London and ? Trip itinerary
Jan 8th, 2017, 09:02 AM
#21
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
All that said I would stick with southern England on this first trip and make day trips out of London. This allows you to visit Stratford and another location such as Oxford, Canterbury, Bath or others.>
If doing day trips to Stratford or Bath and others check out the London Plus (Days Out of London Pass??) that covers travel all over southern England plus a return trip on airport express trains.
If doing day trips to Stratford or Bath and others check out the London Plus (Days Out of London Pass??) that covers travel all over southern England plus a return trip on airport express trains.
Jan 10th, 2017, 05:50 AM
#22
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,866
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ditto on staying in London. I suggest a day-trip to Hampton Court (good for a 13-yr-old IMHO).
But if you really want to see Paris, try this open-jaw plan. (I put Paris first, because the time-zone-change makes for more sightseeing time on the train-day if you go from Paris to London.) You could switch the train to Apr 5 if you want to spend more time in London and less in Paris...purely a matter of personal preference.:
Apr 2 AM - Arrive Paris/check-in
Apr 2 PM - Do a little sightseeing (jet-lagged)
Apr 3 - Paris
Apr 4 - Paris
Apr 5 - Paris
Apr 6 AM - early train to London (arr ~9:00, check-in hopefully by 10 am)
Apr 6 PM London sightseeing (no jet lag and early arrival allows a good portion of the day)
Apr 7 - London
Apr 8 - London
Apr 9 - Depart
It's doable but rushed...and, as stated earlier, do not underestimate the time lost figuring out a new city, transport system, etc...though getting lost in Paris is a treat. Judicious planning can cut wasted time down significantly.
ssander
But if you really want to see Paris, try this open-jaw plan. (I put Paris first, because the time-zone-change makes for more sightseeing time on the train-day if you go from Paris to London.) You could switch the train to Apr 5 if you want to spend more time in London and less in Paris...purely a matter of personal preference.:
Apr 2 AM - Arrive Paris/check-in
Apr 2 PM - Do a little sightseeing (jet-lagged)
Apr 3 - Paris
Apr 4 - Paris
Apr 5 - Paris
Apr 6 AM - early train to London (arr ~9:00, check-in hopefully by 10 am)
Apr 6 PM London sightseeing (no jet lag and early arrival allows a good portion of the day)
Apr 7 - London
Apr 8 - London
Apr 9 - Depart
It's doable but rushed...and, as stated earlier, do not underestimate the time lost figuring out a new city, transport system, etc...though getting lost in Paris is a treat. Judicious planning can cut wasted time down significantly.
ssander
Jan 10th, 2017, 07:34 AM
#23
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Janisj- my friend must have quoted me the price for her entire trip not per night. It is definitely within our range. Thank you.
Thank you all for your input. I think we will stay in England and either take day trips from London or maybe stay a few nights at the other destinations mentioned. I know that my daughter would like to see Wicked and Othello is playing at the Globe while we are there. (The Who is actually playing at Prince Albert Hall but is unfortunately sold out. That would have been fun!) I am excited to explore the city shopping and enjoying the sites. We appreciate your thoughts on hotels, restaurants, shopping sites, tours and must-see attractions/locations. I will post our itinerary once it is complete. Thank you again!
Thank you all for your input. I think we will stay in England and either take day trips from London or maybe stay a few nights at the other destinations mentioned. I know that my daughter would like to see Wicked and Othello is playing at the Globe while we are there. (The Who is actually playing at Prince Albert Hall but is unfortunately sold out. That would have been fun!) I am excited to explore the city shopping and enjoying the sites. We appreciate your thoughts on hotels, restaurants, shopping sites, tours and must-see attractions/locations. I will post our itinerary once it is complete. Thank you again!
Jan 10th, 2017, 07:59 AM
#25
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,160
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
As for daytrips out of London, I'd let the weather decide. It can be cold, rainy and windy in early April. But there's plenty to do indoors in London.
You can do a tour of the Globe even if you don't make a performance. If you do, dress warmly. It really is outdoors. Also the British Library's Treasures gallery contains Shakespeare's First Folio.
London Walks (walks.com) offer a large number of themed walks in London and excursions out of the city. No need to book, just show up at the meeting place.
You can do a tour of the Globe even if you don't make a performance. If you do, dress warmly. It really is outdoors. Also the British Library's Treasures gallery contains Shakespeare's First Folio.
London Walks (walks.com) offer a large number of themed walks in London and excursions out of the city. No need to book, just show up at the meeting place.
Jan 10th, 2017, 08:57 AM
#26
>>Janisj- my friend must have quoted me the price for her entire trip not per night. It is definitely within our range. Thank you.<<
If you are talking about the Seven Dials - that is a terrific location, so if it fits in your budget it would be a good area to stay. Right on the edge of Covent Garden, a wonderful cheese shop practically on your doorstep (Neal's Yard Dairy), w/i walking distance of about 25 theatres, Trafalgar Sq, etc etc.
If you are talking about the Seven Dials - that is a terrific location, so if it fits in your budget it would be a good area to stay. Right on the edge of Covent Garden, a wonderful cheese shop practically on your doorstep (Neal's Yard Dairy), w/i walking distance of about 25 theatres, Trafalgar Sq, etc etc.
