London for a first Timer.

Visiting London 20 Money saving tips

 

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/london

Visiting London 20 Money saving tips

 

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/london

 

 

 

Great link very useful thanks for sharing [emoji3]

 

 

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Thank you all

 

 

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All these talk about HEX is confusing me. I need help connecting to the airports, so here goes:

 

1. Ariving in August and landing in Gatwick Airport. I need to take the Gatwick Express to get to my hotel for an overnight stay near the Victoria Station. Which Victoria station do I go down? TFL always ask if its Victoria Rail or Victoria Coach. So where do I end up if I take the Gatwick express

 

2. I want to go to British Museum. Is it walkable from Westminster Borough where my hotel is?

 

3. Next day, need to catch a plane at Heathrow airport for Geneva. Best way to get there if your Hotel is near the Victoria Station. London Toolkit website also suggested the National Express bus. Is that a good suggestion. Leaving for Heathrow on a Sunday.

 

4. I will be back in London 10 days after. Arriving from Heathrow. Taking Heathrow express to Paddington. we have purchased the 90 day advance ticket. Our hotel is walking distance from the Paddington Station. Yes, we tried to book our hotels near major stations. Staying in London for 3 days before catching our cruise from Dover. We are planning to purchase the 3 day London Pass for sightseeing and are booking the door to door taxi service from Hotel to Dover Cruise Terminal. That London Toolkit website is a big help.

My question is one of my party is not joining the cruise. He needs to catch the flight back home at Gatwick airport. Best way to get to Gatwick Airport from Paddington area? Flight is in the morning on a weekday.

1. Ariving in August and landing in Gatwick Airport. I need to take the Gatwick Express to get to my hotel for an overnight stay near the Victoria Station. Which Victoria station do I go down? TFL always ask if its Victoria Rail or Victoria Coach. So where do I end up if I take the Gatwick express

Gatwick Express is a train, so it will go to the railway station.

 

2. I want to go to British Museum. Is it walkable from Westminster Borough where my hotel is?

"Westminster" is meaningless in this context. It's an administrative area, and it would probably take about 90 minutes to walk from one side of it to the other, depending on your speed.

 

Everywhere in central London is walkable, if you like walking and you have the time for it. I reckon that walking from Victoria to the British Museum would probably take about 60 minutes.

 

3. Next day, need to catch a plane at Heathrow airport for Geneva. Best way to get there if your Hotel is near the Victoria Station. London Toolkit website also suggested the National Express bus. Is that a good suggestion. Leaving for Heathrow on a Sunday.

If your hotel is near Victoria coach station, then the coach could be a good idea; Sunday morning traffic is light. If your hotel is near Victoria Tube station and you can carry your luggage down stairs equivalent to about one storey, then District Line Tube to Barons Court (or Hammersmith in inclement weather) and cross-platform change to the Piccadilly Line. Or get a car transfer or a taxi.

 

4. ... My question is one of my party is not joining the cruise. He needs to catch the flight back home at Gatwick airport. Best way to get to Gatwick Airport from Paddington area? Flight is in the morning on a weekday.

Subject to the question of manhandling luggage up and down a few stairs, Circle Line to Victoria then Gatwick Express, or taxi to Victoria then Gatwick Express, would be the obvious options.

 

You will probably have seen that an alternative to the Gatwick Express is the commuter trains that call at Gatwick and then continue to Victoria. These are cheaper, but they are not specifically designed for airline passengers.

What is your advice for a traditional afternoon tea

 

 

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What is your advice for a traditional afternoon tea

A few posts ago, Bob++ has already pointed you to all the advice you need.

Gatwick Express is a train, so it will go to the railway station.

 

"Westminster" is meaningless in this context. It's an administrative area, and it would probably take about 90 minutes to walk from one side of it to the other, depending on your speed.

 

Everywhere in central London is walkable, if you like walking and you have the time for it. I reckon that walking from Victoria to the British Museum would probably take about 60 minutes.

 

I think we will do a leisure walk to the British Museum because there so much to see on the way there and back. We are in no hurry.

 

If your hotel is near Victoria coach station, then the coach could be a good idea; Sunday morning traffic is light. If your hotel is near Victoria Tube station and you can carry your luggage down stairs equivalent to about one storey, then District Line Tube to Barons Court (or Hammersmith in inclement weather) and cross-platform change to the Piccadilly Line. Or get a car transfer or a taxi.

 

what do you mean take a taxi? Taxi to airport? Won't that be expensive? Or taxi to Picadilly line. We are near the Tube rather than the coach.

what do you mean take a taxi? Taxi to airport? Won't that be expensive? Or taxi to Picadilly line. We are near the Tube rather than the coach.

I did mean a taxi to the airport. It isn't cheap, but lots of people do it, and also in the reverse direction: that is why there are hundreds of taxis queued up at Heathrow airport waiting to take people into town, and for the most part that is how the hundreds of taxis got to Heathrow to begin with.

 

Which option is right for you depends in large part on how much you want to spend, how much comfort you want to do it in, how much flexibility you want, and what you think of the alternative options. If you are near the Tube at Victoria, then that is an obvious option at the opposite end of the cost spectrum.

I did mean a taxi to the airport. It isn't cheap, but lots of people do it, and also in the reverse direction: that is why there are hundreds of taxis queued up at Heathrow airport waiting to take people into town, and for the most part that is how the hundreds of taxis got to Heathrow to begin with.

