London Fall 2018 First Trip To Europe

[thickornotatall]

I will be going to London in September for 2-3 weeks.. I'm going alone and would like some good and positive information....I like walking and am a subway commuter...I like museums....local restaurants...I'd like to see as much as possible....I'm not sure where I'll be staying but would like some tips and maybe a good place to stay...I like nice..not super expensive...I would like WiFi...flat screen TV....nice bath...king bed....maybe near a tube station.....

Thanks

[BgMstr4u]

Over the years I have been to the Holiday Inn, Gloucester Road many times. Do a bit of poking around and you may find a good deal. Great location, right by the Gloucester Road tube station, on the line from LHR. Big, modern place, not a lot of Olde Englyssshe charm but solid value. And, I believe, free wifi.

[thickornotatall]

Over the years I have been to the Holiday Inn, Gloucester Road many times. Do a bit of poking around and you may find a good deal. Great location, right by the Gloucester Road tube station, on the line from LHR. Big, modern place, not a lot of Olde Englyssshe charm but solid value. And, I believe, free wifi.

Thanks very much

[body2body]

Think about what you want to do. For many years I stayed near Paddington at a Hotel that fronted on Hyde Park. I found more and more, that every trip had me heading to the South Bank where the Tate Modern, National Theatre, Old Vic, Young Vic, Shakespeare’s Globe are located. So, my last few trips I have stayed on the South Bank. I stayed at the Novotel Blackfriars (modern amenities , comfortable, 100 yds from Southwark tube, 4 blocks to Waterloo station). I’m going in August for a Theatre binge (ticket prices are fraction of New York ticket prices), this time I’m staying at the recently opened Hilton Bankside, which has great reviews, a popular restaurant and bar. I tend to take day trips during the day (Bath, Brighton, Hampton Court Palace, Stonehenge, Windsor are all easy day trips by train).

The National Gallery has an incredible collection, but because it is free it tends to be a mob scene, try to go early. The National Portrait Gallery around the Corner is wonderful. You can see the faces of historical figures, authors, artists. I enjoy it. The Tate Britain for the Turners, as well as some sublime Hockney portraits, and fine examples of Lucien Freud, and Francis Bacon. The Tate Modern (across the river) has a vast collection of contemporary art and a reputation for mounting blockbuster shows. The Wallace Collection is a personal collection of Old Master Paintings, and the finest 18th Century French Furniture (according to the French) in the setting of a London Townhouse. The recently re-done Imperial War Museum is also fascinating. There is so much to do, to have the luxury of a couple weeks to explore London and the surrounding sites is wonderful. Buy a London Travel Card for zones 1 and 2, you can use it on the tube or buses, and it will get you a discount on local train fares. You can buy it here, or in London at any of the major rail stations.

Edited May 22, 2018 by body2body

[BgMstr4u]

Good advice, b2b. There are lots of good value quality hotels. What are your main interests? Map them and find a tube-adjacent hotel that gives you maximum walking access, since you like to walk. If you like history, you might try this alternate tube scheme:

https://londonist.com/2016/08/the-tudor-tube-map

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

Look into Earls Court area. Some great small hotels, most including breakfast. Almost all are near the EC Tube.

 

Download the OpenTable app. It's become popular with the Brits. Tons of options.

[thickornotatall]

Think about what you want to do. For many years I stayed near Paddington at a Hotel that fronted on Hyde Park. I found more and more, that every trip had me heading to the South Bank where the Tate Modern, National Theatre, Old Vic, Young Vic, Shakespeare’s Globe are located. So, my last few trips I have stayed on the South Bank. I stayed at the Novotel Blackfriars (modern amenities , comfortable, 100 yds from Southwark tube, 4 blocks to Waterloo station). I’m going in August for a Theatre binge (ticket prices are fraction of New York ticket prices), this time I’m staying at the recently opened Hilton Bankside, which has great reviews, a popular restaurant and bar. I tend to take day trips during the day (Bath, Brighton, Hampton Court Palace, Stonehenge, Windsor are all easy day trips by train).

