First QM2 passage/London Vacation

[Flyingfish]

Thinking of non-flying passage to London via QM2. Over in an outside cabin, back in an inside cabin. Try to keep costs down. Now here is the issue; how to get to London from Southampton? And, where to find modest cost hotels perhaps with excursion packages around London for one week. I know, a lot to ask but if anyone can do it it's this board. Any help appreciated.

[Thaxted]

I'll be making my first crossing this summer and, like you, my wife and I are trying to keep our costs down. We've booked an inside cabin both ways, relying on the rest of the ship to serve as our balcony coming and going.

 

The good news is that there is hourly non-stop train service between Southampton and London's Waterloo station, and the Southampton station is a short taxi ride from the Cunard terminals. There are also frequent trains to Paddington Station, although they require a change in Reading.

 

The not so good news, as I'm sure you know, is that good hotels in London are rather pricey. There are bargains to be had, but I'll leave it to others who have been there more recently than I or who live there themselves to give you recommendations.

 

Have a wonderful trip!

[cunardfanatic]

you could try http://www.lastminute.com/hotels-d10073-london-hotels as for tours london has many company offering tours try one of the tour bus companies last time i wen ti used LONDON BUS TOUR COMPANY they are the cheapest and you can hop on hop off they have 3 routes offering 3 different thing s and routes hope this helps can really help as i don't know your interests

[3rdGenCunarder]

you could try http://www.lastminute.com/hotels-d10073-london-hotels as for tours london has many company offering tours try one of the tour bus companies last time i wen ti used LONDON BUS TOUR COMPANY they are the cheapest and you can hop on hop off they have 3 routes offering 3 different thing s and routes hope this helps can really help as i don't know your interests

 

Definitely check out the hop-on-hop-off bus. There are a couple of companies. At least one offers a package that includes walking tours and a boat ride on the Thames. It's a great value. The HoHo bus may seem touristy, but it's a great way to get an overview of a city you've never been to.

 

There is good news. London's great museums are free. They may charge for special exhibitions, but the British Museum, Victoria & Albert, Natural History, National Gallery, and others are free. The great churches, like St Paul's, are not free. The Museum of London is not free, but is worth seeing if you want the history of London from prehistoric times to the present. And walking is free. London is a great city for walking. Get a good map and set aside a day for just rambling.

 

For the Southampton-London train, check out megatrain. They sell cheap seats on regular trains on this route. When we used them, it was impossible to use a US credit card to book, so I had to email one of my English relatives and have him book it for me. That was about 5 years ago, so I would hope they've improved the bookingprocess. It's definitely worth checking out because it's so cheap.

http://uk.megabus.com/megatrain.aspx

 

The bad news is that hotels are expensive. You need to shop around and see what's important to you. Do you want to be in a particular area? Do certain amenities matter?

 

Do some research. Get a good guidebook (I like the DK books) or see if your local library has a travel section. And go online. There are many good websites. here are a few:

http://www.visitlondon.com/

http://www.londontown.com/ (we got a good last-minute hotel through them once)

http://www.londontourist.org/ (fantastic site. The EXPLAIN everything you could want to know. Best explanation of the transit system "oyster" card)

 

London is one of our favorite places to visit. I got home from London only a month ago and writing this has made me want to go back!

[busmech]

I used the bus transfer to Victoria Bus Station. Walked to my hotel from there. There is a lot of places in the area, and you can walk to the Tube Station that is inside. I used a travel card for 3 days while I was there, looking at the lines for the ticket machines in the morning made me happy that I could just get on. Dont forget to try the London Walks, not expensive and a great way to learn about London.

[tangoll]

< http://www.nationalexpress.co.uk > bus from Southampton bus terminal to Victoria Station bus terminal, 7 pound sterling per person, 2.15 hour travel time. Book and pay on line would guarantee you have seat on bus and time of your choice. Problem is you need to know when you can disembark off of QM 2. Taxi from pier to bus station in Southampton, about 7 pound sterling.

 

By train, cost is about 34 pound sterling per person, Southampton to Waterloo. The express train takes a bit over one hour. Taxi from pier to train station also about 7 pound sterling.

 

Some UK locals have told me that Greyhound fare is only one pound sterling, but I don't know how that works.

