Ah! My favorite subject when it comes to London. For info on all of the places below, click on their adjacent pictures. I don't think I need to explain further, so here you go! Enjoy... Shopping The one thing that most people look forward to is coming home with all sorts of goodies. Although you won’t be able to buy the Crown Jewels at the Tower but you can always buy some other good souvenirs at the gift shop and do some other shopping. Of course at every tourist destination you go to, certainly go into the gift shop and have a look around. One benefit if you were to opt for the London Pass that I spoke of earlier, it offers 10% off purchases at a lot of gift shops. If you have a look in the guidebook that comes with it, it lists all of the places where it gives you a discount at gift shops. Some of the major sites included are the Tower of London, Windsor Castle, and Westminster Abbey. Once you get aside from the tourist gift shops you can get into some serious shopping. Of course without a doubt one of the biggest names to shop in London is Harrods. It is the world’s largest department store. It is in the west end of the city in South Kensington. Spread over seven floors you can find almost anything you could imagine. But also as you can imagine it can be a bit on the expensive side. Another popular destination is the part of London known as Piccadilly. It is home to such names as Fortnum and Masons, Waterstones Bookstore, Lillywhites, and Cool Britannia. Around the Piccadilly neighborhood there are also big shopping districts such as Regent and Jermyn streets. That is where things can be way on the expensive sides. You can also opt for the less expensive and quite popular street markets and stores. Probably the best known in London are Covent Garden and Borough Market, Portobello Road, and Brick Lane. Covent Garden is just a few blocks away from Trafalgar Square. It is home to four markets in one location. They are called the Jubilee, Apple, East Colonnade, and Real Foods Markets. The Apple Market is found just within the main market building. The Jubilee market is on the right side of the building. Its goods change every day. Mondays are for antiques. From Tuesday to Friday the market has stalls selling household goods, clothing, food and gifts, and on Saturdays and Sundays it's devoted to arts and crafts, with more than 200 artisans selling everything from candles to jewelry, paintings to clocks and calligraphy. Borough Market is the most popular markets food wise. It is found in east London on the Southbank of the Thames River. It is just feet away from the London Bridge Tube Station. It is the premier place for local food artisans. It is a perfect place to grab a picnic lunch to enjoy in one of the many parks. If you prefer a street market for antiques or crafts, you should check out Portobello Road. It is arguably the most exciting street market in London. It offers anything you can imagine. It is spread over several blocks in the Notting Hill district just north of Kensington in between Hyde and Holland Parks. On the opposite end of London there is Brick Lane Market. Just north of the Tower of London, it is in the midst of the Bangladesh community. It offers handmade clothes and crafts amidst dozens of street food vendors. For more info go to the website below. At the end of the day, don’t blow all of your spending limit in one place. Also, don’t just go there to shop. (Even though London gives you plenty of reasons to do so). Take some time out of each of your days to get off the beaten path of sightseeing and explore all of the shopping destinations London has to offer in the particular part of the city you are visiting. Tie some places into your itinerary. If you are near Trafalgar square, stop off at Covent Garden or Piccadilly. If you are near the Tower of London, stop over to Borough Market or Brick Lane. Once you have all the souvenirs you can handle, you then have the matter of packing them up to take home. I will discuss that in the next section. I hope this helps you. In the next and final chapter of my book, I will explain how to pack up all those goodies you bought whilst in London. Cheers!
