Tour London pre-cruise questions...

[spearmint]

We will do 3 days in London before our Aug. Baltic cruise. I hope that some of you can help with some of my questions. We will be at the Kensington Forum and can walk to the Victoria and Albert Museum, and Harrods, so we plan to visit these places, probably day 1 when we are jet-lagged and dragged out (arrive that morning about 8:00 local).

 

This leaves us two days and we think that on day 2 we will do (a.m.) Tower of London, and (p.m.) Westminster Abbey with lunch and walking around between each venue on days 2 and 3.

 

On day 3, the British Museum (a.m.) and the National Gallery (p.m.) .

 

(1) Do you think we would have time to combine any of these (i.e. more than 2 per day) so that we can take a double-decker bus tour with The Big Bus Company, a hop-on/hop-off bus which would take about 2 hours to make its complete tour? The price also includes a Thames River tour from the Tower to Westminster which we would take. If we cannot reasonably combine, we can forget about the Vic and Albert Museum and Harrods.

 

(2) Has anyone used either or both the London Travel Card (for bus and tube) and/or the London Pass,(for trains, bus and tube plus many admission fees -> but for us, only Tower of London) which must be purchased over here before travelling?

 

(3) Did you have any difficulty using the tube or public buses? Did you find the tube a safe way to travel both during the day and at night?

 

(4) Has anyone taken in dinner and theatre at night either individually or as a package? Are these easy to access?

[Karynanne]

In May we did a post-cruise London for 3 days. We took the Big Red Bus, and it was great...hop on, hop off, and saw quite a lot. We also stayed in Kensington, and walked to Harrods, and Royal Albert Museum. We tried to see as much as possible, but with rain (quite a bit), and some fatigue setting in, we just touched on the highlights.

 

Karyn

[Druke I]

The tube is a great way to get around London, and has very good signage.

 

Some of the older stations don't have escaltors, those can be a long long hike up, and may be hard for those with either walking or breathing difficulties. I have gotten off at more modern stations to avoid that problem (I don't do well with multiple flights of stairs). The attendnts (ticket sellers etc) are for the most part very friendly and helpful.

 

London is a wonderful city, and has some great museums, etc. You will barely scratch the surface on a 3 day pre or post-cruise stay.

 

The Imperial War Museum and the Churchill War Cabinet Rooms are great if you are interested in WW2 history.

[MSBYRDY]

I would recommend taking the Bus tour first and hopping off and on at will. Then you can decide what you missed and how to get to it. The bus tour was amazingly easy to do and saw tons that way. We too stayed at Kensington Forum and you can walk about 2 blocks to the Big Red Bus stop.

Marilyn

[Sonrisa7]

London is probably my favorite city, and I like staying in the South Kensington area. You'll have a wonderful time. My thoughts:

 

1) If you want to do the big bus tour (I've never done it) day one might be a good time, since you can sit down and have a relaxing orientation drive. Personally, I'd rather just get the 3 day travel card and go where you want when you want. It gives you a discount on the Thames cruise, which is very enjoyable and easy to catch on your own, and you'll have all your transportation for the rest of your stay.

2-3) Yes. The travel card is very convenient. Both tube and bus systems are very efficient and easy to use. Tube is faster, and easier to navigate, but with the bus you can see where you're going. I've never had problems day or night; just use common sense, watch your belongings and "mind the gap". I think your nearest tube station will be Gloucester Rd. which has access to 3 different lines that will get you to most all destinations in no time. I've never done the London pass, so don't know if it would be worthwhile, but most museums only ask for a donation anyway.

4) I always go to the theatre in London at least one night. If you don't care what you see you can go to the half price tkts booth at Leicester Square for that night's performances (only the official tkts booth - lots of scam sellers in the area). Otherwise you can preorder on line and pick up at the will call windows at the theatre. You could also ask the concierge at your hotel to assist.

 

All the museums you mention are wonderful and not to be missed, but they are all huge and can be overwhelming, so don't try to see everything. Pick one or 2 areas and enjoy them leisurely. Leave time to just wander the streets, window shop and stop for a pint. Do the rest the next time.

 

If you're not too exhausted, I would really recommend going on a "London Walks" tour one evening. http://www.walks.com They also have nice day walking tours. I've done several and they have all been delightful. I especially enjoyed the "Along the river Thames pub walk". I don't recommend the Jack the Ripper walk in the summer. The atmosphere just isn't the same in broad daylight. The Chelsea and Old Knightsbridge pub walks are also fun, as is the Old Hampstead Village walk.

