Just back from England, Scotland & Wales--Can I help?
 

Just returned from a three week trip to England, Scotland & Wales. First six nights in London, then rent car to Cotswolds, York, Edinburgh, Inverness, Isle of Skye, Lake District, Wales and finally, Bath. Glad to help if I can as I found the Net (and especially this site) to be invaluable as a resource for planning and tips. This is the third time I have tried to post this--hope they don't all show up! CS

I am planning a trip for 8 days to London in April 1999. I am wanting to stay in the Knightsbridge area, do you have a hotel recommendation in about the $200 price range? Also, I know all the big tourists sights to visit, is there something that you would recommend that is a little off the beaten path? Any and all suggestions are welcome. Thanks. Tammy

At Lake District, did you go to Beatrix Potter's Hilltop house? Did you take your car using the ferry or walked up the hill?

We're spending a day and a half in London before joining a tour group. Any suggestions for sights, meals?

Tammy--we stayed in the Kensington area-specifically, the Posthouse Kensington and found it to be perfect for us in almost every way. Close to Kensington Palace, the late Diana's home, just off High Street Kensington, the hotel was only a 3-5 minute walk to the tube in a lovely residential area. We always felt safe, even going back to the hotel well after dark.
As far as 'different from the normal things to see', I have two major suggestions. First, write the Keeper of the Keys at the Tower of London and give them a specific date you would like to attend the Ceremony of the Keys. I gave them 3 possible dates and they chose my number one. You must enclose a self addressed envelope and an international reply coupon (available at the Post Office) for your tickets. They are free but only a few are given out. It is a most unusual experience being in the dark Tower compound 4.5 hours after it has closed to the hordes of tourists and witnessing an event that has taken place every night, without exception, for more than 700 years. Only about 20 people are allowed in and you must write at least 6 weeks in advance to get the tickets. The Tower has its own Web site-The Tower of London Virtual Tour.
One other suggestion would be to go to the Wallace Collection, a very small museum packed to the gills with the collection of one family housed in their former home. Art, armor, weapons, Sevre, chandeliers, furniture. Amazing and delightful collection of items. Fabulous and free.
Marlene and Jim-both the Wallace and the Ceremony could be done in a day and a half. The problem with London is that there is too much to see and never enough time to see even one-half of it. My suggestion for a dining spot is the Spago 2 Italian restaurant on High Street Kensington. Delicious food and not too expensive.
Take comfortable shoes and be ready for lots and lots of walking and stairs.
Greg--we did not go to Beatrix Potter's house; we did very little walking in the Lake District as by then my husband's knee was giving him great pain. I would have loved hiking/walking the area. There were hundreds and hundreds doing just that and it isn't even high season yet. I understand it can get very crowded in July/August. It is certainly beautiful.
Hope this helps. CS

CS, I have a question about ferry tickets. We will
be in Scotland for two weeks (end of June and beginning of July) and will be taking a Caledonian
MacBrayne ferry to the Isle of Arran and also to
Mull. Did you take any ferry trips (Skye perhaps)?
I am wondering if we need to make ferry reservations before we leave home or once we get there. Any input is appreciated.

Dear Friend,
In June I and may husband intendo to make exactly the same tour you have made.
So I would appreciate to have same information about no expansive hotel in Edinburg, Iverness and Isle of Skye.
We are thinking about stay in Inverness and to go in Isle of Skye and came back at the same day.
Is it possible?
Thanks
AnaMaria

Leaving soon for two weeks in Scotland. Will be spending a week in the Edinburgh area, the other week traveling around, mostly the Highlands. did you go to Oban?, Isle of Mull? Where did you stay in Inverness? Any great restaurants? Looking for any and all suggestions for these areas.

