London first-timer!

Hi there! I'm doing a bit of pre-investigating for a cruise next summer. I'm not completely sure of the destination (Northern Europe or the British Isles), but I know we want to spend a couple of days in London post-cruise. I'm so excited to be planning a cruise again!!

I've been reading bits and pieces in threads, but I wondered if anyone can point me to a thread that maybe has a good overview of what to do, where to stay, what to avoid, how to get around, etc. I hate to ask a zillion questions that have already been answered.

The last time I was in Europe, I was 16 and with a group of 80 teenagers and 5 adults - we didn't have to do much on our own in terms of finding our way around - so this is a bit new to me.

Thanks so much!

Hi there! I'm doing a bit of pre-investigating for a cruise next summer. I'm not completely sure of the destination (Northern Europe or the British Isles), but I know we want to spend a couple of days in London post-cruise. I'm so excited to be planning a cruise again!!

 

I've been reading bits and pieces in threads, but I wondered if anyone can point me to a thread that maybe has a good overview of what to do, where to stay, what to avoid, how to get around, etc. I hate to ask a zillion questions that have already been answered.

 

The last time I was in Europe, I was 16 and with a group of 80 teenagers and 5 adults - we didn't have to do much on our own in terms of finding our way around - so this is a bit new to me.

 

Thanks so much!

I suggest you consult Frommer, Fodor, Lonely Planet, etc which will give you an oversight of things to do in an organized fashion. That is the information that would guide you . Enjoy!!

I'm plenty versed in the guide books...mostly I'm wondering from you all here - I find that advice is much better often times, and coming from real people, I trust it. If I just wanted guide books, I wouldn't spend so much time on the boards...you know?!

It is very difficult to answer your questions. Metropolitan London is huge with the interesting sights scattered hither, thither and yon. there are good (and bad) hotels all over the place. Finally, there is so much to see -- even without leaving London, that 2 months, let alone 2 days, couldn't cover it all.

London is an expensive city. If you haven't looked at hotel rates, you might be in for a shock. I suggest going over to the sister site tripadvisor.com and check out the hotel reviews there. As for what part of the city to stay in.. well, again, it depends. I avoid Victoria and I am too old for Earl's Court. When I am there by myself I usually stay in Bloomsbury while my wife prefers Kensington. I think both of our prefers are largely habit, though.

We almost always take the tube and buses. Check out http://www.tfl.gov.uk/ and use it to see where the delays are when you are there. We use taxis on occasion of course. One note to remember, if you want to go some place, give the full address.

As for what to see and do.. well, what interests you? I would happily spend most of my life split between The British Museum, Library and Kew Gardens. that's just me, though

I agree, London is just so huge, you should identify some of your interests at least. I would be happy with the museums and art galleries, a walk in some lovely parks and great pub meals, with that's a very individual matter.

I also like Bloomsbury although there are some awful tourist hotels there too.

Well...it's hard to say what we're intrested in without knowing what there *is*...

We're looking for more of the tourist-favorites. Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, etc. Is there a trusted bus tour or something along those lines?

I'm really finding a lot of information on the boards - in about a gillian different places. I just thought there might be a hidden gem of a guide by one of you folks that has been answering those gagillion questions. :-)

Thanks!

will take you to most of the sites you're interested.

But here are two suggestions you might consider-

The Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London: This is by free ticket only, but you get to experience the locking of the gates with the Yeomen of the Guard at night. This tradition has been going on for centuries. Google it for more info.

A Pub Crawl walking tour that will take you to some of the most historic taverns in London + you get to experience cellar drawn beer and ale.

Hi there! I'm doing a bit of pre-investigating for a cruise next summer. I'm not completely sure of the destination (Northern Europe or the British Isles), but I know we want to spend a couple of days in London post-cruise. I'm so excited to be planning a cruise again!!

 

I've been reading bits and pieces in threads, but I wondered if anyone can point me to a thread that maybe has a good overview of what to do, where to stay, what to avoid, how to get around, etc. I hate to ask a zillion questions that have already been answered.