 

I also enjoy having tea at a nice traditional hotel one afternoon.

 

Hope this helps. Have fun.

[CelebrityMan]

Hi,

 

If you're into walking tours, there's a new "City Walks: London" card set available from Chronicle Books. (They have card sets, now, for a number of major tourist cities). I got mine at Costco, probably available online at chroniclebooks dot com.

 

 

 

 

CM

[signman]

Dinner????? You'll be lucky if you can afford cheese crackers. On my last trip to London when the exchange rate was approacing $2, for the price of a fancy steak dinner, I had some chicken strips.

[lionheart]

I had two full days in London before my June 6 cruise. If you would like, I can post my day notes here or email them to you.

 

For eating dinner (Expensive), My dinners for two without dessert and "drinks" were around $65. Places I ate at were Porters and Browns. Lunch was at pubs; around $30. Breakfast was included.

 

Kurt

[virgenia]

Kurt,

 

I would love it if you would post your London precruise notes. We will be there and staying at the Kensington Forum like the OP. Any information you have will be wonderful. We love eating at pubs too.

[DonLou]

Congratulations Spearmint on your spending a few days in London prior to your cruise. Hope you don't throughly exhaust yourself before you board the ship. London can do that to you.

 

I would definitely recommend the Big Bus. The subway is nice but really, there is nothing to see down there. And the Thames tour is just a short ride so it won't take up much of your time. I'm not much of a museum person so if it were me, I'd just concentrate on the British Museum. For the evenings, I recommend taking a pleasant walk around Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus and eating in Chinatown.

 

Have a great journey.

[chuckchopper]

Spearmint ... we too are on Connie in August (12th) and my wife and son will be spending 6 days in London pre-cruise. Since she used to live there years ago, she shouldn't have too much trouble getting around, but two things they really wanted to do was see a performance at the Globe Theater, and also see "Billy Elliot" which is the "hot" show this season there. You can book tickets (though they are not particularly inexpensive I might add) on-line but when we booked a month ago, some weekend nights were already sold out, so I wouldn't wait until you arrive to make plans for the theatre ... best to book in advance.

[Leela]

I absolutely adore London and go about every eight months. In fact, I'm going next week (so excited!!).

 

It is incredibly easy to get around by Tube. It's fast, easy, and safe. Just use common sense. I've been on it drunk as a skunk stumbling home from a pub in Islington after watching a football (soccer) match, and nothing bad ever happens. That London Transport Card is convenient and easy, and saves you from having to deal with purchasing individual tickets all the time.

 

The Victoria & Albert museum rocks. It's also HUGE. So go for a couple of hours, and when you've had enough go for a walk in nearby Kensington Gardens to get some fresh air and sunshine. Don't try to see everything because after a while your eyes will glaze over and you won't see anything.

 

I always go to at least one theater show when I am in town. If there's something I am dying to see, I'll book in advance via Keith Prowse (on the web). Or maybe it's Kenneth Prowse. Anyway, they are the Ticketmaster of England. However, what I usually do is go to the half-price ticket booth in Leciester Square (the official one in the middle of the square on the edge of the park, not the ones you see right when you get off the Tube) and just see what's there. Last time I saw "The Producers" and "High Society."

 

Harrods, to tell you the truth, disappoints me. It's incredibly expensive, like Henri Bendel or Barney's in New York. I like to shop at Dagenhams' and Marks & Spencer. However, getting afternoon tea at Harrods is quite nice. Afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason is also great, and you can book it in advance over the internet at OpenTable.com

 

Restaurants in London are not cheap, but if you go for ethnic foods you can do quite well. I've had great Indian and also Caribbean food in London. You can browse for some of the nicer restaurants (and make advance bookings) for free online at OpenTable.com.

 

It's worth it to spend some time at TimeOut.co.uk to see what is going on while you are there. It's got complete listings for sports, participatory activities, museums, cinemas, plays, concerts, comedy clubs, etc etc etc.

 

Have a great time! As Samuel Johnson once said, "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life". (Not sure why it's bolded there, I can't undo it).

 

Some more of my favorite things to do....

 

Kew Gardens and/or Hampstead Heath. Bring a book and a picnic. Walk for a while, then chill out for a while.