0 Comments
When getting ready to leave for the airport you want to make sure you take a few things from your suitcase to carry-on in your day pack or personal bag. The same can be said for when you actually get to London and start your sightseeing. You want to take a few things with you. But you don't want to weigh down your bag. This part of my book should shed some light on the subject. Enjoy... Packing your Day Pack (Personal Bag) This is one of the most important things to do when you are getting ready to leave for the airport or the hotel room. If you don’t bring what you might need you will be in trouble. Also, if your weigh your bag down with un-necessary items you will also be in trouble. When you are going to the airport, I would advise that you put all your necessary travel documents in your day pack. This will save you from having to stop and open you luggage for you tickets. As I suggested earlier, place all your travel and Trip documents in one folder and keep it in your pack. Next, to keep yourself busy on the long flight to England, pack something to keep you busy, like a book (Rick Steves’ London Guidebook?), music, travel journal, etc. Next, I would highly suggest a spare set of clothes. Just in case that you are forced to check your bag. You are then covered on the slight chance your luggage is lost or stolen. Most important of all…DON’T FORGET YOUR PASSPORT! Although I would suggest to keep it in your money belt, but if you don’t feel like wearing it on the plane, just make sure you keep your passport in your day pack. But when you are actually in London, don’t keep your passport in your day bag, keep it in your money belt at all times along with your credit cards, etc. When you get to London, for your days of sight seeing you won’t have to pack it so heavy with items as you would on the plane. Just take a few items: • Travel Document Folder (Tickets, Passes, etc.) • Map of London • Guidebook (Rick Steves’ London preferably!) • Umbrella (Check forecast beforehand, that way you may not need it.) • Water Bottle • Camera • Light Jacket These simple things can be your salvation if you do your packing the right way. Bottom line travel light. After all you will be carrying this pack all day for as long as you are in London. Be smart check the weather and you may just save yourself a pound or two by not having to carry a jacket or umbrella. But it is Britain, where the weather can change five times in a day. When it comes to your camera, it is up to you whether you keep it in your bag or pocket. Plus the added advantage of packing light is you save all that room in your pack for souvenirs or a picnic lunch. Two more tips for your day pack, I would suggest locking it. Just in case you get in a crowd and you are prey for a pickpocket. They could try and open your bag. A lock will keep it safer but may be more of a hassle for you. Whatever you fancy doing is up to you. Also, don’t leave it unattended. Keep it on your person at all times. If you sit it down in a café, I would suggest putting the chair leg through one of the straps to avoid quick bag snatchers. With these simple tips, you can pack your bag smart and refrain from having your shoulder hurt for the rest of your trip. The best bag I can suggest purchasing would be Rick Steves' Civita Day Pack. This is Rick's Personal bag that he uses in all of his shows. It is very lightweight. It is made of a soft material and basically rolls up into nothing. It is only $24.99 from Rick's Website and comes in a variety of colors. It is pictured below and at the top. Click on the picture below to check it out. Cheers!
If you don;t do this important step, you may be in trouble once you get to the airport or your destination. Travel documents are just as essential as money for a trip. Read this carefully and prepare accordingly. Organizing Travel Documents As the time grow near for your exciting trip, there are a few things to check and to gather together to be prepared. The first thing you should do is make copies of all of the following items (I would suggest upwards of 5 copies each): • Itineraries • Passports and Licenses • Travel and Flight Documents • Hotel Arrangements and Confirmations • Packing Checklist After you make copies of each of these items, there are certain things you should do with them. First, leave a copy with a family member or friend who is close to you. That way they know where you will be, and how they can contact you if there is an emergency. Next, you will want to keep a copy of each with you on the trip. I would suggest maybe get a small accordion folder and separate the documents into groups. Along with these documents in the folder, keep your tickets, London Pass or sightseeing materials, copies of your driver’s license and passport. This folder should remain with you throughout the trip. Keep it in your day pack to carry around with you whilst in London. That way if you need a reference to where you should be, you will have it with you. Also. if you get into a situation where you need an ID, you will have many references. Also, by keeping it in your day pack, you will also be safe should you have to check your bag at the airport and you need your documents. Also, keep the rest of your copies in your actual carry-on luggage. After you make copies of each of these items, there are certain things you should do with them. First, leave a copy with a family member or friend who is close to you. That way they know where you will be, and how they can contact you if there is an emergency. Next, you will want to keep a copy of each with you on the trip. I would suggest maybe get a small accordion folder and separate the documents into groups. Along with these documents in the folder, keep your tickets, London Pass or sightseeing materials, copies of your driver’s license and passport. This folder should remain with you throughout the trip. Keep it in your day pack to carry around with you whilst in London. That way if you need a reference to where you should be, you will have it with you. Also. if you get into a situation where you need an ID, you will have many references. Also, by keeping it in your day pack, you will also be safe should you have to check your bag at the airport and you need your documents. Also, keep the rest of your copies in your actual carry-on luggage. They also make such a thing as a travel documents wallet. It has spaces for credit cards, licenses and IDs. It has storage for larger travel documents and a passport. Try looking on Amazon.com or some other site or store that sells purses, wallets, or travel gear. This may seem to some as needless waste of paper and time. But it could mean the difference between a great and smooth trip, or a bag and rocky transition trip. There of course many other options, but these are the few that make the most sense to me. For Rick Steves' tips, check out his website below.
