Not Disney - but London

[Aust]

I have been thinking lately I'd like to go to London in 2014 when I turn 40 (have to have something to take my mind off the dreaded birthday). But I've never been to Europe so I need some help, and all you people have the best advice.

So:

Which months are usually the cheapest for airfares? My birthday is August but I'm open to going at other times. And hopefully I can go without kids so won't need to take school holidays into consideration.

What are the best airlines? taking into account price, service, comfort, etc.

How much time would be enough to see the sights of London plus a couple of day trips to places like Oxford, Bath etc?

Thanks..

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Hi Aust. I can't answer your questions yet - we are heading to London in late March. We are going for 9 days, and are renting an apartment rather than staying a hotel because we will be a family of 5 for this trip and it was cheaper and easier. That likely won't be the case for you if travelling solo though. We booked our flights with Etihad, they were offering the best prices by far at the time. They seem to get fairly good reviews.

We think 9 days is a generous amount but with taking along 2 kids and a grandma and having always wanted to go to England we thought we wanted to allow a decent amount of time. I definitely think you could stay there for less though if time was an issue.

There are quite a few Disers who have done London so I'm sure you will get some awesome information from them.

I'm happy to update you after my trip.

 

[Andona]

Aust, re your question about "how many days" - it would help to know your "must sees" and the places you could miss? There is Soooo much to see in London that to see all the sights could take a month

If you love to visit galleries you could spend days just visiting the Tate, the National gallery, the National Portrait gallery, the Tate Modern etc etc

Similarly there are so many fabulous free Museums in London they could keep you occupied for a week!

That's also before you started visiting the castles and the cathedrals etc

If it helps I can tell you what we fitted in comfortably on our trips?

The first was for 6 nights/7 days in that time we did:-

a Hop-On, Hop-Off bus tour to orientate ourselves
We visited the National Gallery and the Portrait gallery
We toured St Pauls cathedral and Westminster Abbey
Visited the Victoria and Albert Museum, the British Museum and the Museum of London
We toured the Churchill War rooms, walked up Whitehall to see the Horse Guards and Number 10. , walked through St James Park, up and down the Mall to see Buckingham palace.
We did a tour of Lords Cricket Ground and visited Abbey Road.
Did some shopping at Covent Garden and in Oxford Street and at Harrods
We did a boat trip up the Thames to Tour the Tower of London and Tower bridge.
My DH and DS went to the football while DD and I visited Shakespeares Globe and the Tate Modern.


On our second trip we only had a couple of days so we:-
visited the British Library to see the Treasures exhibition
re-visited the British Museum to see some of the things we'd missed
Visited the Imperial War Museum
Visited the National Science Museum
did some shopping in Oxford St and Regent Street


And there's still places we have to go to another time like
Greenwich, Hampton Court, Kew Gardens, etc!!

I LOVE London - it's my favourite city to visit anywhere...

How much time have you got? I'm pretty sure there are tours that will take you to both Bath and Oxford in one day but it would be nicer to spend more time on each.

Andona

 

[Caroline NZ]

I am also reading along with interest. We were going to go to the UK in 2014, but WDW won out as the trip for that year. So July 2015 it is for the UK. I was born over there, but was only a toddler when we emigrated. I have been back for a couple of short trips, but the last time was 15 yrs ago!! Would love to take the kids over and see some of the rellies
I remember the first trip back when I was 16 ( well we went back when I was 4 but I don't remember that much!) I was so so excited to see the sights of London.

 

[5ofus]

It's been over ten years since I was in London. I had four ays and managed to cram a whole lot in. I wasn't interested in museums, so gave them a miss, but was totally intrigued by Hampton Court Palace so devoted a day to getting down there and exploring it. Where else did I go....? Only saw the outside of Buckingham Palace, shopping, London Eye, Tower of London, Kensington Palace...Can't remember much else!

 

[Travel Mum]

I'm happy to update you after my trip.

Ms Shuttergirl, have you done a PTR for your Europe trip? Will you do a TR? I love travelling vicariously along with you!

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Ms Shuttergirl, have you done a PTR for your Europe trip? Will you do a TR? I love travelling vicariously along with you!

.

I haven't started a PTR as yet because I feel like I need to have more organised before I start it . I'm very behind in organising this trip. I will be starting one in the next few weeks though and will definitely be doing a TR. I like the sound of my own voice to much not to .

Only joking but I do enjoy writing what we are up to and love that the Disers appreciate the inane detail.

 

[Travel Mum]

.

I haven't started a PTR as yet because I feel like I need to have more organised before I start it . I'm very behind in organising this trip. I will be starting one in the next few weeks though and will definitely be doing a TR. I like the sound of my own voice to much not to .

