2011 Ireland/ London Before or After Questions

[allforpooh]

Hi All,

Starting to seriously plan our summer 2011 trip to Ireland, we are going to either book the Jun 25 or Jul 5 ABD trip. We would like to also like to go to London before or after Ireland, and would love any suggestions on the best way to do this and also what to do in London.

Here are a few questions, but any other helpful hits will be welcomed.

The plan is 6 or 7 nights in London booking everything ourselves, trying to use Marriott Reward Points.

1) Before or After...we originally thought to go before, for the people who have gone on previous ABD trips what do you think?

2) Best strategy for getting to Ireland from London or reverse if at the end of the Ireland trip.

3) Recommended Hotels in London, or neighborhood to stay?

4) London, what shouldn't we miss. ( Husband is big WWII buff, and I love Castles, DD18 shopping)

5) Thinking of taking the train to Belgium one day to visit some exchange students we had with us this summer. Suggestions...is this too much?

6) Anyone that has done the Marriott Point packages for Air and Hotel, suggestions welcome.

Thanks for all of your help,
Denise

 

[darthtatty]

hi its probably worth posting this in the UK section
im sure youll get some great replies.
I would say go to london 1st as youll probably have to fly into Lodon to begin with anyway.
My fingers are covered in plasters at the moment so cant type too well

good luck and happy planning

 

[allforpooh]

Thanks,

 

[beachcat]

Hello Denise

Patti and I did ABD Knights and Lights in May 2010. We arrived 5 days early in London and had a great time. Did the London Eye, 3 boat trips up and down the Thames. We stayed at the Renaissance Chancery Resort and used Marriott points - a really nice hotel. It is the one ABD uses too.

Since you are a castle fan, we went to Hever Castle out in the country - went by train and cab. I liked it. Henry the VIII must have liked it too.

Since your husband is a WWII fan, we went to the Royal Air Force museum in Colindale via the underground. Every airplane in WWII is there almost. Not many Japanese planes. New ones too.

After the tour in Paris, we went back to London and stayed at the Green Man Hotel and Pub to see Eric Clapton at Wembley. The Green Man was fun but not a place you would want to stay a long time in. We stayed two nights after the tour to wind down and see the concert.

ABD did the Changing of the Guard, Tower of London and Harrods - all very good. I would go back to London in a minute. Have fun. Let me know if you have any other questions. By the way, we bought a Oyster Card for bus and subway travel. It worked great. The Rock and Sole Plaice had the the best fish and chips.

Richard Harris.

 

[allforpooh]

Thanks for the info, I was able to book the Renaissance Chancery Resort with my points, so that parts done yea! Since there are 3 of us there were limited rooms available.

Denise

 

[sayhello]

I haven't been to London since 1979 , so can't help you there!

*BUT* I am going to suggest you do the London days before the ABD for 2 reasons:

1) You won't have to worry so much about missing the start of the tour, since you'll already be in the UK. Otherwise, you'd really need to add an extra day on the front in case there are problems, and to give yourself time to adjust to the jetlag. I'd rather do my adjusting on my own time, not during the ABD.

2) After being pampered & taken care of so well by the adventure guides, 6 or 7 days of having to do everything yourself may seem like a shock. Get all the stuff you have to do yourself out of the way first, and then just bask in the care of the Adventure Guides for the rest of your trip.

Sayhello

 

[allforpooh]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions, we have now booked both the London(1st) and Ireland(2nd) piece. We are planning 7 nights in London, then going over to Dublin a day before the ABD trip starts.

I am trying to decide if I really need to be in Dublin the day before the ABD trip starts since we will be coming from London?

Thanks,
Denise

 

[beachcat]

Have a good time and tell us about the Ireland ABD when you get back.

The Thames Clipper fleet was a great boat ride up and down the Thames -fast with a bar and a bathroom on board.


Cheers

 

[dsanti4550]

Which date did you pick?

 

[allforpooh]

Which date did you pick?

We have booked the Jun 25th date, starting in London on the 18th.

I am now trying to get an estimate in expenses, like how much do they normally tip on the ABD trip, how much spending money, for both Ireland and London.

Denise

 

[beachcat]

Tipping guidelines are in the pre-trip booklet. We took 500 pounds and 300 euros and spent it all and then some.


Have fun

rdh

 

[allforpooh]

Tipping guidelines are in the pre-trip booklet. We took 500 pounds and 300 euros and spent it all and then some.


Have fun

rdh

Thanks for the info...

 

[beachbunny]

I would stop in London first, just to make sure I was over my jetlag and ready for ABD Ireland.

Since you won't be jetlagged, I wouldn't worry about getting to Ireland a day early - unless you're worried about missing your plane.

BMI has some really cheap fares. Many times the taxes are more than the ticket price. I use them for puddle jumping around the UK.

I have done everything I list below. These are my favorites and I'll stand by them:

WW2: RAF Museum (absolutely worth the tube ride out there), Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms (this is where Churchill spent a lot of WW2).

