Disney Magic How To Do London Like A Local

[BadPinkTink]

Inspired by @poison ivy epic British Isles Trip Report, I have decided to write up my most recent visit to London.

Contents

1. Background = Post Number 1
2. Before You Arrive in London - The Basics = Post Number 1
3. Getting to The UK Part 1, Dublin to Wiltshire = Post Number 4
4. Wiltshire to London By Train = Post Number 10
5. The Hotel I Stayed At = Post Numbers 18 and 19

Background
I lived in London from November 2006 to December 2010. Before living there, I had visited many many times as my sister lived there between 1998 and 2006. In December 2010 I moved back to Dublin, Ireland. I now go back to London about twice a year to visit friends.

Before You Arrive in London - The Basics
The UK = The United Kingdom = England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

The Republic of Ireland, Dublin is a totally separate country. The Republic of Ireland uses the Euro as currency. I have a separate thread about Dublin which is located here https://www.disboards.com/threads/disney-magic-dublin-ireland-port-information.3456357/

Currency = The British Pound = Sterling
£1 = 100 pennys

Currency Exchange For a general approx. currency exchange rate I always use this http://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/

On the day I checked it $100 = £74.05

As currency exchange rates change on a daily basis, this is just a rough estimate for you to use for your budget

Money
Notes = £100, £50, £20, £10, £5

A lot of places do not accept £100 or £50 notes when paying for purchases under £20. If you have these, try to use them in restaurants or for when the purchase amount is large.

Coins = £2, £1, 50p, 20p, 10p, 5p, 2p, 1p

Coins are just called by their denomination ie a 1 pound coin, a 5p coin. They do not have names like the American Nickles and Dimes.

If you are visiting Scotland or Northern Ireland as part of your cruise or pre or post cruise, you do not need to get separate Scottish or Northern Irish Sterling. The British Sterling money you get from your bank or from a currency exchange for London is what you will use in Scotland and Northern Ireland. However, both Scotland and Northern Ireland print their own local versions of the British Sterling notes. These notes are only available from the local banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland. While they are legal tender in the rest of the UK, you may have trouble spending them outside of the local area. This is mainly due to the fact that these notes are not known that well outside of their respective local areas. The UK has a very high international and migrant workforce. For example, in London in shops, bars, restaurants etc it is very likely you will be served by Polish or Czech or Ukraine, etc people. Many of the migrant workers will not be aware of the Scottish or Northern Irish version of the £20 note and will not accept it due to fear of it being counterfeit.

Cards
Visa and Mastercard are the standard cards used. American Express is really only accepted in major tourist places.

All cards used in The UK and Republic of Ireland are Chip and Pin cards. The UK and Republic of Ireland are becoming a cashless society.

Contactless payment cards are now being issued by banks. This is where you just tap your card on the chip and pin payment unit. https://www.theguardian.com/money/2...nts-uk-stores-cards-british-retail-consortium It can be used for a single payment up to £30.

Chip and Pin payments are just part of life. If you don’t have a chip and pin card you will be very restricted, as everything from getting a coffee in Starbucks, to getting cinema and theatre tickets, to bus and train tickets, grocery shopping, clothes shopping, souvenir shopping and things I can’t even remember but just take for granted. In restaurants they bring the chip and pin machine to the table. Buy tickets online and then collect at the machine at the venue by inserting the chip and pin card in the self-service machine.

Timezone
London is on GMT time.
4pm London = 11am New York = 8am LA

Plugs, Sockets and Voltage
There is an electrical Voltage difference between USA and UK. The USA has a lower voltage than UK. This means you will need a voltage adaptor for your American appliances like phone chargers etc. These adaptars can be bought from Amazon or at the airports. This website explains what you need to know https://www.power-plugs-sockets.com/england/

Another reason you will need an adaptor is because UK plugs are 3 pin plugs. You will not be able to plug your American 2 pin plugs into the UK sockets.

