was on the edge of the known world.

Beyond these, if you will tell us what things you like I can tell you how those are represented in London. Banking, nursing, African sculpture.., you name it, we may well display it.

When you arrive at your airport in London you should find a news and magazine shop and buy the AtoZ pocket atlas and guide, six pounds, spiral bound, and the current issue of Time Out in London. The booklet has notes on all our museums, big and small, and opening times, so you can find which days the British Museum and National Gallery have evening opening, and can see what music is playing during your time. Also what plays are running on the fringe, cheaper and more interesting than the big shows in the West End.

Please tell me if you would like a note I keep of places I like for lunch about nine pounds, mostly pubs.

Welcome to London

Ben Haines
[email protected]

A fried of mine just renewed his passport by mail; he process took a little less than three weeks. Do it now and get it over with.

I would NOT limit myself to sites such as Expedia and Orbitz to find reasonable flight prices but also try www.onetravel.com and www.itasoftware.com to cross-check prices.

You can also look at sites such as www.londontown.com and www.venere.com for hotels

Thanks to you both for the replies!

ben_haines_london it would be great to get a little list of places to eat. Thank you!

Can anyone else offer any help??

Please :)

I would second the recommendation to get your passport now. No reason to wait, really, and it will bring you some peace of mind.

We just returned from a 6 day trip to London. I found that there is so much to do in central London itself that I didn't end up taking any day (or half day) trips (although we split up some days, and my husband went to Greenwich). Here is a link to my trip report, which might give you some example of how much we fit into a day, as well as some general logistical info that I found.

What I found helpful was to make lists of the things that interested in order of priority, and arrange my schedule in order of priority (taking into the days and hours that each attraction was open) and grouping the "must sees" with other things in that section of London. As a result, we did the London Eye the first clear day, Westminster Abbey the next day, and the Tower the following day.

As for which sights YOU should see, you really are the best person to say what interests you. I am not a big one on the royalty/palaces thing, so Buckingham Palace/changing of the guard wasn't even on my list. Other people would put it in their top 5.

There's another thread going on here about how much to budget for food in London, which may help with the money questions you have. http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34777224

Oops, here is the link to my trip report, which I forgot to "paste" in earlier:
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34771547

Buying in advance seems to get the best prices unless you wait until a day before, but you cant really do that with a hotel. so buy your trip stuff now.
passport...now, ahora, now.
money- im currently living in England as a student. whatever money you would spend on a normal vacation in the states, double it. i know it sucks, but the pound is almost twice the dollar. food is expensive, do research on hip, yet inexpensive places to eat. night life is rough, really expensive, again, do reserach.
there is a website called freelondon.com, or if thats not it just google "free london". this site has a list of all the free things there are to do in the city. my friend found it MOST helpful. it doesnt matter if you arent on a budget, it just gives you more places to see. oh and be prepared to spend 14 pounds on the London Eye. Thats 26 buckaroos. Anyway, just warning you.
go to a jazz or music bar. that was really fun my first time in london. oh and when looking for a hotel, Tottenham Court Road (a tube station) is a cool place to be. its like the Times Sq. of London. The section of London is Bloomsbury i believe. It's the district with the British Musueum.
most of all, have tonnnnnnnnnnns of fun.

London suggestions are all great. I think the key is to not get in "visitor overload mode"--a condition wherein the attempt or even the temptation or sense that one must see everything ends up making one crazy.

You are wise to plan ahead. Make a manageable list of what you really want to do, then a couple of alternatives, and then plan to go back to London another time.

Everyone's MUST SEE list will be different, so you really need to study up, read, and figure out your own.

I would also suggest, maybe in a six day visit this would work, one day trip. Day trips usually are 'easy shots' a short distance from London, but DIFFERENT from London. If you love big cities, then the London experience will be fine.

However, it also can be draining. On one London trip, we took a one day out to Salisbury--and the contrast was wonderful. A quieter place, slightly slower pace of life, not as 'dense'--and still lots to see and absorb, without the hectic pace of distance, crowds, and all of that.

The 'day trip' is just a suggestion for you. Most travel books have daytrips from London, so it will be easy to see what's manageable and what's appealing. Windsor and Hampton Court are often on those lists.

My other suggestion: Be specific and focus, don't try to do it all, etc.---that is NOT a suggestion--that's an order!

THANKS so much for all your advice!!

CJS...I promise I wont try to do it all :)