Just Back From Trip to London
Apr 7th, 2001, 02:42 PM
#1
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Just Back From Trip to London
Here is my recap of our recent London Vacation (8 Days and 7 Nights)<BR>-Purchased London Pass and Travel Card prior to leaving the states. I can’t say if we came out ahead with the London Pass but it was very convenient. The Travel Cards were a good deal for us (7 day version). We really used them.<BR>-We converted some currency at our local bank before leaving for London. This is a good idea.<BR>-We recommend London Walks<BR>-Restaurants are not very generous with their ice. I can’t count the times I got only one cube. Food was generally fair. Service was fair. They take your order and leave you alone. If you need something else you have to flag the wait staff down.<BR>-3/26 – Mon<BR>-Plane was late arriving in London<BR>-Getting through customs and baggage claim took around 30 minutes.<BR>-Swiss Cottage Car Ride to Hotel<BR>--Having a car to take us to hotel was nice. <BR>--Helped with luggage<BR>--Car was almost too small for our luggage.<BR>--Car had a smell to it. Not a bad smell, just a smell that you don’t want to be around for an extended period of time.<BR>--We might try something different if we did it again. Although I don’t know what. I expect you would have to wait in line for a cab. However, cabs can use the BUS lane on the highway, which is faster.<BR>--The trip took an hour, which is what we expected.<BR>-London Elizabeth Hotel across from Hyde Park and the Lancaster Gate Tube Station.<BR>--Large room, for London standards<BR>--Very neat and clean room<BR>--Very friendly and responsive staff<BR>--Light breakfast included in the price of the room.<BR>--Because this trip was to celebrate our twentieth anniversary I requested a<BR>special room. We were given the Montagu Suite.<BR>-Jet Lag: My wife was ready for a nap, but that would have been a mistake. Everything we read said to get on local schedule, so that's what we did. As the day went on we found it difficult to stay awake.<BR>-Subway To Waterloo Train Station<BR>-Waterloo Train to Hampton Court<BR>-Hampton Court Palace (12-4:30)<BR>--Costume Tour (Included in Ticket)<BR>--Audio Tour (Included in Ticket)<BR>-Hampton Court Train to Waterloo<BR>-Hopped Double Decker Bus (Wild Ride) to Tralfagar Square<BR>-Tube to Russell Station<BR>-Dinner at North Sea<BR>--Service was stretched and restaurant was not crowded. Only 3 staff.<BR>--Food was good, not bad, not great, just good.<BR>-Tube ride back to hotel. Having a hotel across from tube station was great after a long day.<BR>3/27 - Tues<BR>-Light Breakfast at the hotel<BR>-Subway to Tower Hill<BR>--The tube was very crowded before 9 AM<BR>-Tower of London (9 AM - 2:30)<BR>--We went on the first Yeoman Tour of the day (included in ticket). The<BR>tour was very entertaining and informative. Great for kids.<BR>--Audio tour was good. Worth the $ for each disc player.<BR>--Go to the Tower of London early. As the day went on it became extremely<BR>crowded.<BR>--The crown jewels were not fakes. Or so the Yeoman told us. Someone had posted earlier that the jewels were copies.<BR>-Walked to St. Pauls<BR>-St Pauls (3:00-5:00)<BR>--Did not do the audio tour<BR>--Walked to the top of the dome (a lot of steps)<BR>--Ate at the Cafe in the Crypt<BR><BR>-Rode the bus to Piccadilly Circus<BR>-Lilly Whites Department Store<BR>-Tube ride to Tower Hill<BR>-Walk along the river<BR>-London Walks Jack the Ripper<BR>--Buy a Walk-a-bout Pass. It is a good deal if you plan to do more than one walk.<BR>-Take Away Meal from a store front.<BR>3/28 – Wed<BR>-Light Breakfast at the hotel<BR>-Walk to Paddington Station to meet London Walks (Only 2 block from hotel).<BR>-Bath Explorer Day with London Walks (9:30 AM-7:15 PM) with Richard with the Red Hat<BR>--Richard did a good job.