When it comes to sightseeing, how you get to your sight is the biggest decision. Other than the hotel, this is the biggest decision to make when planning out your sightseeing adventures. I hope this part of my book helps when you are planning your trip. Transportation London is known for the big red double-decker buses. But, it is not as some people believe, the only way to get around London. London has probably the best known subway system in Europe. It is called the “Tube”, although you won't see signs for the Tube, you will see the word "Underground. It is probably the fastest way to get around London. You just have to make sure you get on the right train on the right line. Another way to navigate around London is the public bus system. With either a paper ticket or bus pass, you can hop on and hop off when you want. Believe it or not one of the cheapest ways to get around is in a taxi. The big black taxis are highly regulated by the government and the fares are reasonable. The drivers of the taxis are highly trained in the knowledge of London. You can strike up a heavy conversation with a cab driver. Tell them about your tour schedule and just maybe they can give you some helpful tour secrets on London. Of course, the cheapest way to navigate London is…walking. If you plan your itinerary smartly as explained earlier, you can easily walk from one destination to another. Biking is also very popular. There are several bike rental spots around London. Do your research and find one with good rates. There is also one way to get around that no one thinks about. You can take a ride on a river boat. There are several piers along the Thames. You could take a river tour from Westminster pier all the way down to Greenwich and back, or hop off as you wish. The one thing you do not want to do is to rent a car for London. You will pay very high prices and then you will have the absolute nightmare of finding somewhere to park. Most places do not have tourist parking spaces or garages. Only rent a car if you are leaving London for a side trip to Bath or Cornwall or some other part of the country. London is just entirely too congested to have need for a car. Now let’s talk about transportation payments. One of the most commonly used methods of payment for London transportation is called an “Oyster Card”. It is a blue card that can be used for the Tube, buses, Railways, and most other methods of transport. The only thing it can’t be used for is taxis. It is a prepaid card that you use instead of a ticket. You can load it up online or at a tube station. When your credit runs out, just top it up. For info on the Oyster Card check out the website by clicking on the link at the bottom. If you don’t want to get an Oyster card you can still go for the classic old paper ticket. You can pick them up at a ticket booth in a Tube station or other ticket office for other forms of transport. Earlier I talked about the London Pass. One benefit of this is you can opt for the London Pass with Travelcard. It gives you full access the Tube, buses, rail, River Boats, and other methods of transport (excluding taxis) throughout London in the time window you select. It is a bit more expensive to get the London Pass with Travelcard, but it is well worth it when you see how much you save on transport fees. I hope this is good information. If you want more info on London Transport, the Oyster Card, or Rick Steves tips, click the links below! Cheers!
