Need London Help RE: Hotels, Transportation and Tours

[orchestrapal]

It's actually not bad for LHR. Tower Hill is on the District line, so you can do the transfer at Barons Court to get there. Liverpool St. Station is a mere 2 stops away, making this a pretty good all-around location for you.

 

The only problem may be that the District line is frequently not running on weekends.:(

[DragonOfTheSeas]

It's actually not bad for LHR. Tower Hill is on the District line, so you can do the transfer at Barons Court to get there. Liverpool St. Station is a mere 2 stops away, making this a pretty good all-around location for you.

 

 

Oh thank you. :) I thought we would have a pretty round about trip to get there if we did not do a private hire.

 

The only problem may be that the District line is frequently not running on weekends.:(

 

We will be arriving on a Thursday at 10 am. I would assume we would be leaving for the city [after customs] a little before noon. So, that should work.

 

. . . but, are you saying that on Saturday I will not be able to access the other parts of the city via tube from the Tower Hill station?

[Twickenham]

. . . but, are you saying that on Saturday I will not be able to access the other parts of the city via tube from the Tower Hill station?

 

Not sure about the whole District-line-not-running-on-weekends thing (maybe because of engineering work?), but Tower Hill is also served by the Circle line (the line you'd take to Liverpool St. Station), so worst-case scenario if the District line isn't running at all, from LHR you can transfer at South Kensington to the Circle line. Also, lots of buses in the area as well, so you shouldn't have any problems with transport.

Edited February 18, 2014 by Twickenham

[Scriv]

I like that location very much - you can explore the Tower area and Butlers Wharf and walk along the South Bank all alongside the river, visiting Borough Market, the Golden Hind, Southwark Cathedral, Globe Theatre, Tait Modern and Millenium Bridge, as you wish, all well signposted and all on foot with a wealth of eateries to choose from.

Then once at the National Theatre, you have the London Eye and beyond. It is lovely to walk along the Southbank and to savour being in London.

[Scriv]

...Tait Modern

 

correction spelling typo....Tate Modern

[DragonOfTheSeas]

I like that location very much - . . . . It is lovely to walk along the Southbank and to savour being in London.

 

Thank you--we want to feel like we are seeing some of London while we are there.

 

Our cruise stops in Portland on the way back to the USA. We have a trip to Stonehenge and Salisbury booked. So, we feel we will see a little countryside with that.

 

edit: No issue with spelling. I knew what you meant. :)

Edited February 18, 2014 by DragonOfTheSeas

[pshaze]

I will have to look into a private hire. That might be the way to go.

 

We used a private hire pre and post cruise. (27/7 Airport Transfer) They were waiting when we cleared customs and drove us directly to our hotel in London ( Doubletree Westminster) for $55.

 

They picked us up at our Victoria Station hotel (Park Plaza Victoria .....loved this location) and took us to Heathrow for $46.

 

We ordered a "Saloon" car which was plenty big enough for us and our bags. Well worth the money.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

We used a private hire pre and post cruise. (27/7 Airport Transfer) They were waiting when we cleared customs and drove us directly to our hotel in London ( Doubletree Westminster) for $55.

 

They picked us up at our Victoria Station hotel (Park Plaza Victoria .....loved this location) and took us to Heathrow for $46.

 

We ordered a "Saloon" car which was plenty big enough for us and our bags. Well worth the money.

 

I checked into the "JustAirports" company. the estimate from online dummy booking was 58 GBP. That is ~ $100 to the Doubletree Tower hotel.

 

I will look at that company.. . . but, we may go with the tube for at least part of the trip.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

I think I have a basic idea for transportation and hotel. I wil turn to the things to see while I am there.

 

Since I will be staying in the Tower of London area I think I would like to take advantage of the Tower Key ceremony. [i will visit the Tower of London when it first opens one morning to avoid some of the longest lines.] However, I read about this ceremony. I thought this would be a good way to make use of my evening time for sightseeing. Since it is only 1/2 hour we could manage this even if we were tired.

