Need help with London trip

[nomoretslt]

Do you eat hot dogs?

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As a rule, I stay away from prepackaged ones at the grocery store. The local German butcher where we used to live made their own beef hot dogs. We bulked up on them before moving and had a nice supply in the freezer. When friends or family come to visit if our house ever gets done they will be instructed to bring a new supply.

If I think too hard about where my food comes from, I wouldn’t be able to eat. I’d rather keep my head in the sand about some things.

 

[ScoopKona]

If I think too hard about where my food comes from, I wouldn’t be able to eat. I’d rather keep my head in the sand about some things.

I'll never understand this. Tripe is AWESOME. Sheep's pluck? No problems. Blood? No problems. Kidney? No problems.

One of the things I like most about visiting the UK is that I know I'm going to get great meals -- kidney pies, eels, pasties, and especially haggis. Haggis is, without a single, solitary doubt, the best single dish yet invented by humans.

It drives me absolutely batty that I cannot obtain it in the US because most Americans are food squeamish. I have long held the belief that Americans should try actually starving sometime -- so that they can get over themselves when it comes to food. Snout-to-tail won't sound so bad if they've known what hunger is.

 

[nomoretslt]

No need to be so.......

 

[ScoopKona]

No need to be so.......

I didn't bring it up, twice.

What I want to know is where do these people get off telling me what I can and cannot eat? Don't want it? Don't eat it. Stick with Hot Pockets, Corn Dogs or whatever it is Americans are chewing on these days.

But if I want to eat a Steak and Kidney Pasty, with a side of Haggis and Black Pudding, and then wash it down with raw milk, I don't want some timid, squeamish Wonder-bread-eating government flack telling me I can't.

We can't get "the good stuff" here because of this attitude -- raw milk cheese and similar. And I'm completely sick of it.

 

[nomoretslt]

This is supposed to be a helpful thread for Dave. I mentioned black pudding because some people don’t know what it is.
Perhaps you could start your own thread about how much you don’t like people that don’t like the same foods you do. There are many people that don’t eat certain things due to their religious beliefs.
I know there is an “ignore” button somewhere for these boards. I will now seek it out and engage it.

 

[ScoopKona]

If you lead by calling a dish "repulsive," you're going to get replies.

And "I'm just trying to help" doesn't hold water. Getting people to try new foods and push their boundaries a little is helpful -- that's that makes travel bring the world together.

"Eww gross!" is the polar opposite of that philosophy.

 

[DaveNV]

Circling back to my thread about planning a trip to London. Please take any discussion about food to another thread. Thanks.

I'm back to working on planning a vacation to Great Britain in 2024. I've been comparing vacation packages (airfare + hotel) but the pricing I'm seeing is more than what I think I can book the same thing for myself directly. I'm exploring booking airfare separate from a hotel, unless I can find a combination deal that works. This isn't going to be a bargain basement trip, but I also don't have the deepest pockets in town. We're flying Premium Economy, rather than Business or First Class. I know it won't be Coach, which just wouldn't work for us. I'm willing to pay upwards for tickets to give a more decent flight experience on such a lengthy flight from here. Even nonstop, it's a ten hour flight for us to London

I have a fair bit of time before I'd need to book something, so I'm looking for recommendations from Tuggers about London hotels. Is there a decent hotel or BnB you can recommend that is centrally located to the usual things a first-time tourist would want to see? I'm talking landmarks we all grew up hearing about - London Bridge, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, and whatever. If there are better places to stay a bit further out, but a tube ride away, that'd be good too. A boutique place would be fine to stay - we don't need over the top accommodations, as long as it's clean, safe, and located in an area where we can get around easily. We won't be cooking in, so a kitchen isn't necessary. Not overly interested in nightlife, except for maybe a nice pub on the corner to get a beer with the locals. Theater is always interesting, so I'd love to hear about something you've seen there.

I'm still looking into tour companies to help us see the things we want to see. We know there is a ton more to experience than we'd ever be able to see in one trip, so we won't try. The only must-see we know we want to visit is Stonehenge. I'll figure the best way to do that, probably through the National Trust (I think?) mentioned previously. I'm wide open to other suggestions.

Anybody have things to discuss?

Dave

 

[VacationForever]

I just saw this thread, didn't see it when it was first created. I have been to London twice for work and extended the trips, and did all the stuff (twice because I did the same thing for each trip, LOL), London Bridge, changing of the guards, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Bath, Stonehenge etc. We have just booked a 2-week Collette tour for May/June 2023 to cover England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, since I really want to visit Scotland and Ireland.

We have never flown international lower than First Class or Business Class, but alas we "settled" for Premium Economy with KLM.

 

[ScoopKona]

I'm still looking into tour companies to help us see the things we want to see. We know there is a ton more to experience than we'd ever be able to see in one trip, so we won't try. The only must-see we know we want to visit is Stonehenge. I'll figure the best way to do that, probably through the National Trust (I think?) mentioned previously. I'm wide open to other suggestions.