 

Sometimes there are concerts with fireworks on Hampstead Heath (TimeOut would mention it under classical music, if it's happening).

 

Wander Hyde Park looking for random cricket games, and just watch for a while.

 

SHOP! The prices are not great, but there's stuff I can't get in the US, and the stores stock larger designer sizes than what you'd usually get in the US. Monsoon, a woman's chain, is one of my favorites.

 

Walk along the Thames river.

 

Stop at Thornton's (a chain) and buy chocolate-covered English toffee.

 

Watch English TV.

 

Have a beer or few at a pub when a football (soccer) match is on. Just walking to the WC (bathroom) can bring on interesting conversation (including marriage proposals, back when I was in my 20's).

 

Go to anything at the Barbican Center, where the Royal Shakespeare Company performs. I saw Sir Ian McClelland (Gandalf from "Lord of the Rings") perform there once!

 

Have a great time!!!

[greyblueseas]

Suggest Harvey Nichols and Selfridges instead of Harrods, which is large, crowded and boring! :D Selfridges is at the Marble Arch end of Oxford Street and is the best dept store in London IMHO. Good refreshments too. If you fancy something a little different on the day you go to the Tower of London, try the London Dungeon across the river in Tooley St by London Bridge station (easy taxi ride). It will make your hair stand on end :eek: :)

[Allis154]

We were in London in 2003, so my info may be a little outdated. It was our first visit there, and I had researched it for a year before I went.

 

We stayed in Bloomsbury for five days pre-cruise in December. The first day, we went to the British museum, had a nap, had supper and walked around our hotel. The second day we walked to Bond Street, did the War Cabinet Rooms (neat!), saw Big Ben and Westminster Abbey (the choir was practicing for Christmas services, what a treat!), did some shopping and back to the hotel. We also rode the London Eye

 

The third day we walked to Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guard changing of the guard, did some more shopping and walking. We also Phantom of the Opera this night with dinner before hand at a little restuarant done the street from the hotel. Fabulous food, but I don't remember what it was called. Decent prices, too

 

On the fourth day, we went to the British Museum again. We didn't get a chance to see all of it the first day. We then went to the Tower of London. This was the first time we rode public transportation, the bus. We ended up getting on the wrong one on the way back to the hotel and ended up in the middle of a less than touristy place to be. When we made it back to central London, we went to the National Portrait Gallery. That was very interesting.

 

The next day was Sunday and we went to Speaker's Corner and did some more walking around. Harrods was incredibly busy and crowded.

 

I had tickets to the Ceremony of the Keys, at London Tower for one night, but I don't remeber what night it was. Free tickets, but you have to write in advance to get them. That was very neat to see. We also saw The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged, one night. Funny! We purchase out seats the day we wanted to go to both theatres, one at a ticket place and once at the theatre. Both times were fabulous.

 

The last day in England before boarding at Southampton, we hired a car and driver, through the hotel, to take us to Stonehenge on the way. That was great!

[barriedavis]

Expensive food has been mentioned in this thread. Pubs in the J D Wetherspoons chain do good food at cheap prices. Check their website for locations but there is one near Marble Arch.

[ClearBlueWater]

As a London resident (and Brit), I would say the hop-on hop-off bus is a great way to find your way round. Once you know your way, the tube is much faster and is pretty safe. Later at night though, I tend to use black cabs. Always use these (taxi shaped and have yellow lights on the front saying taxi) and not minicabs (which can be dodgy). Also, be careful in the streets of the 'better' areas - there can be more street crime. Afterall, if you were going out to rob someone, where would you go?

 

In terms of eating, I wouldn't recommend the central areas - touristy and overpriced. Wetherspoons are v cheap but imo not particularly nice. All BAr One, another pub chain, does better food. As ever, you get what you pay for. In terms of finding places to eat, the following are the websites we use to find places:

 

www.squaremeal.co.uk, www.london-eating.co.uk

 

Generally places on backstreets are better and cheaper. If you like beef avoid like the plague places called "scotch steak house...." If you want to splash out on beef, Smiths of Smithfield Top Floor is extremely nice though not inexpensive.

 

Of the museums, personally I think the National Portrait Gallery (around the corner towards Leicester Square from the National Gallery) is more intertesting. Imperial War Museum (Southwark) is good but if I was you I'd get a taxi there as it is not in the nicest part of town. The MAritime Museum in Greenwich is also good

 

My question in return (!): we've been with Celebrity before - is the upgrade to Concierge Class worth it?

[lionheart]

Kurt,

 

I would love it if you would post your London precruise notes. We will be there and staying at the Kensington Forum like the OP. Any information you have will be wonderful. We love eating at pubs too.

London-Day 1 (+5 EDT) June 1, Thursday

Objectives:

1) Cabinet War rooms

2) Westminster abbey

3) Guards Museum

4) Buckingham Palace

5) Wellington Arch/ Apsley House

6) Horseguards

7) London Eye

8) Big Ben/Parliament/Richard I statue

Costs: L. 140 or $280 (admissions-L. 65; Breakfast L.35; Lunch L. 30; Dinner L. 50; put on credit card)

Airport to hotel around 8:30. Eat/drink leave bags if can’t check in.

9:00 leave hotel-left out of hotel, down Whitehall court (river on left) right onto Horse guards ave. Left on Whitehall (Horseguards straight across) left is Banqueting house (17th century). Past 10 Downing street on right. Pass Cenotaph (1920, commorative dead of WWI) left onto King Charles Street. Red Lion Pub on right. Cabinet War rooms on left corner of King Charles Street/Horseguards Road.

9:30-Cabinet War rooms-L. 11 p.p. (9:30-5:00). Audio guide included (60 min total, can skip). Map room is good.

10:30-Leave, south on Horseguards road, left on Great George street; right on Parliament square. St. Margaret (15 century, Churchill married here) straight to left is church. Westminster abbey straight to right.

10:45-Westminster abbey-L. 10 p.p (930-345) Enter abbey on the Big Ben side. Westminster abbey founded in 10th century. Coronation chair made in 1301. Shrine to St Edward, Poets corner, Queen Elizabeth I, Edward 1, 3, Richard 2, Henry 5, 7.

1145-Leave abbey behind. Straight on Broad sanctuary; make right on Storeys Gate. Westminster Arms pub on left. the pub is haunted by the ghost of a little boy who was killed in the Great Fire of London.

1230-Leave Pub, pub on left, straight make right on great george st./Birdcage walk. ¼ mile left is Guards Museum.

1245-Guards Museum -Wellington Barracks, Birdcage Walk- L. 2 pp. (1000-1600)

Under the parade ground of Wellington Barracks. HQ of 5 Guards Regiments. Guards battles since 1642-Civil war. Collection of models/toy store.

1:15-leave, left on birdcage towards Buckingham palace.

1:20-1:30-Buckingham Palace (Queen Victoria memorial)

1:30-1:40-Palace on left-Down Constitution Hill towards Wellington Arch.

1:40-1:50-Wellington Arch (1828) Constitution hill; bear to right, arch on left, bear to left (Hyde park corner) Apsley house ahead.

2:00-Apsley House; no. 1 London- L. 5.10 pp. (10-5). Most remarkable London mansion. 1771-1778. Wellington bought house in 1817.

3:00-Leave Aspley House-Backtrack past Buckingham Palace (Constitution Hill) Q. Victoria memorial on right, spur road right , left on Birdcage walk, Great George Street to Big Ben/Parliament/Richard I statue (Facing St. Margaret’s st.) North on Whitehall to Horseguards on left.

3:45- Horseguards (4:00 ceremony-begins dismounting ceremony)

4:30-leave-straight (w/horseguards to back) down Horseguards ave. left onto Whitehall court-stop at hotel-check in?/Pickup London Pass (930-1800) Visitor Centre 1 Regent street. 5:15-Hotel

5:45-Leave Hotel---leave hotel right on Whitehall Place. Right on Northhumberland ave. Left on Victoria Embankment. Right on Hungerford bridge. Right off bridge (Thames river path) towards London BA Eye.

6:00- London Eye-L. 13 p.p. (10:00-9:00) 30 min. flight. 6:30-Flight (ticket)

7:00ish leave EYE (Eye behind) river on right towards Big Ben. Make right on Westminster checkout Parliament/Big Ben/Statue if didn’t see earlier. North St. Margaret’s/parliament st./Whitehall right on Horseguards, right on Whitehall court

7:30ish-Dinner (Brown’s Restaurant/Pub—82-84 St. Martin’s Ln.)