Only joking but I do enjoy writing what we are up to and love that the Disers appreciate the inane detail.

Oh Yay, I will be looking forward to it!

I'm very impressed that you are planning two major trips for your family that are within four months of each other. I'm sure that is rather stressing.....

Sorry to have gone Aust. Just reading your thread has now got me wishing I could take my girls to London and that it's been a long time since DH and I have been there........ahhh, all these dreams I have... really need to win Lotto

P.S. I can highly recommend being overseas on holiday for your 40th birthday. I was at Castaway Island and, on that morning, I woke up, turned over and looked out to the sea thinking "well, this is not so bad after all"!!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Aust - August is peak period in Europe; so be aware that things will get pricier at this time.

I've spent 6 weeks in London and went to see things based on Monopoly Board groupings. There is just so much to see and do there and something interesting at every corner. It just depends on what you want to see and do.

Is it just London or do you want to travel around Britain as well? I preferred Cambridge to Oxford and Bath is gorgeous. But then so were so many other little towns and villages all throughout the Island.

If you are going for a longer time in Britain and want to see the major sites, check out a subscription to English Heritage and/or the National Trust. Depending on which sites you visit, the subscription will definitely pay for itself.

 

[Andona]

If you are going for a longer time in Britain and want to see the major sites, check out a subscription to English Heritage and/or the National Trust. Depending on which sites you visit, the subscription will definitely pay for itself.

Sadly, the English Heritage pass was discontinued this year I had recommended it to a friend of mine and she was very disappointed to learn they don't do it anymore.

However, she bought the London Pass and thought it was fantastic!

Andona

 

[PrincessInOz]

Sadly, the English Heritage pass was discontinued this year I had recommended it to a friend of mine and she was very disappointed to learn they don't do it anymore.

However, she bought the London Pass and thought it was fantastic!

Andona

Dang! That pass was really good value.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

PIO - care to share some tales and info on what you did?

Andona - thanks for that info.

Aust - thank you for starting this thread because frankly it can only help me.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Oh Yay, I will be looking forward to it!

I'm very impressed that you are planning two major trips for your family that are within four months of each other. I'm sure that is rather stressing.....

Sorry to have gone Aust. Just reading your thread has now got me wishing I could take my girls to London and that it's been a long time since DH and I have been there........ahhh, all these dreams I have... really need to win Lotto

P.S. I can highly recommend being overseas on holiday for your 40th birthday. I was at Castaway Island and, on that morning, I woke up, turned over and looked out to the sea thinking "well, this is not so bad after all"!!

You have totally hit the nail on the head. What seemed like a good idea at the time, greedy almost, has now become quite a stressful situation with not enough time in my busy work schedule to plan both trips to the level that makes me feel calm and comfortable. It will get done though.

I love that you did something so wonderful for your 40th. I turned 40 in March of last year and looking back on that year I swear I was in a mini depression. I didn't like turning 40 at all. I turned 41 in March just gone and feel much happier with my life. I could've really used a lovely cruise at that crucial time.

 

[Aust]

Thanks for all the advice - there is SO much I want to see in the UK - well all of Europe actually, but I'd like to start off in England, and if I only have a week or two the first time, then would focus on London. I've always loved the history and would get such a kick out of seeing all these places in person. I do plan on taking my 2 girls to Europe when they're older, in about 6 years (husband would rather go fishing so I said he can go with our son!), but I really want to go sooner than that and don't think the finances would stretch to all 5 of us going. Also I think the kids would be too young to appreciate all the museums etc. And rather than stressing about my 40th I'd rather have something to look forward to!

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Thanks for all the advice - there is SO much I want to see in the UK - well all of Europe actually, but I'd like to start off in England, and if I only have a week or two the first time, then would focus on London. I've always loved the history and would get such a kick out of seeing all these places in person. I do plan on taking my 2 girls to Europe when they're older, in about 6 years (husband would rather go fishing so I said he can go with our son!), but I really want to go sooner than that and don't think the finances would stretch to all 5 of us going. Also I think the kids would be too young to appreciate all the museums etc. And rather than stressing about my 40th I'd rather have something to look forward to!

Absolutely, this would be a wonderful thing to be planning and looking forward to.

 

[cola]

How long do you need in London? How long is a piece of string? There is SOOOOOOOO much to do. There are all of the BIG things, and then there are the smaller things like Fashion and Textile Museum, wandering around the markets, Candem Markets (not a food market), Borough Markets (food market), there are lots of walking tours. It's very strange going to a Westfield shopping centre (that was also strange in San Franscico)

Since you are going alone, you may be tempted to go for cheaper budget accommodation (above backpacker) - don't do it, go for somewhere with a new building, old bathrooms and no lift are the last thing you want to deal with after a long flight. I stayed round Southwark last year and couldn't get over how much it had changed over the last 10 year - last century, it was the rough little back lanes as seen in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and now it's all very upmarket and redeveloped. The Globe Theatre used to be in a relatively isolated spot and now it's in the middle of a major redeveloped area. I've stayed at Shepherds Bush too, it looks a long way out, but it's not, great transport, plus it is relatively close to one of the airports.

