London Questions
 

Hi there,

My boyfriend and I will be traveling to London for the first time during the week of February 16. I just had some questions which would help me in planning my itinerary:

1. Do Londoners generally eat late, like us New York City folk do?

2. How far away from the South Kensington tube stop is Islington?

3. Where can we get some good fish and chips?

4. What tourist attractions would be best to see via the double-decker bus (as opposed to taking a guided tour)?

5. Is it worth it to take a cab from Heathrow to South Kensington or should we tube it?

6. Any ideas for a nice Valentine's Day dinner (which is also our first night there)? ps: we love Indian and Thai food, as well.

7. We plan on taking two day trips: Bath/Stonehenge and Leeds/Canterbury Castle. However, due to our packed schedule of 7 days, I can't seem to fit in Windsor Castle or Hampton Court Palace. Does anyone know how long those tours are and how far away from London they are? Perhaps we can tack them onto on of our other days in the afternoon.

Thanks!

Some quick answers to your questions:

#1 - No, dinner hour are generally earlier than in NYC. For late night meals look for ethnic places (Chinese, Greek, Indian, etc.)

#2 - S Kens is a loooong way from Islington. The tube station for most of Islington is Angel on the Northern Line. There really isn't a direct tube route - you will need at least 1 line change whichever way you go. Mostly it will require a change at Kings Cross.

3 - Fish & chip shops are all over the city. Just ask the hotel front desk where the best nearby chippy is.

4- The Hop-on-hop-off double decker buses go to most of the major sites. You really don't need a formal guided tour of most of them. Places like Westminster Abbey have really good tours offered by lay staff.

5 - Tube or cars service - NOT a cab. It mostly depends on how much luggage. If you travel light the tube is very doable. Otherwise hire a car service. A cab will cost a TON.

6 - There are lots of suggestions on this forum of good restaurants all over London. Try a search.

7 - Personally - I would go to Hampton Court Palace long before traveling to Leeds Castle. The main draw at Leeds is the fabulous gardens/gronds which will not be at their best in Feb. (I'd also go to Windsor before hitting Leeds) HCP is in zone 6 and on the outskirts of London. A quicker trip than to Leeds/Canterbury.

#5. IMO I would take the Heathrow Express to Paddington Station, then take a cab or tube it to South Kensington. Depending on the time of day and how much luggage you have, IMO I wouldn't tube it.

1. Not as late as NY but later than DC! most decent places open till 11 after that it's a curry till 12 and then a Kebab or chips...

2. yes but everywhere is pretty easy on the tube (Angel on Northern line - about 30mins)

3. you can get average fish and chips all over but a good one is more tricky - I suggest heading up to Notting hill and finding the coronet cinema - 1 block from tube then head behind it, there is a street with about 3 Greek fish places - I think it's called Costas...

4. All of them - but please don't bother with Madam Tuasauds... or The tower...

5. if your loaded sure a cab is the best way but it will cost about $90!!!! The tube is perfect - unlike US airports we actually have direct public transport to the airport - what's with Washington Dulles - or Newark or JFK...American's and their cars...

6. Really good Indian near South Ken tube, sorry can't remember name might be Kyber pass...

7. both doable in a long afternoon Hampton court prob best - you can get access to more of it - Queeny pie doesn't like too many people trudging round her pads.

Hope that helps - Jolly good carry on!
P.S. you have to go and see my friend Fiona's band Ollabelle play in NY they play most weeks at The Living Room.

Hi. I know everyone has their favorite pub in London, but I have found " The Swan" to be one of the best traditional pubs. I have been to London three times and I always make a point to stop by.

Why the Swan? It is simply the best pub I have been to in London. If you go around 7:30 or later, there is a live piano player who is great. He even sang us a song (Called me Franky from New York).

The Fish n' Chips is the best I ever had too. When you go, don't be shy. Just walk up, place your order, grab your beer, and walk around to where you see the stairs. The stairs take you up to another small room where the piano player is. Every time I have been there, it has been the same piano player.

Now, if you aren't in the mood for the piano, a lot of people hang outside, drink, and talk on the tables. Now, you might be saying it is too cold right now, but they have great heaters by all the tables that make it actually nice to sit outside.

The Swan is by the "Lancaster Gate" tube stop. Here is a website about the Swan:

http://www.londontown.com/directory/...=5&msite=1

One last piece of advice: GO TO THE SWAN

Make sure you let me know how it is when you get back!

Yes, The Swan. When I lived there over 30 years ago it was the first pub I went to and always continued to go, and when I returned a few years ago was the first place I went back to. It's a great pub. I second college traveler's suggestion!

Thanks to all for your responses. They sure were helpful! So from what I gather, I should bag the Leeds/Canterbury trip and see Hampton Court.

Cheers!
Dana

Hampton Court Palace is only about a 30 minute train ride from London. You depart from the Waterloo Station. The Palace is about a 2 minute walk from the train station.

Windsor Castle is about a 50 minute train ride. You leave from the Waterloo Station also.

I hope this helps. My sister and I are going to be there in one week! (I have researched this trip to death!)
Have fun.

From one New Yorker to another: For V-day dinner, try getting a reservation at The Red Fort on Dean St in Soho. Awesome Indian cuisine. Very hip. It might be too late to get a table, unfortunately.

Where exactly on Bayswater Rd is The Swan located?

Contrary to a couple of the areplies, I would take the tube from Heathrow to South Kensington. It's a very easy journey with no changed needed and to be honest, won't take any longer than getting a taxi or private car service.

Of course, you will need to think about how to get from South Kensington tube to your hotel but that obviously depends how far it is.

You do not want to get the Heathrow Express which takes you to Paddington which is not near where you need to be so you'd still need a tube or taxi from there. The Express alone costs about 3 times the tube fare as well.

The Swan is located just west--across one street--of the Lancaster Gate tube stop on Bayswater Road.

If you want to order a car service to pick you up at the airport, the 2 mentioned here most often are london-transfers.com and swisscottagecars.com They charge flat rates and will have a sign with your name as you depart the terminal.

Islington ahs some great antiques places (Camden Passage) of thta's why you're going.

There's a fish & chips place that people love on Lissom Grove. Do a text search here for fish and chips-there are several old strings about places.

Do the double decker tour when you arrive to get your bearings. Take a guided tour at the Tower of London & Westminster Abbey.

The Bombay Brasserie WAS the best Indian & has great atmosphere. It's been eclipsed food wise by several other newer places though. Hardens is the rest. guide that people tend to use for London. You can also do a text search here for indian restaurants AND london. Bring lots of money. London's very expensive right now for us. Have a great time :)

Either take the tube, or if you have a lot of luggage, order a private car service in advance. Do not take a cab as it will cost far more than a pre-reserved car service. The one we used in December was www.justairports.com - the cost should be less than 30 pounds from Heathrow. If you take the Heathrow Express and then a cab from Paddington station, you'll find that for 2 people you would have spent just as much or more than a car service.

I hope this is the right place for this questions, but does anyone know if Bath and Windsor can be covered in a day using the tube for transportation?

jgee: No - The tube is only in London. Neither Windsor or Bath are in London. Windsor takes about 30+ minutes by train. Bath is much farther away and the fast train from London to Bath takes about 90+ minutes.

You are trying to see two towns that each take at least 1/2 a day to see. When you add in the travel time it would be pretty difficult to see both on the same day.

There are bus tours that do both of these in the same day. At least one even adds Stonehenge. I can't imagine that they spend enough time at any of them to appreciate what is there, but it is an option.

Keith