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Some Advice on 1st time in London
Hello I am taking my first trip out of the states to London in March. I only just found this forum and wish I had found it sooner :-)
I have been planning out what I want to see and feel pretty confidante in my itinerary but I do have two questions... 1. I have already booked my hotel I researched on my own but having seen so many good suggestions on this forum I wanted to see if anyone has had any experience with it or have heard any complaints or good reviews of it. http://www.blairvictoria.com/index.htm 2. I will be staying in London for 6 nights and have planned a trip to Stonehenge for one of the days. Would a second day trip be too much? I was hoping to try and see Windsor Castle but I don't want to over tax myself by adding too many out of the city trips. Also my main reason for wanting to see it is because I figure I should get to a castle since I'm in England is Windsor the best one to see close to London or is there a better choice nearby. Thanks in advance for the help. This place has a lot of good tips and suggestions that I plan on using for my trip. |
I have no personal experience with the hotel you mention. I do advise, however, that you avoid another day trip! London is *huge*, and you'll find plenty to do in the five days you're there, if you insist on including Stonehenge. I haven't been there myself, but I hear that it's hard to reach by public transportation. I hope you've researched that.
Research the tube, the parks, the theatre, the shopping, and the museums you prefer to see. Remember, it often takes 30-45 minutes to travel from point A to point B in London, so when you're planning your days, leave some room to wander, eat, and just drink in the atmosphere. |
I don't know the hotel personally but I do know its location (I usually rent a flat about a 5 or 6 minute walk south of there towards the river). It is very convenient to all sorts of things - just about a 2 minute walk to Victoria station w/ train/tube and bus connections to all parts of London. There is an easyEverything internet cafe less than a 5 min walk. And you will be walking distance to Buckingham Palace, Westminster Cathedral, Westmister Abbey and the river. I assume it is a budget property - the area is full of them, but for location you really couldn't do much better.
As for your day trip(s) -- If it were me I'd go to either Hampton Court Palace or Windsor rather than spending a whole day going to Stonehenge. HCP would be about a full 1/2 day's trip out and back, and Windsor would take a bit longer. But if you've always dreamed of seeing Stonehenge - then go for it and skip the other two. BTW - the Tower of London is a castle, and is right in the middle of the city. I'd go there for sure. |
Don't hesitate to visit Windsor Castle!
We simply hopped on the train at Paddington station. Make it a day trip, explore the castle taking your time. Meantime, either buy a very good guide book on London ( I personally love the EyeWitness Guide) or get searching on the internet for info on Windsor Castle. Another lovely day trip is getting a boat ride from Westminster Pier up the Thames to Hampton Court. The trip back maybe by train, as it's a long ride by boat but oh so lovely! Stonehenge is a must. We took a guided coach tour as I was with my elderly mum. Wishing you a great time! |
If your hotel is asking for 90 GBP/night I really encourage you to use Priceline instead. You can pay much less (and in dollars) and stay in a 3-4* hotel.
For $110 USD I stayed here: http://hip.hotels-london.co.uk/river...rk-plaza.hotel For $95 USD I stayed here: http://midrange.hotels-london.co.uk/...t-ermins.hotel Jolly St Ermins wasn't great but a totally acceptable room and good service. try betterbidding.com or biddingfortravel.com for help on how to bid. |
fishee = the thing is with priceline you can't choose the hotels you want to. You are at the mercy of priceline and if you don't like their choice you are out of luck. Personally, i like picking my own hotels.
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We are going to London too for the first time in May, I thought this might be of interest to you.
www.walks.com They have walks for everyday of the week and also some Explorer Days which go to interesting places. Have a great time. We intend too! |
Sure Madison, but given the expense of hotels in London and the weak dollar, it makes sense to "take a chance" and book a 4* hotel in a central part of London. If you bid strategically and understand the zones, you stay in a *much* nicer hotel for almost half the cost. Since the poster is considering a budget hotel that is more expensive, there isn't much to lose IMO.