This part of my book deals with the hardest part about a trip to London...Money! You of course need a heck of a lot of it to go. To help you raise the money, this part of my travel tips will explain all about British Money! Enjoy... Money The currency of the United Kingdom is called the Pound Sterling (£). £1 is divided into 100 pence (p). The coin/paper money thing is interesting. Unlike a $1 paper note they have a £1 coin. The coins that Britain mints are £1, £2, 50p, 20p, 10p, 5p, and 1 penny. They also print large denomination paper notes. The notes they print are £5, £10, £20, and £50. £1 is roughly worth $1.65-$1.70. The exchange rate changes sometimes daily. For up to date rates look online. Personally I prefer "fx-rate.net". It provides the current exchange rate and it has a converter for you to use to determine how much you will spend on something. To check out this site, click the link at the bottom. Traveler’s checks are (to many) a thing of the past. ATMs are widely used in London and across Europe. You will however probably have to make sure you have a “Chip and Pin” card. It is a card that reads a chip rather than the magnetic strip, you then have to type in your personal identification number. Most European ATMs are for using those kind of cards. Our American magnetic strips may not be used in a lot of London ATMs, but they can be used for purchasing items in stores. Many trip advisers would dis agree with me, but I would suggest changing some money on the US side that way you have enough for transport into the city from the airport once in England. I would suggest maybe getting at least £50 for transport into London and maybe a quick bite to eat at the airport or something. Then, the next morning before setting out, go to an ATM and get a days’ worth of spending money. Just use cash. It is simpler than cards and most places will appreciate it more if you use cash. There is one thing you should know. The Bank of England and the Bank of Scotland both print their own banknotes. In England, Scottish notes are not accepted as stated on the Bank of England’s website. The same is probably said for English notes in Scotland. However, some merchants in England or Scotland have been said to accept the conflicting notes. Just check where you are. If you fly from London to Edinburgh or the other way around and you have stray notes from that country, check to see if local merchants accept them and or just change them for that country’s notes. I hope this information helps you to understand the British money system. To check on the Pound/Dollar exchange rates (which change daily),as well as Rick Steves' Money Tips, click on the respective links below. Cheers! There is one rule of extreme importance that both Rick Steves and Airlines try their hardest to drill into the minds of travelers...the 3-1-1 Rule. I normally would have put this in my packing posts, but it is so important, that I think it needs a post for itself. It is essential that travelers learn this if they want to get through security quickly without need for extra screening, especially if they are Carrying-On their luggage. Basically it is the technique of packing your various liquids, aerosols, creams, gels,etc. All of these must be in 3.4 oz (100ml) or less sized containers. You must put them into a 1 quart size zip lock type baggie. Only One bag per person. That is the basic rule:
3 - 3.4oz or less containers 1 - 1 Quart Size Baggie 1 - 1 Bag per person What you need to do is to store this bag in the outer pocket of your carry-on bag. When you get to the security checkpoint, put take out the baggie, and put it into the screening tub along with your shoes, and all of your metal objects such as belts, money, jewelry,etc. This is the key to getting through security fast. If you don't follow regulations you may require additional security screening, which will take more time and may cause you to miss your flight. For more info on the 3-1-1 rule, check out the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) website by clicking on the picture below. As always, also check out Rick Steves' thoughts. Cheers! Here is the final entry to my Packing post. After reading this part, I would highly recommend that you watch Rick Steves' "Packing Light and Right" and his packing expert Joan Robinson's videos, that is attached below. Enjoy... When it comes to actually packing the clothes, you must be careful to leave as much space in the bag as you can. My suggestion would to easily fold them and use a compression bag to make more space. Or what you can do is to very carefully roll them up into army rolls and pack them into a luggage cube. You can find them online. That way you can really limit you space in the bag. It is amazing how so many clothes, if packed right, can take up so little space.
