London One Week Early May
Dec 25th, 2016, 01:34 AM
#61
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@seeksocean, I think it might help you to look at the map of bus routes and tube stations in relation to main attractions, at:
http://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-route-...ral-london.pdf
http://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-route-...ral-london.pdf
Dec 25th, 2016, 05:13 AM
#64
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You have gotten some good advice above; you are wise to be making plans ahead and getting some options. It really is almost impossible to comprehend how big London is without having been there. Your main concern for your rooming choice can not be "is it near all the things I want to see" because none will be. Being near a Tube stop, being in your budget, and fitting your personal tastes and style are what to consider.
Have you tried playing around with a mapping app like Google maps and plugged in a few sites, selected the walking option, and seen exactly how far away things are from each other?
Also get exact location of any room before you select it; locate it yourself on a map and see how far it really is from any Tube stop. Also be aware that the Tube map itself, while a modern marvel and a workable tool, can be deceptive as in a few cases it would be shorter to walk than ride the Tube; the distances on the Tube map are not reflective of actual distances.
I have booked apartments in Chelsea for a group of students and adults I'm chaperoning next June; I am reluctant to give the agency because I have not stayed yet so can't recommend it from personal experience. But that being said, it will be my 7th trip to London and I did a lot of looking and research and decided that Chelsea would be a good area in terms of safety, convenience to public transport, and availability of stuff like grocery stores. Our apartments are not near any of the sites first time visitors would probably choose, but, as I said, they are near a couple Tube stops. (I didn't get to explore Chelsea much until my 6th visit and found it to be wonderful, but...it was my 6th visit.)
As you plan, remember to group your sites by neighborhood and be wary of planning more than a couple big must-sees per day. Again, plug sites into some mapping app to see what your itinerary each day might look like. You have to allow plenty of time for transport or walking, and for lines, and for crowds, and for actually enjoying the site you are at.
You cannot see it "all"--you may not even be able to see all of your personal list of sites. But with good planning you can cover a lot of ground.
About plays--seeing a "biggy" that everyone sees is a great experience. Don't count that idea out. Daughter and I saw
"Curious Incident" and were gobsmacked, as they say there. We also loved "War Horse." And have seen a couple musicals and glad we did. (We scored "Harry Potter" tickets for June, but that took some time and effort months ago!)
And maybe my fave theatre experience is seeing Shakespeare at the Globe.
Have you tried playing around with a mapping app like Google maps and plugged in a few sites, selected the walking option, and seen exactly how far away things are from each other?
Also get exact location of any room before you select it; locate it yourself on a map and see how far it really is from any Tube stop. Also be aware that the Tube map itself, while a modern marvel and a workable tool, can be deceptive as in a few cases it would be shorter to walk than ride the Tube; the distances on the Tube map are not reflective of actual distances.
I have booked apartments in Chelsea for a group of students and adults I'm chaperoning next June; I am reluctant to give the agency because I have not stayed yet so can't recommend it from personal experience. But that being said, it will be my 7th trip to London and I did a lot of looking and research and decided that Chelsea would be a good area in terms of safety, convenience to public transport, and availability of stuff like grocery stores. Our apartments are not near any of the sites first time visitors would probably choose, but, as I said, they are near a couple Tube stops. (I didn't get to explore Chelsea much until my 6th visit and found it to be wonderful, but...it was my 6th visit.)
As you plan, remember to group your sites by neighborhood and be wary of planning more than a couple big must-sees per day. Again, plug sites into some mapping app to see what your itinerary each day might look like. You have to allow plenty of time for transport or walking, and for lines, and for crowds, and for actually enjoying the site you are at.
You cannot see it "all"--you may not even be able to see all of your personal list of sites. But with good planning you can cover a lot of ground.
About plays--seeing a "biggy" that everyone sees is a great experience. Don't count that idea out. Daughter and I saw
"Curious Incident" and were gobsmacked, as they say there. We also loved "War Horse." And have seen a couple musicals and glad we did. (We scored "Harry Potter" tickets for June, but that took some time and effort months ago!)
And maybe my fave theatre experience is seeing Shakespeare at the Globe.
Dec 25th, 2016, 11:34 AM
#65
You will need to be very careful with Chelsea. It is a fabulous, high end neighborhood. But parts are very far from any tube station. Near sloane square is terrific. Farther west or near Chelsea harbor won't be convenient at all. What is the post code of the flat you are looking at. (I'm not worried about texasbookworm at all since they are old pros when it comes to London 
but for a first timer it is vital to know which part of Chelsea )
but for a first timer it is vital to know which part of Chelsea )
Dec 27th, 2016, 06:10 PM
#70
Rail Europe is a middle man -- almost never the best option.
Try the Eurostar UK site (Eurostar.com might throw you straight to its USA site) and the UK site might be a little cheaper (or not) http://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/trains
Try the Eurostar UK site (Eurostar.com might throw you straight to its USA site) and the UK site might be a little cheaper (or not) http://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/trains
Dec 30th, 2016, 05:22 AM
#72
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Booked a really nice flat in Notting Hill, five minutes walk from a few different tube choices. Still working on Theater and possible tour choices. Would love a recommendation for a private tour guide...or even a group tour. Lots of choices.
Also, starting a new thread on Portugal. Hop on over if you can offer some guidance, or just want to visit
. I can't thank you all enough for all the sage advice and patience with me in planning all this. It enriches my total experience. I hope each and every one of you have an amazing 2017!!
Also, starting a new thread on Portugal. Hop on over if you can offer some guidance, or just want to visit
. I can't thank you all enough for all the sage advice and patience with me in planning all this. It enriches my total experience. I hope each and every one of you have an amazing 2017!!
Dec 30th, 2016, 06:14 AM
#73
No need at all for any sort of private tour/guide. London is a very easy DIY city.
London Walks does mostly terrific walking tours if you have specific areas you want to see w/ a guide. http://www.walks.com And no need to pre-book - you just show up ate the time/place listed in the tour description.
London Walks does mostly terrific walking tours if you have specific areas you want to see w/ a guide. http://www.walks.com And no need to pre-book - you just show up ate the time/place listed in the tour description.
Dec 31st, 2016, 06:39 AM
#75
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I gave someone info on local food stores in Notting Hill recently. You can find that here;
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-in-london.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-in-london.cfm