I found this at the airport. It cost £5.99 approx $8.08 That is the price range you should be buying at for a single plug / adaptor.



International Phone number
To phone London from America +44

Example phone number A Landline - Hard Rock Café London +44 207 514 1700

International Code +44
Area Code (London) 207
Local Number 514 1700

If you just have the Area code and local number it will look like this 0207 514 1700
In this case drop the first 0 and then add the +44

Example phone number A Cellphone +4478xxxyyyyzz
International Code +44
Network Code 78
Number xxxyyyzz
If you just have the local number it will look like this 078xxxyyyzzz
In this case drop the first 0 and then add the +44
Main UK cell network codes 071,074,075, 076,077,078,079

Driving
UK drives on the Left side of the road. People also walk on the left side of corridors, sidewalks etc. If you are planning to hire a car during your vacation, this is a really good website https://www.visitbritainshop.com/world/articles/guide-to-driving-in-the-uk/ It goes through what you need, rules of the road, road signs, road etiquette etc etc.

Weights and Measures
The UK uses a mix of metric and imperial. For example beer and milk are sold in pints, road signs have either KM or both KM and miles, people say their height in feet and inches, their weight in stones or KG.

Temperatures
The UK uses Centigrade not Fahrenheit Here is a handy online converter http://www.onlineconversion.com/temperature.htm

Weather
The Uk and Ireland have a warm temperate climate. This means that they don’t get extreme highs or extreme lows. Rain can occur at any time of the day or night at any time of the year. On average the UK gets approx. 133 days of rain per year.

Winter lows in London are approx. 23F, Summer highs are approx. 77F to 86 F

Use this BBC London Weather guide to help you figure out what clothes to bring http://www.bbc.com/weather/2643743

As a rule though, April to September are layers. Jeans, sweaters, hoodies, long sleeve tshirts, short sleeve tshirts, cute summer dresses with leggings and cardigans, light rainjacket, umbrella.

Out and About London is like Manhattan Island in New York. The city functions due to public transport. As a result you are on your feet and walking, walking everywhere. You will need sturdy comfortable shoes.

Think of it like a day at a Disney Park, walking, standing, on transport, off transport. Also have a day bag the same as you would in a Disney park. A bottle of water is essential, the tubes can get very very hot, even in winter.

How Not to Look like an American Tourist

1. Have a chip and pin card
2. Don’t have a fannypack
3. Don’t wear clothes / sweaters /hoodies/ etc with large or very obvious American Branded Logos. Ie Don’t wear your Walt Disney World hoodie. Try to wear clothes which have small, or not obvious American Branded Logos or clothes which don’t have logos. You will see in photos later on how people dress in London.
4. Don’t wear oversized sneakers or sneakers with white socks
5. Don’t have your Cruise Lanyard or any sort of Lanyard around your neck
6. Don’t wear baseball or trucker hats
7. Dont shout or talk loudly
8. Men do not have your wallet in your back pocket
9. Do not walk around with paper maps
10. Do not walk around with a camera around your neck, take phones on your phone
11. Check out the section below to familiarise yourself with the British names and phrases.
12. Most of all DO NOT ASSUME THAT HOW SOMETHING IS IN AMERICA IT WILL BE THE SAME IN LONDON

Words and Phrases



There are a lot more but that will give you a good example.

 

[Poncey]

Awesome. Thanks. August will be my 4th trip to London. Still good stuff to read!

 

[BadPinkTink]

Awesome. Thanks. August will be my 4th trip to London. Still good stuff to read!

you are welcome, lots more to come, and feel free to add anything in.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Getting to The UK Part 1, Dublin to Wiltshire

Ok so this is part trip report, part port information.