 

The last time I was in Europe, I was 16 and with a group of 80 teenagers and 5 adults - we didn't have to do much on our own in terms of finding our way around - so this is a bit new to me.

 

Thanks so much!

Love your screen name..

OK 'Tulips', I'll take a shot at answering some of your questions. We did a Northern Cruise last year (I would suggest this to anyone, over just a British isles crusie). We left from Dover which gave us the opportunity to stay in London, both pre and post cruise. We did 7 days in London. I, like you wasn't there in many, mnay years, so it was basically all new to me.

First you need to make some sort of plan. Many people look to try and stay right in the 'heart' of London and usually pay for that. You can get one of several good, decent priced hotels in London, just not in the touristy section. As long as you are close to the tube station, that's all that counts. Taking the tube is without a doubt, the easiest and best way around London, and it is not expensive. You will need to ride the tube to get to mnay of the touristy sites, so to save a bunch on a hotel it is worth staying a couple of stops away.

Most of mid London is compact in that you CAN walk say, from the Tower of London, along the Thames River, and see, Tower Bridge Experience, St Pauls Cathedral, the Globe theater, Parliament, Big Ben, the London Eye, Westminster Abbey. It is a pretty good hike, but doable in one day, provided you don't want to spend a lot of time at any of the said venues. We did this all in one day, but we just got a feel for these things. On another day, you should take one of the two London Hop on Hop off sightseeing buses that have been mentioned many times on this forum. From these, you can revisit any of the places you went to,and spend a lot more time there is you wish. Or you can just do THIS for a day and get to see most of the major attractions in London. Again, you won't be able to spend a lot of time at any of th stops, but you will see them.

Maybe you want to go to Harrod's Department Store, or Madame Trussards Wax Museum, or go for a tour of Buckingham Palace, or watch the Changing of the guard ceremony. These are things you will need to take the tube to get to.

This board can only suggest things for you to do. Do you think you may want to take in a show, hang out at Piccadilly Circus, go to speakers Corner on a Sunday morning or just hang around Trafalgar Square for a few hours.

Again, without knowing how much time you are spending in London, and waht some of your real 'can't miss' things are, it's hard to give opinions.

Most of London CAN be seen in 2-3 days. Sure it is a whirlwind seeing, but you will go home, knowing you saw this and that. We did a day trip to Paris and even though we only spent 8 hours in Paris, we loved it. We saw what we wanted to see, and came home thrilled about that.

Hope this gives you some things to 'chew' on.

Here are a few of my pix from around town, to give you an idea of waht you may want to see

The London Eye

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe080.jpg

Big Ben and Parliament at twighlight

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europe139.jpg

In front of Buckingham Palace

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europept2028.jpg

Just Big Ben in all it's glory

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europept2058.jpg

The Tower Bridge

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europept2128.jpg

The Tower of London

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europept2127.jpg

Cheers

Len

We are also looking at a Baltics cruise in 2011, probably May or June on the Jewel of the Seas. We are also researching accomodations etc. to determine the budget we will need. So far I have more or less settled on the area around the Paddington rail station / Tube station. I have almost rejected the Victoria Station area. Paddington seems to have more choice of what appear to be good 3 and 4 star hotels within easy walking of the Paddington station. I have been using Google Street View to " walk" the neighbourhoods looking at shops and eateries etc. Based on what I have found on Priceline.com and Booking.com costs appear to be in the $200 range give or take $30 or so. The proximity to Paddington seems to provide the best tube options to get to various parts of the city and a direct Tube line to Liverpool Station for the train to Harwich. I assume we will likley land at Gatwick from Toronto so will take the Victoria express to the Victoria Station and probably a cab to the Paddington hotel of choice. Of course should we land at Heathrow it is an easy express ride direct to Paddington. We will likley be around for 2 maybe 3 days so should be able to take in most of the sights without needing a two week vaction to recover:rolleyes:. Those are our thoughts so far. I wil continue to look at other options and read what is said here for other ideas.

