<p>We are considering a trip to London in April … our family has never been to Europe before so this would be a really big event for us. I’d appreciate any insights anyone might have in planning this trip - is April a good time of year to go? Would 18 year-olds generally enjoy London? What part of London would we want to stay in? Would we want to rent a car? Where do we get the best deals?
We are clueless travelers so any thoughts would be appreciated to help us start to plan. Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>You are tallking about one week over spring break? Kids of any age would love a trip to London. Not knowing what your interests are it is hard to recommend where you should stay or what you might want to do other than the usual tourist sites. As for renting a car…if this is your first trip to Europe=NO. Public transport is easy to use and works well. In a week you won’t need a car. </p>
<p>Are you liking museums and such? Small hotels or large? Budget or luxury.</p>
<p>See a play in the WestEnd…<a href=“http://www.londontheatre.co.uk/[/url]”>http://www.londontheatre.co.uk/</a></p>
<p>Yes, about one week over break. We’d be interested in the usual sightseeing, getting a good feel for London, and yes, museums. Perhaps, if time allowed, we’d like to get out to see the countryside as well. We’d want a nice hotel - reasonable but probably not luxury or budget - somewhere in the middle. Thanks for the link - I’ll check it out.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/britain/brit_menu.htm[/url]”>http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/britain/brit_menu.htm</a></p>
<p>Any interest in the Harry Potter sites?</p>
<p>Definitely!</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/britain/hpotter.htm[/url]”>http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/britain/hpotter.htm</a></p>
<p>as long as you are familiar with public transportation, you would not have any problems getting around.</p>
<p>i would recommend traveling for more than a week. 2~3 weeks would be good enough for London. and you might spare a week on dublin, Ireland or Scotland. (i traveled to dublin by train, it was great)</p>
<p>if you have only a week to spare, spent it wisely just in London.
when deciding on hotel, consider the distance it is from the metro. that would be the work u have to do now.</p>
<p>another advice, remember McDonald.</p>
<p>The Tube is what locals call the Metro…<a href=“http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tube/[/url]”>www.tfl.gov.uk/tube/</a></p>
<p>No car. Do lots of the guided walks - they are absolutely a wonderful way to see London you wouldn’t really get to see it in any other way.</p>
<p><a href=“http://london.walks.com/[/url]”>http://london.walks.com/</a></p>
<p>We especially liked Dicken’s London, the Inns of Court, Old Westminster by Gaslight, and Ghosts. We also managed to get tickets to the Royal Ballet, Covent Garden Opera, the Royal Shakespeare, and D’oyle Carte Gilbert & Sullivan all on-line, and very inexpensively too. The last, sadly, is now defunct.</p>
<p>You’ll find PLENTY to do in London to fill up a week and I’m sure your 18 year olds will have a great time.</p>
<p>As in America, April is unpredictable. I’ve had chilly rain and beautiful spring days. Pack rain gear and dress in layers.</p>
<p>London has so many fine museums that you could do nothing but. My two favorites are the National Gallery (especially Medieval and Renaissance work) and the Courtauld Institute. If you’re serious museum goers you won’t want to miss the British Museum and the Tate.</p>
<p>We love to take those sightseeing buses that you can get on and off at will. They’re a great way to orient yourself to the city. </p>
<p>For a day trip with easy public transport I’d recommend Hampton Court.</p>
<p>London is very expensive. For what by London standards would be considered median I’d recommend a small hotel in South Kensington called Number 16. This is a charming neighborhood area – not touristy, close to Kensington gardens and transportation.</p>
<p>Fodors on-line travel forum is a wonderful source of information. I also really like Eye Witness guidebooks.</p>
<p>My standard recommendation for anyone going to London for the first time is the National Portrait Gallery. I second the suggestion of LondonWalks, but there are also guidebooks which will lead you on your own self-guided tours. And, if you have an extra day to play, you can get to Canterbury Cathedral by rail.</p>
<p>Hi Twinmom, </p>
<p>We (family of four) went to London last year for one week. That was the first time we crossed the big pond:-) It was absolutely wonderful. </p>
<p>Please do not think of getting a car - too much of a headache. We used the tube everywhere. You might think of renting a flat - we did - worked out great. Rick Steves’ books and videos are great if you want to do preparation ahead of time. There are other great books - I borrowed 15 from our local library. Get a good street map - the streets will make you go bonkers (especially if you are American). Google Trip Advisor forum - and look for the London forum - it is a great place to get advice. Also, look up Journey Planner - it will let you plan your trip from Point A to Point B. </p>