My Itinerary
Friday 22 December
Fly to Bristol Wiltshire
Local bus and train to my sisters house for Christmas

Wednesday 27 December
Train from Wiltshire to London
Hotel in London
Bus to Gatwick Airport
Fly Gatwick Airport to Dublin

Flights
Dublin to Bristol, Gatwick to Dublin
Flight booked online with Aer Lingus
Booked on 8 October
Cost €128.98

Breakdown
Flights = €72.98
Admin Fee €16
15kg checked bag Dublin to Bristol €15
15kg checked bag Gatwick to Dublin €15

Even though I am flying into 1 airport and departing from a different airport, Aer Lingus still class this as a round trip. This is because they have a multi airport function on their website. Most other airlines would class this as 2 one way flights.

Online check-in opens 30 hours before departure. So on Thursday 21 December during my lunch break at work I check in and print out my boarding pass.



Then at Dublin airport I arrive approx. 2 hours before my flight. Dublin airport has self-service bag drop machines. This is where you put your bag on the machine; scan your boarding card and the machine prints out the checked bag luggage label. You then attach this to your bag and bring it over to the bag drop thingy. You put your bag on the travellator, with the airline printed tag upwards. There is a scanner located just above the bag, it scans and prints you out a bag receipt and then your bag goes on its merry little way to the plane.

No queues, no fuss, no waiting and I’m off to security while people are still waiting in line at the traditional check in desks!!

Even though Aer Lingus is the Irish National Airline and as such a Legacy Airline, in the last 10 years its pricing structure has mirrored that of the budget airlines like Ryanair. There used to be a huge difference in price but Aer Lingus had to lower their prices to compete. As a result, checked baggage is now charged per flight and onboard food and drink are charged.

For most short haul flights in Europe, the maximum weight allowance is 15kg / 33 LB.

If you are flying short haul around Europe you also need to be aware of both checked bag and cabin bag allowance.

Cabin bag allowance can differ in the same airline, depending on the size of the plane. You need to check before you leave home with the airline website.

This is very important especially if you are travelling transatlantic America to Europe, and then taking flights around Europe, eg Disney Mediterranean Cruise out of Barcelona BUT side trip to London pre or post cruise. Fly Transatlantic to London, 2 days pre-cruise, then fly London to Barcelona to get on Disney Magic. Even though you are flying transatlantic, in this example I would advise ONLY having the cabin bag and checked bag allowance of the short haul European flight. That way you wont run into problems and have to pay extra when you check in for the short haul flight from London to Barcelona.

For example, my Dublin to Bristol flight was on this type of plane

(not my photo)

It is an approx. 40 seater propeller plane. This is because Bristol airport is a small regional airport with 2 flights per day. On this plane the cabin bag allowance is



My Gatwick to Dublin flight was on this type of plane

(not my photo)

This was the cabin bag allowance for this plane



Please note, though, that the above ONLY applies to short haul travel in Europe. I fly Aer Lingus transatlantic from Dublin to LAX every year. On the transatlantic flights checked baggage allowance is different and onboard meals are included / free.

Bus and Train from Bristol Airport to the village where my sister lives
Once I land in Bristol there is an airport shuttle bus directly outside the arrivals door https://flyer.bristolairport.co.uk/


(not my photos)

Bristol airport is located about 7 miles from Bristol city. You need to get either the shuttle bus, taxi or hire a car to get anyway. I don’t drive so I always get the shuttle bus. Tickets can be bought online or with cash to the driver.
Single Journey £7
Return Journey £11
Travel time is approx. 30 minutes

The Shuttle bus drops off at about 3 places in Bristol city centre and then ends at the main train station called Bristol Temple Meads.

At Bristol train station I then get a train to where my sister lives. Travel time approx. 30 minutes. I usually get a train ticket when I get there. There are both self service ticket machines and a ticket counter with a real person. I usually use the self-service ticket machine with my chip and pin card as it is much faster.



So why am I telling you about Bristol? Well this is the area of Stonehenge. It is also the closest airport for the Roman Town of Bath. Bristol is just like most modern cities but the town of Bath and the surrounding area is well worth a visit. For more info check out here https://visitbath.co.uk/

Had a great time with my family December 22 to December 27
Next Up Getting to London

 

[anricat]

If you don’t have a chip and pin card you will be very restricted

Actually, if you don't have a chip and PIN, they just run your card normally. Most cards in the US have a chip now, so it's no big deal. The card machine knows and just processes it without the PIN. It's no big deal.