Len - thanks so much for the information! That's great! I really don't know how long we're thinking - a couple of nights probably. Just so expensive to be gone for so long - vacation time and hotel stays before and after and the cruise and excursions. Wow it all adds up fast!

LiftLock - I think I'm looking in the wrong places. Is there a good link for the tube system? I found a hotel, I *think*, but I couldn't tell you where it is in relationship to a tube station - just where it is in relation to some of the attractions. Cost is our top priority, so that rules out a whooollllleeee lot of hotels. :-)

Thanks for all of the input. I really appreciate even knowing how you all would spend a couple of days!

London tube map

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/1106.aspx

JB

Thanks, JB!

Is there, by chance, an overlay of this map with streets or landmarks?

Len - thanks so much for the information! That's great! I really don't know how long we're thinking - a couple of nights probably. Just so expensive to be gone for so long - vacation time and hotel stays before and after and the cruise and excursions. Wow it all adds up fast!

 

LiftLock - I think I'm looking in the wrong places. Is there a good link for the tube system? I found a hotel, I *think*, but I couldn't tell you where it is in relationship to a tube station - just where it is in relation to some of the attractions. Cost is our top priority, so that rules out a whooollllleeee lot of hotels. :-)

 

Thanks for all of the input. I really appreciate even knowing how you all would spend a couple of days!

Our choices so far have been driven by several factors. 1 ) How will we get from the airport to the city and the related cost factor. In our case we are currently planning to use the express train to either Paddington or Victoria stations depending which airport our final airline choice uses. 2) Hassle tolerance given a probable early morning arrival after a long day and night, tolerance will be very low, therefore the hotel had better be close to one of these two stations AND ready for an early check-in. A cab ride may be required but we will want to keep it short. Dragging luggage on the Tube is not likely in our hassel tolerance range:o We are very accustomed to subway travel but the luggage component is probably the determining factor. Right at Paddington there is a Hilton, a Quality Inn , an Indigo Hotel, and a Best Western to name a few.

3) Proximity to a major tube station for easy movement for our sightseeing plans which have not yet been determined. Paddington seems very well suited to this as there are about 3 lines converging at this station. 4) Hotel cost, it seems to get what we would term an average hotel we will likely need to pay approx $200 / nt. I have not yet researched the Bloomsbury area, it seems to fail a couple of the tests mentioned above but might be just a short cab ride away and therefore could still be a choice. I am going to map that out on Priceline today and see if it becomes an option.

We are using Evan Evans Tours for an all day highlights of London. Check out their website, www. evanevanstours.com

London is a super great city with many, many wonderful options. The museums, history, architecture, plays, food, charm, character, etc., etc., are among the best in the world. BUT, London is a big city (with a great Underground transportation system) that can be costly. If your budget is limited, it's challenging. If you spend too little time in London (especially after a long trans-Atlantic flight), you are cheating yourself. Adjust your budget and time to "reality", then go and enjoy London. There is much to see and do at low cost, including having a multi-day Underground pass and doing lots of walking around, watch and seeing, etc. Below are some visual examples. Some are free. Some not.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From the London "Eye" wheel, it offers great views of the key sights and sites:

People shopping at Portobello Road Market:

Harrod's unique Food Hall has lots to see and eat:

Harrods has unqiue interior displays and designs and it's FREE to walk around there:

At the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, they have spectacular rooms, architecture and art works. Admission is free!:

London’s underground has a wide range of stations and frequent service. Here’s an example at Notting Hill Gate and its rail platform

Oh boy, I'd completely forgotten about the National Gallery! And Portobello market, what a treat that is! And Speaker's Corner on a Sunday, or just a walk in Hyde Park. The statue of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens and model boats being floated on the Round Pond!

Oh boy, I'd completely forgotten about the National Gallery! And Portobello market, what a treat that is! And Speaker's Corner on a Sunday, or just a walk in Hyde Park. The statue of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens and model boats being floated on the Round Pond!