<p><a href=“Plan a journey - Transport for London”>Plan a journey - Transport for London;
<p>One week will seem like an intense field trip. It is absolutely exhilarating. Just yesterday, using Google Earth, we were looking up all the places we visited in London. Have fun.</p>
<p>Along with the British Museum, The Tate, The Tate Modern, and the National Portrait Gallery, I’ll add the Victoria & Albert Museum, aka the V&A (<a href=“http://www.vam.ac.uk/)%5B/url%5D”>http://www.vam.ac.uk/)</a>. It is a wonderful museum of things. All museums are typically free, with fees only for special exhibits. </p>
<p>in 2003, I stayed at The Holiday Inn London Kensington Forum. (<a href=“http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g186338-d193133-Reviews-Holiday_Inn_London_Kensington_Forum-London_England.html[/url]”>http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g186338-d193133-Reviews-Holiday_Inn_London_Kensington_Forum-London_England.html</a>)
It is a somewhat bland hotel, but the rooms are spacious (which is not the norm in London), is reasonably priced, and is well-located near a metro stop. </p>
<p>Some restaurant recommendations I got last summer from a friend who was living in London. I was looking for a fairly nice restaurant to dine with my mom before going to the theatre. These are all in or near the Covent Garden area
Indian: <a href=“http://www.london-eating.co.uk/144.htm[/url]”>http://www.london-eating.co.uk/144.htm</a> or <a href=“http://www.london-eating.co.uk/2713.htm[/url]”>http://www.london-eating.co.uk/2713.htm</a>. Chowki is the more casual of the two
Italian: <a href=“http://www.london-eating.co.uk/1694.htm[/url]”>http://www.london-eating.co.uk/1694.htm</a>. This one is run by a famous chef
Modern British: <a href=“http://www.london-eating.co.uk/3863.htm[/url]”>http://www.london-eating.co.uk/3863.htm</a>, <a href=“http://www.london-eating.co.uk/3851.htm[/url]”>http://www.london-eating.co.uk/3851.htm</a>, <a href=“http://www.london-eating.co.uk/5337.htm[/url]”>http://www.london-eating.co.uk/5337.htm</a>, and <a href=“http://www.london-eating.co.uk/19.htm[/url]”>http://www.london-eating.co.uk/19.htm</a></p>
<p>Things to do ahead of time; if you are planning on going to the theatre you should really purhase tickets ahead of time, from the States. This is available. There are international ticket brokers. </p>
<p>Probably wise to buy a week long pass, or at least several days when traveling on the “tube” subway. And kids should always carry student ID’s they do provide discounts. Look into International Student ID card, which can give them some benefits, too. </p>
<p>ALSO, extremely important, check the schedules of the places you plan to go…we did not, and thought we could catch the changing of the guard any old time. We missed the first day, and had to catch the second changing on our way to the airport! Every place is closed on different days of the week. So, if you have an idea where you want to go, try to find out ahead of time, and plan the week’s activities using that information, too. Obviously, once you have a main destination picked out for the day, try to see the other things in that area (restaurants, parks, shops, etc) so that you are not revisiting the same location. Believe it or not a week will actually be a very short time. </p>
<p>Above all, when you are planning, remember the time difference, and put some thought into your family’s ability to jump in upon arrival or the need to adjust. Personally, having nothing to do with Europe, my kids were exhausted when Spring break rolled around, and they needed sleep desparately. On top of which they are teenagers, and they do crave sleep no matter how fabulous a vacation you plan for them! You might want to consider adding one extra day so that everyone just rests on Day One. </p>
<p>A lot of flights to Europe leave in the evening, or late at night, allowing you to sleep on the plane (hahahaha) and arrive in the morning, ready to go! When we went, half of us managed to stay awake that first day, and went to bed early that night, the other half needed to take a nap immediately and started their day later in the afternoon. So make plans ( or don’t make plans) for the first day to accommodate this issue. </p>
<p>After all of this planning, you sure will need a rest! Have a great trip!</p>
<p>Absolutely avoid renting a car. You’ll want to spend most of your time in London anyway, where driving on the left side of the road in one of the busiest cities in the world would be dangerous.</p>
<p>As for trips to the countryside, you may want to think of taking the train to Bath. It’s quite different from London, and you’ll see the countryside during the journey. </p>
