Post Captain

6 minutes ago, Max and Ruby said:

Thanks so much! Yes we are close to Aldgate East and that looks close enough to use the tube. Will be an experience for sure. 

 

Hubby looking to go to Tankfest 2020 at Bovington Tank Museum (yes a 2.5 hr ride 1 way on an above ground train.) Rest of us will will just take it easy back in London and try to go left when the hordes go right.😊

I've heard of the Bovington Tank Museum but hadn't ever given it much thought until you mentioned it, so I looked it up. Sounds like a "hubby" sort of place indeed! Next time I'm in the vicinity, I might have to persuade the First Mate (aka Mrs Post Captain) to give her hubby leave to visit it.😉

Are you staying in Southampton at all before your cruise? It's a much shorter train journey to Wool (the station for Bovington) from Southampton (just over an hour each way) than from London Waterloo.   

Max and Ruby ~

Whitechapel is somewhat to the east of my regular patch of London, so what I know of it these days is only what I read.  (Apparently a trendy/"buzzy" artsy/ethnic neighbourhood, rather more popular nowadays than it was back in 1888!) That said, although it looks "out of the way" on the map, you will find it easy to get into central London via the Underground from there.  For example, the Tower of London is just two stops away (on the District Line) from Whitechapel tube station.  You can get to Madame T's (virtually next door to the Baker Street tube station) directly from Aldgate or Aldgate East stations, whichever is closest to your hotel.

Sorry I can't help with any information about the London Pass; I've never used it.  I will say that whenever I walk past Madame T's, I have to push my way through the throngs of tourists that congregate in front of that establishment.  (However, I haven't been inside since 1966.)  As with the Tower, it might behoove you to get there as early as you can.

On 8/2/2019 at 9:30 AM, orchestrapal said:

Have you read TripAdvisor. It looks to be one of those “ you get what you pay for?

Orchestralpal, I think you might be confusing the Beverley Hotel (13 Belgrave Road, SW1; rated 4.5 on Tripadvisor) with the Beverley City Hotel (142 Sussex Gardens, W2 -- i.e., Paddington; rated 2.5 on Tripadvisor).  I have no personal experience of either hotel, but I wouldn't be worried about the former, whereas I'd definitely steer well clear of the latter.

(Personally, the SW1 Beverley wouldn't be my first or even my fiftieth choice, but that's entirely a matter of individual preference.)

3 hours ago, EllieinNJ said:

Before I start I have asked this question on Trip Advisor and got plenty of different answers.  I originally planned on taking the 48 hr. Hop On Hop Off bus that included a Thames River cruise and some walking tours and getting on and off where I liked.  Most reviews said that the traffic was so bad it was faster to walk and also the lines at the different stops were so very long.  So now I had to do some quick research and come up with a three day plan before my cruise on Aug. 29th.

 

DAY 1 Arrive Heathrow 9:20am.  Take National Express bus to Victoria Coach Sta.  Walk to my hotel, Best Western Buckingham Palace Road.  After settling in, walk or take tube or local bus to either V&A museum or Harods.  Then walk through Hyde Park to Marble Arch and then walk to Selfridges.  Take tube or local bus (NOT WALK) back to Victoria.  Too ambitious?  ...  Some said not to do anything indoors on arrival day so can just do walking and/or tube.  Many said the tubes are very hot and no A/C but others said the local buses were slow because of traffic.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Day 1 basically sounds like a good plan, subject to how well you respond to jet lag.  What I've finally realized (after several decades of dealing with jet lag) is that it my reaction to jet lag has more to do with the amount of sensory stimulus I'm subjected to--or, in other words, the amount of brain power I need to use--rather than whether my arrival day activities are indoors or outdoors.  The day I arrive in London after an overnight transatlantic flight, a literal walk in the park is, for me, a walk in the park (metaphorically speaking), whereas spending several hours giving my full attention to exhibits in a museum tends to make my brain go rather fuzzy by mid-afternoon.  Wending my way through Harrods and/or Selfridges while jet-lagged, my synapses likely would be overloaded trying to deal with too much stimulus (crowds, noise, a plethora of products for sale) at once.

(Personally, given the choice between the V&A and a giant department store on arrival day, I would much prefer to take my time sauntering through the former.  But I'm one of those men who has an innate aversion to department stores at the best of times, so perhaps take my advice with a grain of salt.😉)

Assuming your flight lands at Heathrow at 9 a.m. and you are taking a National Express coach to Victoria Coach Station, I wouldn't expect to arrive at your hotel much before noon, so you wouldn't get to Knightsbridge/South Kensington before 1 p.m.  (And, as my father used to say to me, "Don't forget to eat!") 

The Underground (Circle Line or District Line) from Victoria Station (Underground station, beneath Victoria railway station, not Victoria Coach Station; a 10-minute walk from your hotel) to South Kensington takes only five minutes, so temperature or crowds shouldn't be an insuperable issue.  After a few hours at the V&A, the walk up Exhibition Road to Hyde Park is quite pleasant.  I also recommend a slight detour to see (from the outside) the Royal Albert Hall and the Albert Memorial.

Quote

DAY 2 Walk or take bus to Westminster Bridge, walk across to take a Megabus tour (2 hours) near the Eye.  Then take either fast clipper or Thames river cruise to Greenwich.  Do Cutty Sark boat and possibly Emerites Air Tram.  Take Light Rail back to Victoria and walk back to hotel.  Too ambitious?  