YES! Lots of good, fun, free stuff in London. If interested in history, the new Churchill Museum is very interesting and handy to other attractions and sights and sites. If the weather is nice, eat outside and enjoy the "free" show of people and activities.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

At Sloane Square, people dining and the famed double-decker bus:

Outside entrance to Churchill Museum and underground World War II command headquarters:

The new Churchill Museum and underground War Rooms offer interesting history:

At the Victoria & Albert Museum in London they have spectacular rooms, architecture and art works:

London’s Eye is a unique symbol along the river that allow great views around the town of its landmarks. Not cheap to ride and get be busy.:

London’s theaters include such names at the famed Paladium where we saw a unique Sinatra show in 2006:

Thanks, JB!

 

Is there, by chance, an overlay of this map with streets or landmarks?

The tube map isn't actually a map at all. It's a diagram. All straight lines, and not to scale. It's won many awards for making a complicated system simple to figure, and for journey-planning. But it's only good for navigating the system. The map is on billboards throughout the system & on the trains and you can pick up copies from stations, hotels, etc.

You should be able to pick up a London map in a major bookstore in the US. It will have a map of Greater London, a large-scale map of central London showing the roads, the sights, and the tube stations, but not neccessarily the tube lines as they make a map over-complicated & difficult to use. And it'll include a tube map.

In the meantime, you could download the map produced by the Original Bus Tour on http://www.theoriginaltour.com/tour_information/index.html

This will be perfectly adequate for an overview of the geography of the sights, though it includes only a few of the tube stations. When in London, you can pick up a copy from Original, or from Big Bus. Though you'll probably have one thrust into your hand within five minutes of arriving :D

JB

Hi, Tulips --

I fly to London at least once a month for work, and have been there maybe 220 times over the last ten years.

Go to Borders and gran a map of London, the plastic-y laminated kind. It should have the hotels marked on it, and you can see what Tube station is nearby.

An Oyster card is probably your best bet for jumping on & off city transportation (buses and the Tube) if you're going to be there for a few days.

The cost of eating can be pretty low if you want. Pub grub is usually very good -- ask the concierge what he recommends close by. There are an abundance of US-style fast-food joints, too. Before anyone flames me, I'm just trying to give TnT some low-cost options!

However, the very best schwarma in THE WORLD is at Taza's on Queensway. I just Googled it and was amazed to find a Facebook page for it:

http://ja-jp.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&gid=2394293459

The cost for a schwarma was 3 pounds, the last time I was there. It is an insider place for sure. Just tell the guy behind the counter 'everything' when he asks you what you want on your lamb or chicken schwarma. Mmmmm...

OK, I digress.

Go and have a blast in London. I love it.

Is there, by chance, an overlay of this map with streets or landmarks?

The tube map isn't actually a map at all. It's a diagram. All straight lines, and not to scale. It's won many awards for making a complicated system simple to figure, and for journey-planning. But it's only good for navigating the system. The map is on billboards throughout the system & on the trains and you can pick up copies from stations, hotels, etc.

Try these:-

You all have made me want to leave NOW with those pictures! THANK YOU for all of the amazing advice and great information! So so helpful and exactly what I was looking for!

The hotel I've found that is relatively inexpensive and has good reviews is located in the Bloomsbury area - is there anything I need to know about that area or any reason I wouldn't want to stay in the area? We're two gals traveling together, so I'm not sure how much safety is an issue?

I've looked at the Evan Evans tours - thanks for the suggestion! I really like a bus tour or something the first day in a new town to get my bearings and hear some commentary. My friend has a good internal sense of direction - mine is busted. :-)

Has anyone done the Evan Evans day trip to Paris? I was in Paris about 15 years ago and have ZERO French in my vocabulary, so I think we'd want a guide if we decided to do a day trip like that. I also wonder about the ease of EuroStar. Are there transfers?

The way it's looking right now, we'd maybe have 1 night on the front end of the cruise and *possibly* 4 on the back end.

Thanks again for all your help!!!

As I think I said, I like Bloomsbury. Just look at the reviews carefully, since there some nice small hotels, but a few awful tourist warrens as well. This area is central the British Museum, Trafalgar, Soho and the West End. I've always stayed in small hotels there, B&B's really.