The National Gallery has an incredible collection, but because it is free it tends to be a mob scene, try to go early. The National Portrait Gallery around the Corner is wonderful. You can see the faces of historical figures, authors, artists. I enjoy it. The Tate Britain for the Turners, as well as some sublime Hockney portraits, and fine examples of Lucien Freud, and Francis Bacon. The Tate Modern (across the river) has a vast collection of contemporary art and a reputation for mounting blockbuster shows. The Wallace Collection is a personal collection of Old Master Paintings, and the finest 18th Century French Furniture (according to the French) in the setting of a London Townhouse. The recently re-done Imperial War Museum is also fascinating. There is so much to do, to have the luxury of a couple weeks to explore London and the surrounding sites is wonderful. Buy a London Travel Card for zones 1 and 2, you can use it on the tube or buses, and it will get you a discount on local train fares. You can buy it here, or in London at any of the major rail stations.

Thanks so much...I am from NYC and am very used to crowds....I will look at all of your advice...very good to point me to some good places..I'll be there for 3 weeks so I don't have to rush...thx again..

[s1conrad]

I'm envious that you are going to the UK for 3 weeks:}}. I love London and one of my favorite areas is Bloomsbury, where the British Museum is situated. In the past, I've stayed at a little B&B called the Morgan Hotel, as well as the modern St. Giles Hotel (adjacent to the Central YMCA). The nearest tube stop to these hotels is Tottenham Court Rd. It's an easy walk to Covent Garden (tons of shops and restaurants), Leicester Square (theatreland), Soho (some gay clubs), Trafalgar Sq (home of the National Gallery), as well as Oxford Street shopping. Wherever you stay, I highly recommend getting an Oyster Card (a transport card good on the tube and buses==the upper level of the doubledeckers is a great way to see the city). The City of London Museum (located in the bland Barbican Centre) gives great insight to the many layers of the capital's history from Roman times to the present--there's a room that recreates the Great Fire of 1666 that will make your hair stand on end:). Of all the many historic sites, Westminster Abbey is one of the most fascinating. The street markets that dot the city are great way to experience the "vibe" of London. Save room for Afternoon Tea; one of my favorite spots is the Wolseley on Piccadilly (for an opulent splurge).

 

There are some areas of Greater London that are very scenic & historically notable: Windsor, Hampstead and Richmond-on-the-Thames (these areas are less than an hour's train ride from Central London). Further afield is the Georgian city of Bath--it's an elegant city right out of the Jane Austen era. York in the north boasts the largest cathedral in England and has a maze of Tudor streets and a Roman wall (York is over 2hr train ride however).

 

You might even consider a day or two in Paris--it's an easy excursion on the Eurostar from St. Pancras to Gare du Nord. The travel time is a smooth 2 and 1/2 hours--in a two-day stay you could easily do the Louvre, the D'Orsay, Notre Dame and Eiffel Tower. If you book in advance, the R/T is about $140 USD on the Eurostar (much cheaper than flying).

 

Happy planning, look right when crossing the street, and bring a "brolly".

[mike carey]

Wherever you stay, I highly recommend getting an Oyster Card

You may wish to check, when I was discussing London with @escortrod he mentioned that you can now use any credit card with a chip instead of an Oyster card, just make sure you tap on and off with the same one! IIRC the system applies the same (or slightly lower fares) as the Oyster card, including discounts and daily or other fare caps. Of course, if your credit card charges a transaction fee for each foreign currency transaction (other than a small percentage surcharge) using it may not work for you. (I have a prepaid card I can pre-load with GBP.)

[GBoi]

You may wish to check, when I was discussing London with @escortrod he mentioned that you can now use any credit card with a chip instead of an Oyster card, just make sure you tap on and off with the same one! IIRC the system applies the same (or slightly lower fares) as the Oyster card, including discounts and daily or other fare caps. Of course, if your credit card charges a transaction fee for each foreign currency transaction (other than a small percentage surcharge) using it may not work for you. (I have a prepaid card I can pre-load with GBP.)

