Travel: United Kingdom - General

[Way2GO]

ooptimizer:

Hi,

Can you tell us do you pay to park the car in UK? Is it by coins, and if so, how much per hour?

And do the traffic wardens come regularly or not like Singapore? , ie. can you try not to pay sometimes and can still get away with it?

Thanks in advance.

Parking at Heathrow very ex. u pay at machine like at Suntec.
Parking in London is general very ex. Also hv something like ERP.
Cheaper to use public transport.

Where I went to, in London suburbs, no parking fee.

So depends where u are going.

[jce]

Most places in UK will use a "pay and display" concept so in some places you decide on how long you want to park then buy a ticket for that length of time. Want to extend, buy another ticket. Or some will be to take a ticket upon entering the car park, pay upon leaving at the ticket machine. As mentioned, parking in central London is a nightmare. Driving into central London is another nightmare.

[lovejoypeacce]

Thanks so much for your invaluable feedback! I have more or less confirmed the places which we will be going. Going to travel up to Edinburgh and stayed there for a week. Then travelled down to Lake District where we will be based in Windermere for 3 days. Then down to London for another 3 nights before we head home!


Can’t wait!!

[jce]

lovejoypeace, Windermere is beautiful. Now you just have to pray that the weather will be fine. I'm going with my kids during the school hol. My parents are there so we take annual trips there to see them.

[toddles]

ooptimizer:

Hi,

Can you tell us do you pay to park the car in UK? Is it by coins, and if so, how much per hour?

And do the traffic wardens come regularly or not like Singapore? , ie. can you try not to pay sometimes and can still get away with it?

Thanks in advance.

don't even try parking in central london (zone 1). the parking charges will kill you. When i was there it was still a coin system and i think it cost 3 GBP for half an hour or something ridiculous like that.

and the wardens check all the time. the fine will probably be something even more crazy than the charges.

don't take taxi (the black london cabs) if you can help it. The charges are also very high, unless for a short 10 min ride to somewhere that you really cannot find by public transport.

and don't trust those minicab companies. most of them anyhow charge cos there's no meter.

public transport within london is fine. buses and the Tube are easy to navigate. the staff at the tube stations will help if you ask them as well.

lots of sights are within walking distance, and if you're there in summer, walking is very pleasant!

[LOLMum]

driving in uk is pretty much like in spore except drivers here are a much nicer lot.


car wise, yes there are auto cars and the one which i got mine from and currently still using is entreprise rent a car (i believe there is a branch at the airport). if you get a car from them at the airport, the car would come with a gps. otherwise you need to have your own gps if you rent from their local branch (the area you are living in). not sure about other car companies. just remember to ask for a car wih gps.

not advisable to drive in central london because parking is expensive and most places have a 3 or less hour parking limit. you need to buy a congestion charge ticket (like erp) when driving in central london from mon - fri. drivers are a bit impatient and roads could be quite tricky for drivers who are unfamiliar with the routes. watch out for bus lanes. ALWAYS GIVE WAY TO AMBULANCE AND POLICE CARS. MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT THIS. so for the peace of mind, take the subway instead.

you can always stop a black cab on the road but for mini cabs, you need to call the taxi company to arrange for pick up. the mini cab company would advise you of the fare and you must check again with the driver before boarding. the hotel should have a list of mini cab companies.
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now for the travel plan,

from the airport, you might want to drive to windsor and stay a night or two (visit legoland and town).

after that, drive to stratford upon avon (as suggested by another parent) and visit shakespears' hometown. i was there over the weekend and it was a lovely place. checkout this website http://www.stratfordcaravans.co.uk we stayed in a caravan for 3 days 2 nights. you can either take a bus or a water taxi to the town.

after that you might wish to drive to oxford and stay a night or two as well. if you dont intend to stay overnight in oxford, please do a drive and park which is park at a designated area and take the bus straight into oxford. there are a few designated drive and park lots.

after that drive to london and return the car. spend the rest of the time in london itself. there are so many things to do in london and you might not even have the time to go to wales or scotland.

foodwise, recently i have been eating lots of cakes and pies and they are nice.. you can always get a sandwich + a drink + a crisp for about 3 pounds at any supermarket if you want to have a quick and cheap lunch.

i think you should do a check for london restaurants discount coupons on the internet as well.

anyway, have a lovely stay in london. sunset should be around 9 pm.

just take it easy and slow. dont rush from one place to another. :lol:

[Gooby]

lovejoypeacce:

So excited!! Just booked my tickets to London this June on Emirates. Great promoton going on.


So now that tics are booked, I would appreciate if moms and dads here can give me some good pointers:

We will have about 14 days in total. Thinking of exploring Lake District and Scotland. Is it better to go on a tour package or self drive? if not, is it easy to use rails?

Is the road easy to navigate outsides of London?

Any recommendation of cheap hotels? For a family of 4, is it better for us to use an apt?

Any places die die must see and food die die must eat?

We are also thinking of catching musicals at west end...can't wait!!

Hi lovejoypeacce, my parents are planning a trip to London to visit my aunt. I am contemplating of going with them together with my hubby and two kids during this Sept holiday break.

You mentioned about great promo price for Emirates. Roughly how much did you pay per person for the airfare? I went to Emirates website to check and it cost abt average $1300 plus per person for adults and kids for the period in Sept.

How was your flight on Emirates? Anything to take note of?

Thanks!

[lovejoypeacce]

Hi,


Our airticket is around $850 per adult and $750 for child. We have no issue with Emirates. They have great onboard entertainment services and good child meal.

Enjoy yourselves!

[Gooby]

Wow, that's very cheap. How did you get that promo price?


We are having a change of plan and might travel there next June instead.

How was your trip in June? Care to share

[windows]

hi anyone brought their kids to UK in mid Dec? is it manageable - the weather, the driving, the places of interests etc? thanks!