As I think I said, I like Bloomsbury. Just look at the reviews carefully, since there some nice small hotels, but a few awful tourist warrens as well. This area is central the British Museum, Trafalgar, Soho and the West End. I've always stayed in small hotels there, B&B's really.

Wendy and L2ConD, I have also looked at the Bloomsbury area and find I gravitate towards the known names such as Novotel ,premier, Comfort, and Holiday Inn. Only because those names provide a comfort zone of familiarity. However I suspect that the prices are significantly higher than the establisments that Wendy is suggesting. When I have used Google Street view I have noticed the "other" small hotels that you are referring to. Can you suggest 3 or 4 other small hotels ( BB's as you mentioned ) that we could also look at. Several of the hotels I have looked at in Bloomsbury were very close to Kings Cross and Euston stations or the Russell Square station. Your suggestions for either the Paddington area or Bloomsbury would be appreciated.

You all have made me want to leave NOW with those pictures! THANK YOU for all of the amazing advice and great information! So so helpful and exactly what I was looking for!

 

The hotel I've found that is relatively inexpensive and has good reviews is located in the Bloomsbury area - is there anything I need to know about that area or any reason I wouldn't want to stay in the area? We're two gals traveling together, so I'm not sure how much safety is an issue?

 

I've looked at the Evan Evans tours - thanks for the suggestion! I really like a bus tour or something the first day in a new town to get my bearings and hear some commentary. My friend has a good internal sense of direction - mine is busted. :-)

 

Has anyone done the Evan Evans day trip to Paris? I was in Paris about 15 years ago and have ZERO French in my vocabulary, so I think we'd want a guide if we decided to do a day trip like that. I also wonder about the ease of EuroStar. Are there transfers?

 

The way it's looking right now, we'd maybe have 1 night on the front end of the cruise and *possibly* 4 on the back end.

 

Thanks again for all your help!!!

As for the eurostar,. there are NO transfers. You book online, and the farther out you book, you have a better chance at a reduced price. You catch the Eurostar at St Pancreas station, and it is a 2 1/2 hour ride to Gard Nord in Paris.

From there, if you think a tour is better, then go for it. As I said previously, it really isn't necesary. Paris is very eay to do on your own, especially if you are just there for the day.

I'm not sure about Even Evans tours but before we did our trip, we also looked into a tour, but from what we saw, the tours usually don't take you around Paris, they sort of give you a map and tell you to have fun. Maybe Evan Evans is different and they do a full guided tour in Paris.

Again, we were worried aobut doing it oursleves, but we are seasoned travelors, and we like to do things a certain way. We may want to rush thru one particular place and spend extra time somewhere else. We like to browse for souveniers, and stop and have some ice cream or lunch or dinner, when WE feel like it, not when some one tells us to.

Here are a few of my pix from our day in Paris

Our first stop in Paris was Sacre Couere

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europept2332.jpg

After that we headed to Arc of Triumph

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europept2357.jpg

Then on to the Eiffel Tower

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europept2382.jpg

from there we rode on the Bat a Bus (canal boat ride) to the Louvre

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europept2475.jpg

From here we walked along the Seine to Notre Dame, stopping to enjoy the book carts, having some ice cream and just enjoying being in Paris

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europept2487.jpg

Arriving at magnificnet Notre Dame

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europept2496.jpg

After this we diecided to just ride the Bat a Bus on a round trip along the Seine for a relaxing ending to our day in Paris

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/baltics/europept2546.jpg

Cheers

Len

New issue for us. I have been looking at the room selections for a while and it has not dawned on me until now that the term "double" means a real double bed ie 4'6" wide. I've been "told" that a normal double is OUT:( I had been assuming a queen sized bed. Opps:mad: very wrong assumption. I have now been looking for the hotels that offer a queen sized bed which I believe London hotels refer to as a King size. Can anyone point me in the right direction. I have read that Premier Hotels have the larger beds but have not confirmed that on their web site. Holiday Inns maybe? Apparently not the B&B's.