Jan 10th, 2017, 09:33 AM
#27
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,445
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Tmeg--happy that you decided to stay in England. I was thinking over the weekend that, while everyone thinks of the big cities in Europe in deciding where to go, it is really the small towns and villages that leave the best memories of European travel. Your daughter won't forget Stratford-upon-Avon, and neither will you!
Jan 10th, 2017, 01:57 PM
#28
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Warwick Castle -one of the most famous in England could be twinned with a visit to Stratford -especially if you stay the night. Staying the night in a regional town can be sweet vs hectic London - find you 'local' pub at night and join the locals.
Apr 10th, 2017, 03:43 PM
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Trip update-
Hello everyone. My daughter and I just returned from our trip to London and I wanted to share some of the best parts of our trip.
We decided to stay in London since there is more than enough to do there and we wanted to enjoy our time there instead of spending too much time traveling. I am glad that we did. We will save Paris for another trip.
We stayed at the Captain Bligh House. I will never stay anywhere else in London. The owners are wonderful, the accommodations were very nice and the location was amazing. It is located directly across the street from the Imperial War museum. The weather was beautiful so we walked everywhere but the tube station (Lambeth North) and several bus lines were close and convenient. There are five units, each with a kitchenette. We stayed in the Crowes Nest which was comfortable and adorable.
https://www.captainblighhouse.co.uk/location/
The Three Stags Pub is on the corner. We ate there the first night because it was close to home and it was nice to have a quiet dinner after being in a noisy crowd all day. We went back because the food was very good and the staff was so friendly that we felt at home immediately. They recommended shows and a nice view of the city (Primrose Hill) and waved to us when we walked past on our way home like friendly neighbors. The menu changes daily. There is a brick pizza oven upstairs which was cozy and the pizza is very good.
https://www.thethreestags.london/
Primrose Hill is a nice spot not far from Camden Market. We loved the market because it was a fun place to shop and people watch. I am sure it is always crowded but seemed to be more so when we were there because the weather was so lovely and it was spring break. Primrose hill is not far from the market. We walked there in a short time and enjoyed the view of London from the top of the hill. From there you can either walk back to the market or check out Abbey Rd and catch the tube or bus. I am a Beatles fan but found Abbey Rd and the studio to be the least impressive part of our trip by far. I don't mean to offend anyone but if you can't make it, you really are not missing anything. I wish we had used our time to go to the zoo or somewhere else in the area. Our hosts suggested that we take the boat to Camden which we did not do because we were trying to save money but it apparently lets you out at the London zoo so it probably would have been worth it.
As I mentioned, we were trying to save money where we could to spend it on other treats like shopping and theater tickets. We ate cereal for breakfast at home some days but wanted to be out as much as possible so on other days we bought breakfasst at the cab shelter by embankment station and ate on a bench in the park. The shelters are little green shed looking buildings that were built in the 1875 to keep cab drivers out of the pubs. The food is good, filling and cheap and it is a different and interesting way to save money in an expensive city without feeling like you gave up anything.
That is all for now.
Hello everyone. My daughter and I just returned from our trip to London and I wanted to share some of the best parts of our trip.
We decided to stay in London since there is more than enough to do there and we wanted to enjoy our time there instead of spending too much time traveling. I am glad that we did. We will save Paris for another trip.
We stayed at the Captain Bligh House. I will never stay anywhere else in London. The owners are wonderful, the accommodations were very nice and the location was amazing. It is located directly across the street from the Imperial War museum. The weather was beautiful so we walked everywhere but the tube station (Lambeth North) and several bus lines were close and convenient. There are five units, each with a kitchenette. We stayed in the Crowes Nest which was comfortable and adorable.
https://www.captainblighhouse.co.uk/location/
The Three Stags Pub is on the corner. We ate there the first night because it was close to home and it was nice to have a quiet dinner after being in a noisy crowd all day. We went back because the food was very good and the staff was so friendly that we felt at home immediately. They recommended shows and a nice view of the city (Primrose Hill) and waved to us when we walked past on our way home like friendly neighbors. The menu changes daily. There is a brick pizza oven upstairs which was cozy and the pizza is very good.
https://www.thethreestags.london/
Primrose Hill is a nice spot not far from Camden Market. We loved the market because it was a fun place to shop and people watch. I am sure it is always crowded but seemed to be more so when we were there because the weather was so lovely and it was spring break. Primrose hill is not far from the market. We walked there in a short time and enjoyed the view of London from the top of the hill. From there you can either walk back to the market or check out Abbey Rd and catch the tube or bus. I am a Beatles fan but found Abbey Rd and the studio to be the least impressive part of our trip by far. I don't mean to offend anyone but if you can't make it, you really are not missing anything. I wish we had used our time to go to the zoo or somewhere else in the area. Our hosts suggested that we take the boat to Camden which we did not do because we were trying to save money but it apparently lets you out at the London zoo so it probably would have been worth it.
As I mentioned, we were trying to save money where we could to spend it on other treats like shopping and theater tickets. We ate cereal for breakfast at home some days but wanted to be out as much as possible so on other days we bought breakfasst at the cab shelter by embankment station and ate on a bench in the park. The shelters are little green shed looking buildings that were built in the 1875 to keep cab drivers out of the pubs. The food is good, filling and cheap and it is a different and interesting way to save money in an expensive city without feeling like you gave up anything.
That is all for now.
