London Folks, My wife, son and daughter will be coming over May 31st, stayin for 9 days and would like to know where to go. Where to catch the best Rockabilly bands, must visit stores, restaurants. Suggestions? Mike
"MIND THE GAP" "LOOK RIGHT" Before you cross the road.... My wife is English.... It's expensive....I use what I call the Big Mac factor.....A Big Mac meal over there is going to cost you about $8+ You won't need a car expecially in London....take the Underground and bus everywhere....get an Oyster pass....you put x amount of Pounds on it....then just swipe it every time you go on the tube....cheaper than buying individual tickets. Avoid Rush-Hour: Travel after 9am and it's lot cheaper. 4:45 is quiet, but 5:00 is a mad mob... Go over by Westminster (Big Ben)...lots of tour buses in the area....most of them have packages that are good for 2-3 days...lets you get on and off the double decker buses and typically include 1-2 special tours....one of best values is the boat trip to Greenwich.....you take the boat up the Thames...worth the ride and you get to see where Eastern and Western Hemispheres meet... Picadilly Circus.... Hampton Court.... Windsor Castle... are just a few spots worth Changing of the Guard....check the times....get there early.... The Mall....near Buckingham Palace Trafalgar Square....but don't expect to see as many pigeons....they don't allow the street vendors to sell bird food any more.... To score with your ladies (wife/daughter): take them for "tea" at Harrods... 4:00. A light beer is called a "Bitter", a dark beer a "Lager". Pub lunches are typically a good value and taste good. The People are great....be polite.... The Tower of London, and any of the Museums are a good value... check the times... check the local paper for Theatre Events... you can always purchase "cheap tickets for most shows just a few minutes before the curtain... and sometimes have $100 seats for about 15 pounds (depending on the show and seats available)... You can avoid 'sticking out' by not dressing like Americans....that means no shorts and t-shirts....dress well...
^ Wow, you just saved me a lot of typing! Everything he said is spot on! I also recommend going to the Grenadier, it's supposedly the "most haunted" pub in London. It's really cool. Last time we were there, the owner told somebody he was "gonna break his fuckin arm" ha. It's around like Hyde Park.
The beer bit is the wrong way round: darker stuff is bitter - or "beer". There are now quite a few lighter beers as well, or there is the hand-pumped real ale if you want that sort of thing. The common light stuff is lager - Stella, Becks, Kronenburg, etc., plus Fosters and the like - probably nearer your Miller, Bud, etc. Can't help with bands and entertainment in the Smoke as I'm just a country boy who avoids the place - Google is probably your friend for gigs. There is usually something every night at the Ace cafe so check their website for whats on. Unfortunately it sounds like she'll miss the last Saturday of the month, for the Chelsea Cruise.
Your right.....I usually just order lagers..... I lived in Scotland for 2 years where lager is the light stuff and heavy the dark stuff.... I remember when you could get a pint for 50p......now it's over 3 quid....
Oh....few more things.... Using credit cards is not an issue....don't buy pounds (they are not using the Euro) at the airport before you go....and don't waste money on traveler checks.....just hit the ATM at the airport or bank. You will get Pounds at the current exchange rate plus a small fee (depending on your bank). If you try to exchange $$ for pounds, there are two different values, buy and sell....say the exchange rate was $1.50 to the pound....they would sell you pounds for say $1.65 and buy back your left over pounds for say $1.35....plus a service fee... ATM is your best value. Make a photo copy of our passport and put a copy in each suit case.... If you have more than one credit card....don't carry both on your person...let one person carry one of them....the other person carries a different one....that way if you get your purse stolen/lost....your not totally without money...at least the other card will work. Check your phone plan....some do not work outside the country.....if not, don't bother taking it.... Avoid walking around with a camera hanging around your neck....yells "TOURIST". Take an umbrella.....it rains there a lot.....
All good advice. I would suggest that you get over to http://www.rodsnsods.co.uk/forum/ and ask there for car based events and music. Really friendly lot and quite a few of 'us' or on the HAMB as well. Paul (KripFink) son is in a Band so I am sure he is plugged into the scene, drop him a PM. One comment on the ATM comment. It will be cheaper than converting cash but still expensive. A better option is to get yourself a prepay debit or credit card and load it with Pounds before you leave. In that way you can get the best rate and still have the flexibility of withdrawing cash from an ATM. I use a Caxton Card when I travel in the US, sure there must be an American equivalent. It doesn't rain that much (watch June be the wettest on record now...) but it can get cool in the evening. Oyster card is the best way to use the travel system, the cheap rate is after 9.30am and is a lot quieter but can still get busy. The tube also gets very very very hot, Take water as they can and do stop in the tunnels and it will keep you going. And keep behind the yellow line on the platform until the trains have stopped! If your children are 'hip and trendy' then visit Hoxton and Spittlefields very much the happening part of town at the moment and whilst there visit Brick Lane for a Curry (all of these places are in the East End of London and an easy walk from Liverpool Street station or use the tube to get closer but walking is a good way to get a feel for what is going on. As others have said, it is fairly safe provided that you are aware of your surroundings, just like any other city really and most people you will meet will go out of their way to help and point them in the right direction. Anyway, they will enjoy it, one of the most vibrant City's in the world with lots and lots happening. Enjoy! P.
