When you are out and about around Chipping Camden, a place called the Fleece Inn in Bretforton was about as classic a pub as I've found. Stone floors, roaring fire, and a great atmosphere.

OK - Decent looking website. But the reason for virtually no reviews is apparently they are brand new.

Could only find one actual review - on yelp.

Do they take credit cards? What are the deposit/final payment procedures?

We covered much the same ground as in your plans. Here is a link to our TR - hoping you might find some useful ideas in it. http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...endangered.cfm

In addition to what I mentioned up thread, we went to Stonehenge/Salisbury Cathedral, touristy Stratford Upon Avon, and wonderful Windsor Castle on our tour. We loved them all including Stratford. Is it fair to say that Stonehenge is England's leaning tower?

What's calling out to you so far? The tour we were on included some plays and we loved being able to take our drinks to our seats--so civilized.

Our hotel was the Reubens and it was across from Buckingham Palace's garage! Was that called the Mews? Can't help with apartment.

Can anyone else give info about the light in the Big Ben tower?

I have booked the South Kensington apartment with the view onto Onslow Gardens. I might have to have a spot of tea with the Corgis to celebrate. Cheerio!

((H))

Funny, I'm heading to Europe in April, first to Berlin, then Paris, ending in London for four nights, staying near Kensington....I'll be sure to let write up a report when I get back. Hope all is well Tom!

Doesn't it feel good to get that last one booked? Now to the car and the airline tickets, yes? :)

I cannot wait for this trip report!

"Doesn't it feel good to get that last one booked? Now to the car and the airline tickets, yes? "

Sure does sarge:

Days 1 through 6 - London
Day 7 - Salisbury (with a stop at Windsor Castle after picking up car at Heathrow)
Day 8 and 9 - Bath (with quick stops at Glastonbury and Wells on way from Salisbury)
Days 10 through 12 - Tetbury
Days 13 - 15 - Chipping Campden

I might have to have a pint or two to celebrate. Now on to more planning on everything to see in all these places. Thanks to you all for your help and guidance.

((H))

I must be getting old. Try as I might (and I've looked at about 700 threads on the subject and the website), I'm a little (ok, a lot) confused about the 2 for 1 Travelcard deals. I guess since we are flying into Heathrow and getting picked up at the airport, we can't get 2 for 1 deals. Our only train ride will be the short hop out to Hampton Court and back. Am I correct on this? Thanks!

((H))

So excited for another trip report from you!

You are not correct about the 2 for 1. You buy the paper travel cards at a National Rail Station (ie Victoria, Waterloo, etc) - you cannot buy them at the airport. You can buy one day tickets, or, since you will be there for 6 days, the 7-day card is probably the cheapest option.

Print out the vouchers on the 2for1 site and bring with you; they will probably give you a booklet at the station when you buy your travel cards,but so sometimes run out. You show the voucher and the travel card at the ticket booth of the attraction.

Things have changed a little since we went last year and you now need a passport-sized photo for each of you (can print at home on photo paper and bring with you.)

HTH!

PS The paper travel cards are what you use for the tube and buses.

"You are not correct.."

Words I have heard often in my life. Thanks for the info!!

((H))

Oh gosh, that does sound a bit harsh now that I see it...sorry! :)

Tracy is right (sometimes), I am an idiot. Personally, I blame years of vodka drinking which must have wiped out my 2 For 1 Brain cells.

On the site it says: "Click "Instant download" or "Add to basket" to claim and print off your 2FOR1 vouchers. Then simply present the vouchers together with your National Rail train tickets when you arrive at the attraction."

So when the four of us go to the train station, we ask for two (two couples) 7-Day Travel Cards even though we are not taking a train, and we buy them there? We then show the Card and Voucher at the certain attractions that accept these. Is that right? And I thought I stunk at algebra!!!

I think I'm going to go down a pint right now. Thanks.

((H))

4 people = = 4 photos = 4 travelcards

2 vouchers (i.e. 2 for 1 coupons = 4 people) for each attraction printed ahead of time

By George, I think I've got it! Thanks Indy!

((H))

It's all the smog in L.A., Tom and the poor school system. (I grew up in L.A., so can say these things.)

Actually, on another forum I frequent, questions about travel cards are probably the most asked about thing to do with London. I think we Americans just can't grasp the concept.

Forget the "train" part of the concept. It has to do with why the discounts were created in the first place, but has no relevance for you and will just add confusion, lol.

Like indy_dad said, you will each buy a travel card. The travel card is your pass/ticket for tube and bus travel. Buy a Zone 1-2 one. The 7-day card will give you unlimited travel for your stay throughout London, although I'm not sure if the Zone 1-2 will get you out to Hampton Court Palace or not. (I'm sure someone will pop in with that info.)

To get the travel card that is valid for the 2for1 offers, you must buy it at a National Rail Station, not just a regular tube station. We went to Victoria Station (which is also a tube station - the National Rail ticket office is in a different place than the tube part) as that was closest to where we were staying (and *may* be the closest to you - we were also in South Kensington.)

Now, the one flaw I can see in my advice to you is the day trips I think you are planning on taking. So you might want to ask the experts if it would be better for you to get some single day Travel Cards for the days you will be in town using the 2for1, and then get an Oyster Card for your day trips. The Oyster Card is also a pass for the tube/bus, but more like a pre-loaded credit card in a sense. You "load" money on it, and the cost of each individual tube/bus trip is subtracted from the card. The advantage of the Oyster over buying a ticket for each individual trip is that you are "capped" at a certain maximum each day, so if you are traveling quite a bit each day, it makes the total of all that day's trips cheaper.

