 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I think it sounds exciting, invigorating, wonderful, and...exhausting!
HAVE A GREAT TIME!
You'll be needing to get a LOT of rest when you get back home!
PLEASE fill us in with the details!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nice trip. That's more places than I ever went in 30 years of living there. It all sounds great, Wales and Lindon particularly. I was in Crewe a lot 20 years ago but have no memory of what to do there. Hope all the trains, planes and automobiles are on time and working!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Posted: |
Feb 18, 2017 - 2:48 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
MusicMad
(Member)
|
I'm envious. Maybe you will meet some of our FSM British Buddies.
Now about those driving parts. Do you know how to drive on the WRONG side of the road? 
I'd have to hire a British driver to keep me and other British people safe!
Now you know, Joan, it can't be the wrong side of the road ... not when 99% of the drivers in the country drive on the correct side (okay, we do have a few who aren't too sure ...). And, as someone who has driven through several continental countries (and the USA ... well, Florida at any rate) using both my own and local hire cars I can say that it doesn't take long to get used to being on the wrong side ...
.. of course, exiting right from side roads onto main roads will be a challenge; and, as for roundabouts (islands!), well I don't know if these are a common feature on Canadian roads. And getting used to UK fuel prices ...
And, you will recall that TG and I, and maybe others, have offered to chauffeur you during your UK visit. No charge, all you need do is pay for the food, lodging and day-to-day expenses at all the places we visit. 
Mitch
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Feb 18, 2017 - 3:10 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
MusicMad
(Member)
|
Hey everybody,
My girlfriend and I are planning our first overseas trip and we've decided on England/Wales as a safe first choice.
Our interests are:
1) History (both of us)
2) Trains (me)
3) Exploring/Things off the beaten path/knick knack shopping (her)
Here is our itinerary so far:
Day 1-4: Overnight flight from Canada into London (Heathrow) and touring London - Airbnb
Day 5: Day trip to Oxford - back to London
Day 6: Harry Potter World/End in Portsmouth - stay with relatives
Day 7: Portsmouth - visit relatives
Day 8: Train from Portsmouth/Salisbury Cathedral/Stonehenge/End in Bath - Airbnb
Day 9: Tour Bath/Night in Bath - Airbnb
Day 10: Train to Didcot/Didcot (Great Western Railway Museum)/Night in Bath - Airbnb
Day 11: Bath/Rent car from Bath/Castle Combe/End at Thornbury Castle Hotel
Day 12: Drive to Tintern Abbey/Caerphilly Castle/End in Brecon area.
Day 13: Easy drive to Gladstone's Library via the A470/Stay at Gladstone's Library
Day 14: Ziplining at ZipWorld Bethesda/Caernarfon Castle/End in Crewe - stay with friends
Day 15: Day trip with friends to Snowdon Mountain Railway/End in Crewe - stay with friends
Day 16: Easy trip back to London from Crewe via train - Airbnb
Day 17: Milling around London before we fly out.
While on the surface, it may seem a little hectic but if you look closer, it's not that bad. For most of the trip, we would be sleeping in the same bed for more than one night (four nights in London, two nights in Portsmouth, three nights in Bath and two nights in Crewe). There are some long days for sure, but there are also quite a few relaxing days.
What do you guys think?
Edit: Unfortunately I could not find any film music concerts in the area that we are going to be in.
I'm amused at the word safe in your opening line ... have you met us Brits before?
Anyhow, apart from the fact that I've no interest in Railways and Harry Potter it sounds like a great trip ... I hate to think of the cost!
Certainly allow extra time where you can for traffic delays (and British Rail is not renown for its punctuality). My better half (who does most of our travel planning) did query where you would leave your luggage when you visit Harry Potter World (perhaps the exhibition has facilities for travellers).
It's so easy to say, have you thought about ... , why not visit ... and I will limit my suggestions to your Bath location (Days 11 & 12) when you have the hire car. If you have the opportunity to do so, please visit Wells and Cheddar Gorge. The time may not be available to you but whilst we like Bath (our daughter took her Masters there) the much smaller Wells is far prettier. As for the Gorge, don't bother to stop there but it's a lovely drive.
Enjoy!
Mitch
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Feb 18, 2017 - 6:31 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
litefoot
(Member)
|
Things we plan to do in London (in no particular order):
1) Bus Tour when we first get there
2) Victoria and Albert Museum
3) Fortnum & Mason
4) See a show
5) See a play at Shakespeare's Globe
6) Big Ben & Parliament Buildings (walk-by)
7) Changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace
8) Westminster Abbey
9) Churchill War Rooms
10) London Eye
11) Tower of London
12) HMS Belfast
13) Evensong at St Paul's Cathedral
14) Twinning Museum
15) Covent Garden shopping
Word of advice when using the tube: do not get a paper ticket from the machine/counter. Don't even get a one day travel ticket. They're much more expensive than using a contactless or Oyster card.
My UK bank debit card is contactless and I can use it to swipe in and out at tube stations. This is what I use to pay fares - the cost is lower than buying a single journey ticket at a machine. Plus, if the monetary value of the journeys you make during a day reaches a certain level, your payment is 'capped' and you won't pay anymore. For example, if you only travel within zone 1 and 2 (Central London) all day, when your tube spend hits £6.60, you won't pay any more, regardless of how many journeys you make that day. All the journeys after that are free. If you only travel within zones 1-3 all day, the daily cap is £7.70. And so on and so on.
Now consider that a one day paper travelcard within zones 1-2 costs £12.30, and you can see you're saving 50%!
This is one of the best kept secrets of London travel.
Here is a table showing you all the caps for the zones.
http://content.tfl.gov.uk/adult-fares-2017.pdf
Obviously your contactless card won't be a UK one, so there would be a transaction fee charged. However, if you have a card that doesn't charge you for foreign transactions, your card is as good as a UK one. I think only credit cards offer this service.
If you don't have a card that offers foreign transactions for free, I recommend getting an Oyster card. It operates exactly the same as above, but you have to pay for the card. A 'Visitor Oyster card' costs £3 (plus postage) and you can pre-load it with pay as you go credit for you to spend on travel. So you and your partner could send off for these in the post (you can't buy them in London). Here's a link explaining how to get them.
https://visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/london-visitor-oyster-card/
You can get unused credit refunded to you in London.
You won't find a system like this outside London, alas.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bath is great. Do visit the avenue but where they filmed Who will buy this wonderful feeling song from Oliver.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Feb 19, 2017 - 2:43 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Rameau
(Member)
|
Things we plan to do in London (in no particular order):
1) Bus Tour when we first get there
2) Victoria and Albert Museum
3) Fortnum & Mason
4) See a show
5) See a play at Shakespeare's Globe
6) Big Ben & Parliament Buildings (walk-by)
7) Changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace
8) Westminster Abbey
9) Churchill War Rooms
10) London Eye
11) Tower of London
12) HMS Belfast
13) Evensong at St Paul's Cathedral
14) Twinning Museum
15) Covent Garden shopping
All great stuff (esp. the Tower Of London) some people think a bus tour is a bit naff, but I think it's a good idea, you get the lie of the land & make a note of where you want to go back to. You probably won't spend that long in Covent Garden, & a couple of minutes walk away from there is Trafalgar Square, & there you'll find The National Gallery, tons of classic paintings, you'll know 'em from books, LP covers & magazines, see the originals, & it's free to get in. A couple of minutes walk away from the V&A there's the Science Museum (my favourite & all of them free). And if you're in London on a Saturday you must go to a market, & my pick is Portobello Road Market (Notting Hill Gate tube station), a very busy friendly market.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