People who bid in the last week for dates in March have ended up in the 4* Holiday Inn Kensington and the 4* Hilton Olympia -- their bids were $85 USD. Both of these hotels are a block away from the tube. PL is great for London since one is never too far from a tube station. Paris -- Priceline is risky given how they created the zones and I'd never do it. But people have had great success in London -- and there are websites that step you though how to do this in an informed manner. |
save your feet and do not be afraid to try the bus system. it is so nice not to be undeground, and you can just get off if you see a nice shop /musuem you want to spontaneously visit.
the RV1 goes from covent garden across to the london eye.. globe, tate modern and tower hill, sites that can be a little more tedious to get to nearby on tube. |
Merseyheart: Thank you for the advice,I defiantly want to see Stonehenge that's a must for me,I have researched it,trains leave Waterloo hourly for Salisbury and buses rum from Salisbury to Stonehenge between 11am and 2pm.
janisj:Thank you for the info on the neighborhood. fishee: The hotel I mentioned is 65GBP for two of the nights and 55GBP for the other four nights of my stay. I would prefer not to use Priceline for the reason that I have to settle with what they give me,I would much prefer to pick my own hotel and this one is priced just right for me if it is a nice hotel. Maudie: I was thinking of taking the Jack the Ripper walk one of the nights I'm there :-) tod and lincasanova: Thank you both for the advice, I'll keep it in mind. I'm defiantly looking forward to walking around I love to walk so that won't be a problem and I live and grew up in a small town have never been on a subway system or city bus before so am looking forward to both of those as well. I will probably play it by ear on going on a 2nd trip, I might check out Hampton Court since it seems to be a little closer than Windsor and let The Tower be my castle trip this time. If I have the chance to visit England again I had planned on taking at least one of my kids so I may save the castles for that trip and spend sometime in the countryside. |
I have a friend who has stayed there several times and said it was quite OK, not fancy but very nice.
Like the others said, 2 day trips in a 6 day stay may be a bit too much, but if you must do two, I think the ones you've chosen - Stonehenge & Windsor Castle - would be about the two best to pick. Both can be reached by train from London, or by organized tour, but train would be cheaper and give you more flexability. (If you do Stonenenge, take the train to Salisbury and there is a bus that you get right at the train station to go to Stonhenge.) However if you do only one of those trips, I'd go with Windsor. It's close to London, the castle is huge and impressive, very interesting and historical. The Queen actually lives there though the chances of running into her are slim. The town of Windsor is interesting to browse and shop, and it can all be reached on foot from either of of the 2 train stations - Windsor Central if you board the train at Paddington & change trains at Slough, and Windsor & Eton, if you start out at Waterloo Station, no changes required. As for "is there a better choice nearby", Windsor is probably among the best in the area though there is also the Tower of London right in London and Hampton Court just outside of town, which are also wonderful places to visit. So with only 6 days in your trip, you are going to have to do some diffucult prioritizing. |
I would recommend visiting Stonehenge and Salisbury through London Walks. Check out walks.com for details.
Any of the castles - Tower of London, Hampton Court or Windsor are worth a visit - each for different reasons. Check them out on the web and see if one appeals more to you than the others. Enjoy! |
If Stonehenge is a 'must' for you, I'd say do it the way that you will get to walk among the stones and touch them. The easiest way would be to find a tour company that arranges this; I think Astral Travels is one (maybe the only one?)
Here is a recent thread about visiting Stonehenge with the Inner Circle Access - either with a tour or on your own: http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34920375 If you go to see Stonehenge the normal tourist way (on the circular walkway outside a little fence), there is a great chance that you will leave Stonehenge disappointed, as many tourists do. |
Hi mtngal,
When you plan your days, factor into the picture the fact that you will be jetlagged on your first day, plus include travel time from airport to hotel, and then hotel to airport 2-3 hrs before your return... So your 7 days starts to shrink. For that reason I would not do 2 day trips, and perhaps not even one...unless Stonehedge/castle is one of your dreams, then go for it. I second the London Walks recommendation, I've taken several and was pleased. If you do the Jack the Ripper, realize it may be VERY crowded. Mike |
Avebury is far better than Stonehenge and is easily combined with a trip to Stonehenge & Salisbury by public transport, let alone a tour
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mtngal, Here's something to consider. Even though you only have a short time in London you can do and see a lot. The day-trips are fun.
The best day-trip from London IMHO is PARIS! Catch the chunnel train early in the morning, arrive in Paris 2 1/2 hours later, spend a whirlwind day in Paris seeing what you can then catch the 9pm train back and sleep in the same bed. If you want to go crazy and spend the night in Paris and come back the next day the most you lose is the price of the hotel in London if you keep it. You will see enough to whet your appetite for the next trip or two. |
I know you indicated that Stonehenge was very high on your list but there is nothing there and you cannot even get close. I know of no way to walk inside. But, since you are going to do, I would suggest looking for a local bus tour via the TI in Victoria Station. We did an all day bus tour that went through Glastonbury, long time in Bath, and a brief stop at Stonehenge. The trip included lunch in Bath and tea in Salisbury. Far more interesting and relaxing than a staight run to Stonehenge and back.