Wendy--we used the new toll bridge (@10 USD) to get to the Isle of Skye and the old ferry service to return to Scotland. The new bridge is accessed through Kyle of Localsh on A87 and the ferry leaves from Armadale (A851) on the SE corner of the Isle. We called that morning to make a reservation for an 11 a.m. sailing. We were told there are long lines in the summer so if you are certain of your sailing date, maybe you should reserve in advance? We had no problem but there were few tourists on the Isle in early May. Our ferry was a very small boat and carried maybe 40 or so cars (unless there are big trucks). Fees were 14.50 GBP for the car and 2.50 GBP for each adult. You will love the Isle of Skye. It is beautiful and I only wish we had had more time to explore.
Ana Maria--we stayed in a relatively expensive B&B in Edinburgh but I have been told by another that the Ibis Hotel is about 49GBP per room. It is supposed to be near downtown and only opened recently. As Inverness was just a stop and not a destination, we stayed in the Travel Inn (38GBP per room) a very American style motel. On the Isle of Skye we stayed in a lovely B&B (Green Acres-Mrs. McRae--40GBP including breakfast). As far as going from Inverness to the Isle of Skye in one day--I don't see how. Highland roads are rather narrow and you cannot fly down them the way you can on the Motorways in England. We did take a back way (A832/A890) that turned out to be a single track road (one lane with wide spots in the road to allow you or the oncoming traffic to squeeze by) that I am sure doubled the travel time but it was beautiful. Perhaps someone else will know if A82/A87 can get you there much faster.
Beverly--I envy you your week in Edinburgh. I made a serious miscalculation and only gave it two days. It is on my list for the next trip. Refer to the above for where we stayed in Inverness. Try the Castle Restaurant for breakfast or Pazzo's for Italian. Neither was fabulous--just OK. In Edinburgh be sure to try Harry Ramsdens Fish and Chips--a very popular place for locals. We met three while waiting for our table and ended up having dinner with them and exchanging email addresses. Very nice people in
Edinburgh. Order the Sticky Toffee Pudding--WOW. We also ate at a pub/restaurant called Starbank--quite good food and full of locals. Both of these restaurants are near the waterfront.Hope this helps--email me if I can answer any other questions. You will have such a good time. CS

I'm headed for England, Scotland and Wales in early July. Where are some DON'T MISS sights, good, cheap hotels, etc. along the way? But most importantly, what should I avoid? Thanks for any info.

Sniffus--As far as don't miss sights, I strongly recommend the medieval cities of York and Edinburgh. We could have easily spent a week or two in each. In York, go to the York Castle Museum and see Clifford's Tower, just outside the door of the museum. Walk on the city walls and through the narrow twisty streets. In Edinburgh, go to the castle early to avoid the crowds--be sure to see the
Scottish Crown jewels. In London, go to the Victoria and Albert Museum--the most amazing collection of 'stuff' I guess I've ever seen. Go to some plays in the West End-walk through Harrods and marvel at the displays and their prices--go to the Wallce Collection, a short walk from the Bond Street tube stop--free and fascinating--take the tube to Notting Hill Gate area and see if you can find John
Cleese's house. As far as things to miss or avoid--I regret only spending too much time in the British Museum--the V & A is easier to navigate and has floor after floor of incredible things. I guess I might suggest skipping the changing of the Guard at Buckingham--too crowded and difficult to see what's happening. Regardless, you will have a super time.
We found very friendly people everywhere we went, loved everything we saw, and in 3 weeks had only one or two marginal meals. Take the most comfortable shoes you own and plan on walking alot in all of the big cities. Have a great time and let me know if I can help further. CS

Your information is very helpful. Could ask
you a few questions...We are flyimg to London and touring by renting a car the 1st 2 weeks of August.
It is hard to find info on how long it takes to drive places...distances
seem short, but in reality, with the roads and new experience of driving on
the left, do you think it feasible for us to attempt to go to the central
highlands of Scotland, along with staying at the North York Moors, Lake
district, Yorkhire dales, visiting several gardens and back to London in 2
weeks time?
Many thanks for your reply and happy journeys to you in the future!
Linda Cullum

We've got all aspects of our trip to London,Scotland all set except for one area. Bus travel from Heathrow (and friends arrive in Gatwick) to our hotel on Cromwell Road near Hyde Park. Do you know if AirBus will drop you at your hotel? Or do you know of another bus service that will do a hotel drop off? Because of luggage we don't want to mess with the train and I understand a taxi can be quite expensive. Any hints? Thanks in advance for any help.