Sounds eminently doable. Greenwich deserves at least a half day--not just for the Cutty Sark, but also to visit the Painted Hall, the National Maritime Museum, the Queen's House, the Royal Observatory, etc., and just to wander among Wren's magnificent buildings and through Greenwich Park, and to enjoy a meal and/or a drink at any one of several pubs in the vicinity.  (A couple of months ago, I ventured though the Greenwich Foot Tunnel for the first time. Not necessarily something I'd recommend, although the iconic view of Wren's buildings from across the Thames was certainly worth it.) 

Note: the southern terminus of the Emirates Air Line isn't located in Greenwich itself but in North Greenwich, a reasonably short ride by boat or bus from Greenwich.  I haven't done the aerial trip myself.  

Quote

 

Day 3 Walk to Buckingham Palace to see changing of the Guard.  Then on to Churchill War Rooms.  Then on to Trafalgar Square and possibly Covent Gardens.  Take tube or bus back to hotel.  Too ambitious?

Too ambitious? Not at all; in fact, a well-constructed itinerary.  (NB: It's Covent Garden.)

A couple of suggestions to add to this itinerary, if time permits and you're in the mood:

--- St. Paul's Church, Covent Garden.  17th-century church (ca. 1633) designed by Inigo Jones.  Among the notable/unusual features:  numerous plaques dedicated to famous actors who have had some connection to the church.  (You'll be surprised!) 

--- Somerset House.  (Even if it's just to pop into the main courtyard, right off The Strand, for a quick look-see.)

--- The Inner Temple/Middle Temple.  An oasis of calm, off Fleet Street.  I regard the Inns of Court as the anti-Covent Garden.  (CG being mobbed by tourists morning, noon, and night.  The courtyards and alleys of the Inns of Court feel like they're a hundred miles away, whereas in fact they're less than a mile from CG.)

Quote

 

Day 4 Walk to Victoria Coach Sta. to take National Express bus to Southampton.

 

Some said not to do anything indoors on arrival day so can just do walking and/or tube.  Many said the tubes are very hot and no A/C but others said the local buses were slow because of traffic.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

On the whole, it sounds like a good plan for the time you have in London.

Buses can be slow-ish (but no more so than in NYC), but they give you an opportunity to see things you wouldn't see if you only take the Underground.  As for the Underground: as long as you avoid certain stations at rush hour(s), you shouldn't find it a problem.  On the whole, London Underground trains and stations are far more pleasant than their New York City counterparts.  However, many stations (particularly in central London) are quite deep underground (much deeper than typical NYC subway stations), with long escalators and often stairs as well as pedestrian tunnels.  For short-ish trips, I usually find it more convenient to walk than to take the Underground.*

I'm sure many of the regulars over at TripAdvisor have lectured you about Oyster Cards, contactless credit cards, and standing on the right on escalators!😁

*(During my time in London, I typically find myself walking anywhere from 9 to 16 miles a day; generally an average of 12 miles a day, if my pedometer is to be believed.😲) 

47 minutes ago, princeton123211 said:

Personal preference-- Times Square to people who live in NYC is a sort of outdoor theme park for tourists. Not really an authentic part of New York. I can understand why someone who has never been here before would want to see it, but its pretty soul crushing with the amount of chain restaurants, trinket stores, and crowds. My point was that there are many other, much more enjoyable parts of New York that are far more authentic. 

Exactly! 

One thing I've noticed in various NYC travel forums and in hotel listings is that the term "Times Square" tends to get used for places that aren't really in Times Square but are in fact a number of blocks away.  For example, I notice that the aforementioned Hampton Inn is designated as "Hampton Inn Manhattan Times Square South."  I guess that sounds better than calling it the "Hampton Inn West 39th Street, just south of the Port Authority Bus Terminal."😁 

I chuckle at Ashland's mention of the Martinique as "a great hotel and a perfect location"--only because I well remember the days (in the 1980s) when this building was a decrepit SRO (single-room occupancy) welfare residence and the immediate area (Herald Square) was, shall we say, rather sketchy. Now it enjoys a certain cache as a four-star establishment whose full formal name is "Martinique New York on Broadway, Curio Collection by Hilton."  

Just to add my two cents/ tuppence to the comprehensive information given by John Bull and Cotswold Eagle...

Bath makes a great base, and the train journey between Southampton and Bath is quite pleasant. 

In my experience, the simplest/ easiest Cotswolds do-it-yourself day trip from Bath by public transport is a visit to Lacock.  Train from Bath Spa to Chippenham (less than 15 minutes), then bus X34 from Chippenham to Lacock (another 15 minutes).  (Chippenham railway station and Chippenham bus station are about a 10 minutes' walk apart.)

https://visitlacock.uk

http://www.faresaver.co.uk/timetables/5b9628124035b.pdf

You might also consider Bradford on Avon as a day trip (or half-day trip) from Bath.  BoA isn't quite in the Cotswolds, and it's a town rather than a village, but it does have something of a "Cotswoldsy" look and feel and is well worth visiting.  It's a short train ride from Bath, or a bit longer by bus.

http://www.bradfordonavon.co.uk

As JB indicates, Bath to Moreton-in-Marsh (for "the Cotswolds") is a bit less convenient by train, and given your time constraints, it might not be worth actually staying in the Cotswolds during your trip.  For what it's worth, MiM could be considered the "gateway to the northern Cotswolds" by virtue of its railway station, and from there there are relatively frequent buses to Stow on the Wold and Bourton on the Water, with (if memory serves) slightly less frequent bus service to Chipping Camden and Broadway.  The "Explore the Cotswolds" pdf booklet gives helpful information and shows the various bus routes serving Cotswolds towns and villages:

https://www.cotswolds.com/plan-your-trip/getting-to-and-around

That said, if any of the coach tours of the Cotswolds from Bath on JB's list appeal to you, that might be your best option on this occasion.  (I don't have any personal experience of the Mad Max tours, but I have seen them recommended in other travel website forums.)