 

For those of you that have seen this my questions are---Is it worth the trouble of obtaining the ticket? Can someone explain to me the procedure? I do not know what an IRC is. Any help would be gratefully appreciated. :)

 

FYI for those visiting London: The tour is free and takes place from 9:30 pm to 10:05 pm. You must have a ticket and send a SASE to get these. [british postage only--so, a little more difficult to obtain] Get your tickets early-- i.e. next month is currently full. Some dates in Nov and December are fully booked.

 

PS--This is a description of the procedure for obtaining tickets from the website:

 

A self-addressed envelope together with the requisite British postage stamps, or a minimum of two 'Coupon-response international'. Please note that American or other non-British stamps are not valid in the UK. - See more at:

http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/WhatsOn/theceremonyofthekeys#sthash.RgWkOClw.dpuf

[SixOneTwo]

I just want to confirm that you chose wisely on the hotel. We stayed here pre-cruise last June and it was very convenient to everything, as the tube stop was just a half-block away. The Tower is RIGHT THERE! If you go to the rooftop bar, you will get an awesome view of the tower and bridge day and night. The neighborhood is so quiet at night.

 

We also took the train to Harwich and making the connection between Tube & train was a little strenuous with bags, but we made it fine and you couldn't beat the price. Liverpool Street Station is just a couple of stops from Tower Bridge. I urge you to give it a try. If you're budget-minded at all, don't hesitate to take the train that connects in Manningtree to save pounds. The connection there is super easy and can be done in about 60 seconds, even with luggage. There were train personnel there when we visited, who helped people with their bags.

 

For dining, ask the hotel's front desk to direct you to St. Catherine's Dock, which is a short walk, through a tunnel, to multiple restaurants on a marina.

Edited February 19, 2014 by SixOneTwo

[DragonOfTheSeas]

I just want to confirm that you chose wisely on the hotel. We stayed here pre-cruise last June and it was very convenient to everything, as the tube stop was just a half-block away. The Tower is RIGHT THERE! If you go to the rooftop bar, you will get an awesome view of the tower and bridge day and night. The neighborhood is so quiet at night.

 

We also took the train to Harwich and making the connection between Tube & train was a little strenuous with bags, but we made it fine and you couldn't beat the price. Liverpool Street Station is just a couple of stops from Tower Bridge. I urge you to give it a try. If you're budget-minded at all, don't hesitate to take the train that connects in Manningtree to save pounds. The connection there is super easy and can be done in about 60 seconds, even with luggage. There were train personnel there when we visited, who helped people with their bags.

 

 

For dining, ask the hotel's front desk to direct you to St. Catherine's Dock, which is a short walk, through a tunnel, to multiple restaurants on a marina.

 

Thank you for your help--

It is good to know that you liked the hotel.

 

If we do not find another couple to share a private hire to the port we will likely take the train. It is good to know that you found the switch at Manningtree doable.

[Cotswold Eagle]

. . . but, are you saying that on Saturday I will not be able to access the other parts of the city via tube from the Tower Hill station?

 

I think orchestrapal may have been referring to the section of the District line in west London, where the easy change off the Piccadilly is at Baron's Court. There have been some closures out there at weekends and more to come. Would not be a problem at Tower Hill.

 

More generally you can check on TfL's website for weekend closures. This page shows the upcoming weekend and there is a link to longer term planning, so you can be prepared :)

 

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/livetravelnews/realtime/track.aspx?offset=weekend

[DragonOfTheSeas]

I think orchestrapal may have been referring to the section of the District line in west London, where the easy change off the Piccadilly is at Baron's Court. There have been some closures out there at weekends and more to come. Would not be a problem at Tower Hill.

 

More generally you can check on TfL's website for weekend closures. This page shows the upcoming weekend and there is a link to longer term planning, so you can be prepared :)

 

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/livetravelnews/realtime/track.aspx?offset=weekend

 

Thank you--I bookmarked that link.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

We have found out that 4 other passengers from our ship are staying at the same hotel. We all might be interested in sharing transport to the pier. [depends on price]

 

Do any of you have good suggestions for who could take us to the pier? I wrote an email to JustAirports already.