When bringing appliances like hair dryers, chargers, etc. you have to make sure they are dual voltage. In the US, the electric current is roughly 180. In Britain and Europe it is around 220 and up. If your appliance is not dual voltage it will not work, or work very well. Once you figure that out, you then have the matter of actually plugging it into the wall. In Britain they have big bulky three prong plugs. You can find adapters online for very cheap. As a matter of fact from Rick Steves’ website, they are $1. Also, you have to remember that British outlets have a light switch type of switch that you must flip on to receive electricity. For those quick little extras that you know you won’t use. In a little baggie, you can put band aids, cotton swabs, dental floss, etc. This you can keep in your toiletries kit or your outer pocket of your carry-on. If you take medications. One thing of importance to remember is that your prescription medicines must be in their original packaging. Place your prescriptions, aspirins, etc. in a plastic baggie. One item of extreme importance for you to bring is an extra tote bag of some kind to bring home your souvenirs. What you do with this, I shall explain in a later chapter. I hope that all this information about packing has laid any fears you have to rest. On another note, as I stated above, I highly recommend that you watch Rick Steves' "Packing Light and Right" and his packing expert Joan Robinson's videos below, they changed my view of packing entirely. They are well worth watching, and you will not regret it. Also,look at some of Rick's tips. Cheers! Here is part two of my three part post on Packing. Many people think packing is a non issue, but it is probably the most important part of making your trip a success. Enjoy... Next, is the topic of shoes. London is a walking mecca. Nearly everyone walks in London. With very little need for owning a car, people walk, train, bus, etc. So before you even go accept the fact that you will be walking a lot. You don’t want after the first day to be saying “my feet are killing me”! Get yourself a good pair of well broken in walking shoes. Buy them a month or two beforehand that way you can break them in. I would suggest taking just one pair. Ladies may want a second pair and that is fine. Just remember, the more space you take up with shoes is the less you will have for stuff to take home. So if you can, take just one pair. Clothing is what I am discussing next. You don’t need new expensive clothes for London. Start thinking about how many days you will be in London. I will be there for eight days. For eight days you don’t need 15 shirts. Take 6-7 shirts, a mixture of long and short sleeve shirts. This is important, two pairs of pants. Women will disagree but you don’t have to wash pants every time you wear them. Take a pair of jeans and or a pair of loose khaki type pants. Nothing too heavy. As they say, weather changes five times a day in Britain so pack accordingly. Take a light jacket maybe if going in the summer. A heavier jacket in the fall and winter. How many socks and underwear is up to you. You can wash your clothes over there if you want. You can stroll down to a neighborhood Laundromat or have the hotel do it for you. Also, you can wash yourself in the hotel room. So, depending on if you plan to do some washing or not really determines how much clothes to pack. If you are planning to wash when you go to London, this can save you packing space as well. Take something in anticipation of wearing it three times. Take 3-4 shirts instead of 6-7. Take less socks and underwear. Others may disagree but some people look forward to having the experience of doing laundry in England. This is post is very useful when deciding what and how much clothes to pack. For Rick's Travel Tips click on the left button below. I would highly recommend that you look at Rick Steves' Packing Checklist, by clicking the right button below. This is a great way to see what should be packed. It also helps in case you think you might forget something. He gives you a detailed description of each item to be packed, and then there is a downloadable checklist for you to print out and take with you. Part 3 of this post will be along soon! Cheers!
