London vacation, 1st time in UK
May 30th, 2016, 06:25 PM
#22
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>>All buses are liable to be very slow, and the HoHo, I hear, are often full when you want to get back on.<
The advantage of a city bus tour (there are a number of different companies to chose from) is you get a running commentary about the various sights and they go specifically to all the interesting places a tourist would want to see and learn about.
A city bus goes from one point to another along a route designed for locals to get from one place to another. You'd have to map out the route yourself and that would be laborious, expensive and difficult IMHO.
The advantage of a city bus tour (there are a number of different companies to chose from) is you get a running commentary about the various sights and they go specifically to all the interesting places a tourist would want to see and learn about.
A city bus goes from one point to another along a route designed for locals to get from one place to another. You'd have to map out the route yourself and that would be laborious, expensive and difficult IMHO.
May 30th, 2016, 06:44 PM
#23
Expensive?? Regular buses are a lot cheaper than the HoHo, Looks like two adults and a child is 64.50 GBP (!) for 24 hours bought online. The daily caps for Oyster, or a travelcard, will be much less than that, and include the tube.
There are routes there are good for sightseers, including the Heritage Route:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lond...e_15_(Heritage)
Or the regular route 10. Easy enough to figure out using the central London bus map.
http://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-route-...ral-london.pdf
There are routes there are good for sightseers, including the Heritage Route:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lond...e_15_(Heritage)
Or the regular route 10. Easy enough to figure out using the central London bus map.
http://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-route-...ral-london.pdf
May 30th, 2016, 06:56 PM
#24
>><i>The advantage of a city bus tour (there are a number of different companies to chose from) is you get a running commentary about the various sights and they go specifically to all the interesting places a tourist would want to see and learn about.
A city bus goes from one point to another along a route designed for locals to get from one place to another. You'd have to map out the route yourself and that would be laborious, expensive and difficult IMHO.</i><<
Nope -- not IMO/IME. Forst of all city buses are essentially free since they are included w/ the Oyster/travelcard one would need anyway.
The H-o-H-o buses are VERY expensive and are stuck in traffic most of the time.
There are several regular tfl bus routes that are perfect for tourists.
The #15 from the Tower past St Pauls, up the Strand, past Somerset House and to Trafalgar Sq
the #10 Past the V&A, along Park Lane, up Oxford Street, to the British Library, and Kings Cross.
The #24 through Pimlico, to Westminster/Parliament/Big Ben, Trafalgar Sq, Leicester Sq, etc.
and many more
A city bus goes from one point to another along a route designed for locals to get from one place to another. You'd have to map out the route yourself and that would be laborious, expensive and difficult IMHO.</i><<
Nope -- not IMO/IME. Forst of all city buses are essentially free since they are included w/ the Oyster/travelcard one would need anyway.
The H-o-H-o buses are VERY expensive and are stuck in traffic most of the time.
There are several regular tfl bus routes that are perfect for tourists.
The #15 from the Tower past St Pauls, up the Strand, past Somerset House and to Trafalgar Sq
the #10 Past the V&A, along Park Lane, up Oxford Street, to the British Library, and Kings Cross.
The #24 through Pimlico, to Westminster/Parliament/Big Ben, Trafalgar Sq, Leicester Sq, etc.
and many more
May 30th, 2016, 07:45 PM
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It could be 2pm, it could be 11am. Glass half empty or half full.
Fodorgarch: bah, humbug, be afraid, listen to me and only me!
Everyone else: you'll have a full day, give or take an hour or two.
Easy!
The question is, why do some of you always want to make it sound hard?
Fodorgarch: bah, humbug, be afraid, listen to me and only me!
Everyone else: you'll have a full day, give or take an hour or two.
Easy!
The question is, why do some of you always want to make it sound hard?
May 31st, 2016, 06:11 AM
#29
AFAIK there are 1) the Studio Tour done on your own, 2) the same booked via a tour company (why pay extra to a middle man when you can do it independently? ), and 3) HP walking tours. I don't <i>think</i> there is a London bus tour w/ a Harry Potter theme . . .
May 31st, 2016, 12:17 PM
#30
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Wow,
Thank you!! All of you.
I will start thinking pounds not dollars and I will triple my food budget. You have to pay tax on something because it has sugar in it? My true American Tourist is really shining right now! We don't drink adult beverages and we are not huge red meat eaters but I don't want to eat junk all the time.
The only thing scary me is where we are staying, we are staying at 196 Bishopsgate, is that ok?
They had awesome reviews on ever travel site I found. I have to separate my husband from our daughter if i want any sleep. He snores and she talks in her sleep!
Paris will be for another trip. I'm more interested in checking out more of England. Paris was more for my daughter, she's young she has plenty of time to go
I'm booking things right now and getting tickets for things that are on our must see list, thank you.
Thank you for all the great advice. IF we do a day trip (if it fits in nicely) it will be in England like Cotswolds.
Thank you!! All of you.
