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

[Reverend Bob]

No time for you to "see" London on that timetable, but make a point of going to Leicester Square during the evening. Also: 1) Don't tip bartenders (it's not something done there). 2) There's no table service in the pubs, you order at the bar. 3) A day pass on the underground is cheap and will get you anywhere you want to go -- it also let's you ride the buses. 4) Be sure someone in your party has a London A-Z, you can't find your way around without one.

As to pubs: My favorites for good dependable food are the Sherlock Holmes Pub (just north of Embankment Station -- Northumberland Rd?) and the George Inn (George Inn Yard, just South of London Bridge). Both have the same ownership and the same menus. I recommend the Steak and Mushroom Pie.

Another great pub is Blackfriars, just across the street from Blackfriars Station. Sit in the north alcove and admire the decor. Just north of there (about a block and a half and to your left) is Fleet Street, home to two other notable pubs: The Punch and Samuel Johnson's venerable Cheshire Cheese. Note however that none of these three are open on Sundays.

Oh, and have fun!

[ladyinred]

Okay, I am so jealous! Visiting Britain is my lifelong dream. Please take extra long looks, enough for me too at that beautiful country!!!

[1066AD]

Hmm, you've hardly the time to see anything ! There's quickie special bus tours of London sights, typically a couple of hours or so. If there's a subject of particular interest perhaps visit one of the London museums in South Kensington. In north London the zoo or Madame Tussauds perhaps ? Visit the Tower of London. Depending upon the weather one great London trip is down the river Thames to Greenwich, Cutty Sark, Maritime museum etc. Some of the WW2 Dunkirk "little ships" still operate this route.

Hard to say without knowing your interests, if you're in Bristol then there's lots of lovely country in the southwest too. Can't you extend your trip to allow more time ?

[Luis Gonzalez]

[Reverend Bob]

One further addendum: I've never been on one, but many bus tours start just outside of Embankment station. Exit south, toward the Thames, cross the road and turn left. The buses are right there, you can't miss them (unless the ongoing road construction of the last two years has spread that far).

[coconutt2000]

First, pick up a traveler's guide to commonly spoken phrases... then memorize how to ask, "Where's my hotel?", "Do you speak American?", and "How much does this cost?"

.... ;-) just kidding, in case some people didn't get that.


I've never been to England, but be safe, and have fun!

[Moiraine]

I haven't been to London in 30 years, so I can't help you there, but if I were traveling between London and Bristol, I would try to take a side trip to Stonehenge and Salisbury.

However, one of my brothers has been living in Scotland for several years and I've been there many times, so if you're ever planning a trip there, ping me and I can give you some tips. (Edinburgh is wonderful!)

[Luis Gonzalez]

My suite had a sitting room which included a TV as well as a wet bar, then, down a corridor there was a private living room with another wet bar and another television, up a few steps to a bath with cut crystal ashtrays inset into the bathtub, and a few more steps up to the bedroom pictured; the bed had down pillows and covers. There were white robes for you to take along.

Mind you this was about twelve years ago, but the Inn has been standing for quite a long time.

There was a journal for guests to sign in a secretariat in the living room, it was filled with messages from people who had stayed there...very romantic.

[LisaMalia]

Just have fun, honey!

My most personal experience with the Brits is a man I met a few years ago......through, of all places, Napster....:) We were exchanging songs, and started chatting.

He actually flew over for a chaste weekend just to take me to my company Christmas party.

He had been in the states before, as he did the light show for the Who for years.

However, when he toured with them, he didn't have the occasion to drive, as they were chauffeured from one venue to another. We had a great time, and it was an amazing experience for this small town Ohio gal to hear some of the personal stories of Townshend, Daltry, and the especially the antics of Keith Moon.

His biggest problems after arriving and renting a car was getting used to "driving on the wrong side of the road"...LOL

His hometown was Luton, and from his description, it sounded very quaint. So that would be my suggestion of a nice place to visit.

[1066AD]

Lisa, I always thought Luton would be a good place to be "from" !
Home of the largest GM plant in UK (unless it's closed) as well as now somewhat islamic.