<BR>--Lunch at Sally Lunn (Food was good, service was okay)<BR>3/29-Thur<BR>-Light Breakfast at the hotel<BR>-Tube Strike<BR>-Walked to Westminster Abbey<BR>-Westminster Abbey<BR>--Verger Tour was very good and worth the $<BR>-Churchill Cafe for Lunch (good, fast, close by Palace of Westminster, loud<BR>and lively) is operated by some Italians (I think). They like to flirt with young single girls (funny).<BR>-London Walk Old Westminster<BR>--Richard 3 was very good – but don’t mention politics if you are conservative.<BR>-War Cabinet Rooms<BR>--Discount because thru London Walks<BR>-Walked to Harrods<BR>-Harrods<BR>--Shopping was a disappointment. Overpriced.<BR>--Saw the Diana and Dodi Memorial. We thought it was a little tacky.<BR>--Cooked food area was nice. We picked a variety of items to take back to<BR>hotel for supper.<BR>-Walked from Harrods to Hotel. We were beat.<BR>3/30-Fri<BR>-Light Breakfast at the hotel<BR>-We had been having trouble with our London Pass (it had come up invalid at<BR>2 locations) so I gave customer service a call. A representative (Carrie) of London<BR>Pass hand delivered new passes to our hotel within 20 minutes of my call.<BR>Plus she gave us a couple of disposable cameras. Now that's what I call<BR>service.<BR>-Tube working again (great)<BR>-Rode Tube to Buckingham Palace<BR>-Changing of the Guard: Get there by 10:30 if you want a spot near the fence.<BR>-Tube to Kensington Palace<BR>-Kensington Palace<BR>--Audio Tour<BR>--Women will like this one. There are a lot dress from Di and Victoria.<BR>-Bought some snacks at Marks and Spencer Food Store<BR>-Tube to Swan Pub<BR>-Supper at the Swan Pub (food was okay, Coke was the best in London). They gave a lot of ice. <BR>-Walk to Hotel<BR>-Tube to Black Friar Station for a London Walks Pub Walk. Ended at The<BR>George Pub<BR>-Tube to buy snacks at grocery then to hotel.<BR>3/31-Sat<BR>-Light Breakfast at the hotel<BR>-Tube to Portobello Street<BR>-Portobello Street Shopping (lots to see, but I found the prices to be high)<BR>-Bus to Paddington Train Station<BR>-Train to Paddington to Windsor<BR>-Windsor<BR>--Use the audio tour, it’s worth the $.<BR>-Lunch at Kings Head Tea House (good food at a reasonable price) best meal<BR>for the price we ate so far. <BR>-Shopping in Windsor<BR>-Train from Windsor to Paddington<BR>-Walk to hotel (only a couple of blocks)<BR>4/1-Sun<BR>-Light Breakfast at the hotel<BR>-Tube to Tower Bridge<BR>-Walk across Tower Bridge<BR>-Tube to British Museum<BR>-British Museum<BR>-Tube to Tower to finish some shopping.<BR>-Tube to Tralfagar Square to relax.<BR>-Walked to Café UNO for supper. Very reasonable price. Average service. Good Food.<BR>-Walked to Piccadilly Circus. Very crowded on a Sunday Afternoon.<BR>-Tube to Hotel<BR>4/2-Mon<BR>-Carried luggage to American Airlines check-in at Paddington Train Station (2 blocks from the hotel). No line, no waiting. They also give you your boarding passes.<BR>-Walked back to hotel for breakfast.<BR>-Walked around Hyde Park.<BR>-Checked out of Hotel<BR>-Walked to Tube station with carry-on bags and rode the tube to the airport.<BR>-Check-in at the airport was very crowded. We were very happy that we checked in at Paddington Station.
Aug 5th, 2001, 09:45 AM
#5
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We seem to have been in London at the same time! Your notes were interesting! We found the Dodi/Di memorial to be on the tacky side as well.... very sad. <BR> <BR>Also, I was laughing about your comments on the smell of the Swiss Cottage Car! We thought the same thing w/our car & driver... the smell was a combo of B.O., cigarette &/or cigar smoke -- all covered over with air freshener. Ick. I held my breath half the way. <BR> <BR>However I should say that they were very prompt & courteous, helped with the luggage & got us to & fro in plenty of time.