 

Hotels in London are expensive and for what you pay, you don't get much. You might try St. Giles Hotel, right by Tottenham Court tube station. I think rates now are about 95 pound sterling for a single room, but rooms are tiny, not much more than a single bed, desk, small closet and bathroom. I don't know about double or twin bed rooms.

[tangoll]

deleted double post.

[mirp]

Premier Inn near the London Eye is a good option in a great location. Also close to Waterloo if you don't have alot of luggage.

 

http://www.premierinn.com/en/hotel/LONCOU/london-county-hall

[Bispham Boo]

Premier Inn are a decent chain & the London Eye one is a great location. Stayed there in January for 3 nights, cost £300 for a double room for the 3 nights (not inc breakfast). I also like the Mint Hotels - a small chain of which there are 2 in London, one in Pimlico and 1 near Tower Hill. When they have deals, they are good value.

[Flyingfish]

Thank you all so much! You've been a great help.

[hansol1966]

Last minute.com...Travelzoo.co.uk are very good sites to visit but for a bargain in London is the spare rooms offered by the London School of Economics / Vacation accomodation. We stayed on Northumberland Avenue 100 yards from Trafalgar square, although a bit basic (no telly) it was great for a few days. The Park Plaza Westminster bridge where we stayed a month ago was excellent. Last minute also does great deals on theatre tickets. Good luck.

Fred.

[rosler28]

You have a few different options.

 

How many nights do you want to stay in London? What is your hotel budget per night?

 

We have had some great deals off lastminute.com. We normally pick the Top Secret hotels. With a little bit of research you can normally identify which hotel you'll get.

 

I live in the UK so any advice then just get in touch with me. Last year we had a weekend in Cambridge and stopped in a Top Secret hotel off lastminute.com. £59 per night we paid and if we had selected that particular hotel directly it would have cost £130. Cambridge is an excellent City to visit and a direct train from London Liverpool Street station will get you there in less than 2 hours.

 

You could also consider staying in the outskirts of London which will be a bit cheaper but still easy to get into the centre.

[Lake Barcroft Sailor]

< http://www.nationalexpress.co.uk >

 

Hotels in London are expensive and for what you pay, you don't get much. You might try St. Giles Hotel, right by Tottenham Court tube station. I think rates now are about 95 pound sterling for a single room, but rooms are tiny, not much more than a single bed, desk, small closet and bathroom. I don't know about double or twin bed rooms.

 

We stayed at the St. Giles. The rooms are not tiny, but miniscule. In our room only one of us could get out on the side of the bed--the other had to crawl over the other to get out. The hotel is also quite crowded due to its popularity with European bus tour groups and the breakfast buffet, included in the room price, is quite a zoo. If you just want a bed and a room, though, the hotel will suffice. The hotel is within walking distance of the British Museum and Leicester Square if you want to go there for discount theater tickets. Stay away from the cinema though or check the prices carefully, doing the conversion from pounds to $ before purchasing. We went on our last night in London and purchased the tickets without paying attention to the price, only to find out that our two tickets to Ratatouille cost $56.00. At least it later won an Academy Award.

 

Getting back to accommodations. Are you active duty or retired from the military by any chance? If so, check out the Victory Services Club. It is located near Marble Arch, membership is about $40/year (more than offset by room savings) and the accommodations are some of the nicest around. If you have a full week, you might also consider renting an apartment. Vacations Rentals by Owner, www.vrbo.com, which we have used often in other places, might get you a nice place for less than a hotel will cost.

 

As for transport--I'd spring for the train. The bus station is quite small and with hardly a waiting room area at all so if the weather is bad or too hot you are out in the elements while waiting for the bus. We had planned on taking the bus from SOTON to Windsor after the QE maiden voyage and ended up hiring a cab because of the wait, the weather, and the lack of any place to sit. Besides, I love European trains although they do make me too keenly aware of what we are missing here in the colonies.

 

Good luck and have a wonderful time. I am sure your trip is going to be marvelous--how could it be otherwise with TA on each end of the trip, especially with a west-bound crossing at the end, where most days are 25 hours long due to clock changes, which more than makes up for the 23 hour ones on the way over. All best.

[SailorManBilly]

Thanks for all of the helpful tips on this thread! Very helpful indeed.