That's "English Heritage" and "the Stone Circle Experience." Stay in Amesbury (train ride) at the George Hotel (you have little choice here). Salisbury is lovely as well. Worth a full day or two on the Stonehenge leg. I've done the Experience several times -- I do it nearly every time I go to the UK. My wife insists. The trick is to hop on their website and get a good idea how far out you can book, and when. You will be required to call the UK and pay with a credit card if your application is approved -- I hope they learn how Paypal works this century.

London's biggest problem is there is simply too much to see. British Museum? That's a full day. The Tower? Full day. Walking around Knightsbridge? Full day. Where you stay in London simply doesn't matter. The Underground is fast and efficient. If you find a place right on the Circle Line, you will have the easiest possible time -- most of what you want to see is on the circle line. And don't forget that Thames commuter boats are part of your Oyster Card. Seek those out and go just for the experience.

My "sleeper" suggestions for London: Greenwich, the Observatory, the Gypsy Moth (pub), and the Cutty Sark. That is a fine, fine day right there. Another is the Cheshire Cheese, which is my favorite pub in all of London. Often my first stop. And whatever you do, see who is playing the Albert Hall. I've seen Roger Hodgson and Mark Knopfler play there. And those are two of the top 10 concerts of my life -- seeing them at the Albert made it a better experience. Staggeringly good acoustics and Old Speckled Hen on tap during intermission. A show at the Albert is an experience that everyone should try if they can.

Airline? Two reasonable choices from LAS: LAS -> LHR on Virgin (11 hour flight). I prefer LAS -> SEA -> KEF -> a few days in Iceland -> LHR. Iceland Air does a stopover program which gives you essentially a free stay in Iceland to break your trip up. Every flight I make from Hawaii will be KOA -> SEA (eat crab for a day or two) -> KEF (soak in hot springs for a day or two while eating salmon) -> 'yurp.

As for food, I have never had a bad meal in the UK. And the time I've spent there can be measured in years, not days. But, I play to the UK's strengths -- they have the best curry outside of India (and many prefer UK curry.) Fried cod. Pasties and assorted meat pies. Eel. UK traditional breakfast is either #1 or #2 -- neck and neck with Irish Traditional breakfast. I'm happy with either. And especially haggis if you get to Scotland. I'd pay a thousand dollars to have a haggis teleported to my location right now. The fine dining scene is as good as France and the US. So if you want high-end, you can't go wrong. And foraging is alive and well in the UK -- and that's my favorite cuisine of all, hyper-local.

 

[DaveNV]

I just saw this thread, didn't see it when it was first created. I have been to London twice for work and extended the trips, and did all the stuff (twice because I did the same thing for each trip, LOL), London Bridge, changing of the guards, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Bath, Stonehenge etc. We have just booked a 2-week Collette tour for May/June 2023 to cover England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, since I really want to visit Scotland and Ireland.

We have never flown international lower than First Class or Business Class, but alas we "settled" for Premium Economy with KLM.

This sounds like the sort of trip we'd like to plan. I've mentioned London, but there are ideas of adding Scotland onto the end of things. Wales and Ireland would certainly be worthwhile, although I don't want to try and cram too much into a first trip there. If we can make this first trip work well, then there will be more in the future.

So many damn options...

Dave

 

[DaveNV]

That's "English Heritage" and "the Stone Circle Experience." Stay in Amesbury (train ride) at the George Hotel (you have little choice here). Salisbury is lovely as well. Worth a full day or two on the Stonehenge leg. I've done the Experience several times -- I do it nearly every time I go to the UK. My wife insists. The trick is to hop on their website and get a good idea how far out you can book, and when. You will be required to call the UK and pay with a credit card if your application is approved -- I hope they learn how Paypal works this century.

Yes, it was your mention earlier I was talking about. They're currently booking through May 2024. We're likely to go in September 2024, so will watch for when it's possible to book things. I also want to see what other sites they handle, to decide whether the annual membership is less expensive than individual tickets.

London's biggest problem is there is simply too much to see. British Museum? That's a full day. The Tower? Full day. Walking around Knightsbridge? Full day. Where you stay in London simply doesn't matter. The Underground is fast and efficient. If you find a place right on the Circle Line, you will have the easiest possible time -- most of what you want to see is on the circle line. And don't forget that Thames commuter boats are part of your Oyster Card. Seek those out and go just for the experience.

Trying to pare down the choices to things that will be of value to us, but that work within our limitations. My husband is a diabetic with severe neuropathy and chronic back issues, so wandering around a place without enough food at hand and nowhere to sit down is very difficult. We need to be able to get him parked for awhile when he requires a rest. So the touring will have to be manageable.