Dear Val, I wish I could help you re: Heathrow transportation. Unfortunately, we flew in to Gatwick and took the Gatwick Express train into Victoria and then a cab to our hotel. I have read a lot about getting from Heathrow to London but as it didn't apply to us..... I suggest you post that question on the forum as a separate entry. I am sure you will get lots of responses. Regardless, I know you will have a great time. CS

Linda, I'll tell you that we did not plan anough time for the area we wanted to cover. We spent 2 days in Edinburgh, 2 days in York and 2 days in the Cotswolds (as well as Inverness, the Isle of Skye and Wales). The roads in those areas are fair to good. I am , of course, not referring to the Motorway--a controlled access freeway with a posted speed limit of 70 MPH--which most people ignore as they speed by you up to 100 MPH. (Remember to stay in the LEFTHAND lane as that is the slow lane.) It was the roads in the Highlands that gave us pause. Some of the back roads were just that---one lane paths with wide spots for allowing oncoming traffic to squeeze by. You really cannot cover much distance under those conditions. Therefore, I suggest that you allow more time for your Highlands travel than perhaps you had planned. A similar situation exists in the Lake District. The roads getting there are fine--the roads in the Lake District itself are very narrow and twisty and hemmed in by hedges or stone walls. Definitely not something for the faint of heart or for night time travel. But it was worth it--it is gorgeous. (Take a lot of film.) Be sure to see Ambleside--it was our favorite Cotswold town. Keswick and Windemere are bigger and seemed more touristy but still worth seeing. Go to the Castlerigg National Trust site, just above Keswick--better than Stonehenge, some say. Sorry to ramble on--we had such a glorius time, my enthusiasm sometimes gets the best of me.
I think if you recognize travel in the Highlands and Lake District may take longer than you thought, you will be OK. I do suggest that you don't go from the airplane to the rent car. You really need some time to get over the jetlag before you take off. Those roundabouts are hard to navigate when you are rested let alone suffering from lack of sleep. Just remember to look to the right as you approach and enter and if someone is coming--YIELD! We Yanks are so accustomed to looking to the left, it is a hard habit to establish. Hope some of this has helped. Feel free to email me if I can try to answer any other questions. I know you are going to have a great time. CS

Tammy
I saw your posting to Petesmammy asking for London attractions other than the "usual" tourist sites. You might consider these:

Take the underground to Camden town. It's on the Northern Line. The Camden Lock Market on Regent's Canal offers handmade crafts, fashions, books, antiques. You'll find street performers as well. Then, take a canal ride from Camden Town to Little Venice, in northwest London, an absolutely charming part of the city. You'll see houseboats and floating restaurants at Little Venice. At the ride's terminus, you'll find the Warwick Avenue underground station. It's on the Bakerloo line.

Visit the Wallace Collection in Hertford House, Manchester Square, Bond Street underground station. A fine private collection of art, amassed over four generations, includes Rembrandt, Gainsborough, as well as porcelain (Sevres) andsculpture.

Visit the Courtauld Institute Galleries, Somerset House, Strand. Temple underground station. Predominantly a superb collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painting, it also includes Botticelli, Brueghel, Rubens and 20th Century British art.

Visit Sir John Soane's Museum, 13 Lincoln's Inn Fields, Holborn underground. This is a wacky, eccentric collection of beautiful and peculiar stuff. Soane was an architect who bequeathed his house and collections to England in the early 1800's. His only stipulation was that nothing be changed. It's a little like rattling around in Grandma's attic but well worth the visit.

Dear C.S.,
We are renting a car in Britain for the first time this summer. This is scarry enough but we have heard all sorts of horror stories about hugh 'suprise' charges for insurance, drop off fees, etc. Can you shed some informed light on these? Thanks for any help.

Hi..I'm not an expert on car rental in Britain
(going to do it myself for 1st time in Sept.) but
I'm renting through Avis and it was clearly spelled
out about a $30 drop charge (helpful rental agent
in US advised me to see if at the pickup spot they
have a car belonging to the eventual drop off spot--
that would then eliminate the drop off charge!!).