I will start thinking pounds not dollars and I will triple my food budget. You have to pay tax on something because it has sugar in it? My true American Tourist is really shining right now! We don't drink adult beverages and we are not huge red meat eaters but I don't want to eat junk all the time.
The only thing scary me is where we are staying, we are staying at 196 Bishopsgate, is that ok?
They had awesome reviews on ever travel site I found. I have to separate my husband from our daughter if i want any sleep. He snores and she talks in her sleep!
Paris will be for another trip. I'm more interested in checking out more of England. Paris was more for my daughter, she's young she has plenty of time to go
I'm booking things right now and getting tickets for things that are on our must see list, thank you.
Thank you for all the great advice. IF we do a day trip (if it fits in nicely) it will be in England like Cotswolds.
May 31st, 2016, 12:46 PM
#31
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Hop on hop off buses IME of taking them once (enough) are a good way to orient yourselves to London - the commentary is helpful and fun and to sit on the open-air top deck in sweet - don't find that on regular buses.
Yes they can get mired in traffic as can regular buses but for a rookie in London they IMO are a good thing to do right off the bat and get on and off at will.
Yup are rather dear at cheapest about $30-35 a pop for a whole day however. And there is a certain kind of ambiance about the open-air top deck- except in the oft foul London weather of course.
Yes they can get mired in traffic as can regular buses but for a rookie in London they IMO are a good thing to do right off the bat and get on and off at will.
Yup are rather dear at cheapest about $30-35 a pop for a whole day however. And there is a certain kind of ambiance about the open-air top deck- except in the oft foul London weather of course.
May 31st, 2016, 01:48 PM
#34
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The open air Hop on Hop Off buses aren't much fun if it's raining or a bit chilly. I have seen tourists huddled in raincoats, scarves and umbrellas, but they never look as if they're enjoying it. For your family you are looking at about $100 for the experience, a bit pricey IMO.
Someone mention Prêt a Manger on an earlier post, and I wanted to also add they while it is basically fast food, it is pretty healthy stuff and very tasty. Highly recommend it, and they have numerous places around London.
Someone mention Prêt a Manger on an earlier post, and I wanted to also add they while it is basically fast food, it is pretty healthy stuff and very tasty. Highly recommend it, and they have numerous places around London.
May 31st, 2016, 01:48 PM
#35
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Does your moderate budget for food mean per person or per family? If it's for all of you, I don't know how you'd eat outside cheap chains - McD's lunch for three of you would crack the $15 total. Seriously, how can you three eat OUT for breakfast for $10 even at IHOP or Waffle House? You can't.
If it's per person, you can find plenty of places that will provide edibles for $45 for lunch and $75 for dinner for a family of three. Just wander down the row of Asian restos on Charing X Road.
As for the two-fers. From another thread, but by the same handsome commenter:
What you MUST buy are 7-day Zone 1-2 travelcards (yeah, yeah, you're only there for 6 days or so but the 7-day travelcard cost amortizes out with about four days of use compared to buying daily passes).
You buy the travelcards at a national rail station (Victoria, Waterloo, Charing X, Paddington, Euston, King's X, St. Pancras, Liverpool St., London Bridge - to name the largest in central London) and you buy them on the same level as the ticket agents for the trains that lead to far-flung areas of the UK, and NOT from the Tube agents. The national ticketing levels will have a Boots pharmacy and (nearly always) an M&S Simply Food shop (just so you don't get confused).
Your travelcard should be the size of a credit card, printed on orange(ish)-bordered paper with a thin plastic coating. If you get a hard blue card with the letters e o r s t y arranged as "oyster" on any part of it, you screwed up.
To facilitate the transaction, you must bring passport-size headshots of each of you. (Include the girl in case you or hubby go off with her to do something covered by a voucher while the other gets his/her time to wander). This is easy enough to do yourself - take headshots in front of a neutral background and print them on decent photo paper, that way you don't have to cough up $9-12 pp for this at CVS. The Tube isn't as sticky about the form of these as the US Department of State.
Each of you must have a Travelcard to use the vouchers.
To get the vouchers, go to www.daysoutguide.co.uk and print every dang voucher that seems interesting. There's no charge for printing; there's no charge for not using them either.
When you get to your tourist site you present the vouchers and show your travelcards and the vouchers. This will get you two admissions for the price of one.
Sites include:
The Tower
Hampton Court Palace
Churchill War Rooms
The Eye
St. Paul's
Westminster Abbey
The various London Walks (see www.walks.com)
Think of this: your rack-rate admissions to the Tower of London will be 89 GBP without the 2for1 offer. That's $130. Even the discounted "online rate" will be $119 (81.60 quid). With the two-fers, it's $65.
Remember: buses suck. They are stuck in London traffic and London was not built in a wide-street/grid-plan formation like modern cities. There are no main streets in London that go straight - they all kink somewhere. And they're not all runway-wide like those in NC.
If it's per person, you can find plenty of places that will provide edibles for $45 for lunch and $75 for dinner for a family of three. Just wander down the row of Asian restos on Charing X Road.