[investigateworld]

If you work in a Tower of London tour, the Staff (Beefeaters) have this great big ER II, which stands for Elect Reagan two more times.
HA HA, but don't forget the smokes!

[Rockpile]

A visit to London Castle---the White Tower---would be nice. The Beefeaters show visitors the spot where Henry VIII "divorced" a couple of his wives.

I mist-up just thinking about it :<}

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Seriously though, just London itself has so many touristy places to see that you will only be able to scratch the surface. A tour bus ride with guide would be a good idea.

[MHT]

We like staying at the Chesterfield Hotel in the Mayfair section of London. Has a great bar, great concierge, and is conveniently located. A little higher than others, but much nicer experience that a Thistle Hotel.

[Pompah]

I agree with the double-decker tour bus idea.
We just returned from a quick 3 days in London and to see the most in the shortest period of time it's the way to go.


About 12 pounds for a 24 hour ticket. You have several routes to choose from,and you can mix your routes and see a lot of London. It's a "Hop Off / Hop On " deal so you can go around one full circuit,Check out something you might want to spend extra time on and get off and see it the next turn around. they come by about every twenty minutes or so.

It's fun,it's go,go,go. But it's a blast.

Have fun, and stick to the Lagar Beers (at least their cold)

[noutopia]

I was stationed there for 3 years and had a great time.I lived in a small village outside of Banbury,about 15 miles from Oxford.Get out of the big cities and go for the small village at a bed and breakfast if you want to see the real England.

[185JHP]

Covent Garden in London. A play at the theater at the Savoy Hotel.

[Theo]

I visited a couple of years ago and took some photos:

http://www.ijot.com/uk/

It might be fun to see it from an American FReeper's perspective.

As far as travel books, Rick Steves' books are the best!

[xp38]

Do not miss Westminster Abbey. An astounding church. I'd recommend St Paul's cathedral as a second choice but the Abbey is without a doubt a must see. Tower of London for the crown jewels and history is worth a look. Many major museums to see beyond that. You can overdo both churches and museums in Europe and the UK though but my number one recommendation is the Abbey.

[xp38]

Advice from people while I was over there. Be very careful crossing roads over there. I have heard that a number of Americans are killed every year looking the wrong way for traffic. A lifetime of right side driving and habit gets you looking the wrong way a lot over there. I was very surprised how fast those double decker buses go in the middle of London on certain streets.

I hope the air quality has improved but London air was quite dirty and white shirts got sooty very quickly while I was there. It can also create cold like symptoms to those unacclimated to the dirty air which I also suffered. Be prepared.

[tahoeblue]

I've been lucky enough to be able to spend a fair bit of time in Bristol over the past few years and really enjoy it. Bristol is a college town, so there is quite a bit of drinking and carrying on at night! If you are looking for a place to stay, one of the nicer places, and easy to book online, is the Marriott - College Green. The other Marriott is not in a great place to be out and about at night. (The Hilton is way out of town). There are a number of nice "British" hotels too, but they don't take reservations over the Internet, and therefore are kind of a pain to book. When you get off the train at the Bristol - Temple Meads train station, you will probably want to take a taxi to your hotel. Any place in town is only about a 5-7 GPB fair. Tipping of cab drivers is an interesting thing. Natives sometimes find it a bit insulting, while those from out of country tend to appreciate the gesture.

Speaking of the train - when you get to LHR you have two primary choices to get the Paddington. You can take the easiest and most expensive (which I would recommend) - the Heathrow Express - and be at Paddington in about 15 minutes. From Terminal 3 (where you will land) look for the signs before you exit the terminal that lead you underground, and carefully follow the signs through the underground maze to the Heathrow Express. You can buy a ticket (with cash or a credit card) just before getting on the train. You can also do the same basic drill but take the Underground (subway) which is a lot cheaper but a lot longer. Once in Paddington you will want to get your tickets, if you haven't done so already. As you look at the tracks, with the Underground to your back, the ticket office is to your left. You can buy a round trip ticket (which will be kind of expensive since you are buying it as a walk-up. Buying a ticket for a specific train on the way back (and the way there) may save you some money. Don't bother with a "first class" ticket - there isn't any real difference in the service.