 

[bbel]

Actually, if you don't have a chip and PIN, they just run your card normally. Most cards in the US have a chip now, so it's no big deal. The card machine knows and just processes it without the PIN. It's no big deal.

This.
I'm British. Working at Disney and my job now I get paid in dollars and my card doesn't have a chip.
But when I'm back home I very rarely have issues using my 'swipe' card. If I can't use it somewhere it's usually because they don't accept card at all.
I've literally travelled the world with it and haven't had an issues with it not having a chip...

 

[oufpat]

We are considering the London/Paris ABD so this is great information, thanks.

 

[bumbershoot]

Forgive if this isn’t welcome, but for your next trip to visit your sister if you’re coming from Dublin again, consider the fast ferry to Holyhead then the train. We did that to get to Birmingham and it was terrific. Given how good the trains are there (yes I know the British like to put down the trains there but compared to American y’all are AMAZING, and I’ve never been to Germany or japan to compare British trains to), I’m sure there’s a connection to Bristol.


Glad you made the distinction between transatlantic and European Aer Lingus specifics.

 

[BadPinkTink]

We are considering the London/Paris ABD so this is great information, thanks.

Hi and welcome lots more info to come

Forgive if this isn’t welcome, but for your next trip to visit your sister if you’re coming from Dublin again, consider the fast ferry to Holyhead then the train. We did that to get to Birmingham and it was terrific. Given how good the trains are there (yes I know the British like to put down the trains there but compared to American y’all are AMAZING, and I’ve never been to Germany or japan to compare British trains to), I’m sure there’s a connection to Bristol.

Thanks for the suggestion, it might be useful for others reading along personally flying and getting the train is the preferred way for me. I have done this journey many many times. I do agree through that compared to the Irish train system, the UK train system is amazing and you can literally get any where and connect to every where

Glad you made the distinction between transatlantic and European Aer Lingus specifics.

Yes the transatlantic specifics are very different. Short haul in Europe is basically like domestic in America. Its get em on, get em there, get em off in the cheapest way possible. Im sure though that many Americans have been caught out by the short haul specifics after coming off the transatlantic.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Wiltshire To London By Train

Before I start my journey, this is the luggage I had with me
1 Medium backpack – size suitable for a 15 inch laptop
1 Medium sized 2 wheel pull along case – weight approx. 15kg, size 40 cm x 70cm approx



Travel Insurance
I have Annual Travel Insurance with an Irish company https://www.multitrip.com/ie/
It is a low cost travel insurance and I pay €64.89 per year. I am covered for unlimited travel in Europe and USA for the year. The premiums are low because they partner with the regular health insurance companies for medical expenses. When you sign up for travel insurance with Multi Trip you give them your health insurance company details.

Train Ticket Booking
I had booked my train ticket online in October using this website https://www.thetrainline.com/ and selected the option to collect my ticket at the train station. When I booked the train ticket I got a booking number on the confirmation email. It is always best to book train tickets about 6 weeks in advance to get the cheapest fares. The train system in The UK increases the fare price the nearer you get to travel day.

On December 23 I took a walk to the train station to collect my train ticket for my Wiltshire to London journey. I put my chip and pin card into the machine and just followed the instructions. .




Train from Wiltshire To London

Before I go further with my train journey, some background information.
The train networks in The UK are privatised and different companies run different routes, often sharing stations and rail tracks. That is why I use Trainline website. It is a third party database website of all the train companies and routes. You just put in where you are departing from, where you want to go, how many people and the dates and times of travel. It then calculates for you the route and price and you can then buy your ticket online through Trainline.

If you know the company who runs the route you want to travel you can buy train tickets direct from the individual companies websites. You can also buy tickets on the day of travel either at the ticket desk or at the self-service ticket machines at the train station.

