Great Britain Travel Tips? - YouLookFab Forum

Anonymous

This I something I really want to go and see. I don't think my DH would be too interested though The Glamour of Italian Fashion at the V and A museum : http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/e.....1945-2014/

If you can sneek a day on your own it may be worth it

10 years ago

Astrid

Veteran

Oh wow, Diane. Maybe I can go have a look at the exhibition when we're in London. Although it's not inexpensive.

10 years ago

Kim

Veteran

I went last year with friends, and 7-10 days is NOT enough, just for London! LOL

Bring GOOD walking shoes, you'll be doing A LOT of walking! Even with taking the Tube (subway) you spend a lot of time on your feet and on stairs! There's tons of stairs, but no apparent hills! LOL

We did the hop on hop off bus tour and it was well worth the money (£20 or so for the single day one. (You can get a two day pass as well) Takes about 2 hours if you don't hop off anywhere, but is well worth it to hit all the "highlights" with a tour guide on day one and decide where you want to go the next day.) It also included a bit of a water hop on hop off tour. You can see all the sights from the Thames, but they aren't all narrated. (Ours was not, but we had fun anyway!) Start your tour at Trafalgar Square, you can buy tickets at some of the tourists stands and they seem to have people roaming the streets looking for tourists to buy tickets. There are 3 lines that sell them. We went with the "Original" tour, (I think it was the Red Line) but the other ones offered tours in other languages. They also provided headsets for translation if you wanted that.

Don't know anything about hotels, we rented a flat in the west end of London, and traveled by subway and bus (and more walking!) for the whole trip. Our only taxi's were from the airport and back again.

If you want to see a show (Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, and many many more) you can book ahead online or you can go to a ticket outlet in Leicaster (sp) square and buy them for a discounted price. We missed out on Phantom however because we didn't book in advance and happened to be in town when some huge U.S.A/UK sports thing was going on.

We saw the Tower of London (take the inlcuded 30 minute tour offered there, with the Beefeaters, on the grounds, before you go inside. It's fun and they are quite amusing and quite knowledgeable. And LOUD...They do the whole 30 minute tour, outdoors with a crowd of about 100 and they yell the whole time, but they are very clear! I'm glad we went on that. Then go indoors and take the guided headset tour. (They are free) Sooooo much to see and so much history. You'll see exactly where Henry the VIII beheaded Anne Boleyn, and Katherine Howard, among many, as well as lots of other very interesting bits of information that goes right up til WW2. (They were preparing the Tower to be used by Adolf Hitler should they capture him.)

We also took the train out to Buckingham Palace and had another great time there. If you see any docents (not sure what they are called there) ask them questions. They seem quite excited to have people who are interested to talk to and can tell you all kinds of interesting things that are not on the "headset tour". Like the fact that Henry VIII's grave is not "exactly" where it is marked. We were looking at it, and the docent was telling us about it, but it turns out that after they x-rayed the area they found the grave was a few feet away and we were actually STANDING ON TOP OF IT, as we spoke! (And don't ask about the movie "The King's Speech" the docent seemed quite insulted that someone would make a "film" about Queen Elizabeth's father, King George...LOL)

I never made it to the Victoria and Albert museum, but will be doing that this time (I'm going back in August).

The British Museum was also fabulous! I saw the Rosetta Stone in person, along with an amazing ancient Egyptian display and sooooo much more! Another whole day could have been spent there. (Actually a few days!)

Again, so many things you could do, I can't even begin to tell you. What kind of things are you looking to do? Shopping, eating, sightseeing?

10 years ago

Mander

(website)

Veteran

If you can manage to go to Avebury (more of a pain to get to than Stonehenge but in the same general area) it might be worthwhile. It's another huge stone circle, with a village in the middle, but it is not as crowded with tourists and you can get right up close to the stones. Salisbury is a nice medieval town with a fantastic cathedral, so if you have time it is also a nice place to visit! If you are planning to go to Stonehenge you can take the train there from London, then the bus from Salisbury. You can take the bus to Avebury, too.

http://www.visitwiltshire.co.u.....nd-avebury

10 years ago

MovingFashionForward

Active Member

As someone else said, walking shoes are a must. Well-broken-in walking shoes. My American friends are always a bit shocked by how much walking one does in Britain. Bring a waterproof layer just in case. And lots of layers to allow for seasonally confused weather. An American friend of mine felt chilled to the bone when visiting Britain because she had not quite realised just how cold she would get when rained on gently but steadily for 3 days, even in our mild temperatures. OTOH, if you only take warm and rainproof clothes you will be miserable if there is a heatwave, as happens too.

As to where to go and what to do, goodness! Where does one start?! What are you interested in? Definitely check what fashion-related exhibitions etc might be on at the time you are there. Consider a quick trip to Dalston (London E8) which has become interestingly hip and fashiony in recent years. If you have any interest in history, go to the War Rooms, from where Churchill ran the war (WW2), and possibly Bletchley Park. I still haven't managed to go on the Eye -- it is always too long a wait whenever I have tried, so you might want to look into booking ahead for that. Don't even think of driving a car in London. Get an Oyster card and use public transport instead.

Americans I have driven around Britain have been particularly impressed by the beauty of Edinburgh (I once drove a visiting American from London to the very north of Scotland and back in 72 hours, though admittedly one can no longer drive that fast, what with all the speed cameras; nevertheless, Britain is a small country), and the Pembrookshire coast, and the Cotswolds (driving around looking at the pretty villages and stopping for a pub lunch and/or tea in a little tea room, etc).