 

I think this only works with credit cards that have the contactless chip and not ones that use chip and signature (like most American issued chip cards)

[Kenny]

Modern & extremely well located — Park Plaza Westminster Bridge. A room with a Parliament view is especially nice. Weekly rates available.

https://www.parkplaza.com/london-hotel-gb-se1-7ut/gbwestmi

Edited May 25, 2018 by Kenny

[GBoi]

With a 2-3 week stay I’d suggest maybe even splitting your time between two locations. London is big and depending on what you want to see, it might be worth immersing yourself in a couple neighborhoods.

 

I’d generally avoid Paddington, Kings Cross, and Waterloo areas. Lots of inexpensive hotels but other than really good transport links, not really much to see (except for the British Library near Kings X) nor particularly interesting neighborhoods.

 

South Bank/Southwark, Kensington, Marylebone, SoHo, Covent Garden, Bloomsbury are all nice areas with good transport and walkable to many attractions. East central London is very trendy nowadays (Clerkenwell, Shoreditch, Hackney, Hoxton).

[+ tassojunior]

For 3 weeks an airbnb is almost the only answer. See if the Tube has weekly passes and how much......the Tube can be expensive. There may be cheaper buses. London has had cheap private car services for a while in several of it's towns and Uber is still working fine.

 

Knightsbridge, South Kensington and Gloucester Road along Cromwell are full of hotels for a reason. Very close to most things. Earl's Court may be a walk too far. The City on the East End and the South Bank are not as convenient. Camden Town north of the center is very trendy now and relaxed. Check what are the trendy neighborhoods now if you like mixed residential.

 

There is the "house with guys " too in Earls Court... Villa Gianni....

https://www.boytoy.com/forums/topic/22611-villa-gianni-in-london-uk/?tab=comments#comment-128669

Edited May 25, 2018 by tassojunior

[mike carey]

I think this only works with credit cards that have the contactless chip and not ones that use chip and signature (like most American issued chip cards)

You're probably correct. My Visa and Amex cards here are contactless, as is the prepaid card I mentioned. We have had to use either contactless (valid up to $AU100) or chip and PIN for about four years now, signature isn't permitted. It may be prudent for anyone travelling to the UK to confirm that chip and signature still works there.

[GBoi]

You're probably correct. My Visa and Amex cards here are contactless, as is the prepaid card I mentioned. We have had to use either contactless (valid up to $AU100) or chip and PIN for about four years now, signature isn't permitted. It may be prudent for anyone travelling to the UK to confirm that chip and signature still works there.

 

Chip and signature definitely still works in the UK. Was just there last week and they get enough Americans that they don’t blink and eye when they have to reach for a pen.

 

I saw some people using their phones to pay for the tube as well but not sure if that’s Applepay/Androidpay or something else.

 

Interesting that chip and signature is not allowed down under!

[body2body]

I travel in London by Public Transport almost exclusively. My experience has been that the 7 day Travel Card is the best value. It gives you unlimited use of Tube, buses, DLR, Overground, and National Rail. Pretty much everything in central London can be found in zones 1 and 2. A 7 day zone 1 and 2 is £34.10. A zone 1-6 ( which will take you to Hampton Court Palace, Kew Gardens, Windsor Castle) is around £62. You can have your Travel Card put on an Oyster for £5 deposit (that’s what it was in 2016, my last visit). I would buy a 7 day Travel Card for zones 1-2 to start, and during your second or third week if your travels are going to take you further afield you could get a zone 1-4, or 1-6. Here is the zone map

https://www.google.com/search?q=london+transport+zones+map&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari#imgrc=epFZ-NBZ1lIkYM:

[thickornotatall]

I travel in London by Public Transport almost exclusively. My experience has been that the 7 day Travel Card is the best value. It gives you unlimited use of Tube, buses, DLR, Overground, and National Rail. Pretty much everything in central London can be found in zones 1 and 2. A 7 day zone 1 and 2 is £34.10. A zone 1-6 ( which will take you to Hampton Court Palace, Kew Gardens, Windsor Castle) is around £62. You can have your Travel Card put on an Oyster for £5 deposit (that’s what it was in 2016, my last visit). I would buy a 7 day Travel Card for zones 1-2 to start, and during your second or third week if your travels are going to take you further afield you could get a zone 1-4, or 1-6. Here is the zone map

https://www.google.com/search?q=london+transport+zones+map&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari#imgrc=epFZ-NBZ1lIkYM:

thx very much

[escortrod]