And I can't even worry about food at this point. I'm sure there will be plenty to try, and I know we won't go hungry.

Dave

 

[VacationForever]

I forgot to mention that I drove both times when I visited London for work. Actually the office and hotel were in Swindon and I drove. I grew up driving on the other side of the road so driving was a breeze for me, except that the roads were very narrow. I paid a cab driver each time to drive me through the Magic Roundabout but that is in Swindon, which is more than an hour drive away from London. I was used to traffic circles when I was growing up, but they were nothing like some of the ones in England. That in itself was quite an experience.

 

[VacationForever]

This sounds like the sort of trip we'd like to plan. I've mentioned London, but there are ideas of adding Scotland onto the end of things. Wales and Ireland would certainly be worthwhile, although I don't want to try and cram too much into a first trip there. If we can make this first trip work well, then there will be more in the future.

So many damn options...

Dave

I really enjoyed Bath. If I were to prioritize, after seeing all the famous attractions in London, I would prioritize Bath over Stonehenge. Stonehenge is kind of boring.

 

[Passepartout]

I really enjoyed Bath. If I were to prioritize, after seeing all the famous attractions in London, I would prioritize Bath over Stonehenge. Stonehenge is kind of boring.

I kind of agree. The visitor's center at Stonehenge is well done, but the stones themselves are ho-hum. But it's something that's a bucket list item.

 

[ScoopKona]

Yes, it was your mention earlier I was talking about. They're currently booking through May 2024. We're likely to go in September 2024, so will watch for when it's possible to book things. I also want to see what other sites they handle, to decide whether the annual membership is less expensive than individual tickets.

I looked into this and it wasn't worth it for us. The Stonehenge experience is the only thing that is head-and-shoulders better than what the average visitor can see. (At least that I've found. There aren't any "take pictures wearing the crown jewels while sitting on the throne" experiences.) Being able to walk around the stones, no other tourists, no lines, at either sunrise or sunset? Very few people will ever experience that. Last time was marred by a bunch of new-age hippie-dippy types, hugging the stones (against the rules), to "tap into the mystical druid energy."

As for food, go to the markets. Even Tesco (the WalMart of the UK) is a solid option. They have better raw materials than we have in the US. Pick up cheeses, bread, Devonshire doublecream, jam, scones, etc. Eat that on the train or have a bag with you at all times. Unless you go deep into the rural areas, there's always a West Cornwall Pasty Co., a curry, or a chippy nearby. And even if you're deep into the rural areas, there's a pub.

There's a lot to be said for staying in one place for a week. We once spent a week in Cromer, England, in this middle of winter. Other than being the home to the inventor of Dyson vacuum cleaners, there's a whole lot of not much there. And that's precisely why it was such a good trip -- we weren't treated like tourists for the entire time we were there. Food and drink is what we enjoy most in the UK -- yes, there are loads of things to see. But we've seen them. So going someplace nobody ever visits is a real treat. Near the end of our trip, a fisherman we befriended at the beginning of our trip was dropping off fish at our timeshare. "Broil this. You've never had anything like it in your life. I promise!" People were grabbing us in the afternoon for dinner parties in the evening.

Probably the most stress-free vacation we've ever had. Why? No schedule to keep. No "gotta check this off" sights to see. "Let's go to the next town over and see what they have." The most culturally significant thing we did on that entire trip was a tour of a mustard factory. They didn't normally do tours. "Well, can't you just show us around and then sell us some mustard?"

 

[PcflEZFlng]

On a trip to the Mediterranean in 2014 (for a cruise), we had a day and two nights in London on the way back. We stayed in Piccadilly Circus for its central location (and because we could use points for the hotel), and spent our day walking all over Knightsbridge, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, and Embassy Row (admittedly, that might be challenging for someone with mobility issues). We visited Buckingham Palace and the Churchill War Rooms, and had tea at the Royal Garden Hotel. We were never in a hurry and casually took our time, yet it still seemed like we saw and did a lot. That one single day was one of the highlights of our trip.

 

[SmithOp]

I really enjoyed Bath. If I were to prioritize, after seeing all the famous attractions in London, I would prioritize Bath over Stonehenge. Stonehenge is kind of boring.

I agree, Bath has so many things happening vs stones in a field. You can do a day trip from Bath to the henge, there are tour operators in Bath. It was an easy train ride from London and a short walk to the hotel from the station.

We stayed at the Hilton hotel in Bath and did a tour van to Stonehenge. The Roman ruins was infinitely more interesting in Bath.

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[sponger76]

I agree, Bath has so many things happening vs stones in a field. You can do a day trip from Bath to the henge, there are tour operators in Bath. It was an easy train ride from London and a short walk to the hotel from the station.

We stayed at the Hilton hotel in Bath and did a tour van to Stonehenge. The Roman ruins was infinitely more interesting in Bath.