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If you have never been to London and you only have 5 days ( six nights), I don't think you'll have much time for side trips.
just getting around the city( the tube, buses, walking) can wear you down more than you expect . |
"<i> I know of no way to walk inside. </i>"
Of course one can. English Heritage has what is called "inside access" periods either in the early morning or in the evening outside of the normal opening hours. However it requires either staying over night in Salisbury and going early in the a.m. or going in the evening and taking a late train back to London. OR you can pay a fortune to Astral Tours to take you out and back from London. mtngal: I agree w/ the others - you have little enough time in London. ONE day trip would be a push -- don't try for two. As I said my choice would be 1) HCP, 2) Windsor, 3) Bath, or 4) Stonehenge. It seems you are set on Stonehenge - would not be my first choice - but if it is a major "must" for you, then that should be your 1 and only day trip. |
We were in London for 6 days the last time we went (June 2005) and we easily managed Hampton Court Palace, Stonehenge (and Bath), as well as riding The Eye and a cruise on the Thames. Book a day tour to Stonehenge-well worth the money because of the guide and not needing to rent a car and deal with the wild traffic around London (all going the wrong way :-)). HCP was easy to get to on the Underground although it was a long-ish trip. Kew Gardens is another great place, and while we were there they were putting on The Taming of The Shrew in the outdoor theater, so we changed our afternoon plans and had a lovely afternoon watching a terrific performance.
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sorry - but HCP is not on the tube.
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I have been to London many times,as I live up in Glasgow,Scotland...Victoria is quite a good area and you will be able to get around easily enough on The Tube....If I was going on a first trip I think that I would take in The Tate Modern.....And you will notice that The Millenium Bridge connects it to near St.Paul's Cathedral...The view from Tate Modern over Bridge to St.Paul's is amazing....But then I love all old churches...In my top five of things to see I would include Sir John Soanes Museum...(this is after me visiting London over last 35 years)...The British Museum and National Gallery would be up there in the top five,too...
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Well as much as I want to do Stonehenge I would like to do the inside tour which would not be feasible this trip. I think I will save it and a castle tour for another trip with the kids. I think I am going to go with the Paris idea,seeing that it's only about a 3 hour trip and that way I can say I have been to London and Paris :) And one day in Paris would be enough for me since really the only things that I am interested in seeing at this time are Notre Dame and The Eiffel Tower,and just a general feel and look of the city.
Daisy54: Thank you for the info,that eases my mind I don't need fancy as long as it is clean and a nice area. With the way I have things planned out right now even with the day trip to Paris I still have a entire day in London with nothing planned for the day. |
Go for it.
Don't be badgered into staying in London just because there's a lot to see and do there. The fact is that there's a lot more to see and do <i>outside</i> of London - including Paris! Get on the earliest Eurostar in the morning and the last one returning, and you'll be able to do a drive-by tour of the major monuments. Check out batobus.com for a river view, or my DiY bus tour for a ground perspective: http://tinyurl.com/ovpaw Have you looked into the possibility of booking an "open-jaw" flight itinerary into London or Paris and returning from the other? It would save one Eurostar trip. |
Fodor's is the best site ! ! ! Try this site to see what people have to say concerning the hotel you chose www.tripadvisor.com Have fun in London, too.
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I like Frommers.com's site management better - you can delete posts with obsolete information, build your own links, and post image files.
The experienced traveler lore is better here, however. But I'd no more frequent just one kind of site than drink only one kind of wine. |
What do you have planned for the different days? You can post it here and people can give you suggestions, based on the amount of time things will take, the area of town, etc., as well as add other ideas.
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When I search the Frommer's boards, all I ever get is a Travelocity or Hotels.com ad, never any results. That's even with the most generic search term imaginable -- "dublin" or "london. I can SEE the articles in the forums, but I can't search for anything. Boo, hiss.
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I too will be heading to London in March for the first time as well.
