Hi<BR><BR>Just discovered this site gem of a site. <BR>We're staying at Hilton Green Park Hotel on points. What's best way to get:from airport to hotel?,a cell phone for use over there?, to do around Christmas holidays with a 9year old daughter?, are plays and museums open the 24th-26th? Has anyone done the medieval banquet? Is peanut butter available there? I can't afford to eat out every meal. But love good food. Any suggestions? What about rain gear vs. winter coats. I like to go carry on. Will an umbrella with winter coat be the best option? Thanks very much.

Which airport, Gatwick or Heathrow? If it is Gatwick, take Gatwick Express train from within airport terminal toVictoria Station and taxi to hotel. I am not familiar with Heathrow but I would take train from there also.<BR>Some hire a car to meet them but I think unless there are a lot of you with a lot of luggage that ius unnecessary.

I'm going to the the Hilton Green Park also. Would you like to meet for a drink?

smooth DJL.<BR><BR>are you paying for the sitter too?

Emily. Pack rain gear and plan to dress in layers. The insides of shops and thearters tend to be overheated.<BR>If you are arriving at Heathrow you can take an Express train into Paddington Station and then a taxi to your hotel. ( And there is an Express from Gatwick into Victoria Station.)<BR>Peanut butter is available in the grocery stores.<BR>Most everything will be closed on Christmas Day,including the Underground.<BR>There are several threads re: what's going on between Christmas Day &amp; New Year's Day. Just enter those words in the 'search text box' and see what comes up.<BR>If a cell phone is important and you don't have one that will work in England, you can buy an expensive phone once you are in London. there are 'pay as you go' plans.

ummmm..make that 'you can buy an inexpensive phone'.. then get a pay as you go plan!

Emily,<BR>My husband and I spent the last two weeks of Nov in the UK. We did not take an umbrella and really never had a need for one. It rained a couple of times but not hard enough - we had hats and hoods on our coats. I took a mid thigh length London Fog coat with a zip out lining. I never needed the lining in the coat. Maybe consider buying an umbrella there if the need comes up.

Take your daughter to Hamley's - its an enormous toy store. Have ice cream sundaes at Rendezvous in Leicester Square.<BR><BR>There are some matinees on the 24th. The only show that I know of that is playing on Christmas Day is 125th Street, which is a musical that takes place in 1969, the night the blackout hit the northeast. The show is about the show that played that night at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. It's playing at the Shaftsberry Theatre. You can get tickets at the 1/2 price booth. The music should be familiar to you.

We always use the tube to get from the airport to the city (buy a day pass for all 6 zones) but it depends on how many are traveling and how much luggage you have. The tube takes longer than the Heathrow Express but is cheaper. You may find that a car service would be better for more people/luggage. Do a search for Ray Skinner, many people on this board have recommended him.<BR><BR>Safway grocery stores are great if you want grab breakfast or fully cooked lunch/dinner food. We grabbed a pizza there one night for dinner for not very much.<BR><BR>There are also inexpensive take away options like pizza, fish and chips, Indian food and doner kabobs (gyros more or less)<BR><BR>The Tower of London is my London must see recommendation. Be sure to take one of the beefeater tours offered at the front and visit the crown jewels.<BR><BR>You might also take the train out to Windsor to see the castle, it's only about a 1/2 hour from the city. The town of Windsor has a lot of cute shops as well.

Isn't Chitty Chitty Bang Bang playing these days?