Shopping: Harrods (huge department store - see the tribute to Diana which is very creepy and the food court), Fortnum and Mason (buy your food gifts here), Liberty of London for Liberty print fabric pieces (sort of like Vera Bradley but more expensive - they even sell it by the yard), Charbonnel et Walker (amazing little chocolate shop), Notting Hill on a Saturday morning (market day with everyone selling everything), Hamley's toy store (largest toy store in London), Penhaligon's perfumes (my favorite scents come from this exclusive little shop). If you have any shopping questions, just ask - I'm a total shopaholic and I've done London from top to bottom!

Castles: I've seen a bunch in England and these are my favorites. Hampton Court, Windsor Castle, and Buckingham Palace (everyone has seen the changing of the guards but how many can say they've been inside? They let you tour the Palace when the Queen is in Scotland for one month in the summer - she has a great art collection - be sure to purchase your ticket before you leave home), and while not exactly a castle you need to visit the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels.

Other points of interest well worth your time: British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, the London theater (go see a play or a musical), afternoon tea at the Ritz (too many tourists at Harrods), Parliament if it isn't in session (they let you tour inside - again, buy your ticket before you leave home).

Overpriced or just not worth it: London Eye (an expensive 1/2 hour trip in a ferris wheel - and not much of a sight when it's overcast), Madame Tussauds (way too expensive - it's wax!), Imperial War Museum (go to the RAF Museum). If you're even thinking about doing these, save them until after you've done all of the London E-Ticket attractions.

 

[allforpooh]

I would stop in London first, just to make sure I was over my jetlag and ready for ABD Ireland.

Since you won't be jetlagged, I wouldn't worry about getting to Ireland a day early - unless you're worried about missing your plane.

BMI has some really cheap fares. Many times the taxes are more than the ticket price. I use them for puddle jumping around the UK.

I have done everything I list below. These are my favorites and I'll stand by them:

WW2: RAF Museum (absolutely worth the tube ride out there), Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms (this is where Churchill spent a lot of WW2).

Shopping: Harrods (huge department store - see the tribute to Diana which is very creepy and the food court), Fortnum and Mason (buy your food gifts here), Liberty of London for Liberty print fabric pieces (sort of like Vera Bradley but more expensive - they even sell it by the yard), Charbonnel et Walker (amazing little chocolate shop), Notting Hill on a Saturday morning (market day with everyone selling everything), Hamley's toy store (largest toy store in London), Penhaligon's perfumes (my favorite scents come from this exclusive little shop). If you have any shopping questions, just ask - I'm a total shopaholic and I've done London from top to bottom!

Castles: I've seen a bunch in England and these are my favorites. Hampton Court, Windsor Castle, and Buckingham Palace (everyone has seen the changing of the guards but how many can say they've been inside? They let you tour the Palace when the Queen is in Scotland for one month in the summer - she has a great art collection - be sure to purchase your ticket before you leave home), and while not exactly a castle you need to visit the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels.

Other points of interest well worth your time: British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, the London theater (go see a play or a musical), afternoon tea at the Ritz (too many tourists at Harrods), Parliament if it isn't in session (they let you tour inside - again, buy your ticket before you leave home).

Overpriced or just not worth it: London Eye (an expensive 1/2 hour trip in a ferris wheel - and not much of a sight when it's overcast), Madame Tussauds (way too expensive - it's wax!), Imperial War Museum (go to the RAF Museum). If you're even thinking about doing these, save them until after you've done all of the London E-Ticket attractions.

We have decided to do this, we booked the Renaissance Chancery Court for 7 nights.

For BMI -I was wondering if I should book this now or wait until I get closer to the trip. I did see that BMI has some pretty cheap fares, and was hoping to hear from someone who has used them. Thanks!

I told him about the RAF and we are going to do that one, and Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms...How about Tanks...anywhere special that has tanks?

I am really looking forward to some of the shopping, mostly some of the smaller shops. Are there any other markets we should go to, we are going to try and do, we are arriving on a Sat at about 730am and then leaving the next Saturday, so I am not sure if I am going to be able to talk them into going to Notting Hill on Sat morning.


Thanks you for all of you help!
Denise

 

[beachbunny]

I really like the Chancery Court. You won't be disappointed. It is centrally located right near the Holborn tube stop and there is a Boots right around the corner. I will be staying there again next April. If there is anything not satisfactory about the hotel, you'll be the first to know.

More shopping: I like the area around Covent Garden. It has lots of small shops, cafes, restaurants, etc. Penhaligons and Charbonnel are both located in the Covent Garden area. I also like Oxford Street - 300 stores and major department stores in something like 2 miles.