Here is probably one of the most important chapters of my book. Un fortunately this is also one of the longest parts of the book. This is why they shall be divided into three parts. this is the first part. Enjoy... Packing Simple as can be…pack light. I can’t give any better advice than to look at Rick Steves’ website. He tells you how to pack, what to pack, and what not to pack. He also provides a checklist you can print out and take with you. I would be cautious about checking your luggage at the airport. I would limit yourself to a carry-on suitcase and a personal bag. With so many reports on lost and stolen luggage you are better off just carrying on your luggage. The limit for most airlines for a carry-on bag is 9x22x14 inch bags. Weight limits for bags vary for many airlines. A personal bag can be a regular small backpack type bag or a purse for women. If you must check your bag at the airport, in your personal bag to take on the plane load it with all of your tickets, passport, electronics, travel documents, monies and credit cards, and a spare set of clothes. That way you are covered on the chance the airline misplaces your luggage. Don’t take any un-necessary items with you. That will only weigh down your bag and give you less space for souvenirs on the way back. Ask yourself “will you use an item enough to pack it and tote it around with you”? First off, when you start packing, the first thing you should pack is what you want to reach for first when you get to your hotel. That is of course pajamas. If you bag has an outer pocket, that is where you should store your pajamas. My advice would to roll up your pajamas, underwear, bras, etc. Then, store them in a zip lock type bag with the plastic zipper closure. This way you have more room in the actual inside of your bag for day clothes and other items. Also, it is for this reason, should when you get to your hotel you don’t have to unpack your whole bag right away to get to your pajamas. I mean come on, you are tired when you get off a plane! Do you really feel like unpacking right when you get there? Just take out your pajamas, and go to bed, leaving the unpacking for the next day. Don’t pack everything in plastic baggies otherwise that will just fill up the space in your bag. I hope you find the first part of this post interesting. The two pictures above are of Rick Steves' Convertible Carry-On Backpack and Rick's Civita Day Pack. The Convertible Carry-on is all the luggage you should have to take. It is small enough to carry-on to most air planes, and enough room for all the clothes and items you need (depending on how well you pack)! It is only $99.95 on Rick's website. The Civita Day Pack is Rick's personal bag that you see in all of his tv shows. It is the perfect size bag to carry around London. It is small, light weight, and soft. The best part is that it is only $24.95 on Rick's website. I would highly reccomend that you go online right now and purchase these both. You will thank me later. Check back soon for part two of this series. For Rick's packing tips and his web store click on the links below. Cheers! You can do all the planning in the world on how to get to England. By that, I mean all of your plane arrangements, but the one thing people don't even consider is how to get into London once they arrive at Heathrow Airport. After all Heathrow is 15 miles outside of central London. That is where it can get expensive fast. If you look at the official Heathrow Airport website, they have a special section all about getting into London from the airport. I will now discuss the different options that they describe: 1. National Express - This is the option I shall be going for when I go to London. It is a motor coach service that takes you from Heathrow to the Victoria Coach Station in London. It is just a 1/4 of a mile south of Buckingham Palace. The reason I shall be going for this is because the hotel I will be going to is just a short five minute walk from the coach station. The ride is anywhere from 40-80 minutes, and the tickets are mostly under £10. They stop at different locations at each of Heathrow's five terminals. For more info check out the website via the link at the bottom. 2. Heathrow Express - This is the fastest option to get from Heathrow to London. It is a high speed train that runs every 15 minutes, that takes you to Paddington Station in the north west part of central London. Tickets are available online, at the station or on the train. The standard-class single fare is £26 on board or £21 in advance. Returns are £39 on board or £34 in advance. It is the perfect option if you want to get there fast and don't mind spending a little extra money to do it. 3. London Underground - London Underground's Piccadilly Line provides the most cost-effective rail route between Heathrow Airport and the capital. Journey time by Tube is under an hour and you shouldn't have to wait longer than ten minutes for a train, even off-peak. Heathrow has three London Underground stations – one for Terminals 1, 2 and 3, one each at Terminal 4 and Terminal 5. Underground tickets are available at all stations. The single fare to central London (Zone 1) is £5.70. A one-day Travelcard, giving unlimited travel in Zones 1 - 6, costs £17 (Anytime) or £8.90 (off-peak). For the time tables, check out the website at the bottom. 4. Taxi - This is by far the most expensive method of transport into London. It is also the most private. London taxis are available outside each terminal. The cost to central London is £45 – £70 and the journey time is approximately one hour. If you want more privacy on your journey and can afford it, the taxi is you method. All of these methods are great ideas. But some may seem better than others. The bottom line is worry less about how long it takes you to get into London, and more about how much money it takes you. For example if you hotel is in Westminster, if you take the Heathrow Express, which drops you off at Paddington station. You are going to have to spend more money to take a taxi or the tube to your hotel. That is why, for me, I shall take the National Express coach, because my hotel is only a short two minute walk from the Victoria Coach station where it drops you off. Save time, save money, do your research about where you specifically have to go once your in London. A good well thought out method of getting to you London destination will pay off in the end. Cheers!
|
Archives
March 2015
Categories
All
|