lovs2travel

I very much enjoyed the walks that I have been on with London Walks. Print out the schedule to take with you instead of trying to find one when you get there. Walking helped with the jetlag.

annhig

You seem quite familiar with everything "UK". Do you live there or just visit often? You probably have answers to questions I haven't even thought of yet! >>

actually, soods, JJ's information is probably a lot better than much of that from those of us who live here as she comes at it from the angle of the traveller rather than the local - for example, that there was a best place to collect a hire car would never have occurred to me had it not been for reading threads like these.

soods

I'm just amazed by how much I can learn on these forums whether from travelers or locals! I thank you all for helping me plan my trip!!

I did check with the B&B before I booked about the parking issue. Actually, I did print out the walking tour schedule. I usually plan everything ahead, so it makes me a little nervous just to show up for a tour, but I understand that London Walks expects that. Did everyone just show up and not make a reservation? Is there anything I should purchase tickets ahead for? I did take car of everything for Bath, the baths and pump room. But I didn't do any pre purchasing yet for London. I did a lot of that for Paris and it saved us hours of standing in line! But since the museums are free in London, I don't know what will require tickets. Can you all help with that? Thanks.

PalenQ

But in that case I probably wouldn't bother w/ trains at all. I'd go out to Heathrow early AM and collect my car there. Visit Avebury, then Stonehenge and Salisbury and then drive on to Bath that afternoon.>

Though that is possible it seems awfully rushed - you will see little in Salisbury - I think you could maximize time by taking a train to Salisbury - an early train, see the cathedral, pick up your car and go on - Avebury is better than Stonehenge to many people though both to me are awesome as is Bath - to me the prettiest town in all of Merry Ole England.

Getting to Heathrow can take almost as long as trains to Salisbury and getting out of the often congested airport may take time as well and do not airport car rentals add a surcharge - perhaps not but check on that.

PalenQ

actually, soods, JJ's information is probably a lot better than much of that from those of us who live here as she comes at it from the angle of the traveller rather than the local - for example>

I have said this before as well - thru the eyes of a visitor or tourist and what they have found useful is often better than locals who do not always put themselves in the shoes of a foreign visitor and what they want to see, do and experience in the U K or any other country for that matter.

That said locals like annhig and flanneruk and Parick London just to mention a few do provide a different angle at times and insights only a local could give - this is why Fodor's is so great for countries like the UK - you have janisj types who actually study things in detail when planning their own trips there (locals may rarely plan but just travel - like most of us do at home - we just go to SF but do not spend hours researching about it) and also locals so the blend of info is very useful and often unique for a tourist planning a trip.

Though I do not do the type or style of travel janisj does I am in awe of her/his knowledge of practical things a tourist wants to know and I have learned loads of great if not esoteric stuff from Brits who contribute here, not the least annhig, one of Fodor's most polite and erudite members IMO.

janisj

<B>PQ:</B> "<i>You have janisj types who actually study things in detail when planning their own trips there (locals may rarely plan but just travel - like most of us do at home - we just go to SF but do not spend hours researching about it) </i>"

sorry but you really don't know what you are talking about. I don't plan out almost <i>anything</i> except booking flats, flights, and special events that require pre-booking (like some special exhibits or the Chelsea Flower Show, or the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, or being on the river during the Queen's Jubilee.)

Otherwise I pretty much decide on any day what I'll do that day. (The 'infamous' Book club trip was an exception because I was basically the tour director for a group)

Maybe I have an advantage because I can look at things as a 'sort of' local (I used to live in England) and as a tourist. But I definitely don't schedule things in detail - never taken any sort of spread sheet on any trip ever.

<B>soods</B>: "<i>but I understand that London Walks expects that. Did everyone just show up and not make a reservation?</i>"

Not only is pre-booking not necessary . . . It isn't possible.

