Travel: United Kingdom - General

[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!

[jce]

UK in mid Dec is cold, very cold. The day is short, dark by about 4pm. Driving conditions up north like Edinburgh, Manchester can be quite bad.


If you are traveling within London then I’d suggest not driving as navigating around is not easy.

Amusement parks are closed during the winter months.

There are really good museums and galleries in London if your kids are into that. Can go for farm stays.

[micollh]

hi, if i only have one day to spend eiother in cambridge or london, which one to choose? the airport is near london right?

[verykiasu2010]

micollh:

hi, if i only have one day to spend eiother in cambridge or london, which one to choose? the airport is near london right?

there are 3 airports in London. presumably you are referring to Heathrow

Heathrow (LHR) is an hour by tube or 20 minutes by Heathrow Express to Paddington station in downtown

Cambridge is about 2 hours by coach from LHR

[micollh]

verykiasu2010, anything to do in cambridge? london can shop? schedule quite rush, after attending matters in cambridge, am thinking should stay in hotel there or go to london instead, any suggestions? thanks alot…

[verykiasu2010]

micollh:

verykiasu2010, anything to do in cambridge? london can shop? schedule quite rush, after attending matters in cambridge, am thinking should stay in hotel there or go to london instead, any suggestions? thanks alot..

since you are already in Cambridge, should have seen the place, right?

so if you have targeted shopping to do in london, and depending on your departure flight/time, london may worth the trip

beware of traffic congestion going to the airport. the paddington / heathrow express or the tube is more reliable except for strikes :evil: