Going to Britain to drop some tourist $$ on our British friends- any advice? (yeah another vanity!)

my own sense of paranoia | 10/17/2004 | lawgirl

[lawgirl]

I am going to be taking a vacation with a few friends to London and Bristol, England, before the election and I wanted to get some Freeper ideas on where to eat and what to see.

I was intially very worried about travelling abroad before the election, but then I realized- that's what the terrorists want! So forget them- I am going to drop some tourist dollars on our faithful British friends! I have never been out of this country so I am a little bit freaked, so I thought I'd ask for some input from other well traveled and/or British FReepers.

I am going for a long weekend basically- spending two days in Bristol (and that time is mostly planned out but I will have some time to shop if anyone has suggestions) and an afternoon, night and morning in London. Does anyone have any ideas about the best way to see London in a few hours? Bus tours, etc? And I am also looking for a good English pub to snag some lunch.

I'd love to hear anyone's stories about their trips to Britain, helpful cultural references, etc. Any travel tips would be very appreciated as well. I really don't want to broadcast "Hey! Here's an American!" We are flying into Heathrow and taking the train from Paddington into Bristol.

JimRob- I hope you'll forgive the vanity!

[lawgirl]

Look out Britain! Here I come!

[Mount Athos]

I like Bath, England. Easy train ride from London.

[Keith in Iowa]

Perhaps MadIvan has some ideas...

[cgk]

ping.

Have a great time!

[lawgirl]

Thanks! I can't wait!!

madIvan- I can't wait to hear from you. :)

[lawgirl]

That sounds great- I wish I had more time to spend, but I can always file suggestions away for my next trip. :)

[MHT]

Le Boudin Blanc (London restaurant), Bentley's seafood restaurant, The Square (and any of its sibling restaurants which have unusual names like The Glasshouse and La Trompette), and Tamarind's Indian restaurant--all great. A trip to Brighton is one of the most interesting (and atypical tourist) things to do. The Royal Pavillion there is like no other place on earth. Bath is a nice daytrip, particularly if you are a Jane Austen fan. (A viewing of Persuasion with Colin Hinds is a good introduction to Bath.)

[Jedidah]

We spent a week in Britain in May and were treated with courtesy and respect everywhere we went (London, Bath, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Oxford), notwithstanding our Texas accents. Relax and have a great time. Remember that you can run into a jerk anywhere!
You could spend a week in London and not see it all, but if this is your first trip, don't miss the Tower of London.

[lawgirl]

OOH thanks for the advice!! I am going to look them up and see if any of them are close to our hotel!

Gosh now I really can't wait!!

[pro libertate]

I agree with Bath. You could also continue by train out to Cardiff. Around London the British Museum is terrific as it's full of the plunder from the Colonial Days. Hampton Court is also a worthwhile visit. I also just enjoy wandering around the ethnic neighborhoods. Of course, the plays and musicals are great and cost less than in NY. The food department at Harrods is out of this world.

The best suggestion I could make is to take the train to Edinburgh, if you have the time.

[Taylor42]

Before you go read Churchill's "History of the English Speaking Peoples". Read at least the first volume. It will give you a good picture of the history of the area. And besides, Chuchill is a great writer.

I lived in London for 5 months and loved every minute of it. One place to go is the Highgate Cemetary. It's located on the north side and has a website you can check out.

I used to pick a tube stop and walk the neighborhood to the next tube stop. You can purchase an "all zone" ticket for the undergound that will allow you to go whereever you want, as many times as you want all day.

[clintonh8r]

Have a great time! We've been to England three times since 9/11/01. We go down to West Sussex, about 1.5 hour drive from Gatwick. We stay in the countryside, so can't help too much with London.

If you're going to Bristol you'll be going toward Somerset. It's a beautiful rural area. Depending on your budget, I recommend the Ston Easton Park hotel in Ston Easton, Somerset. It's pricey but worth it. 17th century country home in a pastoral setting. Great kitchen and personalized service. About 125 pounds/night as I recall.

[lawgirl]

Great advice. My parents were in Britain over 9/11/02 and said the british people were so friendly and expressed a lot of condolences about 9/11/01.

[Capriole]

Don't miss a tour of Hampton Court Palace and its gardens. A convenient train ride down there, and you can go all the way down or back on a boat on the Thames. You have to see the usual things in London--Parliament, Big Ben, St. Paul's, Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery, and of course the wonderful, terrible Tower of London! Just wandering the streets of London (mostly the West End) is an endless fascination, but be very wary, as the bad guys are out in force and it's pretty dangerous now. Take a day to run up to Oxford by train. Bath is gorgeous and very ancient. If you have time and money, drive through the Cotswolds where you can OD on the sheer historicity and charm. Travelling by car is staggeringly expensive as gas is about $7 a gallon. Yes, you read that right. Have fun!

[KantianBurke]

Be prepared to have your wallet annhilated. Thanks to Bush's policies regarding our currency, its deflated to the point that the British pound is exceptionally strong against it. Think 2 US dollars equalling 1 British pound. Therefore spend ur time at London's free musuems, both art and historial. They're totally free and open to the public.

[cgk]

Post #11 is for you, lawgirl. ;)

[lawgirl]

Oh the countryside sound so wonderful- the train ride to Bristol is probably all we'll get to see of it, but I am really looking forward to it. And I'd love to do it next time! **taking notes**

[bethtopaz]

Hi lawgirl, I visited England in '97 and had a great time! I stayed with my friend in Ludlow. First day I spent hours exploring very old castle-ruins, imagining myself to be a princess up in the turrets awaiting my prince charming, galloping on his white stead in the distance. I decided not to go to London because many people told me that in order to get the most benefit one had to spend a week or so there. I went on the Magical Mystery Tour Bus ride in Liverpool. Loved it - and don't usually like tour-guided events, but we got to go by Strawberry Fields (the orphanage), Penny Lane (smalltown street where the Beatles hung out as kids and yes, it was all there - the barber shop and all), saw the homes where all the Beatles grew up, and ended up at The Cavern (where the Beatles were discovered). I sat in the pub next door (The Grapes) and wrote Beatles postcards to all my friends in America. I had fun just taking the trains, meeting people, and spent my last night at Brighton, which reminded me of San Francisco. English people are incredibly gracious and polite. They are not as outgoing as we are, but will go the second mile to help you if you need it. Once in a pub, (the English like to stand around drinking ale, vs. sitting, I noticed) I asked an Englishman what he thought of Americans. He said, "Well, we think you're pretty naive. You haven't been around very long." You will love England! Have fun!

[lawgirl]

$7 a gallon! YIKES! We won't be driving and I am glad- I am totally afraid of driving on the wrong side of the road! LOL! All of these things sound wonderful!

[Final Authority]

Don't eat their burgers, eat fish and chips. Drink lager in the taverns unless you enjoy weak, warm, tasteless, and flat beer that they call ale. Travel by train only during rush hour as the hours for tourists cost several times as much.

Overall London and England in general is not a bad place to visit as most people do speak English, like Switzerland, but not like NYNY or Los Angeles.