 

[Aust]

Well my husband has confirmed he wouldn't want to go to London, so he can stay home with the kids! and I can go, woo hoo. My sister is thinking about joining me, and also I have a lifelong friend who's never been overseas and we've always promised each other we'd go to Europe together one day - and she turns 40 the same year as me - time to rope her in I think!

 

[Aussie Wendy]

London can be hot and crowded in August but given its to celebrate your 40th you probably have a small window. If you think you may want to do any day trips out of London in August be aware the traffic jams are a nightmare- do a day trip by train eg Brighton, Bath, Salisbury....

If a group of you and girlfriends can go then definitely go for an apartment - in 2010 we stayed in a great one in a renovated warehouse in the Docks area just near Tower Bridge on the south bank. There were some amazingly swish ones for not a lot more than a daggy hotel (our wasn't super swish but comfortable with a balcony and sideways view of the Thames but it was fitting our family of three and my parents). If you end up going solo then I would stay in a nice B&B-there are lovely ones out there rather than an impersonal hotel-and considering the prices-there are a lot of second rate hotels in London so do your research.

What to see....perhaps start with one of the hop on-off buses to get your bearings and go past everything. Since I emigrated at the end of primary school we have been back several times to see rellies and friends and each time new things wow us. Some of our faves-Trafalgar Square, British Museum (but its huge so pick a few galleries to zero in on) or Sir John Soanes Museum, we like the London Museum which is more of a social history museum but probably better to do that with kids, ditto Science Museum. Convent Garden-have pre-theatre special 2 course dinner in the area (prebook - lots of places recommended on foodie sites and as early dinner get some great specials), wander the market shops and listen to buskers before watching a West End show or wander area, see show, have post-theatre dinner. Borough Markets (south bank-great food market). Tower of London (I know its cliche but we like it). We probably prefer Westminster Cathedral to St Paul's by a whisker but as first time you almost need to visit both. Walk across the Millennium Bridge from St Paul's to the Tate Modern (we are not keen on the Tate as don't like modern art but if you do then you'll have that on your list). We love the parks-its a nice walk through St James across the lake and the view of the towers/spires of Buckingham palace is a classic-it looks like a castle surrounded by greenery. Hyde Park at dusk is also lovely. Pick an area, wander the streets, shop. You can organise days by geography (bit like WDW parks) and cluster what you want to see to save your legs..and don't be fooled by the Underground Map which is not geographical. Sometimes it can be easier to come above ground and walk a short distance to your destination than muck about with transfers of lines.

Ok I've bored you all now-I will shut up.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

London is such a wonderful place. It was my home for 1 1/2 years and I miss it often.
Like many have said, a great place to start is with the hop on hop off buses. It gives you a great overview and helps you decide where you want to go back to.
I was also echo what has been said about the museums - the ones in London are amazing. The British Museum and the Museum of Natural History were my all time favourites.
Lastly, if you're keen to get a taste of other parts of Europe, but are worried about time restraints, a Eurostar trip makes it possible to do a whirlwind visit across to France or Belgium. We absolutely loved Brussels - it's an easy city to explore by foot, the food (aka chocolate) is amazing, and I would argue that it has the prettiest town square in all of Europe. Anyway, it's quite easy to visit Brussels in two days/one night. Get the first Eurostar in the morning to Brussels, spend that afternoon and the next morning exploring, then come back that afternoon/evening. If you can find a London hotel that will store your luggage for you, you'll just need to take a backpack with you with enough stuff for a night. Anyway, just thought I'd mention that incase it provides some food for thought.
Happy Planning! Europe is a real delight for the senses.

 

[Minniemum]

Everyone has given you some great advice about what to see and do. If I was to pick one thing I'd say do the Tower of London or a west end show. I know that sounds kitsch but that's what I loved about London. London is quite compact and the tube is fantastic so 1 week would give you plenty of highlights. For day trips I'd choose Oxford (don't let anyone talk you into Stonehenge).

I know you want to concentrate on England but if your girlfriends are joining you, you may want to consider Paris. It's only 2 1/2 hours by train from the centre of London to the centre of Paris.

For a bit of fun the Edinburgh festival is on in August but that's a 5 hour train trip. It's a great city with heaps to see.