Tanks: There are a few tanks at the Imperial War Museum. But the museum and exhibits as a whole are not that impressive. Sorry, my knowledge of tanks is not as great as my knowledge of planes. My husband has a thing for WW2 planes so I've pretty much been to every air museum of note in every city we've visited. He also likes ships too - so I can give you advice there as well. If you like ships, a day trip to Portsmouth may be in order - it'll be a very long day - and you should only do it if you finish everything in Lodon first. Portsmouth is home to the Victory, Admiral Nelson's ship and the Mary Rose, Henry VIII's ship (which unfortunately capsized before it made it out of the harbor - it was brought up in recent years and they are trying to stop the decaying process). Even closer to the London city center and more easily doable in a day is Greenwich. You can see the Cutty Sark (not impressive at all), the Maritime Museum (which is very nice if you like boats and ships), and the Royal Observatory (this is where the meridian line is located - you can take a picture of your family straddling two time zones). You can return to London from Greenwich by Thames river cruise - you'll get to see the big egg shaped building from the water.)

BMI: I would watch the airfares for a period of time and then book when they take a dip - they have specials every once in a while. They are by no means luxury, but they're fine for a short puddle-jump.

 

[beachcat]

It will be interesting to see how you like the Underground. We actually rode it to Holborn from Heathrow airport on the Picadilly Line. It can be crowded but it is really economical. 6 pounds versus 65 pounds for a cab. The Oyster card is really handy. We also rode the underground out to the RAF museum in Colindale. ( A short walk from the station to the museum). Just be sure to use the Underground during the off hours. We left Holborn at 8:30 one morning - what a zoo.

Let me know what your husband thinks of the RAF museum. I liked the planes a lot but they need more room.

I have big time trip envy. Have fun.

 

[allforpooh]

I really like the Chancery Court. You won't be disappointed. It is centrally located right near the Holborn tube stop and there is a Boots right around the corner. I will be staying there again next April. If there is anything not satisfactory about the hotel, you'll be the first to know.

More shopping: I like the area around Covent Garden. It has lots of small shops, cafes, restaurants, etc. Penhaligons and Charbonnel are both located in the Covent Garden area. I also like Oxford Street - 300 stores and major department stores in something like 2 miles.

Tanks: There are a few tanks at the Imperial War Museum. But the museum and exhibits as a whole are not that impressive. Sorry, my knowledge of tanks is not as great as my knowledge of planes. My husband has a thing for WW2 planes so I've pretty much been to every air museum of note in every city we've visited. He also likes ships too - so I can give you advice there as well. If you like ships, a day trip to Portsmouth may be in order - it'll be a very long day - and you should only do it if you finish everything in Lodon first. Portsmouth is home to the Victory, Admiral Nelson's ship and the Mary Rose, Henry VIII's ship (which unfortunately capsized before it made it out of the harbor - it was brought up in recent years and they are trying to stop the decaying process). Even closer to the London city center and more easily doable in a day is Greenwich. You can see the Cutty Sark (not impressive at all), the Maritime Museum (which is very nice if you like boats and ships), and the Royal Observatory (this is where the meridian line is located - you can take a picture of your family straddling two time zones). You can return to London from Greenwich by Thames river cruise - you'll get to see the big egg shaped building from the water.)

BMI: I would watch the airfares for a period of time and then book when they take a dip - they have specials every once in a while. They are by no means luxury, but they're fine for a short puddle-jump.

Thanks for all of the info....keep it coming

BMI shows the flight for $73, do you think this is decent enough to get it now?

Denise

 

[allforpooh]

It will be interesting to see how you like the Underground. We actually rode it to Holborn from Heathrow airport on the Picadilly Line. It can be crowded but it is really economical. 6 pounds versus 65 pounds for a cab. The Oyster card is really handy. We also rode the underground out to the RAF museum in Colindale. ( A short walk from the station to the museum). Just be sure to use the Underground during the off hours. We left Holborn at 8:30 one morning - what a zoo.

Let me know what your husband thinks of the RAF museum. I liked the planes a lot but they need more room.

I have big time trip envy. Have fun.

I have been thinking about taking the underground from the airport, my concern is DH...he is not really the most patient person in the world....I would not have a problem taking the underground (would rather spend the money shopping), but I am not sure it is in my best interest to get DH to do it. LOL So I have decided to start the trip off a little less stressful and will probably get one of those car services, they looked a little cheaper than the shuttles or the cab. He will not have any problems taking the underground while we are there since we will not have any luggage. When we have visited DC and NYC we always used the metro and subway...
Thanks for off hours trip, I probably would not have thought of that until it was to late.

We are really excited about this trip, we have been trying to go for the last 5yrs but life seems to intrude in our plans. This time we are booked, and committed to going..my DD will be graduating HS so this will be sort of a SR trip for her.

Denise

 

[knewton64]

the dvd, "Rick Steves" guide to Ireland (series of 6 30 minute tv programs all in 1 dvd).



Looking forward to the vacation in June as I have never been.

No pre-day for me (I am a night owl) but do have a post day set up for London.

 

[originalkk]

If you want plenty of tanks, the place to go is Bovington Tank Museum in Dorset, but it is a full day trip from London - though you could combine it with trip to the pleasant Dorset coast.

http://www.tankmuseum.org/