Trip to Loverpool then London-please help
 

Thanks so much for all your help thus far. I am planning a surprise trip for my husband, a huge football fan. We are planning to arrive in Liverpool (fly in to Manchester) on 1/30. We will watch the spurs vs. Everton on 1/31. Then we will go to London at some point. We are staying with friends so we may stick around to watch the Everton v.Liverpool match at a pub.
Then, we will take the train to London (do I need to reserve tix ahead of time?)

We can have 3 to 4 full days in London, or should we try to push for 5? We would like to stay in a rather central location (if at all possible), close to restaurants, pubs, nightlife. Anything under $300 a night would be great. Any suggestions for what area to look for? Hotel recommendations?

Are there any favorite sites in London that you would recommend?

Should we try to squeeze in a day trip to Paris?

We will end the trip watching Australia vs. Denmark on 2/6 and fly home on the 2/7.

How does this tentative trip sound?

The Australia games at Loftus Rd always look fun (I work a few hundred yards from loftus Rd). They get a good crowd.

I wouldn't bother with Paris - you'll have plenty to do in London. You might like the Soccerscene shop in Carnaby St.

Travelling from liverpool to London.

It's essential to book ahead, since ticket prices go up he closer you get to departure, and a full price Liverpool-London ticket isn't much different from what you'd pay to fly the Atlantic.

There are now cheapo singles, (compare prices by pugging in times and dates at www.nationalrail.co.uk, then following the links to the fare details), but you MIGHT find best value of all by booking Liverpool-Crewe single, Crewe-London return and then Crewe-Manchester airport. Use the National Rail site to compare options, but check the virgin.co.uk site to see if the operator is offering web specials.

And don't, in the excitement of seeing Spurs hammered by the team with just about the best playing record in the world (which of course is Everton, though it has to be admitted that most of that record was a century or so ago) miss Liverpool's tourist delights.

More conservation-grade buildings than anywhere outside London (including places tourists flock to because they're supposed to be full of nice buildings), more museums than anywhere outside London, a World Heritage site (more than Oxford or Cambridge can boast) and better pubs than anywhere on the planet. And that's before you even begin to explore the Beatles stuff.

And don't, in the excitement of seeing Spurs hammered by the team with just about the best playing record in the world>>>>>>>

In whcih Flanneur lives in an alternative universe.....

In any case you might want to see Everton while they're still in Liverpool (which they won't be for much longer).

Thanks so much for the info!! I found a flight from Liverpool to London on British Airways for $73 pp. A train ticket was around $115pp.

Another question: We really want to experience some of the nightlife in London. IF we stayed in Liverpool to watch the Liverpool v Everton game at a pub on sat and went to London on sunday, we would have 3 full days in London. Or, do we really need to be in London for the weekend to truly get a great taste of the nightlife?

All in all, if we arrive in Liverpool on a wed--would you leave for London on sat or sunday? Or friday for that matter?

Would the pub atmosphere for the Liverpool v. Everton game be worth sticking around Liverpool thru sat?


Also, I found some good rates on hotels in London on Oxford Street or Victoria station. Hoe are these locations?

Re London Nightlife. The weekends are obviously busiest and sunday the slowest. However there are plenty of people around at all times.

What do you want to do? How old are you? There are clubs open all nights and plenty of lively pubs.

Oxford St and Victoria are both perfectly acceptable areas and well linked for getting around town.

We are 30 years old. We want to explore some good clubs for some music and atmosphere. We love museums, restaurants, shopping. We certainly want to take in the toursit attractions by day but prefer a younger, livelier atmosphere at night.