London first time visit

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<p>I know there are many travel forums out there…but you’re “the best” ;-)</p>

<p>Going to London late May. First time abroad. SO excited! The plans so far are to spend 3 days in London, 3-4 days driving the countryside and nearby sites, then 2 more days in London. A weekly rental won’t work because the visit is broken in the middle. That’s the only timing that currently works because we are meeting people there at different times. Any other suggestions for “reasonable” accommodations? We have 3 adults, so that makes rooms harder to find via discount sites like Priceline. Any cc members have a London flat they’re willing to lend or host :wink: ? </p>

<p>How is driving in the UK if we obviously are not used to the opposite side of the road, and steering? We know enough not to attempt London, but may be visiting York for 2 days if possible. Is it worth the added time and distance? We would also love to take a side trip to the Cotswold area which is difficult to visit via train/bus.</p>

<p>Any and all suggestions appreciated for places to visit both in the city and surrounding area. We can find lots of info. on all the “tourist” sites, but we’d love to hear your less famous favorites! Posts and PM’s welcome.</p>

<p>Thanks all!!!</p>

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<p>London Walks provides fascinating 1-2 hour walking tours on a variety of themes. I think they also do some day trips outside London.</p>

<p>One of my favorite “secret” destinations is St Martin’s in the Fields church just off Trafalgar Square. They’ve recently renovated the cafe in the basement and I haven’t seen it, but they used to offer a reasonably priced lunch/tea and you can spend a fun hour doing brass rubbings if you’re so inclined. They also offer fantastic concerts, and I believe some of the lunchtime ones are free.</p>

<p>If you’re going to York, it might be worth it to take the train up and rent a car once you’re there. The Lake District is beautiful too - but some tricky windy country roads. I personally loved the border country drive up to Edinburgh, but that may take you too far out of your way on this trip.</p>

<p>Have a wonderful time! Wish I could stow away in your luggage.</p>

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<p>I found driving on the left wasn’t that hard. The only time I tended to forget and pull out into the wrong lane was out in the country where the traffic was sparse. As long as there is traffic going by as an example it’s easy to remember what you are supposed to do.</p>

<p>In London be sure to visit the British Museum - the Rosetta Stone, the fabulous Elgin Marbles, and much, much more. You could spend three days just in there.</p>

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<p>I would definititely check out the Rick Steves website for their message boards. There are some incredibly helpful people there, who know their stuff.</p>

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<p>I second the suggestion for London Walks. I really enjoy them, with the Westminster tour and the Ghosts of the Old City being my two favorites. </p>

<p>What sorts of things are you interested in?</p>

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<p>Check out the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace. It is located right across from l’orangerie (great place for high tea.) The walkway around the Sunken Garden is one of my favorite places in the world. It is cool and inviting and you can hide away among the ivied arches and benches. Just lovely.</p>

<p>Also try The Heron Restaurant on Norfolk Crescent for the best Thai food in the western hemisphere. Seriously. The chef creates dishes that have crisp, distinct flavors that all compliment each other on your tastebuds. The Tom Kah is my favorite. (Note: The Thai restaurant is downstairs from the pub.) If you have a good walking map of London, The Heron is easy to get to from Paddington Station.</p>

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<p>In London my favorite tourist site is the Tower of London. There’s a lot of history there. As you said, you can find most of the tourist spots in all the guides.</p>

<p>I’ve rented cars in the UK a number of times - most recently a couple of summers ago for a family vacation in northern England, Scotland, and Wales. I just rent a car and head out. We didn’t have any hotel reservations other than the arrive/depart. </p>

<ul>
<li>Driving - bear in mind that driving on the left might be reminiscent of the first time you ever drove a car - how you had to concentrate to keep the car in the lane, concentrate to make turns, concentrate to park. </li>
<li>When you first get the car, walk around it and check it carefully for damage because they’ll do the same when you return it. </li>
<li>Start out slow because it’ll feel weird. Be very careful and just keep telling yourself in your mind over and over as you drive “keep to the left, keep to the left, keep to the left…”. Also make sure your passengers aren’t reluctant to remind you if they see you veering into the wrong lane (i.e. the right lane - in this case ‘right is wrong’ - haha). I suggest not initially hitting the motorway but rather, driving someplace where you can take it slower for the first 15 minutes or more to feel more comfortable.</li>
<li>Keep left.</li>
<li>Be very careful with turns - especially right turns. As long as there’s traffic it’s not too much of a problem but if traffic is sparse, there’s a tendency to pull into the right lane on right turns.</li>
<li>Keep left.</li>
<li>Master the art of the roundabout because they have very few traffic lights there. The nice thing is that if you’re not sure of the turnout you can just keep going round and round. Be careful of vehicles on your side though.</li>
<li>Keep left.</li>
<li>Just assume that you won’t feel comfortable driving the first day you drive but after the first day you’ll feel more comfortable. After afew days you’ll have down and it’ll be 1.5 nature (maybe not quite second nature).</li>
<li>Keep left.</li>
<li>Expect it’ll be raining so drive appropriately.</li>
<li>Don’t try to drive into the heart of London unless you’re feeling particularly confident. However, driving from Heathrow towards the east should be no problem.</li>
<li>Be careful to note where you park the car because with the congested city streets and many cars that look about the same, it can be easy to lose your car.</li>
<li>And… keep left.</li>
</ul>