As for the two-fers. From another thread, but by the same handsome commenter:
What you MUST buy are 7-day Zone 1-2 travelcards (yeah, yeah, you're only there for 6 days or so but the 7-day travelcard cost amortizes out with about four days of use compared to buying daily passes).
You buy the travelcards at a national rail station (Victoria, Waterloo, Charing X, Paddington, Euston, King's X, St. Pancras, Liverpool St., London Bridge - to name the largest in central London) and you buy them on the same level as the ticket agents for the trains that lead to far-flung areas of the UK, and NOT from the Tube agents. The national ticketing levels will have a Boots pharmacy and (nearly always) an M&S Simply Food shop (just so you don't get confused).
Your travelcard should be the size of a credit card, printed on orange(ish)-bordered paper with a thin plastic coating. If you get a hard blue card with the letters e o r s t y arranged as "oyster" on any part of it, you screwed up.
To facilitate the transaction, you must bring passport-size headshots of each of you. (Include the girl in case you or hubby go off with her to do something covered by a voucher while the other gets his/her time to wander). This is easy enough to do yourself - take headshots in front of a neutral background and print them on decent photo paper, that way you don't have to cough up $9-12 pp for this at CVS. The Tube isn't as sticky about the form of these as the US Department of State.
Each of you must have a Travelcard to use the vouchers.
To get the vouchers, go to www.daysoutguide.co.uk and print every dang voucher that seems interesting. There's no charge for printing; there's no charge for not using them either.
When you get to your tourist site you present the vouchers and show your travelcards and the vouchers. This will get you two admissions for the price of one.
Sites include:
The Tower
Hampton Court Palace
Churchill War Rooms
The Eye
St. Paul's
Westminster Abbey
The various London Walks (see www.walks.com)
Think of this: your rack-rate admissions to the Tower of London will be 89 GBP without the 2for1 offer. That's $130. Even the discounted "online rate" will be $119 (81.60 quid). With the two-fers, it's $65.
Remember: buses suck. They are stuck in London traffic and London was not built in a wide-street/grid-plan formation like modern cities. There are no main streets in London that go straight - they all kink somewhere. And they're not all runway-wide like those in NC.
May 31st, 2016, 02:10 PM
#36
If you're in a hurry, take the tube. If you want to enjoy the city, take a bus and sit up top, at the front if you can manage it. You will get a great view of the upper stories of the buildings, which have not been messed about like the ground floor.
May 31st, 2016, 02:15 PM
#37
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If you want to enjoy the city, take a bus and sit up top, at the front if you can manage it>
Yes this is a great thrill - so what if it moves at a snail's pace - for short journeys it still may be quicker than the Tube as buses will stop right near where you are going. Now for longer distances yes the Tube is quicker but why be in such a hurry - what I've seen from the seat thursdaysd mentions is fantastic - do it at least once.
Yes this is a great thrill - so what if it moves at a snail's pace - for short journeys it still may be quicker than the Tube as buses will stop right near where you are going. Now for longer distances yes the Tube is quicker but why be in such a hurry - what I've seen from the seat thursdaysd mentions is fantastic - do it at least once.
May 31st, 2016, 11:21 PM
#38
After the fire of London, they wanted to design the city in nie rectangles, but the owners of the land, went and camped out in the ruins and litterally staked out their claims, hence maintaining the old streets, it is only where whole families died (often from the plague the year before) that the roads were straightened.
Jun 5th, 2016, 12:48 PM
#39
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Thank you guys for helping!
Does anyone know what the best option for us three to get from Heathrow to our hotel? (We arrive at 8:45am Sunday)
I think we are at terminal 3 going to 196 Bishopsgate.
Also is it doable to get to the Harry Potter Tour on our own and if so how?
Does anyone know what the best option for us three to get from Heathrow to our hotel? (We arrive at 8:45am Sunday)
I think we are at terminal 3 going to 196 Bishopsgate.
Also is it doable to get to the Harry Potter Tour on our own and if so how?
Jun 5th, 2016, 01:11 PM
#40
>>Also is it doable to get to the Harry Potter Tour on our own and if so how?<<
All the info you need is on the studio website . . . https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk (you'd take the train from Euston station to Watford Junction and then a shuttle bus from there)
>>Does anyone know what the best option for us three to get from Heathrow to our hotel? (We arrive at 8:45am Sunday) <<
Either a pre-booked car service like justairports.com (about £40 total) . . .
. . . or the tube. Piccadilly Line from LHR to Holborn station, then Central line to Liverpool Street. Your apartment hotel is right outside the station.
All the info you need is on the studio website . . . https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk (you'd take the train from Euston station to Watford Junction and then a shuttle bus from there)
>>Does anyone know what the best option for us three to get from Heathrow to our hotel? (We arrive at 8:45am Sunday) <<
Either a pre-booked car service like justairports.com (about £40 total) . . .
. . . or the tube. Piccadilly Line from LHR to Holborn station, then Central line to Liverpool Street. Your apartment hotel is right outside the station.
