Travel: United Kingdom - General

[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:

[micollh]

is the cab there expensive? take express/tube is definitely cheaper right…

[verykiasu2010]

micollh:

is the cab there expensive? take express/tube is definitely cheaper right..

cheapest is tube, a few pounds

heathrow express very fast! around 20 pounds, if remember correctly, google their website for it

cab of course cost more because you pay for the congestion....once i paid 70 pounds ........

[chixchix]

is it a good time to go during xmas ?

[pojo]

Hi chixchix


The good thing about going during Xmas is that the sale at Oxford Street starts on boxing day (or the day after).

The not so good thing is that most shops and restaurants are shut on Xmas Eve and Xmas day. You can go to Chinatown as the Chinese restaurants are open. So are the Indian and other non-Western restaurants. Anyway London is so cosmopolitan nowadays.

[LOLMum]

err.....for me,


i find the shopping and food really good during xmas and the xmas spirit and atmosphere is there. so i would go.

but, i dont like when the sun sets at 3-4pm daily and it is cold and wet and i might get stuck at the airport.

when i came back in dec just before xmas, mine was the first and only plane to fly out. the airport was closed the last few days before my departure and the next 2 days after. so you can imagine the no. of stranded travellers in the airport. Thank God we were able to get into the airport (they acutally refused to let people enter the airport except for those who were flying out that day). with so many people crowded at the entrance, it was very difficult to get in especially when you cant find a trollery to hold your bags and have kids with you. also i left my place 5 hours before departure time (usually i would leave my place 3.5 hours early) but there was a terrible jam right in front of the airport (note - jam was not in the city but at the airport) and we almost missed our flight by a mere minute. dont forget the jam at the ticket counter. :faint:

but if you are returning after new year, i think it should be okay. have fun.