<p>In this last vacation we stayed at York for a couple of nights (we actually flew into Manchester that time). York is a very historic city and well worth the visit if you’re in the area. They have a cool looking medieval few streets and a large cathedral. It can be tricky trying to park right in the center both due to lack of parking spots as well as congestion and confusing streets. It can sometimes be better to park a quarter mile or so out of the center and just walk. That lets you see more of the city anyway. </p>

<p>You can also head out of London, say from Heathrow, and head towards Stonehenge, Bath, Stratford-upon-Avon, Winchester, and other points. If you’re over by Northern Wales, Conwy is a cool little town and one of the few contained in the old castle city walls. They have an interesting castle as well. I’m used to the distances out here in the West so the distances over there are misleading - they’re much closer than expected. </p>

<ul>
<li>Accommodation - Like I said, we generally had no reservations and would just find something wherever we happened to end up for the night. This style isn’t for everyone. Most hotels have single/double/triple rooms so you should be okay. It’s when you have 4 that there’s an issue and usually need to rent 2 rooms but their hotels aren’t generally like ours that have the typical dual double/queen beds. </li>
<li>There are some discount motel chains scattered around that provide inexpensive, okay rooms but it’s more like staying at a Rodeway Inn or something. These are ‘The Premier Inn’ and ‘Travelodge’ (not related to the Travelodge here I think). These usually have free parking. Google them and you’ll find they have hotels all over - often on the outskirts of the city. They also have some ‘Holiday Inns’ (same as our chain) but these are usually more expensive and a bit nicer than the other two I mentioned.</li>
<li>There are more unique individual hotels in city centers. Some of these can be interesting. Check on the parking though because sometimes it can be expensive.</li>
<li><p>Bed and Breakfast. We ended up staying at a lot of these. They’re generally pretty nice, can be less expensive than many hotels, can be conveniently located, and are unique. They’re usually run by friendly locals and can be fun. I always found them by just driving around and finding the signs then knocking on their door to see if they had room. You can also check out the rooms before you commit. I’m sure there’s a way to find these B&Bs online. </p></li>
<li><p>Eating - We ended up eating most of the time in pubs. I highly recommend this. Their pubs are full of atmosphere and generally have good food that’s less expensive than a ‘restaurant’. Many of the pubs are very historical. Many of them atre hundreds of years old. If you go to Stratford upon Avon you can even eat in the same pub Shakespeare ate in! </p></li>
</ul>

<p>I’ve enjoyed the UK and although London is well worth visiting, I’m glad you’re planning to head out of the big city to see some of their beautiful countryside and interesting towns.</p>

<p>Have fun!</p>

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<p>Based on a two-week-plus trip we took to England, if you only have three or four days in the countryside, I think you’ll need to choose either the Cotswolds or Yorkshire, and the Lake District is too far (as is Conwy, but like ucla<em>ucsd</em>dad, we enjoyed it). You can’t lose with either place, but Yorkshire turned out to be my favorite part of our trip (after London, which I love). We were there only briefly and wish we’d had longer. The countryside north of York is beautiful. Fountains Abbey was an absolute highlight. We stayed in Pickering, a wonderful market town. We didn’t make it to the coast. There are plenty of historic sites to choose from. Taking the train there is easy, and you can rent a car at the station or in downtown York.</p>

<p>In the Cotswolds, we especially liked Chipping Campden and a wonderful garden near there called Hidcote Manor. Wherever you go, be sure to see at least one garden, ideally one managed by the National Trust. They’re spectacular. Gardens, cathedrals, and ruined abbeys were my favorite places. Oh, and avoid Stratford-on-Avon, in my opinion. You could combine the Cotswolds with Oxford, which we didn’t do on this most recent trip, but it’s a fond memory from years ago. That would make a nice three-day trip.</p>

