Hi,

I am plannig to get to London with my wife on the 22nd of June and will be there for 5 days. we are first time visitors and want to see main attractions such as London Eye, Buckingham palace, Madamme Tousauds, and Big Ben. if there is enough time I also want to visit Stamforde Bridge and even go to Liverpool and visit the Anfield stadium.
Ultimately I want to fly out of Liverpool and go to Amsterdam (found a flight for $50 each)

So my questions are as follows:
Where would be a good hub in London to see the main attractions (budget about 80pound per night) close to a tube station?
Should I just purchase tickets for the tube on each day as I need them or a pass for a few days?
Is there some kind of bulk pass to visit a few of these attractions and others?
How long does it take to travel to Liverpool by train and estimated cost?

Much appreciated for any help

Hi

I can not be much help as I have not been to London for 10 yrs. I stayed in Queensway last time and it was a brilliant location close to good tube lines and easy to get around.


I came across two sites when planning my trip today that you might find help you save some $$$
Enjoy England and Days out guide UK both offer 2 for 1 entry for the rest of this year on heaps of major attractions... just google them for details.

Emerald

London-Liverpool is 2-2.5 hrs. Costs vary spectacularly: anywhere from £12 to £70 or more, depending on how far ahead you book and what time of day you travel. Go to www.nationalrail.co.uk, plug in your dates and play with lots of alternatives to find the best deal.

You MIGHT find specials at the Virgin Trains or London Midland websites

Try www.londontown.com for hotels.I prefer to stay in South Kensington because it has good traansportation and is in walking distance to several museums and has good services nearby. I got the Millenium Baileys , right next to Gloucester Rd tube station for 80 GBP on londontown. for October.

For transport get the Oyster card. It will save you a bundle. Individual tickets are a rip.

As far as I'm aware you can't visit Stamford Bridge or Anfield. You could stand outside and spend some money in the shop, but that's about it.

Stamford Bridge is part of a large complex with bars and restaurants hotels etc in it. They're all rubbish, but if you're feeling in the mood go to the Shed Bar in the complex which has old photos and stuff on the wals.

"you can't visit...Anfield"

Oh yes you can. Whenever I go and visit the graves of countless generations of Flanners next door to Anfield (because they built the ground next to the Flanner mausolea: not because I share genes with people who want to be buried next to a football stadium), I take a wrong turning, and find myself backing into the queues for the Anfield Experience or whatever damnfool name it's got. The Liverpool FC-obsessed boozers round the ground are open too.

www.liverpoolfc.tv/club/tour.htm

<i>Where would be a good hub in London to see the main attractions (budget about 80pound per night) close to a tube station?</i>

Most tourist hotels are close to a tube station. With your budget, you may want to try Priceline or Hotwire (if you're familiar with either one).


<i>Should I just purchase tickets for the tube on each day as I need them or a pass for a few days?</i>

Do a search here for 2-for-1 vouchers using a valid paper Travelcard; or start here:
http://www.londontoolkit.com/briefin...ard_oyster.htm


<i>Is there some kind of bulk pass to visit a few of these attractions and others?</i>

The London 2-for-1 deals cover many paid attractions; most London museums are free anyway. You *could* look into London Pass but that is almost never a good deal.

P.S. What's the appeal of Madame Tussauds?

Why go to Tussaud's? It's the equivalent of like $35 per to view a bunch of wax stiffs. And riding the Eye costs 17 quid ($28) for general tickets and 27 quid ($44) for premium tickets where you pick your boarding time.

Click on my name or YK's name to see posts about the travelcards and 2-for-1 offers. You'll save serious money that way. Especially useful for the Tower (why isn't that on your list?), Cabinet War Rooms and more. Google "Days Out Guide UK."

And London is a large city. Physically, it is larger than New York and Tokyo, so finding somewhere to stay so you can be close to "the sights" is not possible. It's not a Disney property -- you don't have the full cultural experience hemmed into one single area. Wherever you stay that's convenient will be close to some sites, and not others.