Also, check with your credit card company re their
coverage for CDW, I was pleasantly surprised.

Martha--I too read and heard all the horror stories about rental car problems. We have been very fortunate so far. No tickets, no wrecks and no surprise charges. We pre-paid Hertz for our entire two-week rental and they provided the liability insurance after some negotiation with them. We used credit card to cover the CDW and paid no pick-up or drop off charges. We picked the car up across from Victoria Station and dropped it off at Gatwick. They did seem to be pleased we were returning the car in one piece. We were told there had been 24 accidents or damage claims on US driven vehicles in the previous 4 days! I'll admit we had a couple of near misses until we got the hang of the roundabouts and the etiquette of driving on the Motorways. All in all, a very positive experience with Hertz (unlike some we have read about here.) Strongly suggest you explore the prepaid route and negotiate, negotiate, negotiate with them. Hertz and the English firm Kenwell are the only ones we found who offered the prepaid arrangement and they will match each other's deals if pushed. Cars booked from the States are much much cheaper than ones arranged there. And we ended up paying about twice the cost of the rental just for gasoline. Regardless, you'll love it. Wish I could go back tomorrow. Hope this helps and feel free to email me if I can help more. CS

Are you by any chance going on the Trafalgar tour starting June 2–June 28, England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland? My husband and I are going on that tour. It would be interesting to know someone before we leave.

Off the beaten path in London? You have to realize that London IS the beaten path!

Seriously, the best way to see London is to decide what you are .Are you a theater nut? Locate yourself near the West End, get theater schedules off the Net before leaving home, go to the half-price ticket booth. You can see THREE plays most days: A noon-time theater performance, a matinee (in London, there are matinees almost every day, something they could learn about in New York). Are you a history buff? Read about it in advance. Get materials from British Tourist Authority's New York office. Are you a Holmesian? There is a grand replica of 221b at 221b Baker Street. Across the street is a SH souvenir store. The nearby Baker Street tube station has neat murals on the tile walls. Look in Time Out, the best entertainment magazine, for announcements of walking tours of SH locations.

Get the point? Know what you're interested in, and specialize in it. London truly has something for everyone--but you have to know where to look.

And, as lagniappe to the above, here are 5 London things I never miss: The National Portrait Gallery. The (fairly) new Theater Museum at Covent Garden and the nearby Transport Museum. A walk along the Thames near Whitehall. And at least one play by that country boy from Stratford named Shakespeare (not a tourist play at Stratford, but at a real theater in London).

And, finally, the walk across Waterloo Bridge late at night after a performance, any performance, at the National Theater. Look for Robert Taylor.

Damn, now you've made me want to start packing!

GREG......we visited Beatrix Potters house a couple of years ago....early in the season, flowers not blooming etc, but darling baby lambs etc (April).
After driving the car off the ferry it leads right into a lovely narrow winding road several miles to Sawrey??I believe. The 'gift shop' is right at the road and the home just up the hill perhaps 50-75 yards/ It wasn't open the day were there, but the setting is beautiful,( and also continuing on the road through some of the lake district.)

GREGG: We went to Beatrix Potter's Hill Top house last August. My mother was "concerned" that it would be very touristy but was pleasently surprised - the visit was one of the many highlights of our trip to the Lake District. We stayed in Keswick and took the coach to Hill Top which is located in the village of Near Sawrey. Bus dropped us off near the inn and it was a short walk to the car park and Hill Top. People were parking everywhere, which isn't saying much as Near Sawrey is a tiny village. Tour groups were being dropped off in vans and buses to avoid the parking crush (remember - this was August). Am so glad we went - best to arrive early as there are only a certain amount of people who are allowed in Hill Top per day (if you like, I can check my guide books). Blinds in the house are kept drawn to keep out the light and preserve the interior of the house. For anyone planning on going to Hill Top (which I highly recommend) I would also suggest you check out the biography on Beatrix Potter by Judith Norton Taylor to read before hand. It will help you appreciate this remarkable woman.

VAL: If you are interested I have information on travel from Heathrow. You can email me privately.