I will be there the last week of the month. I was considering doing the Stonehenge tour but decided to go for one of the tours on Travelocity. My question is, should I bring my heavy winter parka or my more light weight fall/winter jacket? Mtngal: - I was thinking of doing the Jak The Ripper walk & the possibility of a trip to paris as well. |
<<What do you have planned for the
different days? You can post it here and people can give you suggestions, based on the amount of time things will take, the area of town, etc., as well as add other ideas.>> This is not a set in stone itinerary. Friday March 16th For my first day my flight arrives at 7:30am,the hotel that I believe I am going to go with has a 1pm check in so even at a worst case scenario of getting through the airport/taking the tube to my hotel I figure I'm looking at being at the hotel around maybe 10am. So if the room is not ready I'll drop off my bags. I'm thinking that at this point I would indulge the geeky fangirl in me. I'm a big Doctor Who fan and heard that Earl’s Court Tube Station has police box outside of it,for my Harry Potter fascination I want to go to King’s Cross Station to see the plaque thing they have for Platform 9 ¾ Since it's highly doubtful those two things would bring me to 1pm I figure I would walk around just catch a feel of the city maybe sit in Hyde Park which is right by the hotel. After I get checked in I'm not sure. I do want to get to The Who Shop in East Ham which is about an hour tube ride but I don't know if I should wait and do it another day,maybe my last day since it's the day I have no plans on, except a possible trip to Highgate Cemetery. Saturday March 17th Morning Westminster Abbey get there at opening 9:30am Buckingham Palace get there for the Changing of the Guard 11:30am These two I am not sure of doing back to back like this as I'm not sure a)How long I would want to spend in the abbey and b) how long it would take me to walk over to the palace to catch the changing of the guards in time. Afternoon: Trafalgar Square St Paul’s Cathedral Sunday March 18th Day trip to Paris. Leave earliest train(5:30am) depart Paris latest train (8:45pm?) Monday March 19th Morning: Tower of London get there when it opens London Eye if I can summon the courage to do it,deathly afraid of heights but I would love to get pictures from it for my husband and the kids to see. Afternoon: London Dungeons Evening: Equus? 7:30pm showing not sure on this one still trying to decide if I want to go and see it. Tuesday March 20th Morning: Madame Tussaud’s(Yes I know most will say not to go here but I would like to see it and a friend who may be with me wants to see it also) Afternoon: British Museum Wednesday March 21st Highgate Cemetery? The Who Shop? Maybe see the Pagan equinox celebration if outsiders are allowed? Thursday March 22nd Flight leaves 11:40am One of the evenings I would like to maybe try the Jack the Riper walk or on one of the days take one of the Harry Potter walks. Things I would like to see if I could find time for them and have the money for would be The London Zoo and Aquarium, Keats' House and the Sherlock Holmes Museum. I am open to comments,suggestions, critiques. Robespierre: Thank you for the suggestions I have defiantly made up my mind to see Paris for a day. I am not entirely sure I know what an open-jaw flight would be but I have already booked and paid for my plane tickets so I don't want to go making any changes. |
mtngal - thanks for posting your itinerary. I think the key thing with London is realising that to go from one end of the city to the other takes time (for example Earls Court to Kings Cross would take you over 30 minutes) Therefore one of the best ways of scheduling your days is trying to group things you want to see together.
Therefore I would twin the Tower with St Pauls Cathedral for one day. Trafalgar Square with Westminster Abbey and London Eye for another. Similarly do the Platform 9 3/4 (just a wooden sign by the suburban commuter line) with the British Museum. Also try and schedule a lighter day after your Paris daytrip which will be exhilirating but exhausting. The Tower/St Pauls will be a tough day on the feet. On a personal note there is so much that is hidden in London that might catch your eye that it is always a good idea to slightly underplan your days than overplan to give you this flexibility. Hopefully you'll enjoy your time here realise you can't see everything and just whet your appetite for a second visit. |
Mtngal76, you're not allowing for jetlag. That long day in Paris soon after an overnight flight would wipe me out. But maybe you're different. londonengland gives good advice about grouping sights.
Tibberon, better to layer than take a heavy jacket/coat. But make sure the outer layer is waterproof. Windproof would be good too. I remember some cooold winds knifing through London. |
I had a look at that hotel site and there were a few things that looked a bit odd to me, sometimes it describes itself as a B&B, other times as a 60 room hotel. It also casually mentions a spa at one point but with no further listing of this under the info on facilities. From the outside it looks to me like one of the many very cheap lodging places that tend to have homeless people in them, especially in that sort of area, so I'd not book it myself.
So I looked on tripadvisor (www.tripadvisor.com) and the 17 reviews there nearly all say it is terrible and don't go there! |
The Sherlock Holmes Museum was fun and doesn't take too much time. It was fun for us that when we came out and were walking back to the tube stop, here came Sherlock walking down the sidewalk toward us, complete with cap, pipe, and walking stick.
