Thanks! I see that it meets at the Tower Hill tube station @ 7:30 pm every night---that should be perfect!
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Visiting London This Spring....
- Thread starter JDR
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Thanks! I see that it meets at the Tower Hill tube station @ 7:30 pm every night---that should be perfect!
The best thing to do really is stay in Heathrow, head for Terminal 1, get a flight to Dublin - you'll have a much better time than you'd have in London.
(Okay, I'll get my coat).
(Okay, I'll get my coat).
Since nobody else suggested it, you are staying in Knightsbridge which is the home of Harrods. The other main shopping areas are Oxford St and Regent St (where you'll find an 
store.)
Canterbury is a nice day out on by train, but for all your stereotypical ye olde English town I think Windsor is the best fit.
Try a Weatherspoons for a decent pint and good value British food.
Grenwich Park - home of the 0 degrees and GMT !
Why not take in a football match, try Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs or Fulham. 50,000 grown men singing in unison, but it's about $60 a ticket if you can get one.
Take in a show in the west end, or even just try walking about Leicester Square one evening (but watch your wallet.)
Go up the London Eye
store.)Canterbury is a nice day out on by train, but for all your stereotypical ye olde English town I think Windsor is the best fit.
Try a Weatherspoons for a decent pint and good value British food.
Grenwich Park - home of the 0 degrees and GMT !
Why not take in a football match, try Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs or Fulham. 50,000 grown men singing in unison, but it's about $60 a ticket if you can get one.
Take in a show in the west end, or even just try walking about Leicester Square one evening (but watch your wallet.)
Go up the London Eye
Its a 10 minute bus ride from Angel tube station. Zigni's on Essex Road. The 73 bus gets you there. Or is almost opposite Essex Road rail station.
Zigni house on GoogleMaps
I love it there- its owned by a Eritrean family, who run the place with a real familial friendliness (if a little amateurish occasionally). You can get a buffet for under a tenner (about 2 years ago anyway) but my favourite dish is where they serve you a selection of about 10 stews and curries on a 15 inch flat, sour bread. They do lots for veggies as well.
Nah, the drink is cheap (and good), but the food is a bit too microwaved and pre-prepared for my liking. It is cheap though.
One pub you should goto is the Ye Old Cheddar Cheese on Fleet Street. ITs one of Londons oldest pubs and it feels like an ancient drinking hole. They serve good British food as well.
Oh really? I thought it was quite good (if a little overpriced). Could ou recommend a good one for us?
Oyster Card will save your life - it's brilliant 
As a little bit of traveling advice, most Londoners moan about the Tube. That's because they all try and use it at the same time ( 0830-0930 and 1630-1800 ) - just avoid using it at those times and it's fantastic
Greenwich is nice - sadly the Cutty Sark isn't visible - but the Naval College and the Observatory are ( I was there only a couple of weeks ago ). If you take the tube to Canary Wharf, there's a nice short walk to the DLR line, so you can have a walk around Canary Wharf itself.
I would use the Tate-2-Tate ferry ( from the Tate Modern to the Tate Britain in Pimlico ) - that'd be a nice day. Also - the British Library (near Kings Cross and Euston ) is a nice hour. The Science Museum, National History Museum and Victoria & Albert Museum are all within 100 metres of each other, all free, and all great. The British Museum is a tube ride away, but is amazing as well and, again, free.
A nice walk is to get off the Tube at Waterloo - and then walk along the embankment, past the Eye, over the bridge, past the Houses of Parliament, and up to Trafalger Square - then onward travel at Charing Cross.
As for Cirencester - I used to go to school over there. The train journey ( from Paddington isn't too bad ) BUT - you have to get off at Kemble, which is in the middle of nowhere, and it's about 3, 4 miles from Cirencester itself. And if I'm honest, there's not a lot IN Cirencester. If you can get Car Rental somewhere west of London, and do a drive, get off the M4 at Swindon and go to Cirencester, Tetbury and then down to Chipping Sodbury. On the way out of Tetbury, you'll go past Highgrove house, and Westonburt Arboretum and then at Chipping Sodbury, back onto the M4 and East back to London. If you wanted extra-England - then at Cirencester carry on and head towards Stround and go thru Rodborough Common, Minchinhampton, Nailsworth and Avening. If you REALLY want to see some English countryside - have a gliding experience at the Cotswold Gliding Club at Aston Down outside Minchinhampton
Doug
As a little bit of traveling advice, most Londoners moan about the Tube. That's because they all try and use it at the same time ( 0830-0930 and 1630-1800 ) - just avoid using it at those times and it's fantastic Greenwich is nice - sadly the Cutty Sark isn't visible - but the Naval College and the Observatory are ( I was there only a couple of weeks ago ). If you take the tube to Canary Wharf, there's a nice short walk to the DLR line, so you can have a walk around Canary Wharf itself.
I would use the Tate-2-Tate ferry ( from the Tate Modern to the Tate Britain in Pimlico ) - that'd be a nice day. Also - the British Library (near Kings Cross and Euston ) is a nice hour. The Science Museum, National History Museum and Victoria & Albert Museum are all within 100 metres of each other, all free, and all great. The British Museum is a tube ride away, but is amazing as well and, again, free.
A nice walk is to get off the Tube at Waterloo - and then walk along the embankment, past the Eye, over the bridge, past the Houses of Parliament, and up to Trafalger Square - then onward travel at Charing Cross.
