London Fall 2018 First Trip To Europe

[+ Charlie]

I have lived in and visited London many times over the last half century, and every time I go, the things I used to think I know about have changed, especially about using the transport system. One thing that has become clear is that the buses and underground are overloaded and central London is often gridlocked. The Angel is probably a good choice for being close to the center, but not too close. I used to live in Islington, and generally found the number of bus lines that go through the Angel and Kings Cross areas very useful.

 

If this is your first trip to England, there are plenty of places to access easily by train, including Cambridge, Oxford, Bath and Brighton, that can provide as much change of pace as Paris.

[s1conrad]

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.

Islington is a great area. The #19 Bus will take to many destinations in Central London (Bloomsbury, Piccadilly, Hyde Park, Chelsea). The High Street has a great variety of shops, cafes. If you're into antiques, Camden Passage has a lot of high-end shops (and a few junky ones). There's also a Waitrose, Marks Spencer and Sainsbury's for groceries. Have fun!

[thickornotatall]

Happy to report I had a fantastic 3 weeks in London. So much to do and see. I stayed in The Angel section of Islington which is a great location. Just far enough out of central London to be a bit more quiet but close enough to be walkable to most areas. I was 1 stop on The Victoria/Northern lines to King's Cross and St Pancras Stations. 4 Stops to Covent Garden and Theaterland. I cannot express how impressed I am with London. Beauty everywhere..great architecture..museums..parks restraunts.. The weather was unusually warm and sunny only rain 2 days.

We saw Tina Turner Musucal at The Aldwych Theater...Ate at some nice places on Upper St In The Angel..Shopped on Regent St.

I can't wait to go back.

I will post my experience with HomeAway.com soon. It's like Airbnb maybe the same company.

[mike carey]

@thickornotatall, London was and remains a great city. As the capital of empire it was the hub, and arguably the capital of the world. It wears that legacy with confidence. Washington is now, perhaps, the imperial city of the world, at least for the moment, but it seems not to recognise that its imperial role gives it any sort of cultural pre-eminence, New York does that better. In the 19th century, the capital of Portugal moved to Rio, the British capital could have easily moved to Mumbai or Kolkata [but not to Melbourne, Sydney, Cape Town, Singapore, Toronto or Lagos], but it didn't. London remained a magnet for the empire. It is now a magnet for Russian oligarchs and middle eastern millionaires. They are drawn by its history and culture and contribute to its continuation.

[+ Charlie]

I used to live a short walk from Upper Street, which is now a lot more gentrified than it was in my day.

[thickornotatall]

I used to live a short walk from Upper Street, which is now a lot more gentrified than it was in my day.

Upper Street is extremely busy most of the day..The shops and restraunts all seemed full especially on weekends...The Angel Center has a good choice of shopping...I like the amount of bus and train choices...and the ease to Essex St and Canonbury...So close to Central London yet far enough to avoid the crowds...Close proximity to St Pancras/Kings Cross and Euston Stations make it easy to go anywhetre by rail...Perfect for me....I looked at a few flats to buy....quite high prices...but that's London for you..

[+ Charlie]

Upper Street is extremely busy most of the day..The shops and restraunts all seemed full especially on weekends...The Angel Center has a good choice of shopping...I like the amount of bus and train choices...and the ease to Essex St and Canonbury...So close to Central London yet far enough to avoid the crowds...Close proximity to St Pancras/Kings Cross and Euston Stations make it easy to go anywhetre by rail...Perfect for me....I looked at a few flats to buy....quite high prices...but that's London for you..

Those were all the same advantages that led me to live on Canonbury Rd near the Essex Rd tube stop, except that when I lived there 45 years ago, it was also fairly inexpensive (there was still WW2 bomb damage to nearby buildings).

[thickornotatall]

Those were all the same advantages that led me to live on Canonbury Rd near the Essex Rd tube stop, except that when I lived there 45 years ago, it was also fairly inexpensive (there was still WW2 bomb damage to nearby buildings).

There is a plaque on the side of a building on Canonbury Rd talking about the bombs dropped by The Germans in WWII....I really am looking to find a 2 bedroom flat to rent between Canonbury/Upper and Essex Sts...I walk to the Angel tube or take the M 19 bus on Upper St to Central London...get off and walk to almost anywhere interesting...I am so taken with London...

https://tfl.gov.uk/bus/route/19/

 

https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/253874/

Edited October 6, 2018 by thickornotatall

[thickornotatall]

Those were all the same advantages that led me to live on Canonbury Rd near the Essex Rd tube stop, except that when I lived there 45 years ago, it was also fairly inexpensive (there was still WW2 bomb damage to nearby buildings).[

 

I walked by this apartment house everyday on the way To the station..made me sad...the entire roundabout is being renovated and is all under construction...

https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/253874/

[+ Charlie]

George Orwell lived in that row of houses at Highbury Corner, but he was not at home when the bomb hit it. When I lived in London in the 1970s, there were still many abandoned buildings that had suffered damage in the war and still hadn't been repaired after three decades. Now London property is so valuable that there is no sign of them anywhere.

[Travelguy368]

Thank you fellow members for the information on this thread. This will help me with some planning for my UK trip in about a month.

[DMICS]

I'm trying to go to London for the 1st time this year. Looking for around April. A lot of the info is very overwhelming but I appreciate the tips in here. I've never travelled outside of North America so currency exchange/terms, transportation will the main things I'll need to know.

 

Thinking to stay in the Soho area or somewhere really close to that area.

[Hlparx]

I'm trying to go to London for the 1st time this year. Looking for around April. A lot of the info is very overwhelming but I appreciate the tips in here. I've never travelled outside of North America so currency exchange/terms, transportation will the main things I'll need to know.

 

Thinking to stay in the Soho area or somewhere really close to that area.

 

In terms of transportation, if you’re planning to stay and explore the metropolitan London area, the Tube and bus system is all you need. For Tube travel, you will need a card called an Oyster card; you can order it before your trip and have it delivered to your home. Or you can get one on arrival in London. There’s an app called TubeMap in the Apple Store and London Underground in the Android Store that is invaluable in navigating the Tube.

 

In terms of exchange rates, I’ve been to London when 1£ = $1.20 (wonderful) and when 1£ = $1.47 (painful). If you’re from the US, the thing to be careful of is that the list price for a lot of things is what you’d expect for the US, so you need to be conscious about it actually costing 20-30% more. One other thing to remember is that if you’re paying by credit card, you may be offered the option of paying in $ or paying in £, with the vendor providing you with a predetermined exchange rate. That rate is almost always to the vendor’s benefit and your card company will probably offer a better rate. Pay in £.

[DMICS]

^ Thanks so much for the tips, appreciate it.

 

Trying to go for 10-14 days.