As it was Christmas Holiday Time when I was travelling, there was a limited service and routes available. At normal times of the year there are 2 routes, both direct and non-direct and about 4 trains per hour from where my sister lives to London.

The route Trainline gave me had only one train per hour, a non-direct train with one change. This was the only route available on the day I wanted to travel.

Route : Village where my sister lives to Salisbury, change at Salisbury for a train to London Waterloo



This is the train station in the village where my sister lives. It is a small rural station, which is a commuter route for the town of Bath and city of Bristol.


On the day I was travelling the ticket desk was closed so there was only the self-service ticket machine.

There are only 2 platforms, with Platform 1 reached by a footbridge over the tracks. When I have travelled from Platform 1 you have to carry your luggage up the steps, across the bridge and down the steps. There is a ramp access to Platform 1 but this is accessed from the far side of the train station and you have to go up the road and around the corner. Only those using wheelchairs or strollers use this ramp, everyone else carries their luggage up on the foot bridge.


There are live information boards on each platform and each time there is an update about a train arrival or departure there are also announcements through the tannoy system .

Part 1 Train To Salsbury
Right so this is where the adventure begins.
I have a ticket for the 14.48 train to Salisbury, with a reserved seat. I get to the train station at 14.40, plenty of time.

I check the information board and my train is delayed by 5 minutes. A 5 minute delay turns into 10 minute delay. A 10 minute delay turns into a 20 minute delay. Its Christmas, just roll with it, nothing I can do.

Eventually the train turns up and I find the carriage where my reserved seat is. The door opens and ugh oh theres people and luggage everywhere. Due to the limited service and the delays , the train is jammed packed. There is no way I can get to my reserved seat, so I just make the best of it and stand in the door way. It’s a 40 minute journey, people get off, people get on, but its like sardines all the way to Salisbury.

As the train had been delayed, when I got to Salisbury I had missed my connecting train to London Waterloo. I ended up waiting 40 minutes at Salisbury for the next train. My ticket said to London Waterloo by any route, so it did not matter that I had missed the train I was supped to connect with.

Part 2 Salsbury To London

When the train arrived, again it was jammed packed. A lot of people were on the move in the days between Christmas and New Year. At first I didn’t get a seat, I moved down the carriage and just put my case in the aisle and sat on my case. Luckily at the next station someone got off and I had a seat.

Just a note about luggage on UK trains. There are limited luggage spaces at each end of the carriage and overhead racks above the seats. Unless I get a seat beside the luggage racks I usually keep my luggage with me. I know from previous travel that my case fits in the legroom space at the seat.


Also not all train services have a snack car or trolley service. I never depend on the train having a trolley service and I always have a bottle of water or soda and my own snacks or sandwiches in my bag. There are toilets on the trains and at the stations, but its personal preference on whether you want to use them.

Neither train I took on this journey had a trolley service. I arrived at the train station where my sister lives at 14.40 and with delays arrived at London Waterloo at 18.30, travel time approx. 4 hours

When I arrived at London Waterloo I needed my train ticket to go through the gate / turnstile onto the station concourse.

People move FAST in London and even though everyone had luggage like me, it is not the done thing to hold up the flow of people. Therefore as the train is approaching the station, get your train ticket out of your wallet or purse and put it in your right side coat or trouser pocket.

Get yourself and your luggage off the train and then follow the flow of people up the platform to the station concourse. As you approach the gate, pull your luggage with your left hand and have your ticket in your right hand. Walk up to the gate, insert your ticket and the gate will swing open. Quickly remove your ticket and move away from the gate area.

Walk to the side or middle to get your bearings and figure out where you need to go next. Waterloo train station is a major train station and its always busy. There are shops, toliets and various onwards travel options.