This is my favourite hotel at present: https://www.ihg.com/hotelindigo/hotels/gb/en/london/lonlt/hoteldetail

 

I would recommend using contactless payment for public transport, if you have that available. This includes Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Android Pay (or whatever it's called these days). It works out cheaper than a travel card, though only slightly so, and it means you don't have to go to the trouble of buying an Oyster card. Also the fare is automatically capped depending on which zones you go to, so you don't have to guess in advance how far out of central London you may venture. Just be sure to use the same 'card' to touch in and out every single time.

 

Must do restaurants:

- Il Bordello (http://ilbordello.com): The best Italian I've been to in London, with American-sized portions of unbelievable food. Expect to request a doggie bag.

- Zeret Kitchen (https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186338-d1748899-Reviews-Zeret_Kitchen-London_England.html): This is quite out of the way, and not in the best neighbourhood. Should cost about £10 to get an Uber there, so it's not too painful. It's unbelievably cheap, and the food is the best I've had in London, bar none. Everything is at least slightly spicy. Be sure to try the Special Kifto.

- Buenos Aires Cafe: (http://buenosairescafe.co.uk): My husband and I had dinner here last night. Be sure to order their made-in-house chorizo to start. All of the mains are excellent, but the steaks are particularly good, as you might expect of an Argentinian restaurant. Wines are superb too.

- Sushi Samba (https://sushisamba.com/london/): The food here is not quite as good as in their NY location, but the 37th floor outdoor bar and spectacular views more than make up for that. And the food is nonetheless excellent.

- Tozi (http://www.tozirestaurant.co.uk): excellent Italian food, brilliant atmosphere, and near my office, so I spend far too much time and money here. It's an easy walk from the Tate Gallery too. A nice outing could be to take a riverboat to the Tate, then walk to this restaurant, then walk the 10 minutes from there to Buckingham Palace.

- Carmen (http://www.carmenbardetapas.com): some of the best tapas I've had in London. Be sure to have the pork cheek.

- Sagardi (http://www.sagardi.co.uk): Basque tapas in Shoreditch. This is our favourite Tapas bar in Barcelona, and they have opened a location in London. Manned by staff selected from their Spanish restaurants, the food is amazing. They have an on-site butchery (visible to the customers), and a massive selection of gin.

 

Must do escorts: me.

 

Hope you have a great trip!

Edited May 26, 2018 by escortrod

[escortrod]

Chip and signature definitely still works in the UK. Was just there last week and they get enough Americans that they don’t blink and eye when they have to reach for a pen.

 

I saw some people using their phones to pay for the tube as well but not sure if that’s Applepay/Androidpay or something else.

 

Interesting that chip and signature is not allowed down under!

Chip and signature still works in the UK, but most merchant services providers apply different rules in relation to fraud (they don't indemnify the vendor against fraudulent transactions using a signature as verification). The upshot is that any business that regularly serves American tourists will happily accept a signature, but I have had my Chase card refused in a couple of rural locations.

[escortrod]

You might even consider a day or two in Paris--it's an easy excursion on the Eurostar from St. Pancras to Gare du Nord. The travel time is a smooth 2 and 1/2 hours--in a two-day stay you could easily do the Louvre, the D'Orsay, Notre Dame and Eiffel Tower. If you book in advance, the R/T is about $140 USD on the Eurostar (much cheaper than flying).

 

Great idea, though if you're considering taking the Eurostar and fancy seeing something dramatically different to London, you may want to visit Bruges. You can get the Eurostar direct to Brussels and take another train from the same station to Bruges. It's the prettiest, most interesting city I have visited in Europe, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

[mike carey]

I didn't recheck the site earlier, but there is detailed info on London fares here: https://tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/ It also shows the symbol that will be on your card if it is contactless-enabled.

