Travel: United Kingdom - General

[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.

[Dnls_mum]

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:

Shopping in london is really cheap now because of the weak pound. In particular, designer goods are good buy. But remember to given yourself sufficient time to claim tax refund. The queue to claim VAT is really long!

[micollh]

Dnls_Mum… any hotel to recommend near london where i can see london bridge/big ben… im alone, so i dun need good hotel… is it worth buying branded stuff there? where to claim tax refund? at airport? the pound now is still high… 1SGD=0.4XX pounds…

[micollh]

any feedback for Boston court hotel? any website to book hotel there?

[Dnls_mum]

micollh:

Dnls_Mum... any hotel to recommend near london where i can see london bridge/big ben.. im alone, so i dun need good hotel.. is it worth buying branded stuff there? where to claim tax refund? at airport? the pound now is still high.. 1SGD=0.4XX pounds..

GBP1 is approximately SGD2 now. Higher than a few months ago but still low if you consider the last 5 years trend. Chanel is cheaper in London than Singapore, a few months back, a SGD7.7K bag in Singapore cost me just below SGD5k equivalent in London. In fact, best place to buy in my personal opinion is Heathrow airport. If you buy in town, you will need to get your VAT form and present this at the VAL refund counter before you check-in and before customs, to claim back taxes you paid. give yourself at least 3 hours before your flight if you have bought stuff in town and would like to claim your VAT. You can claim tax refund even for non-designer goods just remember to ask the cashier for the VAT forms when you make payment.

I can't comment on budget hotels near the Tower. I stayed at Hyatt and it was near the Marble Arch Tube station, convenient and close to shopping. But then Hyatt is not a budget hotel. You may wish to check out tripadvisor for budget hotel recommendations.

[verykiasu2010]

micollh:

any feedback for Boston court hotel? any website to book hotel there?

you can try http://www.booking.com and search

the users' review may be helpful

[micollh]

when i book the hotel online, there is this line VAT 20%… is that mean i can get this back?