---------------------------------------------------

 

London-Day 2 (+5 EDT) June 2, Friday

Objectives:

1) Tower of London

2) St. Paul’s

3) Templar Church

4) Old Curiosity Shop

5) British Museum

6) Trafalgar Square

Costs:

Transportation; Underground-$10; Taxi: $30

Breakfast: Free Hotel; Lunch $50; Dinner (put on c.c)

TOL=L. 30 ($60); St. Paul’s=L. 18 ($36)

Total: $120 (L. 60)/London Pass (TOL and St. Paul’s included)

Start: Royal Horseguards-Whitehall Court; Take either the Embankment-circle line to tower hill or taxi from hotel.

9:00 Tower of London (cost L.15: 9:00-18:00)

-crown jewels dating from Restoration-go to crown jewels first (Jewel house)-white tower 9c.1097) Chapel of St. John-Romanesque chapel.-wall walk-wharf (view tower bridge, HMS Belfast)-Henry III’ Watergate. Ravens’ Loudings-Bloody tower (2 princes disappeared here in 1483)

-traitor’s gate-prisoners enter here (Sir Thomas More, Queen(s) Boleyn, Howard, Robert Devereux; earl of Essex, Duke Monmouth.-Tower Green-Scaffold site.-Wakefield Tower-next to Bloody tower. Beauchamp tower-high ranking prisoners held here. Medieval palace-1220-Henry 3 enlarged by Edward I.

12:00-leave-go straight onto lower thames street. Then bear right onto monument street. Fire of London monument br Wren. Right at monument straight to grace church street then make left on Cornhill. Counting house on left.

12:15-Counting house-50 Cornhill-old banking hall. Mon-fri 11:00-23:00. average meal price L.7.

1:00-leave left out of rest. Follow cornhill to intersection (5 roads) straight bear to left onto Victoria street past mansion house (mayors house), temple of Mithras (left) make right onto cannon street towards St. Paul’s (st. Paul’s churchyard)

1:15-St Paul’s-2nd biggest Dome next to St. Peters-whispering gallery, top dome (views of London), crypt (Wren, Nelson, Wellington) 8:30-16:00 (m-sat.) L.9 p.p.

2:15-Leave St. Paul’s. through main entrance to Ludgate Hill through Ludgate circus into fleet street. Make left on bouverie street; right on tudor street towards temple.

2:30-Templar Church-one of four round churches surviving in England.-12th century, William Marshall buried here.

2:45 Leave Templar church. Footpath to Fleet Street (Chancery lane straight) make left onto fleet-strand pass temple bar memorial-a griffin marks where the city of London meets Westminster. Continue down road. On left twinings selling tea since 1706. Pass St. clement Danes (designed by Wren 1679-Royal air force church) Keep on left now on Aldwch. Make right onto Kingsway. London school of Economics on right. Make right on to Portugal Street. Make left onto Portsmouth Street. 3:00-Old Curiosity shop-rare 17th century, pre-great fire building (Dickens) shop on right. Proceed straight, make left onto Sardinia street (Lincoln Inn Fields on right) make right on Kingsway. Make left on new oxford street. Then right onto Bloomsbury Street. British Museum on right.

3:15-British Musuem-9-23:00 (thur-sat) Free. Amin floor-Rosetta stone/Egyptian; Assyrian winged lions; room 18-Elgin marbles (Parthenon) Sutton Hoo ship Burial artifacts. Upper floor (41). Egyptian mummies (60). Reading room-Karl Marx- Das Kapital. 5:15- Leave British Museum with it behind, make left onto Bloomsbury Street. Then right onto new oxford street then left onto Charing Cross straight to Trafalgar Street.

5:30 National portrait Gallery on right. National gallery facing Nelsons Column, James 2 statue (finest in London), front of National Gallery, through square on right, Admiralty Arch (1910) Trafalgar square statues/fountains straight onto Whitehall make an left onto Whitehall place than right onto Whitehall court.

6:15-Hotel…..715 Dinner-Reservations with Neil (Porter’s-17 Henrietta St.) 15 min. walk from hotel.

Hope you find them useful. Work well for me. Getting to places early seemed to be good idea since when I was leavibg, crowds were begining to form. I got to the TOL before it opened and was the fourth person in line. I saw the crown jewels, and the WHite tower completely before I saw any crowds at all...THe British musuem, I picked out what I wanted to see ahead of time since you can spend a ton of time their.