If you come to Oxford be sure to go up to the top of the 10th century tower in the middle of town, on Cornmarket, and go to the Pitt Rivers Museum. In the summer there is outdoor Shakespeare, and we also tend to have particularly good buskers here (presumably music students -- you might find a classical quartet in full evening wear on Cornmarket). If you are here in term time try to see the Oxford Imps perform (at the Wheatsheaf on Monday nights at 8pm but get there earlier). They are amazingly brilliant.

If you say what sort of things you want to do to narrow it down a bit I'd be happy to give you lots more ideas. Enjoy your trip!

Sarah

10 years ago

Elle

Veteran

You will have a wonderful time. Bring really good walking shoes and an umbrella. Some London ideas:
1. Walking tours of Kensington and Hampstead (get there by Underground)
I think we went with London Walks.
2. Afternoon tea at either the Orangerie in Kensington Palace or The Wolseley
3. Victoria and Albert Museum (be sure to peek in the older rooms in the cafeteria which are over the top), British Museum, Tate Modern (all free entry)
4. Tour of Parliament (summer only I believe)
5. Climb the stairs of the Monument or go to the top of St Pauls
6. Ride the #11 bus which goes by many major sights (St Pauls, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham palace)
7. Walk along the serpentine in Hyde Park
8. Wander through the Inns of Court (Holborn) on a weekday
9. Walk over the Millenium pedestrian bridge from the Tate Modern to St Pauls

10 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

Book your Eye tickets now! I've never gotten to go on it. My personal fave is the Tate. I enjoyed Tintagel in Cornwall. Cold of course.

10 years ago

Emily

Veteran

Thanks for the excellent suggestions. Any particularly good areas of London to stay in? Thinking about a flat rental for the week, maybe...

10 years ago

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I think we used vrbo.com to find a flat rental. As far as the touristy parts of London, a hop on, hop off bus ticket is a nice choice to start the first day because it will orient you to where everything is and then you can use it as transit to get back to the places you want to check out in more detail. Westminster Abbey is without equal as far as historic significance, and I really liked the imperial war museum down on Whitehall. We rode the Eye this time (wasn't there last time I went to London) and it was neat but not worth standing in a long line for, IMO. If you buy tickets online ahead you can skip most of the line. The V&A is one of my favorite museums, and not just fashion - they've got a lot of other stuff too. Plus they are right near the science museum and a couple other museums worth checking out. The Tate Modern is a cool structure and the walk along the river from there and to St. Paul's is lovely. Also the reconstructed Globe theater - we didn't get to see a show there but that's worth looking into if you like Shakespeare.

If you are limited in time, a day trip from London to Oxford and the Cotswolds will give you a quick glimpse of English countryside. Hampton court is pretty cool if you are into the medieval / Stuart era stuff.

As Dr Johnson famously said, when you are tired of London, you are tired of life. You could easily spend a week there and only see the highlights, so just give in and choose the things that most interest you.

10 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Oh, lucky Emily. Such fun. You have received excellent advice. Your activities will only be limited by time and your personal interests -- there is so much to do and see!

When we were there last year we rented a flat in London and took the tube everywhere. Some highlights for me from that trip and past trips:

For me, literary destinations are especially interesting. On an earlier visit, I loved walking through Hampstead and visiting Keats House. (We used a book called London Walks to self-guide our tour.) This past trip I visited Dickens House, as well as Samuel Johnson's House.

I love the Tate and the Tate Modern. Also, the National Portrait Gallery, attached to the National Gallery. The British Museum is amazing, too, of course. And we spent an absolutely lovely morning at the Courtauld Gallery.

Theatre!! Absolutely check out the cheaper tickets in Leicester Square, but think also of less expected venues. The most fun I had on our last trip was the day we saw/ heard a musical in an Islington pub! First we ate an amazing meal at a Mochi-recommended restaurant, and then we sauntered over to the pub for the show.

Food is great in London nowadays. You can eat really well, although rarely on the cheap.

Shopping! So many places to check out. I actually did not buy much on my last trip -- I just didn't have time. But I spent a fun hour or two in Selfridge's. Did not make it to Harrod's this trip.

My favourite thing to do, really, is walk and wander -- just to poke around neighbourhoods and follow my nose.

Wishing you happy planning and an even better trip!

10 years ago

Runcarla

Veteran

We stayed in Bath, and our B&B hostess had the best suggestions. She hooked us up with 'Mad Max' mini bus tours which hit all the hotspots (Stonehenge, Avebury Circle, Cotswolds, and the village where they filmed the BBC Pride and Prejudice, and the Abbey where they filmed some Harry Potter scenes. ) Starts early, goes late, and gets you to the spots before the big tour buses. Great commentary along the way pointing out chalk horses, and other ancient earth mound constructions we would never have noticed. DH didn't have to do any driving, and the kids had a blast. Only 12 of us in the van. Stopped at a great pub for lunch. So worth the money!

Also, she let us know that the Roman baths were open late in the pm (most historic sites close Round 5 pm). We toured after dinner, and the site was lit by torch light! Very dramatic.

I would also recommend Kim's suggestion of the 24 hr hop on hop off bus that includes the boat ride up the Thames to the Tower of London. Our guide was hoot.

Do the standard tours, then research one thing unique to your and your DH's passions. My DS visited a brolly maker in business more than 200 years and snagged a brolly custom made for a very tall gent, who changed his mind and ordered something else. They cut and finished it to DS's nearly 6 ft 5in height. It is a thing of beauty! He also has fond memories of eating macaroons at Harrod's!

DH and I got rush tickets for 'Chicago', we also found a nice neighbourhood pub that we kept returning to for great food and beer. We walked, and walked, and walked the linked parks and gardens. We visited th churches. We liked Saville Row and Germyn street, but even a pair of socks would set you back a fortune.

10 years ago

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