Watch using your Amex, they now include a foreign transaction fee. I travel to Britain a lot and just use my Debit or Visa cards, tend to get the best rate that way, I bank with Chase. Speaking of Amex, it's still not as accepted in the UK as it is here, Discover cards are not that well accepted in the UK at all. Cell phones.. Verizon and Sprint/Nextel will not work there, both carriers do sell a few "world phones" but the roaming charges can be obscene. AT&T and T-Mobile phones are GSM and will work there. Here's what I do... go on eBay, buy an unlocked quad-band GSM phone for $30 or so. Then, as soon as you land, at the terminal find the HMV store and buy a Virgin Mobile prepaid SIM card for the phone. Save ya a fortune. Also, if you have an iPhone/Blackberry type phone make sure that you disable data roaming, my iPhone is set, like most smartphones, to regularly check for emails and other such stuff, well that uses data and data roaming charges can be very expensive. Beer is fantastic, drinking age is 18. If you're staying in London, don't bother renting a car. Public transport is excellent, Gasoline is $8 a gallon, parking is worse than NYC and pricier and there's a roughly $13/day charge to even drive in inner London. Traffic is also horrendous, imagine a City the size of Chicago with basically no expressways in the central part of the city. Oh, the London Eye is a bit touristy but gives you a great view of the city. The British Museum is a MUST see. I think the Bromley Pageant of Motoring is later in June I think, but WELL worth a visit if youre in town, it's the only huge classic car show near London (Think Britain's version of Hershey). Brooklands Museum, that's worth a visit too and it's in Surrey, basically the suburbs of Britain. A lot of the big car shows that you'd want to see are well outside of London, if you're really committed there's a big show at Tatton Hall but that's just south of Manchester, a bit of a haul from London. There's a big Ford show on at Santa Pod dragstrip, but that's also a good hour north of London. The London to Brighton run will also be on while you're there if they'll be into Edwardian stuff.
Oh yeah, bring cigs with you if you smoke, Duty Frees are a fraction of the price of cigs there (Think $9 a pack)
Boppin the blues record hop at the black heart saturday 4th June 3 Greenland place , Camdan NW1 0AP ( check out Boppinthe Blues on face book ) There is contact details for Trev Collins and Steve Grinster who are top dj's in London and they can tell you what's on and where , Trev has just opened a new vintage shop in Camden market on Saturdays and Sunday's . If you are not on facebook pm me your email and I will get you more details or put you in touch with Trev. Have a great time and may well see them at the Black Heart. Colin
the food is fantastic and very diverse.......anything you want is available and generally very good and authentic....excellent chinese in Curzon st called Wan Keys....really cheap and generally full of chinese people!!!Curry houses...if your not used to hot food then go for Balti dishes, Tika and Tika Masala and Korma dishes......start with Popadoms (like big nachos) and dips, get some samosas (triangles of either meat or veg in a sort of pastry deep fried) and bajis (onion and spice in flour and fried) have Naan bread (flat bread) with the curry (kima Naan is stuffed with meat too!!) beer....english and european beers are strong....just remember that 5% alcohol is about average..and pump beer is only served in 1/2 pints or pints.London is expensive......you won't need a car if you just want to tour London, Public transport is excellent, clean and safe.....if you get a car central london had a congestion charge you have to pay...they will pursue you...$13 a day even if parked, parking is extoritonate....$50 perday is about average!!..petrol is currently over $8 a US gal and if you have never driven in the UK the driving can be very intimidating....average speeds on the motorways is over 80mph (the limit is 70) and there are speed cameras everywhere.Shopping...fantastic....if expensive...worth going to harrods and getting sumat cheap (the prices are about average in harrods actually) just to get a harrods bag!!. Oxford st is a nightmare...always packed with people and be aware of eastern european gangs pick pocketing...it is an issue but only if you are unaware of it.Covent garden ....nice place and nice shops...Kings road...used to be very avant guard in its shops but now a bit tame...worth a visit though....Soho...used to be really seedy but now abit mainstream...OK thoughCamden market...good call worth going..can be a bit rough but usually Okif they are going to the Tower of London (a must) then go early to avoid the crowds and visit tower bridge after (the tour is cheap)..over the river and turn left....to the design museum....or go a street further south and turn right...to the London Dungeon..you can do all of these in 1 day as they are so close..and the HMS Belfast too
If you like aircraft, there's the Imperial War Museum in Hendon in North London. Or if you travel a bit, about 50 miles from the smoke (London) is the IWM branch at Duxford, which is excellent (and if you do fancy Duxford, shout, it's on my doorstep I'll take you round). In London is the "London Motor Museum" although it's really a glorified effin' showroom. The Science Museum is cool. On the first Weds of the month, at the Ace Cafe, is the Executioners hot rod night; when the weather's good there's a great turnout for that - it's packed so get there early.
X 2 on the beer being much stronger than US lager beer - even the US branded stuff is brewed over here to local strengths. Easy to end up falling down drunk Watch out for street scams - if anyone holds up a platinum or silver ring and asks if you've dropped it just walk on by. It's made of solder and they will try to hit you up for money.
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