|
Post by heather on Aug 17, 2015 23:18:47 GMT
I am planning a solo 10 day trip in early December. I think I went to stay in a rental in Kensington because I plan on going to the museums a lot...I'm a museum freak. Plus I want to pack light so a place with a washer and dryer would be great. And more economical since I can go to a grocery store and use the fridge and stove at home.
But.
There's a kinda expensive hotel that has a gorgeous view of Big Ben. And I want to spend my evenings drinking wine and looking over the city. But really would be financially a stretch plus not where I want to be most days. But the view...I want that view.
And there is so much I want to see and do in London that filling up 10 days is not a problem.
But.
Since I'm not sure when I'll be that way again, maybe spending a few days somewhere else is an option. Maybe even just a one day trip to Stonehenge. But Paris or even Belgium (would really like to visit Belgium).
But once again that would financially be a stretch and leave little time for relaxing.
What I really want is someone to plan my vacation and I'll show up and do what I'm told. Lol.
So so tell me to be responsible, stay in a Kensington rental, and stay in London the whole trip. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
|
|
|
Post by hollymolly on Aug 17, 2015 23:31:26 GMT
The view sounds lovely, but do you really need 9 nights in a row of that view? I think the rental sounds amazing. I love the idea of pretending I live there. You can't get that in a hotel room, regardless of the view.
I went by myself for 8 days in February and March. It was magical and I can't wait to go back. But I did get burned out on art and history by the end of the trip. I am also very into museums, but really, there are so many, and after a while it's overload and it's hard to appreciate what you're looking at. I had intended to go to the Natural History Museum on the way back from the V&A (which I loved!), but when I got to the entrance, I paused, and then went back to the tube station because I was just done. I couldn't make myself look at one more thing. I'm glad I saw as much as I did, but in the end, what I liked best was just being in London.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
May 19, 2024 2:15:03 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 17, 2015 23:31:45 GMT
A trip is not a time to be responsible. You'll never look back and think "I'm glad I saved that $200" but you will look back and be glad you did all of the wonderful things you did. Compromise and stay in the Big Ben view room for one or two nights, and the flat for the rest, if you can schedule it.
|
|
|
Post by cindytred on Aug 17, 2015 23:34:17 GMT
I'm so jealous that you'll be going to LONDON for 10 days - alone!! Lucky duck! I have no suggestions on where you should go or stay. Maybe you should contact a travel agent for recommendations.
Cindy
|
|
|
Post by scrapnatya on Aug 17, 2015 23:40:42 GMT
I just got home from 6 days in London. I stayed in Islington, which isn't necessarily near Kensington, but we got a great deal on the Hilton Doubletree hotel there, plus a free breakfast buffet everyday ( a big spread). It's a quick 20 minute walk to the tube (King's Cross/ St. Pancras) station plus Angel station is even closer as is the bus stop. My daughter, who lived in Kensington all summer (dorm housing), planned our whole touristy trip. If you tell me what's on your list of must-sees, she will happily plan out your trip.
|
|
|
Post by heather on Aug 17, 2015 23:41:09 GMT
Yeah. It's my way over the top 40th birthday gift to myself. I'm getting excited. Lol.
|
|
|
Post by scrapnatya on Aug 17, 2015 23:47:13 GMT
We toured Buckingham Palace and then went to Westminster Abbey, both of which were must sees for me. DD had done the museums a few times so we just went to her fave--- The V and A. We went to Harrod's and then ate AMAZING pizza (and I'm from NY!) at Franco Manca (South Kensington location)which I can't say enough good things about!!
|
|
Belle
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,309
Jun 28, 2014 4:39:12 GMT
|
Post by Belle on Aug 17, 2015 23:56:02 GMT
Can you go to the hotel for your wine and views and then hop the Tube back to your rental in Kensington?