<p>Another option is to take the train to Bath and rent a car there. There’s lots to see in and around Bath over three days: the city itself, Stonehenge, Glastonbury, Avebury, Wells, and Salisbury, just to name a few places. Or you could rent a car in London for the roundtrip and perhaps see more on your drive. Get to Stonehenge as early as possible. Avebury, another stone circle, is less crowded and just as interesting.</p>

<p>In London, we did Priceline for our hotel and got two rooms for the price of one. If you have two adults who are willing to share, that would work. As for things to do in London, where do I begin. It depends on what you like. We did museums (British Museum, Churchill Museum/Cabinet War Rooms, and Tate Modern are favorites), the Tower of London (fun tour), Westminster Abbey, the changing of the guard, and more that I’m not remembering at the moment. The theater is a bargain in London compared to NY. It’s just such a great city.</p>

<p>About driving: You’ll get the hang of it. Rent an automatic transmission car that’s not too big. Drive slowly. Have the passenger guide you away from the curb/ditch. We went to Ireland a few weeks ago, and I was amazed at how much of the driving “memory” returned based on two weeks of driving around England.</p>

<p>I’m a big Rick Steves fan, too. Between Rick and the Internet–and good walking and driving maps–you’re all set. His B&B and other hotel recommendations are excellent. Have fun!</p>

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<p>My husband just reminded me of another idea. If you do not want to drive, you can take the train out of London, make one city (York, Oxford, Bath, etc.) your base for a few nights, and take guided tours out into the countryside. Though we had never taken a guided tour anywhere, we did this in Bath and thoroughly enjoyed it. We got tour operator recommendations from the Rick Steves guidebook. These are small van/buses with about 10-15 people, and they seem to be quite common there. I know someone who used Oxford as a base and hired a professional guide with a car for about the same price as the tour, so that’s another option. Thanks for this little trip down memory lane–made my otherwise stressful day turn out much better!</p>

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<p>museums;theatre;pubs (not necessarily in that order)</p>

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<p>Has anyone mentioned Harrod’s? Even if you’re not a shopper, the Food Halls alone are a sight to behold.</p>

<p>And I second the L’Orangerie and Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace.</p>

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<p>Three things to remember:</p>

<p>-The London Tube is the most punctual public transport system on the planet. The rest of British public transport takes it to the other extreme.
-I really recommend the British Museum. It’s huge, one of the best free tourist sites in London, and you can spend your whole 3 days there (if you want :P).
-Be careful about going out at night if you’re staying near a pub (especially on a Friday). Binge drinking is a real problem in the UK.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

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<p>Have a great trip. England is my favorite place! Some things to think about. Traffic is pretty bad and most rental cars are stick shift and not automatic. All the cars we have rented in England and Spain have always been stick shift. Distances are deceptive, places look closer than they really are. I second the suggestion of Bath. Absolutely beautiful and lots of fun. We went to Stonehenge from Bath and ran into a traffic jam and so took the back roads back. Would I go to Stonehenge again, no. But would absolutely go to back to Longleat House, much closer to Bath, and one of the goofiest places in the universe. It has England’s largest maze or something like that. A drive through zoo where you can see monkey shivering in trees in the English rain and of course the gorillas who inhabit the guest house in the middle of the river and watch Rugrats on the tv. The house is worth seeing too. </p>

<p>My favorite day trip out of London is Hampton Court. You can take a boat up the Thames to the place. </p>

<p>The Tate Modern is not to be missed. And the Cotswolds are gorgeous. I reccommend Snowshill, Broadway is a bit too touristy. Blenheim Palace is fabulous.
T</p>

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<p>The biggest problem I’ve encountered while driving around the UK is trying to drive a stick-shift car with my opposite hand. I’ve never been able to get it down just right, and I have to admit that I’ve stalled my car in traffic more than once.</p>

<p>If you are new to driving on the opposite side of the road (and ucsd<em>ucla</em>dad did a great job of describing driving in the UK), try your best to get an automatic transmission car. Unfortunately, I don’t think that any of the major car rental agencies there will guarantee you an automatic transmission.</p>

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<p>All of the London ideas are good ones.</p>