As for Cirencester - I used to go to school over there. The train journey ( from Paddington isn't too bad ) BUT - you have to get off at Kemble, which is in the middle of nowhere, and it's about 3, 4 miles from Cirencester itself. And if I'm honest, there's not a lot IN Cirencester. If you can get Car Rental somewhere west of London, and do a drive, get off the M4 at Swindon and go to Cirencester, Tetbury and then down to Chipping Sodbury. On the way out of Tetbury, you'll go past Highgrove house, and Westonburt Arboretum and then at Chipping Sodbury, back onto the M4 and East back to London. If you wanted extra-England - then at Cirencester carry on and head towards Stround and go thru Rodborough Common, Minchinhampton, Nailsworth and Avening. If you REALLY want to see some English countryside - have a gliding experience at the Cotswold Gliding Club at Aston Down outside Minchinhampton
Doug
If you do decide to see The Gherkin, maybe take a little stroll through Spitalfields Market. It's just off liverpool street station, across the road.
(it's the one suggestion I thought of that hadn't already been posted)
(it's the one suggestion I thought of that hadn't already been posted)
Ok, so I think I've planned a really nice day for our day out in the country:
1. Take a train to Swindon, rent car.
2. Drive to Cricklade (Wiltshire) and explore town.
3. Drive to Bibury (Gloucestershire) explore town.
4. Drive to Cirencester, explore town.
5. Drive to Stroud, explore town.
6. Drive to Beverston, and see the nearby castle.
7. Drive to Tetbury, explore town and visit Westonbirt Arboretum.
8. Drive to Malmesbury, explore town.
9. End up back in Swindon, and explore there if there's time and/or anything to see.
10. Train back to London.
So, we would be driving a 75 mile/ 120 kilometer loop around the countryside, just leisurely touring around. It would probably be on a Saturday or Sunday (or will all the shops be closed on Sunday? Would going on a week day be better?).
What to you all think?
Much thanks,
JDR
1. Take a train to Swindon, rent car.
2. Drive to Cricklade (Wiltshire) and explore town.
3. Drive to Bibury (Gloucestershire) explore town.
4. Drive to Cirencester, explore town.
5. Drive to Stroud, explore town.
6. Drive to Beverston, and see the nearby castle.
7. Drive to Tetbury, explore town and visit Westonbirt Arboretum.
8. Drive to Malmesbury, explore town.
9. End up back in Swindon, and explore there if there's time and/or anything to see.
10. Train back to London.
So, we would be driving a 75 mile/ 120 kilometer loop around the countryside, just leisurely touring around. It would probably be on a Saturday or Sunday (or will all the shops be closed on Sunday? Would going on a week day be better?).
What to you all think?
Much thanks,
JDR
That looks like far far too much for one day, if you've got a 3-4 days, its probably a decent itinerary. Otherwise I'd limit it to two to three things.
To be honest the roads are busier and smaller in the UK so driving takes longer, especially the non Motorways and Dual Carriageways.
EDIT: On the roads apart from the Swindon to Cirencester road, you will have an average speed of 30-40mph, on the smaller roads it'll be 20mph or so.
On a day out from Oxford we would probably just go to (say) Westernbirt Arberetum, and possibly 1 other place.
To be honest the roads are busier and smaller in the UK so driving takes longer, especially the non Motorways and Dual Carriageways.
EDIT: On the roads apart from the Swindon to Cirencester road, you will have an average speed of 30-40mph, on the smaller roads it'll be 20mph or so.
On a day out from Oxford we would probably just go to (say) Westernbirt Arberetum, and possibly 1 other place.
Heya, as the other guy said that's a decent itinerary for a 3-4 day trip. Consider allowing 3 hours to travel 120km to include getting used to travelling on the wrong side of the road and also how long it will take you to find parking. England's love of the car sees people taking the car on miniscule trips to shops and work so all car parking spots will be taken.
Consider a practical ininerary of London-Swindon by train in the early morning. Breakfast in Swindon before collecting your car. Nice drive around the countryside and among the many villages on the way to your first stop where you'll explore on foot. Have lunch at this stopover before moving onto the next sight by car. One more drive to another town/city to see on foot before having dinner in another final place. It only gets dark just before 9 at that time of year. You could easily be back in london before 11 providing you have a GPS and didn't get lost (all too easy on the smaller roads).
Wish I could be more specific, but without knowing what you like that'll be hard to do. Best thing is not to be overly ambitious in planning as then nobody gets dissapointed.
Then again why not spend the night in the Cotswolds? - Accommodation can be very cheap and staying in a traditional inn can be an experience, particularly the lakefront or "mountain" lodges.
Ok, good luck!
Consider a practical ininerary of London-Swindon by train in the early morning. Breakfast in Swindon before collecting your car. Nice drive around the countryside and among the many villages on the way to your first stop where you'll explore on foot. Have lunch at this stopover before moving onto the next sight by car. One more drive to another town/city to see on foot before having dinner in another final place. It only gets dark just before 9 at that time of year. You could easily be back in london before 11 providing you have a GPS and didn't get lost (all too easy on the smaller roads).
Wish I could be more specific, but without knowing what you like that'll be hard to do. Best thing is not to be overly ambitious in planning as then nobody gets dissapointed.
Then again why not spend the night in the Cotswolds? - Accommodation can be very cheap and staying in a traditional inn can be an experience, particularly the lakefront or "mountain" lodges.
Ok, good luck!
Ok, so I think I'll cut out Stround completely, and just drive through Cricklade and Malmesbury--which should shave off 20km.