We spent a week in London in April. We stayed in the St. James Park area which was great. We arrived on a Friday and then the following Wednesday went to Paris for the day via the Eurostar. If I had to do it all over again, I think our time would have been better spent relaxing and enjoying London. The morning we went to Paris we were up at 3:30am to catch the first train of the day. We arrived in Paris around 9am but it was more like 10:30am before we got into the heart of Paris and were able to sit down and eat a decent breakfast and wonder around a bit. By 3pm we were already thinking we needed to start heading back to the train station to catch our return which was around 7pm. We had no idea how long it would take to get back to the Gare du Nord train station because the traffic was absolutely insane and so we wanted to leave PLENTY of time to get back. We grab a taxi at Galleries Lafayette and the driver was so skilled and very impressive at navigating the traffic. I don't think it took us more than 25 minutes to arrive at the train station. We ended up arriving back at our hotel that night at 9:30pm and we were absolutely exhausted. There is so much to see and do in London, I wish we would had saved Paris for another (longer) trip and, instead, explored more of London as well as had a restful nights sleep.
|
|
|
Post by hockeymom4 on Aug 18, 2015 0:26:59 GMT
As much as I love Paris I would stick to London or spilt your trip 60/40. I have always used and loved the LONELY PLANET guide as my go to travel bible. I can't recommend it enough. Make a must see list but be sure to leave time to explore/get lost and watch the world go by.
|
|
|
Post by annabella on Aug 18, 2015 0:34:19 GMT
I wouldn't enjoy my vacation going somewhere in the wintertime, being cold and walking through snow weather. Do the museums have a coat check? Or will you be stuck carrying it all day? The hotel might not put you in the room with that view, it's probably their most expensive room and in high demand. You can book one night in that hotel or see if they have a rooftop bar that is open int he winter time. 10 days in a long time in one city, I would add another city to the itinerary. Honestly since all your pics will be in the same coat, you can wear the same sweater and jeans everyday, just switching out your long johns and warm socks.
|
|
|
Post by Skellinton on Aug 18, 2015 0:52:23 GMT
I wouldn't enjoy my vacation going somewhere in the wintertime, being cold and walking through snow weather. Do the museums have a coat check? Or will you be stuck carrying it all day? The hotel might not put you in the room with that view, it's probably their most expensive room and in high demand. You can book one night in that hotel or see if they have a rooftop bar that is open int he winter time. 10 days in a long time in one city, I would add another city to the itinerary. Honestly since all your pics will be in the same coat, you can wear the same sweater and jeans everyday, just switching out your long johns and warm socks. Snow weather? She isn't going to Alaska for pities sake, it will be cold and probably rain, but I don't think London gets much snow. The cold weather certainly won't warrant long johns either! London weather is very similar the PNW, not exactly NYC winter weather! I personally would take a day or two to visit some country villages, but stay in England the whole time rather then trying to squeeze another big city like Paris in. Are you interested in any authors? Beatrix Potter's cottage was a big hit with my aunt when she visited, my mom loved seeing Jane Austen's home. I wouldn't want to spend the entire time in the city, although there certainly is enough to do! I would splurge your last night and stay in the swank hotel, but stay in a flat the rest of your time.
|
|
|
Post by mdith4him on Aug 18, 2015 0:55:58 GMT
My husband and I went to the UK last October. We'd saved for 5 years and believe me, I was not going to stay in a crummy motel on the edge of town. It didn't need to be the Ritz, but I booked nice places in the heart of the cities we went to. Kensington is pretty close to the center of things (I don't think you'd be sad to be there), but if you want to be across from Big Ben, go for it! I like the idea of staying there one or two nights, too--maybe save it for your last night in the city. Save a bit extra for those splurges. Have a great time! I'm sure you'll enjoy things no matter where you stay
|
|
julieb
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,845
Jul 3, 2014 16:02:54 GMT
|
Post by julieb on Aug 18, 2015 1:00:13 GMT
I wouldn't enjoy my vacation going somewhere in the wintertime, being cold and walking through snow weather. Do the museums have a coat check? Or will you be stuck carrying it all day? The hotel might not put you in the room with that view, it's probably their most expensive room and in high demand. You can book one night in that hotel or see if they have a rooftop bar that is open int he winter time. 10 days in a long time in one city, I would add another city to the itinerary. Honestly since all your pics will be in the same coat, you can wear the same sweater and jeans everyday, just switching out your long johns and warm socks. Snow weather? She isn't going to Alaska for pities sake, it will be cold and probably rain, but I don't think London gets much snow. The cold weather certainly won't warrant long johns either! London weather is very similar the PNW, not exactly NYC winter weather! I personally would take a day or two to visit some country villages, but stay in England the whole time rather then trying to squeeze another big city like Paris in. Are you interested in any authors? Beatrix Potter's cottage was a big hit with my aunt when she visited, my mom loved seeing Jane Austen's home. I wouldn't want to spend the entire time in the city, although there certainly is enough to do! I would splurge your last night and stay in the swank hotel, but stay in a flat the rest of your time.