Tube From Waterloo To Victoria
My hotel was in the Victoria area so I needed to get the tube / underground. As I used to live in London I knew my route on the tube to Victoria. In a later post I will do a step by step on how to use the tube

The entrance to the tube was located right beside me on the station concourse. This entrance had no escalators or ramps, just stairs, so I picked up my case and went down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs were directions to the various tube routes. I needed the Jubilee line so I followed the signs , along corridors to the Jubilee line. When I got to the tube station, I need to check how much money was on my Oyster Card.

The Oyster Card is a credit card sized travel card. It can be used on the regular London busses, tubes, DLR and some overground routes.

It can be used 2 ways

1. Pay As You Go
2. Weekly or Monthly Unlimited Use

This is the Oyster Card website https://oyster.tfl.gov.uk/oyster/entry.do

On this particular trip I decided to just top up my pay as you go amount. There are self service ticket machines and ticket desks at the tube stations. I mostly use the self service ticket machines. Some of the ticket machines are chip and pin payments only, and some are cash and card payments.

To top up an Oyster Card, you tap it on the yellow reader and follow the instructions on the screen.


(not my photo)

Once I had topped up my Oyster Card, I swiped it at the entrance gate, put it into my right side coat pocket and went down the escalator. I pulled my case in my left hand and put it on the step in front of me, and held onto the railing with my right hand.

When I reached the bottom of the escalator I pushed my case off in-front of me and found the correct platform.

There are various routes I could have taken. I went 2 stops on the Jubilee Line to Green Park, then changed to the Victoria Line and went 1 stop to Victoria Station.

At Victoria Station I took the escalator up to street level. Again I pulled my case in my left hand and put it on the step in-front of me and held the handrail with my right hand. As I reached the top of the escalator I took my Oyster card out of my right side coat pocket and held it in my right hand. Just like in Waterloo Station, people move fast. I had my Oyster card in my had as I approached the ticket gate, swiped it on the yellow card reader, the gates opened and I quickly walked through, pulling my case.

Victoria Station does not have escalators or lifts from the tube entrance to ground level. There is a lot of construction at Victoria Station as they are putting in escalators. The entrance I was at was very crowded so I just kept going and made my way over to the stairs. Again I just picked up my case and went up the stairs to street level.


Next Up My Hotel

 

[dclpluto]

Lots of good info. This should be a sticky. I recommend this to become a sticky.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Lots of good info. This should be a sticky. I recommend this to become a sticky.

awww thanks I've been helping people with their London pre cruise days and it occurred to that so much of what I take for granted, the cruisers and ABD people need help with. So this trip I made sure that I took as many photos as possible and to write up a basic how to post / trip report. That way people be better prepared

 

[anricat]

Do you think this thread would be better served in the trip reports area of the forum?

 

[Laundress]

The entrance to the tube was located right beside me on the station concourse. This entrance had no escalators or ramps, just stairs, so I picked up my case and went down the stairs.

Thank you for the wonderful info. Is there a way to know what tub station has escalators, elevators or just stairs. We will be traveling with granny and it would be very useful to know what was available. She really wants to experience the tube so I would like to make it happen with as little fuss as possible.
Thank you

 

[bbel]

Thank you for the wonderful info. Is there a way to know what tub station has escalators, elevators or just stairs. We will be traveling with granny and it would be very useful to know what was available. She really wants to experience the tube so I would like to make it happen with as little fuss as possible.
Thank you

I use an app (tube map) that works out the best route at the time you want to travel. Or you can plan it in advance.

It also has accessibility information about each station.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Thank you for the wonderful info. Is there a way to know what tub station has escalators, elevators or just stairs. We will be traveling with granny and it would be very useful to know what was available. She really wants to experience the tube so I would like to make it happen with as little fuss as possible.
Thank you

You really need to be prepared for all stairs. Some stations have stairs to and from from street level to the ticket desk level and then escalators to the platforms, some have escalators to and from street level to the ticket desk and then stairs to the platforms. Some have escalators to and from street level and to and from platforms but stairs between platforms if you want to change between lines in the same station. When you are on the tube, they announce the next station and give information, they will say "the next station is xyz. this station has step free access" this means that there will be an elevator from the platform to the ticket desk and from the ticket desk to street level.