<p>I second the suggestions for the London Walks. Ghosts of the Old City, and the Saturday Explorer Days were our favorites, along with Legal London. Take a walk around the “City” - the financial district - including Leadenhall Market (a scene from the Harry Potter movies). It’s up the hill from the Tower. You’ll see the oldest part of London, as well as the new architecture that will define the 21st century. The “Gherkin” (sp?) says it all. </p>
<p>As far as hotels, we couldn’t really recommend hotels without knowing your financial constraints. I like to chose hotels based on where they are located in terms of the best tube stops - the most lines, etc. I stay away from anything in the northern part, since the tube line requires frequent and time-consuming changes in order to get anywhere I want to go. I personally like the hotels all around the Gloucester stop - the best tube lines for tourists, plus a full range of price ranges. When I’m going more upscale, I go for the La Grange City, which is about 1 minute walk from the Tower Hill tube stop. From a tourist point of view, that’s hard to beat. It’s primarily a hotel for business travelers, but not too outrageous. </p>
<p>For your first day, you might want to do one of those hop-on, hop off tours to get a feel for the city. Or, to do it “on the cheap”, just take a full loop on the Number 15 bus. It goes all over the most tourist-interesting places, minus the narration of course. </p>
<p>Have fun!!</p>
<p>twinmom:
Three great references for travel info:</p>
<p>Travelers to Go:
<a href=“http://p104.ezboard.com/beuropetogo[/url]”>http://p104.ezboard.com/beuropetogo</a>
(Look for postings by patash2 - he goes to London frequently. There’s a good trip report of his for London under “Trip Reports”)</p>
<p>Fodors Talk:
<a href=“Fodors.com Trending Discussions”>Fodors.com Trending Discussions;
(Go to "Europe"section)</p>
<p>Slow Travel:
<a href=“http://www.slowtrav.com/[/url]”>http://www.slowtrav.com/</a>
(Excellent source for information on renting apartments vs. hotels - by the way it’s a GREAT way to save money with a family! We did it and loved it.)</p>
<p>We travel quite a bit (and I planned a very successful trip for the four of us last summer to Paris and Rome) and I always use these sites instead of a travel agent.</p>
<p>Have fun with the planning!</p>
<p>In a quick scan, I notice that no one has mentioned that your 18 year olds can legally drink in London.</p>
<p>When my D and I went, we went to several wine bars so that she could try different kinds of wine.</p>
<p>You can buy half-price theater tickets on the day of performance at a booth in Leicester Square. The theaters are small, intimate, and the actors (mostly) excellent. The Globe theater is worth the trip just for the ambiance, if it’s performing during your time frame. I liked the first stage row E seats because they are the only ones with a back rest (the back wall of the theater).</p>
<p>I am very fond of Hampton Court, which is a pleasant hour-long train ride from the city. But then I’m also enthralled with Elizabeth Ist and Henry the VIIIth. I found the Elizabethan-era kitchens to be fascinating, and was fortunate enough to find a docent who felt like explaining how the sewer system worked.</p>
<p>We took the kids a few years ago at Thanksgiving. Everyone had a blast. We stayed in a rented flat in Knightsbridge. It was pricey (about $425 a night) but it was a splurge that we decided was worth it because we rented a 3 bedroom, 3 bath flat with laundry facilities. (I had 3 teenaged girls, need I say more?) It was only 2 short blocks from the Knightsbridge tube station and Harrods. Even if you don’t stay in Knightsbridge (South Kensington would be nice too) stay someplace close to a tube station.</p>
<p>We did the typical tourist things, but the highlights for us were our day trip to Cambridge and the evensong service there, the British Museum (did that at night - NO crowds at all!), and the trip out to Windsor. My husband even took the girls to a football (soccer) game. Quite an experience, lol.</p>
<p>Have a great time! It is my youngest daughter’s favorite trip of all time.</p>
<p>Wow - you CCers are just amazing. I will begin looking at all the links that you provided and will print out all of your valuable advice. Keep those cards and letters coming!</p>
<p>A couple of things you might want to check into: you can write ahead of time and get free passes to attend the Ceremony of the Keys (or something like that) - the passing of the key from one guard to another at the Tower. You should be able to get more information on that in a guide book.</p>
<p>Also, if anyone in your family is currently involved in scouting (from cub scout/daisy to adult volunteer) you can try to book a room at the Baden-Powell house in South Kensington, near museums and tube. It’s very reasonable, has laundry facility (which you won’t need for a one week stay), breakfast and dinner can be arranged. Your fellow guests might be troops on trips, but it adds to the fun. I say ‘try’ because it often books up months in advance.</p>