Ha - London doesn't get a lot of snow, but my ds got stuck in the airport for 3 days during a storm in December of 2010. It was horrible for him.
My sister, mom and myself were in London for a few days. We did do a bus trip to Leeds Castle, Canterbury Cathedral and White Cliffs of Dover. Cliffs are overrated, but Leeds Castle was lovely and Canterbury Cathedral still is my favorite cathedral and I have travelled to Italy, Paris, Austria and other countries that have beautiful cathedrals. It is amazing.
Edited to add - If you make it to the Tower of London, ask the Beefeater in the chapel if he will show you where Anne Boleyn is buried. She is by the alter and it is roped off. The Beefeater in the chapel asked us if we would like to go behind the rope to see it, but my sister and I declined and let my Mom have the special privilege. It was cool.
|
|
|
Post by ktdoesntscrap on Aug 18, 2015 1:21:53 GMT
It will be cold and wet. But unlikely to snow. Yes everywhere will have a coat check.
Stay in the flat. But be warned the washer and dryer will probably be vastly different than what you are used too.
There are many fabulous places to drink wine with fantastic views in London. You can go to a different one every night.
My favorite is from the restaurant/bar at the top of the Tate Modern!
I would stay in the UK. Go to Hever Castle, Windsor, Leeds, and then go to Bath,& Kew Gardens. Or a day trip to Brighton.
Greenwich is also a great day trip.
If you have a free Saturday one of my favorite things to do is to take the Eurostar to Lille in France, and spend the day at the market there.
It sounds like a lovely trip. Relax and enjoy it. Don't stress. You won't see everything you want to see. You will miss things people will tell you are the best things about London.
But do what makes you happy, and enjoy the experience.
|
|
|
Post by SockMonkey on Aug 18, 2015 1:29:26 GMT
Oh, London will be so beautiful in the winter! I loved it! We saw so much in just 4 days; 10 will be awesome! Unless you can stay in Paris a few days, just stay in London and enjoy. There's too much to do in Paris to do it justice in just a day. Be SURE to go to the Tower of London and definitely get the tour from the Beefeaters. It was my favorite part of being in London! The tube is amazing, so staying in Kensington shouldn't be a problem; you can get everywhere you need to! Get the Oyster card.