You will then look at the boards which post the trains. There are two types of trains to Bristol-Temple Mead The fast one which only stops about 10 times and takes about 2 hours, or the slow one that stops everywhere and takes about 4 hours. Look for the faster one. The service is run by First Great Western (www.firstgreatwestern.com) If you want, you can try to book your ticket over the Internet. The problem is that you need a UK billing address for your credit card. The good news is that the site doesn't seem to check on your address. So look up a hotel in Bristol and use their "zip code". That is all that is asked for. You can save quite a bit by booking ahead so it is worth the effort.

If you are able to find All-Bar-One in Bristol, then you are right in the center of the old town. Most of the town was wiped out be the Germans during the war because British Aerospace had a big production facility right outside of town. The got bombed night after night. There are still some remnants of the old town, such as the "castle" in the open green space near the center of town.

If you find All-bar-one (which is a chain bar) it is right on the corner of the "town square" or plaza. During the day an enterprising young man sets up an espresso cart their. Please stop by and get some coffee and tell him his friend from Lake Tahoe California says Hi!

One thing to look for in Bristol is Bristol Blue Glass. There is a shop between Bridewell and the hospital that has some wares. (There are actually several shops). You might try Bristol Blue Glass Ltd. 5 Three Queens Lane, Redcliffe, Bristol BS1 6LG (www.bristol-glass.co.uk). The glass is pretty expensive, but it you can find a nice little accent piece it will make for good conversation when you get back.

While in England - avoid English food! Fortunately there are many excellent Asian and Indian eateries. Hot Indian food there is very different from hot Indian food here.

If you want to see some different things in Bristol - be sure to check out "The Bridge". It was designed by Brunnel and is quite interesting. On the North end of the bridge are some higher end houses and eateries. You should try to find a little place called "Brunnel's Buttery" and have their egg and ham sandwich. It will give you enough cholesterol the your entire trip and then some. There are a few decent restaurants in Bristol - an Indian restaurant about two blocks from All-bar-One in an old bank is about the best (Sorry, I forget the name).

When are you going? I'll be there next week, so if you aren't going for a few weeks and have some questions, I can check them out next week.

As for London - there is just too much there to give you pointers. You may be able to hit a few of the tourist spots, all of which are very cool to visit.

Things that you might have time for - a ride on the London Eye. You need to book ahead of time at www.ba.com. It takes about 1/2 hour to make a "flight". If the weather is clear, it is well worth it.

Never go to London without going to the West End for a show at night! This is the British version of Broadway and is just excellent. You might like to see The Producers, Phantom, of one of my favorites - We Will Rock You. My suggestion is to go to www.londontheatrebookings.com and before you buy a ticket, make sure that the seats are good (buy the best ones they have) You can pull up a seating map for the theatre at the site and look up where the seats are. *Don't buy 1/2 price tickets because the seats are terrible!*. Book ahead, get great seats, and enjoy! Almost all of the restaurants around the theatres have great food and will get you out in time for your show. Make a night of it. If you are in London over the weekend, be sure to get a weekend pass on the Tube (you have to go to a ticket window rather then a machine, usually) as it will allow you to go through Zone 1-2 or 1-6 (depending on the ticket) much much cheaper then paying for every trip.

As for shopping - there are countless places to go. However, if you want to see all of the designer's wears, go to the area around New Bond Street.

Hamley's has the kids stuff (it is too expensive to bother with, as is Harrod's - although Harrod's is fun to walk through and the basement has a wine bar and Tapa's bar which is worthwhile).

If you want to buy any alcohol to bring home, buy it in the airport as you leave - no VAT there. LHR terminal 3 has a great wine store, and a great Scotch store, as well as every other type of libation.

London a such a great place you will have a blast. Plan some ahead to try to get tickets to events so you have great seats and save lots of money.

I'll try to keep an eye on the thread if you have any questions. As mentioned - I'll be in London, Bristol, and Reading next week and can check details for you if needed.

Have fun! You are going to one of the world's greatest cities!

-tb