Travel Essentials
 

What are some of the travel essentials when traveling to London during this time of year? i.e. clothingwise, etc.

An umbrella, every time of year.

shoes

Passport, tickets, money/credit card. That's it.

Jim - I want to travel with you. The only things I double check for (regularly) passport, ticket, money/credit cards. Ain't nothin you can't survive if you have them...

Well, Janice and Jim, I agree that would be great and intend to travel exactly that way one day - probably spur of the moment. But, Pat, my advice for London is to waterproof your shoes before you go.

1)A small travel umbrella that you can carry with you at all times. You can get ones that are about 6" long and only weigh about 6 oz.at travel stores. You won't even know it's in your purse/bag. <BR> <BR>2) Visitor travelcard. You can order a pre-paid card for "the tube" here before you leave (you can't get it once you are in London). They come in various daily increments (3,5,7 days). You will save a lot of money, won't have to ever wait in line to buy tickets and can go anywhere the tube can take you. These are fantastic - I get one every time before I go to London. You can buy them online at www.britrail.com <BR> <BR>3) Fabreze - yeah the stuff that eliminates odors from clothing. You can get it any any market here. It is a godsend because EVERYONE smokes and you will be soaked through to the skin with tobacco. Every night we would thoroughly spray our clothing and hang it up. In the morning the pub odor is gone. It is especially great for items you have to wear more than once (ie: jackets) <BR> <BR>4) 2 pairs of comfortable shoes. It will rain. Your feet will get wet. I promise. You will need a change of shoes. <BR> <BR> <BR>Have a blast !!!

A good raincoat!

I have been to England at least 40 times, over the years, and I know you'll not believe this but I have only gotten soaked about 3 times! Yes it rains but not steady, heavy downpours, more misty like and off and on!I don't even carry an umbrella anymore, a good raincoat and a rainhat.We were even there this year when it was flooding and never got drenched like we do in a summer rain in Fl. Or at least what we used to have in summer, haven't seen a good rain in years here!

Two or three washcloths in zip lock bags. The London hotels I have stayed in do not provide them.

E-a-r-p-l-u-g-s!

I tell people that travel with me, make sure you have your passport, everything else you can buy over there. <BR> <BR>Definitely a good umbrella. Also maybe a sweater and/or light jacket if you tend to get cold. <BR>Take some washcloths. I don't understand it, but Europe doesn't have washcloths in their hotels. I go to K-Mart or some other discount store and buy a package of the really cheap ones and just throw them away when I've finished using them. <BR>Make sure your ATM card can be used over there and that your pin number is only 4 digits. <BR>Photocopy the picture page of your passport and the front and back of all your credit cards and leave the copies with someone you trust. <BR>I also take a roll of toilet tissue (pull out the cardboard in the middle to flatten it). The British motto is "stiff upper lip" and that stiffness extends to their toilet tissue. <BR>If you are from the U.S., don't buy videotapes or anything electric as they won't work in the States.

I always pack a rolled up duffel bag, mines a sport sac that folds into a little pouch, at the end of the trip it is filled with dirty laundry and there is room in our suitcases for purchases , of which there are ususally many. Much as I hope the airlines WILL lose that bag so far they never have!

Decongestant ( one of God's true miracles ) <BR> <BR>I know - kinda gross - but with the change in air quality, the recycled airplane air and the stress of traveling can at times play havoc with my sinuses. The only thing more irritating when tryng to fall asleep than stuffy sinuses is noise. Instead of earplugs - get a prescription for Ambient.

The weather in London was much cooler than I had anticipated, even after reading lots of weather reports. Maybe because of the rain and dampness. Even though it was late-spring/early-summer, people were dressed in dark, autumnal city clothing. I felt silly in my pastels. Bought a black sweater there and solved two problems at once!

<BR>U-n-d-e-r-w-e-a-r!

pat, I am a big fan of taking a daypack to carry wallets, umbrellas, cameras, water, city map, a journal or book etc. and still keeping your hands free.

Hello all, where does one pack all this great info to take. ie. Sheila s where to go in Scotland ,6 pages, Train and restaurant info, etc and still take only a carry on. <BR>guess I ll just have to squeeze them into the carry on, too much great info not to take along. j

Do NOT forget your prescription medications. Getting a doc to write a prescription in Europe can be hell. <BR> <BR>Take some medication for diarrhea like Pepto-Bismol.

Don't you mean Imodium? I agree, you don't want to be caught short without it should you be struck by Montezumas revenge during your holiday...

washing powder/soap..corn and blister pads..my own pillow

Prescriptions from your doctor using generic drugs, just in case you lose your pills or the customs officers check your vials. <BR> <BR>Spare pair of eyeglasses. Found this out the hard way when my husband and I heard a clink on the waterbus going down the Grand Canal in Venice...the lens from his eyeglasses. <BR> <BR>Addresses of people who you wish to send cards to. I took care of most of this task by sending email cards using pictures off a travel website. I postdated the cards when I prepared them prior to my departure so people would receive them when I was gone. People still marvel that I took the time to send them a picture and email while in Austria and Prague.(HA!) The people that are not online received the traditional postcard. Would rather spend my time not doing that chore. <BR> <BR>A backup hotel in case you are not happy with your choice. That has saved me a couple of times! <BR>Have a wonderful trip!

further to the above post, here's a great tip i read somewhere: <BR> <BR>put all the addresses of people you intend to write on labels! then peel them off and they're legible and ready to go! <BR>

Don't forget your weeeties!

One word: P-a-s-s-p-o-r-t! <BR> <BR>It works wonders!

The passport message may have been a dig, but from our exerience... be sure to sign it (trust me on this :)) also, if you are a coffee drinker bring a small funnel and some small coffee filters so you can make drip coffee in your room. Have a great time! <BR>

&gt;Even though it was &gt;late-spring/early-summer, people were dressed in dark, autumnal city clothing. <BR>&gt;I felt silly in my pastels. <BR> <BR>Yes, most of the British dress in muted colors, and the men definitely prefer white shirts and black suits. <BR> <BR>But all of Europe dresses more conservatively than Americans tend to. <BR> <BR>In England, if you like cocktails carry copies of the recipes with you. Most barmen won't know how to make them but they'll happily follow a recipe. <BR> <BR>And don't order steak over here. You'll be disappointed. <BR> <BR>London now has a problem with pickpockets, so keep your valuables in un-pickable places. They sometimes work in teams. For example, one might block your way onto a bus while the other one bumps into you from behind, picking your pocket in the process. <BR> <BR>But you'll never hear gunfire here!

Pat, <BR> <BR>Yes, a small traveling umbrella, and a raincoat of some sort. Try to get one of those lightweight microfiber (or some such) ones that scrunch up to nothing and won't make you sweat if you wear it while walking. If you keep your valuables in a beltpack under the raincoat, they should be safe. <BR> <BR>My favorite travel clothes for this time of year are khaki slacks (Docker's makes some perma-press ones that aren't completely perma-press but aren't bad), a denim skirt or jumper that is dressy enough to pair with a fancier top and wear to the theater, and enough tops to get me through. Also one cotton cardigan sweater. <BR> <BR>Good walking shoes, two pairs. Easy Spirit makes some good walking shoes, some of which look slightly dressy. There are some other, more expensive brands--Ecco, for instance--that are probably worth the investment in terms of durability and comfort.

Face cloths(I use J-cloths and toss em) <BR>Gortex/polar fleece/hiking boots <BR>Febreze to kill the smell of smoke <BR>Visine to give first aid to burning eyes from the smoke <BR>Toilet paper..I swear some of it is waxed! <BR>