|
|
|
Post by Basket1lady on Aug 18, 2015 4:24:24 GMT
I wouldn't enjoy my vacation going somewhere in the wintertime, being cold and walking through snow weather. Do the museums have a coat check? Or will you be stuck carrying it all day? The hotel might not put you in the room with that view, it's probably their most expensive room and in high demand. You can book one night in that hotel or see if they have a rooftop bar that is open int he winter time. 10 days in a long time in one city, I would add another city to the itinerary. Honestly since all your pics will be in the same coat, you can wear the same sweater and jeans everyday, just switching out your long johns and warm socks. It's always interesting to see how other people travel and what they view as important! While it will be cold in December, I doubt it will be severely so. I have also found advantages to traveling at non-prime times. The crowds are not as bad and I can get a better feel for the place without tripping over so many tourists. December is also a great time to do some Christmas shopping. London is a great city for that! It's been quite a few years since I've been to London. Do they have the Christmas Markets that are so prevalent in Paris and the rest of Europe? I agree. We often travel in the off season and never regretted it. We did Beijing in February. It was cold and dank and I'm sure it's absolutely gorgeous in the summer. But we climbed the Great Wall and hardly broke a sweat, toured the markets and such in complete comfort. Bring a good pair of shoes and a good pair of gloves and you will be warm enough because you will do a ton of walking. We did London, Paris and Tours last spring break. We did 4 days in London and 5 days in Paris and another day in Tours. It's very easy to take the train from London to Paris. And we few into Heathrow and out of DeGaulle for about the same as flying in and out of one airport. It was less than that train ride back to London--I do remember that. I could easily spend 10 days in either place. When we were in London, we did a day trip to Windsor Castle which was very doable. It probably took about 1 hr, 15 minutes between our hotel and the Windsor train stop. When we were in Paris, we did a day trip by bus out to Tours and returned to the city that night. I think it was only 100 euros per person, which included entrance fees to 3 castles. Both were very easy trips. One thing we liked doing was checking out the pubs around London. It was fun to eat the food and DH sampled a lot of beers. There's a Doctor Who shop on Barking Road and the Sherlock Holmes house was fun for DD to check out. Rather kitchy, but she liked it. I did consider a trip out to Highclere Castle (where Downton Abbey was filmed), but decided it would take an entire day and no one else wanted to go. There's also a tour of the Warner Bros studio where Harry Potter was filmed. And the Globe Theatre has a wonderful tour and museum. There's a lot to do other than museums and churches--we sure to mix it up a bit. We went after a 2 year illness of mine and DS just recovering from a concussion. I wasn't sure how much we would get done in a day, so each day we had 2 main events. We found that we could take a leisurely pace and still see 3 things in a day--one in the morning, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. It still gave us time to check out little shops and have a glass of wine and people watch. We stayed at the Novotel Tower of London and it was a great location. It was a short block to the underground and right across the street from the Tower of London (where you could easily spend all day!) One thing I did that worked well was to have a short list of Must Dos, a list of other ideas, and a list of shops or restaurants to try. If we found ourselves with a bit of time, we could find something from the list that was close by and we didn't feel rushed to try to see it all. Because you can never see it all!
|
|
|
Post by 950nancy on Aug 18, 2015 4:53:31 GMT
We did two weeks and went to London and Paris. For nine days I would definitely try to get to Paris. The Chunnel makes it really easy. We also did day trips in each city and saw Stone Henge, some castles and Versailles. If you love museums the Louvre is a must. We took the double decker buses on the first day there and then picked what we wanted to see from just riding around. There was also a city card in London that made many of the attractions much cheaper.
|
|
|
Post by anniefb on Aug 18, 2015 6:27:17 GMT
I would stay in the UK and London for at least a week but there are plenty of day trips if you want to head to the south coast, into Kent etc.
If you want to do Paris, I'd recommend at least 2 days/1night as otherwise you'll spend all your time travelling.
I'm a fan of the museums as well and every time I go to London I always head to the British Museum, V & A and Natural History Museum. The Museum of London and other more specialised museums such as the Charles Dickens Museum are also worth a visit. The National Gsllery and National Portrait Gallery are also at the top of my list.
As far as accomodation goes - I agree you could do the apartment and splurge on a hotel for a couple of nights - either at the beginning or end. This is a special trip after all! But if you want to save money on accommodation so you have $ for other things, a B & B might be another option.
Wherever you end up staying and whatever you end up doing I'm sure it will be an amazing time!
|
|
zella
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,884
Jul 7, 2014 19:36:30 GMT
|
Post by zella on Aug 18, 2015 6:50:18 GMT
How about one or two nights in the hotel with the great view, then the rest in the cheaper option?
Don't bother with Stonehenge; you can't even get that close to it. Paris is wonderful, but I'm not sure I'd go for just a day. I see you've got some good advice on that, suggesting you don't try to do it; there's just not enough time. If you do go outside of London, go to Brighton or Windsor or Bath or Oxford. All are an easy trip and very interesting places to visit.