PQ's suggestion of collecting a rental car in Salisbury is doable - as long as you can work it out time/day wise. For instance Avis doesn't have an actual rental agency in Salisbury but provides their cars (brought in from Portsmouth) at a local hotel. National has limited hours on Sat and is closed on Sundays

So yes, you definitely can rent a car in Salisbury - it is just more straight forward at LHR.

annhig

not the least annhig, one of Fodor's most polite and erudite members IMO.>>

!@£$%^%^^&**, PQ!

janisj

PalenQ

janisj - Q for you - are their surcharges for renting cars at Heathrow like at many airports?

mes2525

If you decide not to drive to Salisbury, you can go with London Walks or do your own day trip. I did the London Walks tour in October and it was excellent. We spent the morning in the town and cathedral and in the afternoon took a minibus out to Stonehenge. In the darker months, you might do the reverse. I also stayed behind to attend Even Song at the Cathedral. The cathedral has a great lunch place where most of the tour ate with a variety of hot dishes, cakes, tea, coffee, etc.
There are a million places between Salisbury and Bath to visit. My friends in Bristol have taken me to Durham Park, Coombe Castle, Laycock Village, the Cotswolds, etc. You can't not find something great to see. Evaluate what interests you the most and go visit.

PalenQ

!@£$%^%^^&**,> to you too!

soods

Back to prebooking...is there any museum or event(in August that you know of) in London that I need to prebook for?

janisj

What you need to do is . . . Later this spring check the websites of the V&A, British Museum, British Library, National Gallery, both Tate's, etc and see if any of them will be holding a major exhibit during your visit that sounds interesting. If so, you can book on-line.

janisj

Oh -and there are sites like London Town and Timeout that will list upcoming exhibitions - but I personally like to check the individual sites since it really takes no more time.

Oh -and the one thing you may want to pre-book if it interests you is a tour of Buckingham Palace

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/vi...lan-your-visit

annhig

i think we can agree that you get a much higher standard of repartee on the Europe board than you do in the Lounge.

flanneruk

"Later this spring check the websites of the V&A, British Museum, British Library, National Gallery, both Tate's, etc"

As well as:

The Royal Academy
The Courtauld Gallery
National Portrait Gallery
Wallace Collection
The Hayward Gallery
The Saatchi Collection

By and large, none of these places put their biggest shows on in August, saving them usually for when there's an audience (mid-Sept-July). But you never know.

janisj

All those flanner lists were sort of included in my >>etc.<<

Definitely check all of those as well.

flanneruk

"All those flanner lists were sort of included in my >>etc.<<"

I know. But I doubt the poster did.

There isn't a definitive guide to big exhibitions (and the sources occasionally quoted her are spectacularly deficient). Even Time Out often misses out the screamingly obvious, so janisj's advice to "Later this spring check the websites" of the exhibition hosts is spot on.

But it only works if the person advised is familiar enough with London to look up locations (like the Hayward or RA) that rarely get into guide books, but often host spectacular temporary events.

janisj

Just to be clear - I wasn't assumimg you should know of all those terrific galleries. I was just being lazy w/ the 'etc.' and the sites on flanner's list are also major venues

salisbury_matt

Lots of great info and advice here.

Just to add a couple of bits (my perspective here is that I'm local to Salisbury and travel to Bath fairly often).

It *might* be worth thinking about not picking up a car until you leave Bath.

Train and bus to Stonehenge is easy enough, and the rail journey from Salisbury to Bath is quite scenic. It's not the best road to drive on, but I really look forward to the train element.

While in Salisbury you might want to consider:

- the Doom painting at Saint Thomas' church http://www.stthomassalisbury.co.uk/c...1296212454.pdf
- Old Sarum http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Sarum
- the Magna Carta (in Salisbury Cathedral) http://www.salisburycathedral.co.uk/...magnacarta.php

Also, I created a web page about getting from Salisbury to Stonehenge, which might or might not be useful:

http://salisburyandstonehenge.net/st...-to-stonehenge

Let me know if you need any more info on the Salisbury/Stonehenge leg of the journey - I hope you have a fantastic time!