 

I looked on the London Toolkit and saw the International Friends [or something like that] Their coach trips seemed pretty pricey--since they are transporting 50 people at a time. [but, do stop at our hotel for pick up]

[konatyme]

Is the Doubletree Hyde Park within walking distance of any of the main London attractions? I noticed you said the HOHO bus picks up there; is that the Big Red Bus you mentioned? If not, what is the company name? Thanks!

[DragonOfTheSeas]

We stayed at the Double Tree Hyde Park in Sept. post-cruise. We loved it. I bought the 2 day Big Red Bus tickets online. The entrance to the hotel is actually on the side street. It was a little confusing because there were no signs at the time. It just got done renovations. The HOHO bus picks up in front. The hotels restaurant is in front where the bus picks up. The area was very nice and good to walk around in the evening. There's pubs, restaurants, small stores and some bigger ones further up. The hotel staff was helpful and nice. The rooms were new, with a nice Nespresso Machine for coffee. We would stay here again! Any questions, please ask.

 

Is the Doubletree Hyde Park within walking distance of any of the main London attractions? I noticed you said the HOHO bus picks up there; is that the Big Red Bus you mentioned? If not, what is the company name? Thanks!

 

It looks like it is right in front.

 

Here is a link to the map.

http://www.theoriginaltour.com/UserFiles/OriginalLondonTourMap.pdf?ID=1

[karinad]

It looks like it is right in front.

 

Here is a link to the map.

http://www.theoriginaltour.com/UserFiles/OriginalLondonTourMap.pdf?ID=1

No, it is not. Our stay at the Double Tree was 3 nights, so we had 2 full days in London. We hopped on the bus both mornings. We did not walk to anything and didn't get a chance to go into Hyde Park which, I believe, is across the street. It poured rain both days, so walking was not that appealing. We did love the area and it was pretty quiet.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

It looks like it is right in front.

 

Here is a link to the map.

http://www.theoriginaltour.com/UserFiles/OriginalLondonTourMap.pdf?ID=1

 

No, it is not. Our stay at the Double Tree was 3 nights, so we had 2 full days in London. We hopped on the bus both mornings. We did not walk to anything and didn't get a chance to go into Hyde Park which, I believe, is across the street. It poured rain both days, so walking was not that appealing. We did love the area and it was pretty quiet.

 

karinad--can you clarify this for me a bit? I copied your earlier post and highlighted the sentence that said the bus stop was in front of the hotel and gave a link to a map. Are you saying that the bus stop is not near the hotel?

 

 

. . . or are you saying you could not walk from your hotel. If so, I never commented on the walkability of the location. Sorry if I misunderstood.:o

[karinad]

karinad--can you clarify this for me a bit? I copied your earlier post and highlighted the sentence that said the bus stop was in front of the hotel and gave a link to a map. Are you saying that the bus stop is not near the hotel?

 

 

. . . or are you saying you could not walk from your hotel. If so, I never commented on the walkability of the location. Sorry if I misunderstood.:o

Yes, the BIg Red Bus Stop is in front of the hotel on the main street (I forget the name of the street.) The hotel is on the corner and their Restaurant entrance is actually in front where the bus stops. To enter into the lobby is on the side street. When we were there in Sept. the hotel was just completing the change to a Double Tree from The Hilton. Now it's Double Tree by Hilton, as you know. We got our tickets for the bus online, but they did sell them at the stop. I hope this helps! We got a very good points value when we went. I think it was 90,000 for 3 nights.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

I am going to post this question again to see if I get any replies. :o

 

I would like some information about private car transfers to Harwich. I am staying at the Tower of London Doubletree and another group of 4 has connected with me saying they are staying there, too.

 

My question is about which companies to research and what are some of the estimates other cruisers have gotten from them. For example, I was given a quote by the International Friends of 499 GBP for the 6 of us. At the current exchange rate that is ~ $140 pp.