The museums and art galleries (do you like those too?) are amazing. Hope you're not a Madame Tussaud's kind of tourist; don't bother with that. Go to the National Gallery for me (lol!); it's heavenly. The National Portrait Gallery too. Just being in London and soaking up the atmosphere is fabulous.
Even in 10 days you won't run out of things to do. There is so much to see (and eat and drink and buy). Be sure to check out some street markets, and of course the pubs (pub lunches are great). Westminster Abbey is marvelous. Be sure to visit Harrods, just to say you've been there.
Don't fret, it will all work out.
Oh, one thing to remember: in the UK in December the days are very short. It will be dark by 5 or 5:30 pm. However with few exceptions London is very safe, so no worries there. Although it's not usually that cold, it can be very damp, which can make it feel colder than it actually is. If the rental is an older building, you might find the heating to be less efficient than you are used to (I say this because the last 2 trips I made back to England I was so cold).
Have a wonderful time; I'm sure you will!
|
|
|
Post by jennyap on Aug 18, 2015 7:05:40 GMT
It will be cold and wet. But unlikely to snow. Yes everywhere will have a coat check. Stay in the flat. But be warned the washer and dryer will probably be vastly different than what you are used too. There are many fabulous places to drink wine with fantastic views in London. You can go to a different one every night.My favorite is from the restaurant/bar at the top of the Tate Modern! I would stay in the UK. Go to Hever Castle, Windsor, Leeds, and then go to Bath,& Kew Gardens. Or a day trip to Brighton. Greenwich is also a great day trip. It sounds like a lovely trip. Relax and enjoy it. Don't stress. You won't see everything you want to see. You will miss things people will tell you are the best things about London. But do what makes you happy, and enjoy the experience. Yup, what she said, especially the bit in bold which is exactly what I was going to suggest. I'll even meet you in one of them if you want company one evening! Kew Gardens is a great suggestion for a change of pace from all the museums. Greenwich too. (Both are in London tho ) I'd pick one of the castles to visit unless you're really interested in that kind of thing.
|
|
|
Post by heather on Aug 18, 2015 7:28:47 GMT
The main things I want to see and do are the typical tourist things:
2-3 days for museums Bus Tour Westminster Abbey Tower of London Tower Bridge St Paul's Cathedral Changing of the Guards Buckingham Palace Trafalgar Square Piccadilly Circus Regent St/Oxford St shopping (Harrods, Selfridges) Thames River Cruise Dr Who Store Yarn store...always have to buy souvenir yarn
I'm disappointed that the Coronation St tour is no longer. Lol! Though I haven't liked the show the last several months and haven't been watching like I used to. Stupid Callum storyline.
Also disappointed that the Gherkin isn't open to the public.
And I kinda want to go to Bristol just for the Cary Grant statue.
I'm flying from Cincinnati to Detroit to London, so I am worried about Detroit weather due to flight delays, etc. But I'm not worried about weather in London. I almost always travel off season to places to avoid crowds and I much prefer cold weather to hot. Plus I'm going to go shopping for a kick ass rain coat. Lol. I've never had a rain coat. Plus Christmas season in London?!? Yes please.
Thanks for all the advice and suggestions. I'm jotting everything down.
|
|
|
Post by heather on Aug 18, 2015 7:37:45 GMT
It will be cold and wet. But unlikely to snow. Yes everywhere will have a coat check. Stay in the flat. But be warned the washer and dryer will probably be vastly different than what you are used too. There are many fabulous places to drink wine with fantastic views in London. You can go to a different one every night.My favorite is from the restaurant/bar at the top of the Tate Modern! I would stay in the UK. Go to Hever Castle, Windsor, Leeds, and then go to Bath,& Kew Gardens. Or a day trip to Brighton. Greenwich is also a great day trip. It sounds like a lovely trip. Relax and enjoy it. Don't stress. You won't see everything you want to see. You will miss things people will tell you are the best things about London. But do what makes you happy, and enjoy the experience. Yup, what she said, especially the bit in bold which is exactly what I was going to suggest. I'll even meet you in one of them if you want company one evening! Kew Gardens is a great suggestion for a change of pace from all the museums. Greenwich too. (Both are in London tho ) I'd pick one of the castles to visit unless you're really interested in that kind of thing. Ooh! I would love to meet up! I'm waiting on my work to get back to me on the exact days that I will be off, so I don't have a firm timeline yet. Which is frustrating because I missed out on a great airfare deal the other day. I'll PM you when I have more information.