7 minutes ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

 

No, two different things. The London Bridge Experience is in Tooley Street and goes under London Bridge. It has costumed actors interpreting London ‘history’ etc.

 

I have never been, but often wonder if it tried to fill the gap left when the better known London Dungeons attraction had to close at London Bridge when they redeveloped the station. 

Thanks.  That makes the "London Bridge Experience" sound even more of a tourist trap than I thought it was. 😁

I have no personal experience of those bridge "Experiences".  On the other hand, I'm thinking of marketing my three favorite bridge experiences: "the Blackfriars Bridge Experience"😉 (coming & going via train and the tube), "the Waterloo Bridge Experience"😉 (the number 59 bus to/from Waterloo Station), and "the Charing Cross Bridge Experience" (walking across the bridge between the Embankment Station and the RFH--wonderful views, especially at night, post concert.)

12 hours ago, DRedmond said:

We have three days in London (July 30 - August 2).  Arriving at Heathrow at 9am Tuesday and leaving for Southampton 9:50 am on Friday. Staying at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge.  I have an itinerary I put together researching various sites.  We have a London Pass as well as Oyster Card  I am starting to wonder if we can hit all of these sites or if it is overly ambitious.  Highlighted items are places we would definitely like to tour/enter.  Do we get to skip the lines with the London Pass?  Is this itinerary at all possible?

 

Day 1  Is this actually the day you're landing at Heathrow?  (An overnight flight from ORD?)  If so, this itinerary is well nigh impossible, as others have pointed out--unless you possess superhuman powers of recovery from jet lag.

 

Walking Tour begins on Westminster Bridge

Views of House of Parliament, Thames River and Big Ben

Statue of Boadicea

Parliament Square and House of Parliament

Statues of famous people (ie Churchill)

Jewel Tower (LP)House of Parliament

Westminster Abbey and Tour (LP)

Backtrack to Great George Street/Birdcage Walk and go right on Horse Guards Road to the Churchill War Rooms (at approx Horse Guard Rd and King Charles Street)

Churchill War Rooms (LP)

Exit Churchill War Rooms and continue up Horse Guards Road to Downing Street.  Go right on Downing Street and walk by 10 Downing Street (Prime Minister Residence)

Continue down Downing Street to Whitelhall Road Left on Whitehall Road

Whitehall Road

Banqueting Hall (LP)

Household Calvary Museum (LP)

Continue down Whitehall past Site of Old Scottland Yards (nearby is Sherlock Holmes Pub)

Trafalgar Square (go to it)

National Gallery (free)

National Portrait Gallery (free)

St. Martin in the Fields

Consider continue on to Picadilly Circus or to Covent Garden

Tube back to Park Place Westminster Bridge

London Eye early evening

 

An ambitious itinerary, to say the least.  Of course most if not all of these places are worth visiting/ seeing, but not all on the same day if you are really going to do any of them justice.   Never mind sheer physical exhaustion--I would be suffering from sensory overload, especially if adding the National Gallery on top of everything else.😵

12 hours ago, DRedmond said:

 

 

12 hours ago, DRedmond said:

Day 2

Hop on Hop Off Bus ??

St James Park

Guards Museum (LP)

St. James Palace (walk by)

Buckingham Palace

Changing of the Guards (11:00)

Tour of State Rooms.. Don't know if there's time

Royal Mews (LP) Don't Know if there's time

Queens Gallery (LP) Don't know if there's time

Kensington Gardens (free walk)

Kensington Palace (LP)

Hyde Park (walk through)

Royal Albert Hall (LP)

Back on HOHO?

Can get off at Kings Cross

Back on HOHO?

Covent Garden Plazza (if didn’t do Day 1)

British Museum (Free)

British Library (Free)

St. Pauls Cathedral (LP)

 

Again, too much for one day, IMHO.  The British Museum alone, like the National Gallery as proposed for day 1, could easily keep you occupied for the better part of a day--indeed, for longer than that.

 

St James Park / Buck House/ Changing of the Guard make a sensible grouping for the morning, but there just isn't enough time to then dash off to Hyde Park & the RAH, then hit the British Museum, and finally wind up at St Paul's Cathedral!   (Hyde Park/RAH, the BM, and St. Paul's are in three different areas of London, a considerable distance apart from one another.  St. Paul's makes more sense if incorporated into your day 3 itinerary.)

12 hours ago, DRedmond said:

Day 3

Thames Hop on Hop Off Boat

Hop Off at Tower Bridge

Tower of London (LP)

Crown Jewel, White Tower,Tower Green,Beefeaters Tour (Yeoman Warders)

       (Not sure if we can do all... which to pick?)

Sky Garden or skip and tube to St. Pauls if missed earlier)

Shakespeares Globe Theatre (across Millennium Bridge)

Borough Market (walk through)

London Bridge Why??? London Bridge is a nondescript concrete bridge built in the 1970s.

London Bridge Experience (LP) Huh? (I think you mean the "Tower Bridge Experience." A tourist trap. Skip it.)

Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge Exhibition (LP) I think this and what you call the "London Bridge Experience" are one and the same.

The Shard

View from the Shard (LP) if not done yet)

 

 

Is doing all of this in three days possible?  If not which are skipable and which are musts?  Of course I'd like to throw in a couple of pubs here or there too.  Any recommendations of pubs in these areas or near the Park Plaza at Westminster Bridge? 