 

Is this a reasonable amount? I would MUCH rather take a private transfer. But, the 8 GBP pp for the train + taxi from hotel to train station is very tempting. Even the Royal Caribbean special train is much cheaper--but, does not show up on our cruise site, yet.

[orchestrapal]

I am going to post this question again to see if I get any replies. :o

I would like some information about private car transfers to Harwich. I am staying at the Tower of London Doubletree and another group of 4 has connected with me saying they are staying there, too.

My question is about which companies to research and what are some of the estimates other cruisers have gotten from them. For example, I was given a quote by the International Friends of 499 GBP for the 6 of us. At the current exchange rate that is ~ $140 pp.

Is this a reasonable amount? I would MUCH rather take a private transfer. But, the 8 GBP pp for the train + taxi from hotel to train station is very tempting. Even the Royal Caribbean special train is much cheaper--but, does not show up on our cruise site, yet.

 

http://Www.totallydriven.co.uk quotes £150 for six people in a van. Very cheap!

[DragonOfTheSeas]

http://Www.totallydriven.co.uk quotes £150 for six people in a van. Very cheap!

 

Oh thank you!! I will contact them today. :):):)

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Thanks for all of the help so far. Now I have a tour question.

 

We arrive on Thursday Aug 28 at 10 am. So we are thinking of getting a HOHO ticket for one day. That will let us ride around that first day to get our bearings and also provide transport Friday morning to get to the Big Ben, Westminster Abbey Buckingham Palace area. On the 3rd day [last before we get on the cruise] we plan to stay in the Tower of London/Thames river area.

 

We want to purchase tickets to see the State rooms at the palace since they are open in Aug and Sept. I am planning on getting tickets for Fri Aug 29. There are still tickets available--but, I assume they will eventually sell out. These are timed tickets and I need to figure out the best time to be there. I would pick the first in the morning usually to avoid crowds. But, since they are timed they must control the numbers--so that should not be an issue.

 

If I select an early morning time I will waste my HOHO time the second day. Also, I would like to catch the Changing of the Guards. I know this is at 11:30. But, in Aug it is only every other day. I only have a 50% chance of catching this.

 

Does anyone have experience with these tours? Can you tell me when would be the best time? The website says to leave 2-2.5 hrs for the tour. DH and I will likely take 2 hrs. We do not rush through tours--but, we are pretty goal oriented in our approach to seeing as much as we can.

Edited March 22, 2014 by DragonOfTheSeas

[milolii]

Hello. We took the Royal Day out tour last year. This included the Royal Mews, The Queen's Gallery and the Stare Rooms. ThE State rooms tickets will sell out. The tour takes about 2-2.5 hours. Buckingham Palace is stunning! Our tour stated at 1315. It was fine, I think we were done about 1530. I do not think the time matters fir this tour as the numbers are controlled.

 

I am a but confused. Do u arrive in London at 1000 from your overnight flight? I think the shortest time to get into London and drop bags would be about 2-2.5 hours. So I would not think you could use the HOHO until almost 1300. I think most stop running at 1630 or so. Still it is a great way to ride around.

 

August is insanely crowded. In order to watch the changing of the guard, you will need to get there early. We took a tour with Phil from the Original Bus Tour and he said there were 25,000 people in front of Buckingham Palace. I think he was right. Oh and they had Umbrellas. He positioned us in front of St James Palace and them moved us to the left of Buckingham Palace. If you want to be near the front gates, my not sure what time to be there, but very early. The original Bus Tour does include this tour with your pass. I Think it starts about 1000.

 

Westminster Abby and the Elizabeth Tower(formerly Big Ben) are still a nice historic walk to Buckingham Palace. Probably at least an hour.

 

When you stay near the Tower of London, then u should visit it that day. Also insanely crowded. Purchased those tickets in advance, take a Yeoman's tour. The other cool thing to see is the Ceremony of the Keys. This takes place every night at 2130. You can send off for free tickets. Limited numbers, though.

 

 

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[Floyd and elayne]

If you haven't booked your hotel yet, The Doubletree, Tower of London is offering a special rate for a 3 night stay. We booked it for 111. pounds which for London and a good location is a very fair rate.