<p>If you go to the Cotswolds, look into the walking trails. One of the most memorable experiences we had on our first trip to England was walking from Lower to Upper Slaughter through farm fields and patches of woods. Away from the tourist crowds, we saw a farmer actually scything hay (maybe he was planted there by the tourism board?), and picked our way around the sheep (and their byproducts) and through stiles. The little towns are breathtakingly beautiful. We were also accosted by an Englishman of a certain age who asked if we were American and then thanked “us” for saving them during WWII.</p>

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<p>We lived in the Cotswolds for 3 1/2 yrs, and I would recommend going there, Oxford is a charming little city. Try to go to Stratford upon Avon (Shakespeares hometown), during the summer they have plays in the park, but I am not sure when that starts.</p>

<p>You can also try to get in Warwick Castle, expect to spend several hours there.</p>

<p>I also loved Bath. I can’t remember the candy shop in Bath, but it very famous and they do make great candy. This shop has been in existence since Jane Austens time.</p>

<p>The rule of thumb we always used for time travel, is multiply the miles by 2 and that is how many minutes it will take you! You can try to think otherwise because they drive like maniacs on any M, but once you get off and into a town, you will get stuck behind a milk or carrot truck!</p>

<p>Our very favorite restaurant in London was Zia Theresa’s it is across the street from Harrods. A great Italian restaurant. the UK is also known for great Indian food and Greek food. </p>

<pre><code> If you are road tripping to the Cotswold see if you can stop by Sturdy’s Castle. They serve these enormous potatoes with anything and everything you could ever think of, and I do mean anything, they range from shrimp in a remoulade sauce to cottage cheese and pineapple! You name they have it on the menu. It is just too funny to even read the menu, b/c all your mind keeps saying is what? HUH?

I would also suggest to go to the theatre section, the plays are great, but don’t expect Broadway size, they are much smaller, essentially no crappy seats in the house.
</code></pre>

<p>Finally, as for the hotel, we used AMEX, their concierge service was phenomenal, I can’t boast enough about them. If you have points, than you can use them to upgrade the hotel room to a jr suite. For us they not only did that, but than the hotel also bumped us up also since it was made through AMEX. In Venice we got bumped up to a 2 bedroom/2 ba suite with livingroom, and it cost us the same as a double!</p>

<p>Whatever hotel you stay at, ask the concierge where the closest daily fresh air market is. It is fun just to go to one, they sell everything from produce to clothing and knick knacks. The Brits have very small refrigerators compared to the US, thus it is not uncommon for them to shop several times a week.</p>

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<p>If you like shopping, check out the Bullring Centre at Birmingham. One of the best in Europe.</p>

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<p>I’d second the recommendation for the Cotswolds and its walking trails. We had a great experience. That trip inspired me to walk the Camino in Spain.</p>

<p>Doesn’t look like anyone mentioned this, but if you have any interest in horticulture, don’t miss Kew Gardens in London.</p>

<p>Enjoy your trip!</p>

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<p>I would get Oyster cards (underground and bus) for each of you. There is a deposit for just getting it, but they are very convenient.
I personally love St. Paul’s and Borough Market is great. I can not remember the name but Gordon Ramsey has opened a pub with enclosed dining on the Thames. We had lunch there last November and it was lovely and reasonable for Gordon Ramsey!</p>

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<p>The Tower of London is very interesting, I wouldn’t miss that. Catch the Thames water taxi from there and take it back to Big Ben. The commentary by the captain is fun and it’s nice to see a different perspective of the city. Easy walk from there to Westminster Abbey which I found fascinating. A favorite spot of ours in London is St. James Park, we spent part of each day in the city there. The British Museum was our favorite of all those we visited. I second the suggestion of Harrod’s, particularly the Food Halls. You’ll never see anything like it anywhere else. If you’re a theatre fan, there are many excellent shows on in the West End - </p>

<p>[Playbill</a> Listing Index: London](<a href=“http://www.playbill.com/events/listing/4.html]Playbill”>http://www.playbill.com/events/listing/4.html)</p>

<p>Contrary to what someone else said, many of the London theatres are just as large (some larger) than Broadway theatres. In fact, London has about ten theatres that seat over 2000. The largest on Broadway is the Gershwin which seats 1800. If I could recommend only one show, I’d choose Billy Elliot.</p>

<p>For the brave, take a ride on the London Eye. :slight_smile: If you can fit in a stop in Windsor on your trip outside London, it’s worth it. A very charming little town and the castle is beautiful. </p>

<p>I always recommend the Eyewitness books. We travel a lot and I’ve found that those are the most useful. Have fun! London is a wonderful city.</p>