 

 

 

I concur with the general advice already given by most of the other posters here.  I would just add, as an aside, that while a HOHO bus tour can give you a basic introduction to/ overview of London, you should not rely on it as a mode of transportation.

Frankly, "must-see" is a term that doesn't mean anything to me.  You "must see" only what you, personally, feel you "must see."  In dozens of visits to London (in addition to extended periods of residence) over more than 50 years, there are still "sights" (and "sites") I haven't seen; there are also specific places that I frequently revisit that probably wouldn't much interest the majority of tourists.  In other words, my number one piece of advice would be not to think that you can or should try to "See it all."  You can't.  Instead, select a core handful of places that you really want to see, and spend time at those places getting to know them, rather than making a long list and checking off as many items as you can.  You'll thank me later.😉     

2 hours ago, saltwaterfan said:

We will be cruising out of Manhattan on 9/1 and have reserved a room at the Embassy Suites and

the Hampton Inn Manhattan Times Square South.  Does anyone have any comments or concerns 

about either property.  They are located within a few blocks of each other and not to far from

the Pier 88.  The rates are about the same $265 and $246. Also, any suggestions on a place for 

a good sandwich for lunch?

I have no personal experience of either hotel, but based purely on the location/ surrounding neighborhood, I would have a strong preference for the Embassy Suites.  

4 hours ago, willoughbyclan said:

Thank you both!  One more question. If we chose to park at the weehawken NJ lot and take the imperial port ferry over to 44th street then walk the remaining 4 blocks to the pier, would that be doable with one piece of luggage?

The short answer is Yes, absolutely. My wife & I have done it a number of times.

For more details, see the following discussion from a few days ago:

3 minutes ago, bbscott01 said:

Thanks, this is awesome details! 

 

I did use streetview and the couple things that confused me is as I got closer to the Cruise Pier I could see the bike path but couldn't tell if there was something different for walkers or if we just had to dodge them along the way so it is good to know there is a pedestrian path as well.  Also on streetview it looked like the gates were closed for the piers we would be leaving from but assumed they would be open on cruise departure days.

Yes, the walkway is somewhat narrow for about the last hundred feet or so before you reach the pier 88 gate, but the pedestrian lane and the bike lane are still two separate and distinct lanes--they are well marked, but you just have to be alert, watch your step, and keep on the pedestrian pathway. 

The gates are closed in this particular streetview picture (no ship in port at the time), but they are open whenever there is a ship docked at the pier.

On 5/13/2019 at 2:04 PM, bbscott01 said:

We are contemplating a cruise out of Manhattan and were looking at staying at the Homewood Suites by Hilton Edgewater in NJ.  For 3 adults and 2 kids with a 2 bed suite with separate pull out couch the cost is under $300.  It includes free parking and transportation to/from the NY Waterway Port Imperial Ferry Terminal.  The  Port Imperial Terminal to Midtown W39th terminal cost isn't bad at $9 for an adult and cheaper/free for kids depending on age and runs every 20 minutes on the weekend.  Looking at the map it looks like the Midtown W39th terminal is less than a mile from the cruise terminal.  I have a couple questions:

 

1.  Has anyone ever done the NY Waterway Ferry's to get to the Cruise port and how is the seating/space if we are wheeling on 4 large suit cases between the 3 adults?  My wife & I have taken the ferry between Port Imperial and 39th Street on a number of occasions with luggage.  We have always found adequate space on board.  Moreover, boarding and disembarking the ferry is easy -- there are no steps, just a short ramp up to / down from the ferry.

 

2.  Any need to purchase the tickets in advance?  If they typically don't sell out would prefer just to wait until we get there in case something unexpected happens in the morning. No need to purchase tickets in advance.  You can easily purchase your tickets at the Port Imperial terminal before boarding--you'll see the ticket windows as soon as you enter the terminal.  (If I recall correctly, there are also ticket machines.)

3.  Is it an easy walk to get over to the terminal from W39th?  We are sailing Disney so I think it is Piers 88 or 90. It's about a 10-15 minutes' walk.  Turn left when you exit the 39th Street terminal and just follow the sidewalk/ walkway.  One important thing is to watch out for cyclists.  There is a bicycle lane immediately adjacent to the pedestrian walkway, and it is always busy with cyclists riding in both directions.  Be careful to stay on the pedestrian path!

4.  Do the Piers have their own terminal or do all Piers have one terminal and then they disperse from there?  Each pier has its own pedestrian entrance. The entrance to pier 88 is at 48th Street; the entrance to pier 90 is at 50th Street. You can't miss them.

Quote

5.  Any other tips/tricks/points to consider from people who have done this with kids?  Haven't done this with kids, but just be sure to keep them on the pedestrian sidewalk and off the bike lanes!  There are usually quite a few pedestrians on the walkway, especially around the area near the entrance to the Intrepid Air/Space Museum, where tourists tend to congregate, so you may have to wend your way around people who are just lollygagging and getting in your way. Not really a problem, in my experience.  

Here's the route on Google Maps:  

https://goo.gl/maps/Zz6haWeJDZKAAMnR7

You might also want to check the route on streetview, just to familiarize yourself with how it looks on the ground. 

1 hour ago, Got2Cruise said:

I wonder if there is a bar area. Just drinks and apps to hang out and get ambiance. 

The cocktail lounge is a restored/remodeled Lockheed Super-G Constellation:

https://www.twahotel.com/cocktail-lounge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4itdemDz19A

On 4/20/2019 at 2:24 PM, Sunny AZ Girl said:

Of note in making our decision - my DH does NOT want to get a rental car and drive in Europe, especially on the "wrong side" of the road, so we would have to arrange a land tour or get alternate transportation around England & Scotland if we don't do a cruise.  We are comfortable with independent excursions from the ship.