 

As Rod mentioned contactless gives you as good rates as an Oyster card. If you decide to go with the Oyster, there is detail on the site about ordering one in advance (yes, £5 plus postage, plus however much you want to pre-load it with). The weekly cap for contactless is the same as a travel card (around £34 for Zones 1-2), and the card is a better deal if you are going to be there from mid-week to mid-week (the contactless cap is Mon-Sun, not 'any seven days'). Over three weeks it would matter less, and there are daily caps as well as weekly so you may end up paying less on contactless.

Must do escorts: me.

Nice one, Rod! I agree on Bruges too, and Ghent isn't bad either.

Edited May 26, 2018 by mike carey

[thickornotatall]

This is my favourite hotel at present: https://www.ihg.com/hotelindigo/hotels/gb/en/london/lonlt/hoteldetail

 

I would recommend using contactless payment for public transport, if you have that available. This includes Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Android Pay (or whatever it's called these days). It works out cheaper than a travel card, though only slightly so, and it means you don't have to go to the trouble of buying an Oyster card. Also the fare is automatically capped depending on which zones you go to, so you don't have to guess in advance how far out of central London you may venture. Just be sure to use the same 'card' to touch in and out every single time.

 

Must do restaurants:

- Il Bordello (http://ilbordello.com): The best Italian I've been to in London, with American-sized portions of unbelievable food. Expect to request a doggie bag.

- Zeret Kitchen (https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186338-d1748899-Reviews-Zeret_Kitchen-London_England.html): This is quite out of the way, and not in the best neighbourhood. Should cost about £10 to get an Uber there, so it's not too painful. It's unbelievably cheap, and the food is the best I've had in London, bar none. Everything is at least slightly spicy. Be sure to try the Special Kifto.

- Buenos Aires Cafe: (http://buenosairescafe.co.uk): My husband and I had dinner here last night. Be sure to order their made-in-house chorizo to start. All of the mains are excellent, but the steaks are particularly good, as you might expect of an Argentinian restaurant. Wines are superb too.

- Sushi Samba (https://sushisamba.com/london/): The food here is not quite as good as in their NY location, but the 37th floor outdoor bar and spectacular views more than make up for that. And the food is nonetheless excellent.

- Tozi (http://www.tozirestaurant.co.uk): excellent Italian food, brilliant atmosphere, and near my office, so I spend far too much time and money here. It's an easy walk from the Tate Gallery too. A nice outing could be to take a riverboat to the Tate, then walk to this restaurant, then walk the 10 minutes from there to Buckingham Palace.

- Carmen (http://www.carmenbardetapas.com): some of the best tapas I've had in London. Be sure to have the pork cheek.

- Sagardi (http://www.sagardi.co.uk): Basque tapas in Shoreditch. This is our favourite Tapas bar in Barcelona, and they have opened a location in London. Manned by staff selected from their Spanish restaurants, the food is amazing. They have an on-site butchery (visible to the customers), and a massive selection of gin.

 

Must do escorts: me.

 

Hope you have a great trip!

What great information...thanks for taking the time to help me....I do appreciate that...S

[Rockey]

Leaving for home tomorrow after a fab 5 day stay. I purchased an Oyster card as soon as I arrived. Card was £5 and I loaded £15 onto it. It was very easy to use. I just used it for the last time tonight and I was able to get a refund of the £5 card fee and any remaining £s on the card. I highly recommend it. There’s also a daily cap of 6.75£ per day meaning if you use more than that amount in one day, all trips after that amount are free for the rest of the day.

[thickornotatall]

Leaving for home tomorrow after a fab 5 day stay. I purchased an Oyster card as soon as I arrived. Card was £5 and I loaded £15 onto it. It was very easy to use. I just used it for the last time tonight and I was able to get a refund of the £5 card fee and any remaining £s on the card. I highly recommend it. There’s also a daily cap of 6.75£ per day meaning if you use more than that amount in one day, all trips after that amount are free for the rest of the day.

Thanks for the good info!..I appreciate that very much

[thickornotatall]

All my travel arrangements are done and I'll be leaving in a week or so until the end of September. I rented a flat in The Angel district..a big 1 bedroom with patio on the 2nd floor. Much better than being in a hotel room. I may take the train to Paris for a few days..or go to Cambridge.

Next stop Barcelona.