Hopefully this all made sense!

Thanks amamax.

We are only taking one trip outside London while staying there (Hampton Court) and will be in London a total of 5 1/2 days. Between you and indydad, I think I have the concept now. You're right, it was that "train" thing that was throwing me for a loop. You'd think I would have figured it out easier from my stellar education at the "Harvard Of The West"...San Diego State.

((H))

I'm a brit and this looks fearfully complicated to me. i know that it's to do with the fact that the 2for1 offer is promotion by british rail [or whatever they are calling themselves this week] and that they don't issue oyster cards which is why you need the paper travel card, but WHY NOT?

why can't they use the oyster cards like London transport?

just ridiculous.

mind you i still haven't got over trying to pay WITH MONEY to travel on a london bus. the very idea. the driver looked at me as if I'd invited him to eat something off the sole of my shoe.

BTW, today is the 50th anniversary of the Beeching railway "reforms" aka the butchery of the british railway system. 5000 miles of lines lost.

Car rental is booked.

Airline tickets are now bought (ouch!)

Tickets for night time visit to Buckingham Palace have arrived in the mail.

We're on! God Save The Queen!

((H))

It is amazing how much relief you feel as the checklist gets shorter and shorter!

Look out, UK! ;)

That's for sure sarge! Now I can concentrate on more important things like which pubs we will visit.

((H))

Tom, in honor of your trip, I am finally going to post my London trip report, which is mostly about food.

Watch for it!

" I am finally going to post my London trip report, which is mostly about food. "

Looking forward to it since I haven't even looked into London restaurants yet.

((H))

>>why can't they use the oyster cards like London transport?<<

They do, for most stations within the TfL area.

The 2for1s are restricted to their paper tickets because TfL isn't in that promotional scheme (it's a national scheme to encourage offpeak travel - TfL doesn't need to do that and doesn't need to bear whatever cost there is of promoting attractions outside the TfL area, which presumably the national rail companies do as part of the overall scheme).

Annhig,

I read an article about Brit Rail a few years back that discussed the evolution of its name:
First it was British Railways, then Brit Rail. The next name, according to the author, would be Bri Ra. I'm still waiting:)

I'm sure I remember them being BR during a recent incarnation.

but I lose track [!]. And interest.

A little bit of trivia - we used to live in a house which had previously been owned by Dr. Beeching.

that didn't make me like him any more.

Tuscanlifedit, I'll be very interested in your London trip report, though we're only there three nights! Hurry, leaving in 3 weeks!

"First it was British Railways, then Brit Rail. "

It wasn't.

British Railways was invented in 1948 and rebranded British Rail more or less as Beeching left the business in 1965. The company kept the name for the following 30 years: twice as long as the widely disliked British Railways had kept its name and in many cases, the longest period a route's operator had kept the same name for over 150 years. It was then turned into scores of successor companies and the name disappeared.

Brit Rail is a completely different business, which sells overpriced railway passes to unsuspecting foreign tourists in their own countries, but has never owned or operated any trains, track or railway stations. It's never actually done anything at all in Britain.

Topping in the event the trip report notice gets posted here...

Well, our apartment fell through (as I feared it might), so maybe time to look at hotels again.

On Londontown sight, there is at first glance these two places that might be of interest:

Sloan Square Hotel
Crown Plaza London Kensington

Does anyone have familiarity with either? Thanks.

((H))

Crowne Plaza London Kensington is in a great locstion, practically across the street from the Gloucester Road Underground (Circle, District and Picadilly lines)walking distance to Albert Hall, V & A, Natural History, Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park et al, two nearby supermarkets (Waitrose and a really great Sainsbury's), decent selection of neighborhood restaurants, excellent patisserie for breakfast, lively pub for watching matches.

We've never been inside the hotel but stay in an apartment near there and love the neighborhood.

The hotel appears to be fashioned from a series of old houses and is not to be confused with the purpose-built Holiday Inn across the street.

I can get a good deal on Regency Hotel, 100 Queens Gate. Thoughts? Thanks.

((H))

I have stayed at the Sloane Square hotel and loved it. The location is great, tube station across the square, also across the square is the Royal Court Theatre, lots of good restaurants and shopping in the area. (and not all super high end expensive either, although there are lots of those too) The Saatchi gallery is close by and free if you are into modern art.

Loved the hotel itself, it was stylish, the room we had was small but nicely fitted out. The staff was great, we enjoyed a couple of very good dinners in their restaurant and drinks after in the bar, nice ambience.

The only thing I wasn't crazy about was breakfast so after the first one we went next door to the Botanist every morning and loved it there. The Botanist also gets very lively for drinks in the evening.

I sent friends there last year and they loved it too. I'm going back to London in July and would have stayed again at Sloane Square but decided to try something new and am staying at the Ampersand in South Kensington.

Ampersand looks really nice. Have a great trip. Tom

Thanks, you too! We'll warm up the pubs for you.

I don't know the Regency Hotel, but the area is fabulous! We stayed in an apartment a few blocks from there and loved the location. Very close to the tube (and several note a bad walk), lots of great restaurants close by, and just in general a beautiful spot.