Sunny AZ Girl ~

Just to address the particular concern you have cited above:

You absolutely do not need a car in order to enjoy a satisfying land-based visit to Britain. The rail network is so extensive that you can take trains just about anywhere you would want to go, and there is also a very good coach (long-distance bus) network.  In more than 40 years of independent travel to and within the UK, including several extended periods of residence, I have NEVER driven a car, yet I have visited numerous small towns and villages throughout the British Isles.

I would also emphasize that you do not need to take a land tour.  With a little advance research, you can easily manage a "do-it-yourself" trip. Again, in my 40+ years of travel in Britain, I have never taken a comprehensive tour, although I have occasionally joined short local tours (mostly walking tours around particular locations, plus a few one-day bus tours to more remote areas).  Of course, you can take a week- or 10-day long coach (bus) tour if that is your preference, but you don't need to do so.

A round-the-British-Isles cruise can be an attractive way to get a taste of Britain, and it has the advantages you have mentioned.  But as with a land-based coach tour, it doesn't allow you much leeway to linger in any particular place and do things at your own pace.  

For a first-time land-based trip, I would suggest staying in London for a week or so (depending on the number of days you have for your entire trip).  This would enable you to explore some of the highlights of London, and also do a few interesting day trips.  (For example, Oxford, Cambridge, Winchester, Salisbury, Canterbury, and Bath are all less than two hours from London by train, and any of these would be well worth visiting on your first trip to London.)  Beyond that, for a more rural experience, there are dozens of small towns and villages in Dorset, Devon, or Cornwall where you could spend days.  For rugged scenery, head to the Lake District.  If you want to add Scotland to your itinerary, you could take a train to Edinburgh, stopping at York en route.

In any case, I would definitely avoid rushing from A to B to C to D, and so forth, which would entail dragging luggage about and checking into a different hotel or guest house every day or two--something you quite understandably don't want to do!

This is all just by way of saying that the possibilities are numerous and various.  For planning, start with a couple of good guidebooks, and also familiarize yourself with the transportation network, just to get some ideas about where you could go and how to get there. The National Rail website is the go-to website for planning trips by train: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/default.aspx

Hope this is helpful.

Cheers,

P.C. 

Just to add to my comments above re. cheap-ish accommodation in central London:

There are also a number of budget B&Bs in and around Argyle Square, just a few minutes' walk from St Pancras and King's Cross stations.  None of them are any great shakes, as far as I'm aware, but they offer single rooms priced well under the equivalent of $100 US.

You might also check Travelodge, a well-known British low-budget hotel chain with several hotels in this area.  Travelodge offers a non-cancellable, non-refundable "saver" rate.  Prices fluctuate according to the date(s) of your stay, but if you can book well in advance, you should be able to find prices (in pounds sterling) that are well under $100 per night.

https://www.travelodge.co.uk/uk/london/hotels-in-london

Disclaimer:   Again, I have no personal experience of any of the aforementioned hotels/ B&Bs, but I would consider them if I was on a very tight budget.

A train from St Pancras will be your cheapest and fastest travel option from London to Gatwick Airport -- definitely cheaper, and faster, than using a car service.  The train is my default method of travel between London and Gatwick, although I tend to travel relatively light.

33 minutes ago, fstuff1 said:

 

ahh.. yes, arriving to Southampton by ship and leaving from Gatwick airport.

sorry for the confusion.

 

how does a car service like Smiths for Airports, or West Quay cars work with tours?

they will wait for me?

or are they more than just car service and do tours?

 

so you're recommending to book a hotel in london instead of southamton?

hm.. there's Hillspring Lodge hostel for $16 night 

(im male and going solo.)

 

 

$16 (£12.30)????  🤑  And I thought I was a cheapskate, er, budget traveler!😀

However, even if you are looking for rock-bottom priced accommodation, I would book something in central London.  A quick glance at the Hillspring Lodge link tells me it's out in Willesden, on the outskirts of London and not a neighborhood I would recommend.

If it's a hostel you want, there are a number of reasonably priced ones that are more centrally located. The Generator, for example, is perhaps the best-known of these; it gets generally decent reviews as London hostels go, and is in a good area convenient for London sightseeing and for getting to Gatwick Airport by train from St Pancras Station:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g186338-d530221-Reviews-Generator_London-London_England.html

(That's just my two cents worth.  I have no personal experience of this or any hostel, but I am very familiar with the area -- Bloomsbury/ King's Cross -- where this one is located.  A search on Tripadvisor should bring up other similar options.)

Missalto~

The Red Hook ferry landing is a two-minute walk from the Brooklyn (Red Hook) cruise terminal -- just turn left when you come out of the terminal and follow the walkway.  You can't miss it.

Actually, I would take the ferry to Pier 1, Brooklyn (designated as "DUMBO" on the ferry timetable), rather than all the way to the final stop at Pier 11, Manhattan.  The DUMBO stop is adjacent to the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn Bridge.  You can then walk across the bridge into Manhattan.  (DUMBO, the informal name of this particular neighborhood, is an acronym for "Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass".)

The ferry route map and timetable are useful.  You will be wanting the South Brooklyn (SB) route:

https://www.ferry.nyc/routes-and-schedules/route/south-brooklyn/

In addition, I've shot several videos on board the ferry and at both the Red Hook and Pier 11 Manhattan ends of the route; I think these will give you a good visualization of where you will be going:

59 minutes ago, fstuff1 said:

 

i havent booked my flight yet but norwegian air has a $200 nonstop to jfk leaving gatwick at 5pm.