 

Which option is right for you depends in large part on how much you want to spend, how much comfort you want to do it in, how much flexibility you want, and what you think of the alternative options. If you are near the Tube at Victoria, then that is an obvious option at the opposite end of the cost spectrum.

 

How about connecting to Paddington and taking the HEX? is that doable? if so, ride a taxi to Paddington?

How about connecting to Paddington and taking the HEX? is that doable? if so, ride a taxi to Paddington?

 

 

 

Yes, of course, you can take a taxi to Paddington.

 

By tube, take the Victoria line to Oxford Circus and change there to the Bakerloo line for Paddington. This is a famously easy change of lines, the two platforms are adjacent through a short passageway, follow the signs for Bakerloo northbound.

 

 

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This thread has all the information you need https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2477167&highlight=afternoon+tea+in+london

 

 

 

Thank you for the link...!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Yes, of course, you can take a taxi to Paddington.

 

By tube, take the Victoria line to Oxford Circus and change there to the Bakerloo line for Paddington. This is a famously easy change of lines, the two platforms are adjacent through a short passageway, follow the signs for Bakerloo northbound.

 

 

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will it be easy taking that train with a luggage?

Yes, of course, you can take a taxi to Paddington.

 

By tube, take the Victoria line to Oxford Circus and change there to the Bakerloo line for Paddington. This is a famously easy change of lines, the two platforms are adjacent through a short passageway, follow the signs for Bakerloo northbound.

 

I am visual person. Is there a way I can see a tube map showing what lines you are telling me to take?

 

I will throw a wrench here. I thought I was settled and ready to book a taxi service from London Toolkit for my party. It was a door to door service from our hotel to Dover. But I read some reviews and they are mixed.

 

I know there is a train that you catch at Victoria Station or national express bus. Any suggestion?

[quote name='Eeyoredagreat;

 

 

 

I am visual person. Is there a way I can see a tube map showing what lines you are telling me to take?

 

 

 

 

 

You mentioned earlier in this thread using the TfL tool' date=' so I am surprised you didn’t look at the Maps section on that website, which has all the maps you could need and more!

 

This is the standard Tube map. Victoria line light blue, Bakerloo in brown.

 

http://content.tfl.gov.uk/standard-tube-map.pdf

 

 

 

 

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How about connecting to Paddington and taking the HEX? is that doable? if so, ride a taxi to Paddington?

Taxi to Paddington plus HEX is doable. But if there are three or more of you (as it sounds), it's likely that it will be slower and no cheaper - and it will definitely be less convenient - than getting a pre-booked car service from your Victoria hotel to Heathrow.

 

If you decide take the Tube from Victoria to Paddington, you will again need to be aware of station access arrangements. I think that there is now one entrance to the Tube that is step-free; I think it's the one outside the Cardinal Place development on the north-eastern corner of the junction of Victoria Street and Bressenden Place. Otherwise, to get from street level to ticket hall level is stairs down for the equivalent of about one storey, then (I think) escalators to platform level.

You mentioned earlier in this thread using the TfL tool, so I am surprised you didn’t look at the Maps section on that website, which has all the maps you could need and more!

 

This is the standard Tube map. Victoria line light blue, Bakerloo in brown.

 

http://content.tfl.gov.uk/standard-tube-map.pdf

 

 

 

 

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Yes I did see that map and my eyes glazed. It's as complicated as the NY subway. I will look at it more closely now since you have given me where to go.

Thank you!

Yes I did see that map and my eyes glazed. It's as complicated as the NY subway. I will look at it more closely now since you have given me where to go.

 

Thank you!

 

 

It’s tough until you actually get here and start to see how it works in practice! I think London’s system is actually quite a lot easier to navigate than NYC. And there are usually a bunch of alternatives, which is good for when things break down.

 

Those of us who have lived and worked in London carry a mental map of the Tube around. I spend much of my time in the Cotswolds these days and am thoroughly ashamed when I have to pause to consult an actual map (which, unlike my experience in NYC, you will find in every carriage and on every platform)!

 

Most of tourist London is inside or just outside the Circle line, the yellow line that forms a ‘bottle on its side’ shape in the centre of the map. That’s the bit you’ll really need.

 

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It’s tough until you actually get here and start to see how it works in practice! I think London’s system is actually quite a lot easier to navigate than NYC. And there are usually a bunch of alternatives, which is good for when things break down.

 

Those of us who have lived and worked in London carry a mental map of the Tube around. I spend much of my time in the Cotswolds these days and am thoroughly ashamed when I have to pause to consult an actual map (which, unlike my experience in NYC, you will find in every carriage and on every platform)!

 

Most of tourist London is inside or just outside the Circle line, the yellow line that forms a ‘bottle on its side’ shape in the centre of the map. That’s the bit you’ll really need.

 

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I know what you mean, From my experience, European rail systems are so organized and easy to follow and on time to top it off!

 

I will blindly trust you all Londoners because you know your city by heart;p;p

How about a good after theater bar around the queens theater...

a nice relax bar with good finger food.

 

 

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Thanks

 

 

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How about a good bar around picadilly.

 

 

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How about a good bar around picadilly.

 

 

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What sort of bar?

English pub

gastropub

cocktail bar

'gentleman's entertainment bar'?

 

They are all there;).

A gastropub and a cocktail

Bar is perfect

 

 

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'gentleman's entertainment bar'?

 

They are all there;).

Are there any of these that you would recommend, please? :D