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I think Stonehenge is still worth seeing, just to get the curiosity out of the way. Literally the week before the UK went into COVID restrictions I was in London with my family. On a whim we booked a last-minute tour that bused us to Stonehenge for about an hour and a half, then continued on to Bath. It included entry to the Roman ruins. Also some time to explore the city, during which we spent an hour in one of the hot-spring-fed pools and then explored the cathedral. Then the tour took us back to London in time for a late dinner. The tour guide was great.

 

[DaveNV]

I realize Stonehenge is just rocks in a field. I know they just sit there, and nothing happens except sunshine and shadows, when it's not raining. But for the kid who grew up seeing pictures of them, it'd be like going to Niagara Falls and not seeing the water. Or going to Yellowstone and not seeing Old Faithful. Or NYC and not seeing the Statue of Liberty. Or the Grand Canyon and not looking over the edge. It's a destination bucket list thing for me, even if it's boring to others. After an hour of walking around, soaking up the sense of history in the place, THEN I'll be ready to see the exciting stuff, and I probably won't feel the need to return. Unless the Druids take me captive, or something...

Dave

 

[ScoopKona]

I realize Stonehenge is just rocks in a field.

Don't listen to the detractors. Stonehenge is awesome. I'm willing to bet that everyone who says it's "blah" didn't do the invitation-only trip and walk right up to the stones. The average tourist is only allowed to see it from a couple hundred meters away. And that isn't nearly as interesting as being able to walk around the stones and have a sense of scale. All my travel photos are on the mainland, otherwise I'd post a picture of my wife, under a Stonehenge archway, in the pouring rain. (That's the problem with making an appointment to see the stones -- English weather doesn't care if you waited your whole life to do this.) That's what happened on our honeymoon -- pouring, freezing rain at dawn in July. We went back several more times because why not? It doesn't cost much and we've had great experiences there.

I'll never understand that attitude: "I've never tried it. But I'm going to say it sucks anyway." Aesop would have a field day. "Didn't anyone read my stories? Harumph!"

 

[zora]

DaveNV, We'll also be in UK in September, 2024. Sorry for the late addition but I just saw this thread. We have tickets to the Lotus Car Factory in Hethel and so will be staying a few days in Norwich. I found a small bnb company in Norwich, Cilerna (https://www.cilerna.com/ ) and am renting a 3 bdrm for a reasonable, not cheap, price. Also, pre-pandemic, we took a stonehenge tour with Flying Purple Pig tours (https://www.flyingpurplepig.co.uk/ ) and it was GREAT! The price is per group so cost effectiveness depends on how many are in your group.
Hope this helps.

 

[DaveNV]

DaveNV, We'll also be in UK in September, 2024. Sorry for the late addition but I just saw this thread. We have tickets to the Lotus Car Factory in Hethel and so will be staying a few days in Norwich. I found a small bnb company in Norwich, Cilerna (https://www.cilerna.com/ ) and am renting a 3 bdrm for a reasonable, not cheap, price. Also, pre-pandemic, we took a stonehenge tour with Flying Purple Pig tours (https://www.flyingpurplepig.co.uk/ ) and it was GREAT! The price is per group so cost effectiveness depends on how many are in your group.
Hope this helps.

Thank you! We've rescheduled the London trip till Spring 2026, but I'll be back to gather tips from this thread.

Dave

 

[ScoopKona]

Hopefully the orange is gone by the time you go there:

Protesters arrested after painting Stonehenge monument orange

The incident came just a day before thousands were expected to gather at the 4,500-year-old stone circle to celebrate the summer solstice.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[DaveNV]

Hopefully the orange is gone by the time you go there:

Protesters arrested after painting Stonehenge monument orange

The incident came just a day before thousands were expected to gather at the 4,500-year-old stone circle to celebrate the summer solstice.

www.nbcnews.com

That's certainly how to get people to back your protest - vandalize an ancient site that has zero whatsoever to do with your cause. Just outrageous.

SMDH.

Dave

 

[Passepartout]

Thank you! We've rescheduled the London trip till Spring 2026, but I'll be back to gather tips from this thread.

Dave

I brought this potential trip up to Paula. We had stayed in the West End in a hotel, and in the East End in kind of a 'managed apartment'. Almost a timeshare. Living room, bedroom, loo. Maybe 5-6 floors, kind of IKEAish. Modern. Lots of eateries nearby. It was an area just outside the city walls way back when, so the area was settled by Irish, then Africans, then Bengalis and they all left their food preferences. We took some walking food tours and enjoyed them before going to Stonehenge and boarding our cruise to Norway.

If you want, she'll dig out the contact info for you. OK she said the name is Leman Locke. On Leman Street.

There were pubs, an Amazon grocery next door, and very helpful staff for directions, suggestions, to call a taxi or UBER.