|
|
|
Post by stargazer on Aug 18, 2015 7:49:01 GMT
It sounds wonderful! I live about an hour from London, lived there for 4 years as s child, we visit often & there are still things I haven't done!
If you're thinking of visiting Kew Gardens anyway, their Christmas lights etc event starts in late November & is absolutely beautiful from what I've been told (we're going this December so I can't review it myself!). It's pre-bookable.
|
|
anniebygaslight
Drama Llama
I'd love a cup of tea. #1966
Posts: 7,394
Location: Third Rock from the sun.
Jun 28, 2014 14:08:19 GMT
|
Post by anniebygaslight on Aug 18, 2015 8:09:37 GMT
It will be a bit of a Stretch to do Stonehenge from London in a day.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
May 19, 2024 2:15:03 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2015 8:16:10 GMT
I would also agree with the others if you really wanted to stay in a hotel do so on your last couple of nights. But do consider that not all rooms in any hotel have the same view! It will most likely be cold and damp/rain in December but not beyond the possibility of snow.....we have had snow in London in December,not often though. Make a list as suggested by **GypsyGirl** in order of " I must see" and plan your days as much as you are able to, in advance. Here's a website that will give you details of things to see/cost/opening times etcAs much as you might like to see Paris or Belgium I would opt for a couple of days in Paris over Belgium and make it a couple of days. Although Paris is very quick to get to for a day trip but there is so much to see in London that you might want to re-consider it. You can do a trip to Windsor in an afternoon if time is tight. It's not that far out of London. I wouldn't bother with Brighton ( not in the winter ) and I wouldn't bother with Stonehenge either.
|
|
wellway
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,769
Jun 25, 2014 20:50:09 GMT
|
Post by wellway on Aug 18, 2015 8:44:36 GMT
|
|
wellway
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,769
Jun 25, 2014 20:50:09 GMT
|
Post by wellway on Aug 18, 2015 8:57:33 GMT
Wanted to add, unless Stonehenge is a must for you it might be a waste of a day. There are plenty of interesting places to visit from London by train, Oxford, Canterbury, Windsor, Hampton Court, Winchester, Harry Potter Studios. Depends what you are interested in. Use this site for Stonehenge www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/
|
|
zella
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,884
Jul 7, 2014 19:36:30 GMT
|
Post by zella on Aug 18, 2015 19:43:44 GMT
Had to smile at the comment not to go to Brighton in December; completely right. Don't know what I was thinking!
|
|
teddyw
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,850
Jun 29, 2014 1:56:04 GMT
|
Post by teddyw on Aug 30, 2015 21:37:20 GMT
I just booked my flight there for the week of 11/7. I'm visiting my nephew. He just moved from Richmond to somewhere north. I told him I'd go wherever he takes me. I'm going to take your suggestions too in case he has to work a lot. I've never been but my oldest dd went last summer. I definitely will skip Paris this time.
I'm so excited to go. He always brings me Cath Kidston stuff when he visits me so I definitely want to go to her shop.
|
|
|
Post by gar on Aug 30, 2015 23:30:22 GMT
I just booked my flight there for the week of 11/7. I'm visiting my nephew. He just moved from Richmond to somewhere north. I told him I'd go wherever he takes me. I'm going to take your suggestions too in case he has to work a lot. I've never been but my oldest dd went last summer. I definitely will skip Paris this time. I'm so excited to go. He always brings me Cath Kidston stuff when he visits me so I definitely want to go to her shop. Just so you know, Cath Kidston stuff is available in many, many stores so you shouldn't have trouble finding it somewhere
|
|