(Why is here a 10x price difference between gatwick and Heathrow?!)

 

Just to expand on the answers given by John Bull and Newport Dave:

It isn't that flights from LGW are cheaper than flights from LHR, per se, it's that Norwegian charges much less than other airlines for one-way tickets.  It's just incidental that Norwegian operates out of LGW and not out of LHR.  Many larger airlines use both airports.

Moreover, for reasons that I'll leave to others to explain, the legacy airlines (British Air, Virgin Atlantic, Delta, American, United, Lufthansa, Air France, KLM, etc.) price one-way tickets differently from the way they price round-trip tickets. Again, I'll let others explain why two flights (out and back) booked on a round-trip ticket can cost significantly less than a one-way ticket.  

Out of curiosity, I just priced one-way and round-trip flights between London (both LGW and LHR) and JFK for random dates in May.  One-way tickets on legacy airlines indeed start in the $2000 range, but round trip tickets on those same airlines start at $371 (United), with other airlines (British Airways, American, Delta, and Virgin) all offering tickets starting at $424.

Norwegian does not sell round-trip tickets as such, but sells each flight as a separate, individual ticket.  Don't ask me why, but that's what they do.

Also, just to emphasize:  These cheap fares are for basic economy (different airlines have different terms for this), which simply allows you to get your body onto the airplane.  You'll need to pay more for the privilege of checking a bag, selecting a particular seat, or enjoying (😋😉) an onboard meal. 

I've flown Norwegian transatlantic (JFK>LGW) just once, a couple of years ago, and returned to NYC on a Cunard liner.  I enjoyed the experience of flying on a 787 Dreamliner, but the flight was about an hour and a half late, the on-board service was very basic and the "dinner" was hands-down the worst I have ever had on any airplane.  Given Norwegian's current financial difficulties, I would be hesitant to book a Norwegian flight now, but your mileage may vary.  (FWIW, Norwegian's main low-budget transatlantic competitor, Iceland-based Wow Airlines, went out of business just a week or two ago.)  

Hmmm...  Oddly enough, I almost weighed in on your earlier question of the Xenia vs the Chamberlain, but most of the advice offered in that discussion seemed to favor the Xenia, so I didn't want to rock the boat (if you'll pardon the pun) by seeming contrary and saying why, given my druthers, I would have chosen the Chamberlain, when you seemed set on the Xenia...  (I don't know the Chamberlain apart from what I've seen online, but it is in a quite fascinating part of London.  Plus, the Chamberlain's "clubby" interior appeals to the Lord Peter Wimsey in me, don'tcha know.😉)  

But anyway...  My slight personal reservations (pardon that pun too!) re. the Xenia have to do with its location.  It's not a bad location, by any means (although the Cromwell Road has very heavy traffic at all hours), but it is at what I consider the far western edge of "tourist" London, and I don't find Earls Court/Kensington as interesting as some other parts of London.  But there are quite a few hotels in that immediate vicinity, so it certainly isn't an area to be avoided; it just isn't my cup of tea.

I had been going to suggest Bloomsbury as a great central area to base yourself, but King's Cross (just to the north/northwest of Bloomsbury) has many of the same positive attributes. 

Until the last decade or so frankly the area around King's Cross Station had a reputation as a seedy/ dodgy/ sketchy/ grotty (choose your favorite word!) neighborhood -- it was to London what Eighth Avenue in the 30s & 40s used to be to NYC.  In other words, not the sort of place where you'd want to stay, just a place to hurry through if you were catching a train at King's Cross or St Pancras Stations.  And definitely a place you would avoid after dark, unless your "business" fell on the wrong side of the law!

But lo and behold! In recent years, the entire King's Cross neighborhood has undergone an astonishing transformation.   (Think the transformation of 42nd Street in NYC in the 1990s/early 2000s or of Hoboken or the Jersey City waterfront or certain areas of Brooklyn.)   Now it's a chic, bustling area with excellent hotels, restaurants, cafes, and an utterly different ambiance to what I remember it being like years ago...  Plus, it has excellent transportation links (underground and bus routes) to just about any part of London you'd want to visit, and the attractions of Bloomsbury are just a short-ish walk away. 

I've not stayed at the Great Northern nor even gone inside, but have walked right past the front door many times.  Simply on the criterion of location, I would unhesitatingly choose it over the Xenia.

Hope that helps!

PS.  All the best places where I've experience Sunday roasts are in Cornwall, but if anything in London occurs to me, I'll let you know!

1 hour ago, Tedferg said:

We are sailing from Brooklyn to Canada New England and saw suggestions for pre-cruise Hotels in Financial District. I noticed that Ferry is close by and wondered if this might be a good option to get to cruise terminal. The downside would be handling luggage.

The ferry is my preferred mode of transport between Lower Manhattan and Red Hook.  The trip is quite easy if you are not overburdened with luggage.  There are no stairs at either end of the trip--it's roll-on and roll-off. 

The following videos will give you a good idea of the respective locations of the Wall Street and Red Hook ferry slips and of the ferry itself.  As you will see, the main cabin is quite spacious, with ample room for luggage.

7 hours ago, John Bull said:

 

And sorry, but Penzance is effectively as inconvenient a base as Mousehole for exploring Cornwall - you'll be increasing your daily mileage on the same roads each day.. You really could do with a base further east - say, Falmouth or Truro or St Austell (Mevagissey and Charlestown), or Postcaptain's suggestion of Fowey.