Kurt

[hisfirstm8]

I agree with the Red Bus. We took this the first day and then we knew our way around. We ate at the Sherlock Holmes Pub that day and the prices weren't back and the food was great!

 

Don't miss the London Eye. What a view!!!

 

Are you staying at a hotel through the cruiseline. We did and didn't regret it.....

 

Barbara

[spearmint]

I am overwhelmed by the generosity of so many of you who have posted responses! :) I had hoped for a little help, but this exceeds my wildest expectations and I wish that I could respond to each of you individually. I am going to make notes from the suggestions that you have given me so that we can work them into our plans. I know that we can only touch the surface for visiting such a city. We also know that we will have to limit our number of attractions or we will wear ourselves out before we hit the Baltic a few days later.

We were in London for a day or so as part of a trip to Europe and toured St. Paul's and Windsor Castle, but only saw bits of other things from inside the bus. That is why we chose a pre-cruise trip; we did the entire trip from Canada and back through Celebrity by the way. We are not worried too much about dining out, as we will dine on the ship. We have looked at a few possible places to eat, but will add all of your suggestions to our list. I just want to be able to go to a restaurant and eat a burger or a sandwich for lunch and dinner without having to take out a mortgage to do it. :D

Harrods we just wanted to see for its fame and size, and if we don't, it is no big deal. Thanks for the alternative suggestions though.

I think that the Big Bus Tour for the first day might be the best, to reacquaint ourselves with the sights of the city. Transport after that would be the tube and I will check out further the Travelcard; we are indeed very close to Gloucester Road Tube Station. We are using Frommer's London, and Rick Steeves' guide to Europe to highlight where to go inside museums, as we know that we cannot possibly do any one of them justice in such a short time. And we definitely want to wander some streets and have a pub visit or two...or three... ;)

We will definitely use the tips re: ticket boxes in Leicester Square for same-day theatre tickets if we do not pre-book from home, and that might be a night for using a taxi to return to the hotel rather than the tube.

I hope that I have responded to most of what you have given me. Again, thank you and if I am stuck again, I will certainly ask!!! Have a great day! Bill :cool:

[spearmint]

My question in return (!): we've been with Celebrity before - is the upgrade to Concierge Class worth it?

 

ClearBlue Water --- I have only use Concierge Class last November in an Oceanview cabin on Century (prior to her refurbishment). I forget why, but it was not terribly expensive so we took it. We never use stateroom breakfast so do not know if the menu is appreciably different from a normal cabin. The Michel Roux champagne was OK; we drank it several days into the cruise, running back and forth from the pool to refill our glasses. Stupid. We should just have had it taken to the dining room for dinner one night! The daily canapes were not a thrill and more often than not, we didn't eat them. I hate sushi and other raw stuff! However, I only found out later after I joined these boards that I could have had cheese trays instead. We did not use the binoculars on loan to our cabin, and so far have not used the vinyl carryall that we got, although it is not too bad. So.... if I had to do it again, I would if the price was right. I believe that on the Millennium class vessels that it is about $500+ Canadian per person, and I would not do it. There are lots of folks on these boards who are much more positive than I on this topic. Might I suggest that you open a new thread with your original question. You will get such great help. Bill

[spearmint]

I had two full days in London before my June 6 cruise. If you would like, I can post my day notes here or email them to you.

 

For eating dinner (Expensive), My dinners for two without dessert and "drinks" were around $65. Places I ate at were Porters and Browns. Lunch was at pubs; around $30. Breakfast was included.

 

Kurt

 

Kurt:

Thank you for your day notes. I did not respond initially as 'vegenia' already had done so. I appreciate both the offer and the posting. :) Bill

[gratefulguy]

One of the Tube passes is now the "wave it at the spot" (Oyster) type, so I bought a cheap plastic sleeve/envelope at a chemists (drugstore) to keep it clean and fully visible to the sensor. I stayed (for a week) in an apartment in Lion's Gate, near Gloucester Rd. Tube and found I could go almost anywhere in 30 minutes or so. However, on weekends, there are often construcion projects which can close stations or whole sections of a line. It's wise to consult your books to determine whether a sight or museum has something you are really interested in--no need to go just for a "trophy"!

I liked the London Eye, but try to go first thing in the am, when it's not as crowded and a little cooler, too.