This is the route planner on the tube website https://tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey/ Once you plan your journey I would advise having a look at this http://content.tfl.gov.uk/step-free-tube-guide-map.pdf it is the step free guide to the all the stations
Print all this information out before you leave home

I use an app (tube map) that works out the best route at the time you want to travel. Or you can plan it in advance.
It also has accessibility information about each station.

Thanks, thats great there is an AP but for people who are not from UK or Europe, they may not have data roaming on their phone. Therefore using an AP may not be an option.

 

[bbel]

Thanks, thats great there is an AP but for people who are not from UK or Europe, they may not have data roaming on their phone. Therefore using an AP may not be an option.

The majority of phone plans work abroad at no extra cost.
And your in London so there's free WiFi everywhere, most stations now have free WiFi too.
I originally used this app on an iPod touch which has no data options...

 

[BadPinkTink]

The Hotel I Stayed At

The hotel I was staying at http://www.comfortinnbuckinghampalacerd.co.uk/ is located about 10 minutes walk from the Tube station, between Victoria Train Station and Victoria Bus Station. I booked a double room in October, direct through the hotel website.

The booking I made was under the 30 day Advance Booking Rate. This is a non-refundable, non-exchangeable, non-changeable rate and can-not be cancelled. The full amount was taken from my card at the time of booking.

Double Ensuite Room for 3 nights = £296.70 approx $403.19
Breakfast was not included
Basic buffet breakfast is available for an extra charge of £6 per person per day.

I have stayed in this hotel before and I like it. It’s a medium price hotel. I have also stayed in lower priced budget hotels.

This particular building is a small building. There is 24 hour reception and you need a key card to open the door from the lobby to the rooms. There is a free left luggage facility on your check out day if you need it.


In this photo you can see the lobby area with the reception desk in the background



In this photo you can see the door to the rooms which is opened by the room keycard.

Breakfast is served every day in the lobby area. The shutters you can see is where the breakfast buffet food is set out.

Its an old building located near a train station, you can hear the plumbing and train noises, although they are not loud, just rumbles in the back ground. I have never had issues with noise from other guests. The rooms have heating and air conditioning.

The rooms are smaller than Comfort Inn rooms that I have stayed at in America. A double room in The UK means 1 double bed which is more like a Queen bed in America.

There were 2 power sockets under the mirror by the door and 2 power sockets at the table area.

The lights and air conditioning are controlled by the room key card. Just inside the door there is a little slot thingy where you put the room key card

In this room my medium sized case fitted on the case rack at the end of my bed. It would be a tight squeeze to have 2 large 50 lb cases on the floor at the end of the bed.

Also the bed was against the wall, meaning that if 2 people were in the bed, one person would be against the wall.





In this photo you can see the room safe, the wardrobe, the luggage rack, spare pillows behind the tv, the hairdryer and the table and chair.


In this photo you can see the tea/ coffee facilities. Unlike American hotel rooms, standard hotel rooms in The UK do not have a fridge or microwave or coffee machine.


This is the bathroom. The sink, toliet and shower are located in the same area. There were generic liquid soap dispenser on the wall at the sink and generic shower gel dispenser on the wall in the shower. There were 2 small towels and mat in the bathroom and 2 large bath towels in rolls on the bed.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Breakfast At The Hotel

Breakfast was an option extra £6 per person per day. I just had breakfast at the hotel once, on my last morning.

I paid £6 cash at the reception desk and was given a voucher. I was asked for my room number.
I then went to the breakfast buffet where a member of staff took the voucher from me.

Its a basic breakfast, nothing fancy but it does what it is supposed to do.







The tea and coffee station stays open during the day

This was what I had, I took it back to my room.
I would not recommend the coffee though

 

[seelyt2]

Thank you for this thread! My family is traveling to London for our first trip abroad in June and this thread is so informative and interesting. I’m looking forward to reading and learning more. Thank you!!!
Tara