First off, I just want to thank all of you who gave me advice on this board prior to my departure. My husband and I flew into Gatwick, and took the Gatwick Express to Victoria Station...then did a short 10 minute walk to our B&B (96 Tachbrook) located in the Pimlico area. For 110 pounds we had a HUGE room with a 4 poster bed, fireplace, and large bathroom with tub. We also had a continental breakfast that included tea, coffee, yogurt, croissants, toast, baguettes, butter and jam. All in all a very filling breakfast, and sans beans and sausage, very good. As there are only 2 rooms to let, Jenny the housekeeper keeps a wonderful eye on you, and ensures that you've got a full tin of shortbread cookies by your bedside. At 110 pounds, it's not the cheapest place in London, but we felt like "family" and had a wonderful 4 poster king bed to collapse into every night making it worth every penny we spent. We got a London Pass good for 2 days and visited Hampton Court (one of the highlights of our trip!) Kensington Palace, the Tower of London (another fantastic stop!), and the Globe Theatre plus all buses, trains, tubes, and, in our case, a cruise on the Thames for the cost of the ticket...definately worth it, as transportation can get quite expensive. We considered Madame Tussaud's, but were turned off by the 19 pound per person cost... We went into the (free) National Museum in Trafalgar Square, and I have to admit that I, not known for being the "artsy" type, was overcome by emotion at some of the paintings I saw there...particularly one of Lady Jane Grey right before her beheading....absolutely amazing! We queued up at Leicester Square at the TKTS booth for our tix for "Thoroughly Modern Millie", which was wonderful even with the absence of the lead. Our seats were 3rd row, center, so we had an excellent view. Had tea at Brown's, but would recommend to all but the most diehard chocolate lovers to get the "regular" tea vice the "chocolate tea". Honestly, there's only so much chocolate one can eat without getting ill! And since it comes out to about $12 extra, buy yourself a Cadbury if you need a chocolate fix and save yourself some money! We also took a day trip to Leeds Castle, Dover, Greenwich, and Canterbury. Thinking back, I would probably have done a different tour. Leeds Castle was beautiful, but what you saw really was more about the 20th century renovation, than the medieval period. As for Canterbury, I guess I was just expecting the city to be older...I had forgotten about the WWII bombing that all but destroyed most of the city. Back in London, we stopped by all the obligatory "tourist" points (Big Ben, Notting Hill, Buckingham Palace, etc., Westminster Abbey and Cathedral), and were overwhelmed by the friendliness of the Londoners. I don't think Brits visiting America are treated as well in our biggest cities. All in all, we had an incredible visit, and are looking forward to another trip when the pound is a bit more generous. As a final note, for those visiting London and worried about what to eat....don't! There are alot of ethnic restaurants that are the real thing...little family affairs serving up food from the home country. We made a point of having food from a different culture every night, from shepherd's pie in a pub to Turkish food in a charming restaurant called Marmaris. For those that helped us plan our trip, again, thanks...and for those headed over to London, enjoy!

Thaks for sharring, suzski!

Any pictures?

Keith

Wonderful report suzski! I've seen pictures of your B&B and it does look very nice.

Great Report

Please let me ask a question about the London Pass. What does it cover, where do you buy it, how much does it cost and how much do you think it saved you?

Thanks Bill

Great report - thanks for sharing!

Very nice report. However, 110 pounds is expensive, especially with the terrible exchange rate. I used to stay in Central London but now I stay in the suburbs at a wonderfull B&B called London Bed and Breakfast. The website is serenade.ndirect.co.uk.

Tara and Bruce Muldoon will make you feel right at home. Their prices are as follows single 30 GBP, double 44 GBP, triple 55 and quad 66. The rooms are en suite and a full breakfast is included. The tube stop is North Harrow on the Metropolitan line. (Zone 5). While it is not centrally located, they are on a very QUIET residential street with the tube stop literally right around the corner. It is just a 20 min ride to Baker Street.

The Metropolitan line takes you to Liverpool Street where you can catch the Stansted Express to Stansted Airport for budget flights to the UK and the rest of Europe. Last month I flew to Rome on Ryanair for 38 GBP return.

I will never let the exchange rate stop me from coming to London. There are many things to do for free or low cost.
I have been to London twice in the last 3 months with side trips to Berlin and Rome. And in the near future I will be going to another "cheap" destination -Iceland.

billbuckin, you can find out all the info on the London Pass at www.londonpass.com We bought our tix in London, but you can buy them on the internet as well...just make sure that you also purchase the travel (you can do just attractions, or attractions and unlimited train, bus, tube, etc.) as well, as travel can get fairly expensive with the exchange rate. We figured that in our 2 days, we had paid for our tix just with the savings off admission. It also allows you head of the line priveleges to the major attractions....not a big thing in late Feb/early March, but definately a factor come spring and summer. Enjoy!