There is a Sherlock Holmes Pub, also, on Northumberland Street near the Embankment tube stop. It has a glass enclosed SH sitting room at the top of the stairs. The food was better upstairs than down. |
First to address some of the concerns that have been brought up.
The length of the tube rides won't bother me at all. As I mentioned before I have never ridden a subway before and it will probably be as fascinating to me as the actual sites of the city :) As for the jet lag I have no idea how I will be affected,I have only flown commercially twice,once when I was 16 from Colorado to California only one hour difference so it didn't affect me and the other time was from Florida to Colorado for my MIL funeral didn't feel it too bad then but Colorado is my home state so coming back was exciting which may have held off the jet lag. A 14 hour flight(3 1/2 hours from Denver to Montral nearly 4 hour layover in Montreal and then nearly 7 hours to London with a the 7 hour time difference will defiantly affect me just don't know how. My problem is as much as I may want to take a nap when I get there I won't be able to because of the check in time at the hotel and I know for me the best thing will be to keep busy until I can get into my room to take a quick nap. nona1: A poster earlier had mentioned tripadvisor.com so I checked the hotel out there as soon as I saw two reviews that said bedbugs I was on the hotel's website canceling my reservations :). My mom receives magazine called Realm and in the back she saw an ad for a hotel I checked the reviews and most seem to be favorable, plus according to the hotel's website it is a member of the London Tourist Board which I assume is a good thing. i haven't made a reservation yet but I think I will probably go with the hotel that my mom found. http://www.westpointhotel.com/westpoint/index.shtml I have taken the suggestions for my ittinary. Friday March 16th I have kept this the same I realize the time between the tube stations is long but like I mentioned above that's part of fun for me. The Who Shop East Ham(aprox 45 mins from Paddington) Paddington to Platform 9 ¾ King’s Cross Station Kings Cross to Earl’s Court Tube Station police box outside Saturday March 17th Westminster Abbey opens 9:30 am Trafalgar Square St Paul’s Cathedral Sunday March 18th Day trip to Paris? Leave 5:30am back in London 11:00pm(aprox) Monday March 19th I took into consideration the suggestions to keep this day easy after Paris. I figure if I sleep in and miss the guard change I won't be terribly upset and this way I can take my time in the afternoon to see the museum. Buckingham Palace Changing of the Guard 11:30am British Museum Equus? 7:30pm showing Tuesday March 20th Tower of London London Dungeons London Eye? Wednesday March 21st This day is pretty much still in flux most of this stuff I probably won't do but if I do one or two of them this will be the day I do them. Madame Tussaud’s Pagan Equinox celebration Tower Hill? Highgate Cemetery? Jack the Ripper Walk? Some form of London Walk Tour. Thank you all for the suggestions keep them coming :) |
IF you plan to spend an entire day for stonehenge, you may be a little disappointed. Don't get me wrong, it was very cool but all of the visitors can take away from the spiritualness of it. I have been to windsor and Tower of London on 2 seperate trips. both are great but the tower can satisfy your need to see a castle and it is right in the middle of London. allow a huge piece of your day to see the British Museum and research the exhibits before you go so you can see what interests you the most. British Museum is a "do not miss" sight!
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Westminster Abbey AND St Paul's on the same day is sort of over kill. I would totally ditch the Dungeon (about the schlockiest tourist trap you could imagine) and do St Paul's after going to the Tower on Tuesday. Then walk across the Millenium Bridge and up frive to the Eye.
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the changing of the guard isn't quite what it is cracked up to be. If you go watch where the tour guides have their people. they know where to stand to see the parade, etc. the day I went they played the Yellow Rose of Texas...go figure. In my opinion, your time would be better spent in the British Museum
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I have to agree that the changing of the guard is highly over-rated. I was there well before the actual event and managed to prop myself on a rather narrow post. By the time the guard arrived I was stiff, sore and out of sorts. Besides even though I had an advantage over most as far as viewing positions are concerned, I still couldn't see much.
The best viewing position is near the top of the Queen Victoria Memorial, but you'll have to get there long before the event. IMO one's time would be much better spent actually touring London's sights. |
Hi, the hotel looks real cheap to me i wouldnt stay there, why are there more phoyos of london sights than the hotel rooms etc. It may be cheap but for me i waould want something better, especially as its ur first trip to London
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