Veronica

Message was blank so this is attempt #2. <BR>-------- <BR>I have never travelled/toured anywhere before. I lived with my family in Asia before during my teens but I never really gone out to explore a new place on my own. I am in the early stages of planning a trip to the UK in 1999. I would like some ideas as to whether I should just "wing" it and makes plans of where to go, stay, etc. after I arrive in the UK or whether I should pre-book tours and everything else before I leave or maybe a mix of both. In asking this question, I am mainly concerned about cost differences (Australian $ to the Pound is pitiful!) but if there are other things I should be thinking about as well, I'd be glad for the input. Thanks.

Veronica

Message was blank so this is attempt #2. <BR>-------- <BR>I have never travelled/toured anywhere before. I lived with my family in Asia before during my teens but I never really gone out to explore a new place on my own. I am in the early stages of planning a trip to the UK in 1999. I would like some ideas as to whether I should just "wing" it and makes plans of where to go, stay, etc. after I arrive in the UK or whether I should pre-book tours and everything else before I leave or maybe a mix of both. In asking this question, I am mainly concerned about cost differences (Australian $ to the Pound is pitiful!) but if there are other things I should be thinking about as well, I'd be glad for the input. Thanks.

Bob Brown

How you plan a trip is usually a function of how much time you have, when you are going, where you are going, and what type of financial resources you have. There are some places in Europe where it is risky to show up without a reservation because you run risk of staying in a really crummy place or of having no place at all. <BR> <BR>I would like to hear from some of others contributors on this subject. But I would be reluctant to show up in some place like Grindelwald, Switzerland, or Paris in mid August without an advance reservation. By contrast, you would be ok if you showed up in Copenhagen in January. Most hotels would be glad to see you. <BR> <BR>I winged it around England in May several years ago, but in London I stayed in a couple of strange places. <BR>One was a very small room up so high in the building that the stairwell was quite tiny. I had trouble getting my suitcase around the bend. <BR> <BR>And be warned, England is expensive with London being at the high end. You might want to check out all the youth hostel locations that you can. Even Class C Bed and Breakfasts can be over 20 pounds per night and, at that price, they are usually a long distance out. <BR>

wes fowler

Veronica, <BR>Plan, plan, plan; study, study, study! If you really devote time and effort in planning your trip you can travel independently as economically as you would by taking an organized tour. Independent travel offers you the opportunity to linger over sights of interest at your leisure. You'll capture long lasting pleasurable memories with independent travel; an organized tour may leave you with the less pleasant memory of unpacking and packing every other day or so. As Bob suggests, what time of year you travel is important from a budgetary standpoint. Off-season can result in significant savings and the added bonus of fewer crowds to cope with at major attractions. Contact the British Travel Authority (they have a website) and request brochures and information that deal with your interests. Study travel guides; many, not just one or two. Look into Fodor's, Frommer's, Rick Steves and the Rough Guide. Look into Gustafson's books "Cheap Sleeps in London:" and "Cheap Eats in London" for economical accommodations and restaurants. To economize on eating, explore Britain's many ethnic restaurants, Chinese, Indian and those of former colonies. There are tremendous resources on the internet; far too many to list here. Email me directly and I'll provide you with a number that I've found useful. Many of these websites are those of regional and local tourist offices which have a wealth of information on things to do, places to stay and eat. In your research and planning, pay particular attention to travel discounts; railpasses, same day return train travel; Travelcards for London buses and the underground, as examples. Don't be overly ambitious in what you plan to see. Think of your 1999 adventure as the first of many to come. Be conservative in what you plan to see and <BR>Do and plan ample time to experience unexpected surprises. Above all, know where you are going and why you choose to go there. Planning a trip rather than winging it can prove to be as enjoyable and enlightening as the trip itself. By not planning, you will deny yourself a great deal of pleasure, both in anticipation of the trip and its realization. <BR>

Donna

I'm with Wes on planning and researching. My recommendation would be to have at least a tentative itinerary, but plan to be as flexible as possible. There is a wide range of lodging, but those with the best value for the dollar tend to be booked year round regardless of the season or festivities. And, there is nothing more discouraging than arriving in a town very tired (or after having dealtwith a serious contingency of some sort) and having to spend hours searching for lodging and end up paying a lot more for a lot less. I like to book rooms all along the way for several days (even if I'm only planning on a night or two), making careful note of the cancellation policies. Then, if you want to change your plans, but it turns out not to be feasible, you always have something to fall back on. No matter how well you plan, there will be surprises not anticipated. So, it's best to be as informed as possible before you go. I'm also a huge fan of guide books. Each is well worth the investment. Every book I own has paid for itself in tips, resources, information not included in others, etc. For example, even though I read a dozen or so tour guides before going to Paris, only one mentioned that you must flag a bus down even though you are standing at bus stop. Of course, lots of other American tourists were astonished that a bus would go right by without stopping to pick up passengers waiting at a designated spot. Once you get started, you'll be hooked. I've spent many a lunch hour with a tour guide, highlighter and pad of tiny post-its. Planning is almost as much fun as actually going!

