Our London Trip
May 12th, 2002, 01:03 PM
#1
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Our London Trip
I just wanted to thank everyone for all their<BR>help when I was planning our trip to London. All the information I accumulated over the nine months prior to our trip was invaluable!<BR>Mel--the K+K Hotel room opening into the English garden was wonderful, an excellent recommendation, would go back there in a heatbeat!Our trip was wonderful. We actually accomplished quite a bit and really didn't feel too rushed. Everyone is right, however, you definitely want to go back, and back, and back. London is amazing! America has many, many beautiful places to see and enjoy, but there's something about London that grabs you and just doesn't let go even after you've been home a while. I talk to my brother almost every day and his comments are always, "this time last week we were...."etc., etc. or "this time two weeks ago we were...."etc., etc. I enjoyed the food, the pubs were fun, tea at Brown's is something everyone should try at least once (a tourist thing to do but worth every penny), saw the Mousetrap (as dated as this play may be it was interesting enough to have my 18 year old want to see another play but we never had enough time), wasn't crazy about the Tube(but an efficient way to get around), Cotswolds, Ceremony of the Keys, even the day spent in Paris (although rushed) was worth every minute. The post office phone card was great...called home every night, an excellent recommendation. My God...I can't thank everyone enough for all your help!! Well here it is, OUR TRIP, just the highlights (too long to go into detail):<BR>Monday: Arrived Heathrow--HotelLink--Checked into K+K--Bank--Post Office (phone card)--Big Red Bus Tour (video camera battery dead)--Salisbury for hotel room munchies--Pub for dinner--Bed (none of us had slept since Saturday night--about 36 hours) but we made it. Weather was cold, windy and drizzling, so did not do the Thames boat cruise. <BR>Tuesday: Big Red Bus again to film what we missed the first day--too much traffic so we got off and went to Madam Tussaud's--Post cards--black cab ride to Brown's for tea--walked to St. Martin's to see Mousetrap--walked and walked and walked--Tube home. Weather still cold but it only rained at night. <BR>Wednesday: St. Paul's--Tower of London--walked and walked and walked--Dicken's Inn for dinner--Ceremony of the Keys (another must do)--Tube home.<BR>Thursday: Golden Tours--Oxford University/Anne Hathaway's home/Stratford-On-Avon--Lunch at Cotswold Pub--dinner at hotel (too tired to go out). It only rained when we were on the bus, once we got off the sky cleared and the sun came out. <BR>Friday: Dicken's House--Westminster Abby--Harrods--walked and walked and walked--dinner at hotel again. Weather sunny, warm, excellent, no rain.<BR>Saturday: EuroStar at 6:30 a.m. (Ugh) Paris--2 hour tour all major sights, lunch at Cafe Ruc, crepe at another cafe, shopping, walked and walked and walked! Weather was excellent, maybe a little too warm for how we were dressed--EuroStar to Waterloo--Taxi home.<BR>Sunday: Mass at Brompton Oratory--Sherlock Holmes--Pub for fish and chips--walked and walked and walked--Jack the Ripper Walk--Tube home.<BR>Monday: Windsor Castle--Eton--walked and walked and walked--Dinner at Victorian restaurant--Train home--packed for flight home. <BR>Tuesday: Picked up by HotelLink at 1:00 for flight home at 4:30.<BR><BR>This is just a very, very brief summary of what we covered. It may not seem too exciting for some, but it was for us. My brother even found some good buys on antiques to bring home. It goes without saying we shopped everywhere! So much to see and do, so little time. The whole experience was wonderful and I'd do it again in a minute. Again, thanks to everyone for all their kind words, suggestions, insider tips, must do, must sees, etc. If any questions, please post. I hope I can help someone as much as I was helped on this board. <BR><BR> <BR>
May 13th, 2002, 10:04 AM
#5
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Mavis: The hotel was the K+K George Hotel on 1-15 Templeton Road. The hotel was very, very clean, very pleasant staff, room price included full English breakfast, convenient to Earls Court tube station. Room was a good size with French doors into their English garden in the back, very quiet. Three beds with plenty of room, hairdryer, mini bar, safe, plenty of closet space, full vanity and deep tub. Staff answered any and all questions, booked tours, arranged cabs, etc., etc. This was our first time to London so do not have a comparison with anywhere else. The area was very safe, restaurants, pubs, grocery stores, Post Office, bank, etc. right in our area. Air fare and hotel were a package through British Air. It calculated out as $86 USD each per day per person including the full breakfast. We were very happy with the hotel and would definitely return.
May 13th, 2002, 10:07 AM
#6
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Marian: We did the Jack the Ripper walk booked through a tour group at the Royal National. I don't know the name but I think it is the same tour as the one operated by Evans and Evans. We did this walk because my brother had done it four years earlier and really enjoyed it. It was good but I would have preferred doing the Original London Walk with Donald as everyone highly recommends all their walks. Have a good time.
May 24th, 2002, 07:42 PM
#8
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Rick: We had originally booked a two day tour through BA with British Shrinkers but that particular tour was canceled. We knew the day tour would not be as leisurely but at least we could say,"we were actually there." We really didn't have much time other than to eat lunch at a cafe and do some shopping, but at least with the bus tour you do see all the major sites. I think it was worth the time and money and we were really glad we went, but I'm sure others on this board will disagree. If you're not concerned about being unable to speak French, or if you do speak French, by all means just book on your own. My advice would try to do 2 days though. You'll definitely feel less rushed and can really relax and enjoy everything there is to see. There are a large number of people in Paris that speak English, but we still ran into trouble trying to order crepes in a cafe where no one spoke a word of English. Others on this board have booked the trip on their own without any problems. By the way, we returned to London around 9:30 p.m. and grabbed a cab back to the hotel. We walked quite a bit in Paris and were really tired by the time we got back. Others on this board seem to have accomplished quite a bit in the one day to Paris.
May 24th, 2002, 10:29 PM
#9
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It really does sound like you had a great holiday. I am wondering what you thought of the Hotelink service to and from airport? And, forgive my ignorance, our upcoming trip to London in June will be a first..what and where is "Browns?" Are reservations required?<BR>Thanks in advance.