Just MHO

 

 

Penzance isn't actually a bad base for exploring the western half of Cornwall for a few days--say, the area beween Land's End and Falmouth/Truro, although not much further east than that. It's the most "central" (relatively speaking, and in terms of decent road connections) town in that part of the world.  Traffic shouldn't be too bad in mid-late October when the OP will be there (although it will be getting darker earlier); certainly not the sort of traffic one gets on bank holiday weekends or during the summer in general.  Of course, we're still talking about leisurely drives on hilly & winding roads rather than zipping straight along a major highway! 

Some possible itineraries:

From Penzance, one can head westward and spend a day doing a nice circular drive around the Penwith peninsula, taking in the coastal landmarks of Lamorna Cove, the Minnack Theatre, Sennen Cove,  Cape Cornwall (IMO far more "authentic" and atmospheric than the tourist trap that is Land's End), the remains of the tin mine engine houses at Botallack, and around the north coast to Zennor and even St Ives, thence back to Penzance. Nor should one neglect the ancient stone formations that dot the high ground of the interior of Penwith--e.g., Chysauster (remains of a late Iron Age/ Romano-British village, now in the care of English Heritage); the stone circle near St Buryan; the Men-an-Tol; and several others--none of which are anywhere near as touristy as Stonehenge.

Another day trip can be done driving east from Penzance, stopping at Marazion (for St Michael's Mount--the number one "must-see" in all of western Cornwall, worth several hours of your time), then continuing eastward along the coast to Prussia Cove and Porthleven, inland slightly to Helston (enter The Blue Anchor at your peril, and don't take even one sip of the Spingo 😵 unless you want to take a taxi back to Penzance!!!), then south to the lighthouse and the wild headland at Lizard Point. After that, perhaps (driving slowly) explore some of the villages and hamlets along the eastern portion of the Lizard, such as St Keverne and Helford.

Falmouth and Truro could constitute a third day's touring.  While in Falmouth, take the foot ferry across Falmouth Harbour to St Mawes. If time permits, drive another 25 miles from Truro to Lanhydrock House. 

Incidentally, if there's one indispensable guide book for Cornwall, it's Ordnance Survey Leisure Guide Cornwall. Copiously illustrated, among other things it contains informative text about Cornwall's history, culture and landscapes; a comprehensive A-to-Z listing (with useful descriptions) of numerous towns, villages, and hamlets throughout Cornwall; an atlas of the county; and localized maps with suggested driving and walking routes.    

On 2/27/2019 at 6:17 AM, Bob++ said:

It would be if anyone actually knew. One theory is that it was the narrow 'mouse hole' like the entrance to the harbour. A local magazine says this "The origins of the village’s name seem to vary, with some sources like Edmond’s ‘The Land’s End District’ saying that the name ‘Mousehole’ derives from the hole or cavern in the cliff to the south. Competing with that theory is that of the Rev W. S. Lach-Szyrma, the Vicar of Newlyn St Peter, who wrote in 1878 that the name ‘Mousehole’ is “probably a corruption of an earlier Celtic form, though it was also commonly known among the old Cornish by the descriptive term of Port Ennis or the Port of the Island (referring to St Clement’s Island close to it).”

 

Yup, that's what I said. 

 

On 2/27/2019 at 6:17 AM, Bob++ said:

This part of the English coastline is very rocky and frequently pounded by Atlantic storms. With a stream for fresh water and a relatively sheltered harbour, it was a natural place to use as a base for fishing (and no doubt smuggling too). It was a more important town than nearby Marazion back in the 14th C.

 

With only one narrow road in and out and a severe lack of parking places, you might spend a lot more time sitting in traffic than you would like.

 

BTW - The name is actually pronounced 'Mowzle'. Why? - Because it's Cornwall and that's how they like it.

 

Back in the mists of time, the members of the local council held a meeting to decide what to name the village.  They decided on Mousehole.

 

After the meeting, they went straight to the pub.  By the time they left the pub some hours later, they were calling it Mowzle.   

 

Yes, the Cornish folk are full of stories!

4 minutes ago, Denny01 said:

Wow, what great ideas and responses. You are right about Rye, I initially looked at staying in East Sussex for 3-4 days and explore that, then over to Cornwall for 3 days. But then realized both ideas were 4+hrs from Southampton, and forgot the that Rye wasn’t an option when I posted. 

 

So going to stay somewhere west of Southampton. Probably going to stay somewhere nearer Plymouth to explore Cornwall area. Mousehole is way over so think Plymouth may be more ‘central’ to use as a place to stay and explore from? We are looking at some of the art museums/galleries and just explore the countryside of Cornwall and Devon. Then stay 3-4 days nearer Southampton so we can turn the car in at the airport the morning prior. Was looking at Portsmouth area. 

 

Does that make more sense?

 

Here is what we want to do:

When in Plymouth(?) or Cornwall area 3 nights after arriving:

 - Stay in a nice hotel with character and fun. Food avail and a pub would be great part of it.

 - See the Cornwall countryside/coast

 - Visit some of the art muesums I’ve seen listed in Cornwall: Hepworth and Tate?

 - Visit the Plymouth Unitarian Church on a Sunday (we are Unitarians and thought that would be neat)

 

When in Porstmouth(?) 3N prior to cruise departure day:

 - Close to Southampton Airport to drop car off AM of cruise. 
 - See Little Woodham

 - drive north and see Down House - Darwin’s Home (I was a geolgy student/studied fossils) and told that the Down House is a great example of 19th Cen ‘middle class’ living. 

 - Visit the Royal Naval Museum

 - Visit the ‘HMS Victory’

 - Stonehenge?

 - Ciricle Stones of Avebury?