Harrod's suffers greatly from its fame--it is fantastic, but being packed in like sardines takes all the fun from a visit. One way to overcome the high cost of restaurant meals, is to shop for "take away" items at Selfridges, Marks & Spencers, Sainsburys, or Tescos--even some train stations have branches of M&S delis which can make for a great picnic. I'm sorry I went to London many times before I decided to go see the Crown Jewels at the Tower--it really is spectacular! London is also one of the best places for classical and church music. For a break from London proper (it is a BIG, noisy, crowded city), try a trip to Hampton Court, Kew Gardens, or even Windsor--it will use a whole day, but might be worth the slower pace.

Hope you enjoy all your travels.

[Leela]

Harrod's suffers greatly from its fame--it is fantastic, but being packed in like sardines takes all the fun from a visit.

Plus they charge you one pound to use the loo.

 

One way to overcome the high cost of restaurant meals, is to shop for "take away" items at Selfridges, Marks & Spencers, Sainsburys, or Tescos--even some train stations have branches of M&S delis which can make for a great picnic.

I thought the Marks & Spencer take-away stuff was rather dodgy, but I love Selfridges and also the chain Pret-a-Manger ("Ready-to-Eat").

 

Did I mention Thornton's, a candy store that sells great toffee? My favorite is the chocolate-covered. MMMMMmmmmm. There's one on Oxford street, on the opposite side from Selfridges, not sure exactly where but it's not too far from Selfridges in the direction going away from Hyde Park. I always stop and buy a couple of boxes to take home.

[momofmeg]

We will do 3 days in London before our Aug. Baltic cruise. I hope that some of you can help with some of my questions. We will be at the Kensington Forum and can walk to the Victoria and Albert Museum, and Harrods, so we plan to visit these places, probably day 1 when we are jet-lagged and dragged out (arrive that morning about 8:00 local).

 

This leaves us two days and we think that on day 2 we will do (a.m.) Tower of London, and (p.m.) Westminster Abbey with lunch and walking around between each venue on days 2 and 3.

 

On day 3, the British Museum (a.m.) and the National Gallery (p.m.) .

 

(1) Do you think we would have time to combine any of these (i.e. more than 2 per day) so that we can take a double-decker bus tour with The Big Bus Company, a hop-on/hop-off bus which would take about 2 hours to make its complete tour? The price also includes a Thames River tour from the Tower to Westminster which we would take. If we cannot reasonably combine, we can forget about the Vic and Albert Museum and Harrods.

 

(2) Has anyone used either or both the London Travel Card (for bus and tube) and/or the London Pass,(for trains, bus and tube plus many admission fees -> but for us, only Tower of London) which must be purchased over here before travelling?

 

(3) Did you have any difficulty using the tube or public buses? Did you find the tube a safe way to travel both during the day and at night?

 

(4) Has anyone taken in dinner and theatre at night either individually or as a package? Are these easy to access?

 

Wwe spent a week in London 7 years ago and we bought a Heritage pass. This got us into most of the things you mentioned. Westminster Abby was extra. We were able to go everywhere by tube or train.

 

If you go to Kensington Castle, you tour Queen Victoria's rooms of when she was still a princess and I think William and Mary's-at least at that time- we did not see Princess Dianna's apartment. Outside in the gardens you see a statue of Peter Pan and then 2 blocks away is the Royal Albert memorial and Queen Elizabeth's main castle residence where you see the changing of the guards.

 

We also went to the Tower of London, Hampton court and I forget a couple of other castles. Ofcourse we went to Harrods, that Sherlock Holmes pub, the Beatle's studio, Abby Road, and a pub that Charles Dickens frequened!

 

We bought the pass that you could take after 9:30 am and before 5pm and after 7 pm for the tube. Hampton court was a little further so we did have train fare there.

 

We found it all safe but that was before last summer's bombings. But you know that happened during rush hour and we bought the passes that were only good not during rush hour. We figured, save the money and not be in the crowds, going to work both. Really though, in the days we live in-I think the tube is as safe as anywhere else.

[momofmeg]

Plus they charge you one pound to use the loo.

 

 

 

 

Did I mention Thornton's, a candy store that sells great toffee? My favorite is the chocolate-covered. MMMMMmmmmm. There's one on Oxford street, on the opposite side from Selfridges, not sure exactly where but it's not too far from Selfridges in the direction going away from Hyde Park. I always stop and buy a couple of boxes to take home.

 

 

and do not forget the Cadburys-not the same as the US Cadburys and we loved it was in the vending machines of the tube stations.