Trina

Veronica - <BR> <BR>I agree with the others that planning is important; however, I highly recommend you prepare to be very flexible. Nothing is more frustrating than spending hours looking for the hotel/B&B you've made reservations with only to pass by dozens of other suitable accomodations in the process. <BR> <BR>A friend and I spent a week in the U.K. this past summer and here's what we did: First, we read through all of the travel books that we could get our hands on. Next we made a list of places that we wanted to visit and prioritized them according to what we had to see, what we'd like to see, and what we could live without. We marked up a map according to our list to determine our best route. We decided to use the train system as it was cheaper and faster. (Disadvantage is hauling your stuff around, but we used backpacks.) The U.K. is fairly simple to get around in, so we avoided pre-booked tours. We found that most of the attractions we wanted to see were easily accessed from the train station in each town. We could either take a bus, walk, or take hourly tours (i.e. Stonehenge from Salisbury). <BR> <BR> As for lodging, we did run into a few snags, but we found that b&b's/hotels in smaller towns just outside of the bigger cities had lower rates, better service, and were more likely to have vacancies. We did try the hostel thing, but didn't have very good luck. Most were fully booked or not very clean. But, we were travelling in August. In contrast, when we showed up in Brighton, our cab driver was fairly certain that we wouldn't find a room, but he checked for us anyway and to his and our surprise we found a few. I think the key to finding a place to sleep is not to wait until too late in the evening. As long as you begin looking by early evening, you shouldn't have too many problems. If anything, just hop back on the train and head to the next small town. <BR> <BR>Just keep in mind your goals and your time, and you should be fine. This may not apply to you, but we met several college-aged students from Australia and other parts of Europe who had been in the U.K. for many months just "bumming" around and supporting their travels through odd jobs such as waitressing. I must admit, my friend and I were a bit jealous and amazed at the same time at how easily these people were managing. Just goes to show, if you really want something, you can find a way. Good luck with your trip! Feel free to email me if you would like more info.

Aurora

Because we live in a small town in the American West, our view of tourists is somewhat limited -- and nothing like viewing the hordes who come to America and see only New York, or Washington, or San Francisco, or any of dozens of theme parks. However, I must agree with all of the above postings -- plan, but be flexible. One of the saddest sights I see in working with tourists and travelers is what I call the "compulsive planners." These tend to be Teutonic types (not just Germans, mind you) who carry with them a day-by-day, even hour-by-hour list of "must-see" and "must-do" attractions and activities. All of those little spontaneous things that add dimension and memorability to one's travels are squeezed out, leaving only a touch-and-go existence to what should be a pleasurable experience. Yes, by all means plan -- but stay loose. Allow time for loafing, exploring, getting lost, having fun. I sense that you are young. From experience you will learn -- but don't get too hung-up on what others tell you that "you must see or do." Make your own dreams. And don't get too tired.

Bob Brown

After some 'winging it' trips around Europe, my recommendations are to plan and study extensively. If you don't plan, the trip will cost more and you may well fail to see the main attractions. <BR>Example: a few years ago, I arrived in Paris after 5 weeks of directionless rambling, 6 weeks in all. I was unable to go to Versailles because I was by then out of money -- only my emergency reserve was left. Fortunately, I had a ticket back to my home base and a few francs with which to buy something to eat. But it was an opportunity squandered because I had just muddled along with no specific goals. True, I saw some fabulous sights and visited some great places, but I also wasted time and resources by not having definite objectives or a good idea of costs. (My attitude was that I would just go until the money ran out. Well it did, but not when I wanted it to.) Now, sadder bit wiser, I may plan too much!! <BR> <BR>You have a great opportunity to go, see, and experience new cultures. But, plan it, don't blow it. <BR>

Monica

Veronica, do a search at this site on "How do you plan your European trip" which Wes Fowler wrote and received a lot of responses. I responded to his question and enjoyed reading the other responses. Great posting for planning.

Kittie

Hi! <BR> <BR>I greatly researched my trip to London in 1995. I made two catagories: #1) those places I definitely wanted to see and #2) those places that I would fit in if I had the time. I always allotted more time to see each place on list #1 than what the travel books said due to variable travel times (traffic etc.) , tour length(high season vs low season) and my personal interest. Then if the tour took me less time than what I thought, I would just wonder around or go see something that was on my list #2. <BR>My suggestion is to get a BritRail pass before you leave. BritRail offers discounts to tourists that you can't get while in the UK. They offer London tube passes that are quite a discount from what the locals pay. BritRail has a web page. I don't know what it is off-hand though. <BR>My mistake: Taking something called the" Airbus" (literally a bus) from Heathrow to my hotel in London. It only drops off at specified locations...not at specific hotels. It dropped me off 7 blocks from my hotel. I had to walk the rest of the way with all my luggage...Yuk! I took the GLT Heathrow Gatwick Air Shuttle back to the airport. It picked me up at the hotel and took me to my terminal. It was much better. It was a van with that seated about 8-10 people rather than a bus like the Airbus. <BR>Have fun! <BR>Kittie <BR> <BR>

Kathy

Hi Veronica, You've received loads of good advice. May I add: Do have lodging booked for your initial arrival in the UK. Guaranteed you'll be tired and not want to be shopping for a place to stay. Have a great time. Kathy <BR>