 

Probably too many things, but just ideas. 

 

We’ve stayed in Winchester for 3 days prior to an earlier Southampton cruise and loved it.

 

Den

Some good ideas here, obviously.  My two cents' worth:

From what I've seen of Plymouth, I wouldn't call it an especially attractive city, except for a small area ("The Hoe") along the sea front, where Sir Francis Drake is alleged to have played a game of bowls before he set sail against the Spanish Armada.  Much of the city was destroyed by the Luftwaffe (a total of 59 raids from 1940 to 1944), with the result that virtually the entire centre of the city today is comprised of modern buildings dating largely from the 1950s & '60s.  In short, Plymouth bears little resemblance to the scenic towns and villages that dot the Cornish coast.  And it's nothing like Winchester either.

Besides which... Plymouth isn't in Cornwall, it's in Devon.  To get to Cornwall, you cross the River Tamar via a road bridge that runs parallel to the Royal Albert Bridge, designed and built by Brunel and completed in 1859.  If you stay in Plymouth, you run into the problem mentioned in several previous posts: You'll have to do a lot of relatively long drives to get back & forth to such places as St Ives (for the Tate and Hepworth galleries that you mention).  A more central location in Cornwall would make your daily driving shorter & easier.  (Possibly consider Lostwithiel, Fowey, Truro, or Falmouth?)

As for the other part of your itinerary (Portsmouth etc):  Yes, the naval museum has enough to see and explore to keep you occupied for the better part of a full day (HMS Victory, HMS Warrior, the remains of the Mary Rose, and various displays).  When I visited some years ago, they had the uniform Admiral Lord Nelson was wearing on that fateful day during the Battle Trafalgar. 

And now that you've said you were a geology student and studied fossils, you absolutely must go to Lyme Regis on the so-called Jurassic Coast. Indeed, Lyme Regis would make a good base for a number of reasons--a very attractive town with plenty of small hotels and guest houses, a stunning seaside location, and interesting places to explore nearby (including Golden Cap, the highest point on the south coast of England).

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryMagazine/DestinationsUK/Lyme-Regis/

https://jurassiccoast.org/discover/things-to-do/fossil-hunting/

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/golden-cap

9 minutes ago, Host Bonjour said:

 

Thank you for the link to the wiki....quick bit of history but I don’t see any details as to how it got the name. I thought it best to trust something like this to true English folks. Or maybe I’m just too nostalgic sometimes...forgive me please. 🙂 

 

The UK is an island, isn’t it? And Northern Ireland is part of another one so....big wonderful islands but islands, I believe. 

I'd like to tell you that the village takes its name from the very narrow opening between the harbor and the sea, which resembles a mouse hole, and that the small boats darting out to sea from the harbor and back again resemble mice.. But would you believe me?

The entry for Mousehole in the Cornwall Ordnance Survey Leisure Guide says:

There are several explanations for its odd name...  It may stem from the Cornish words for 'maiden's stream' or 'gull basin', or it may simply refer to a small cave in nearby cliffs.  

Historically and ethnically, the Cornish were a Celtic people, closely related to the Welsh and the Bretons rather than to the English (Anglo-Saxons / Normans). When I lived in that part of the world, I encountered more than a few native-born old-timers who told me that "Oy nevurr be English--I be Kurrnish, loike."  They virtually regarded the River Tamar as a sovereign border, and Trelawny as their national anthem. 

I agree completely with the comments posted by JB and Globaliser re. distances & the lay of the land, so to speak.

Mousehole is a delightful village, but it really is at the back of beyond and not ideally located unless you just want a quiet holiday on Mounts Bay and explore Penwith, the westernmost part of Cornwall.  (Lots of Bronze Age and Iron Age remains in the area.)  I also highly recommend a visit to St Michael's Mount.  When I lived just up the coast (on Mounts Bay) some years ago, I used to walk to over Mousehole occasionally and would invariably look in at the Ship for a drink or two and sometimes a meal.  The Ship is (or at least was, when I was there) quite a pleasant and atmospheric pub, but I've been in dozens () of other Cornish pubs that are just as memorable.

(Incidentally, Dylan Thomas and his bride Caitlin spent their honeymoon in Mousehole in 1937. They stayed at the Lobster Pot--I've been there too--and drank at the Ship. Thomas called Mousehole "quite the loveliest village in England"--but we don't know if he was sober when he wrote that!)

Much as I loved the Penwith region, my favorite town in Cornwall is Fowey, thanks largely to its wonderful setting near the mouth of the Fowey River estuary.  (There are some really wonderful walks in the area.)  Frankly, I wouldn't bother with Plymouth per se, although there are some interesting manor houses in the area (e.g., Mount Edgecombe and Cotehele) that are well worth visiting, as is Lanhydrock, near Lostwithiel.

I've never been to Port Isaac, but Tintagel and Boscastle (just up the north coast from Port Isaac) are each worth a few hours--though not really much more than that, IMO. Padstow is the only town of any size on that part of the north coast, until you get to St Ives, though neither of those towns really "do it" for me.  (When it comes to Cornwall, I'm more a south coaster than a north coaster.) 

Re. driving in Cornwall:  A great many of the roads in Cornwall are hilly and winding single-track lanes with high hedgerows.  If you're not used to driving on those sorts of roads, you may be in for a shock.

And yes, Cornwall is the windiest place in England! 

Finally... Instead of Cornwall (which really takes quite a while to explore, slowly, to do it full justice), I would be happy to follow JB's suggestions for an itinerary in the Southampton area or the Cotswolds and, further afield, the Marches (the English-Welsh border area).