Hello, UK Cysters! (same as Getting to Know You)

Mirasol · 01-04-2003, 05:46 PM

Hi Ladies!

I would really love your help. My hubby and I are planning a vacation to the UK this Feb. We'll be there from Feb. 13-23. We've bought Frommers guides to England and Scotland, and we know that there are lot of other books out there, but I would really appreciate it if you can give us some suggestions on where to go and what to see. Our hotels are going to be in Le Meridien in Russell (London) and Edinburgh, but we'd like to take day trips out of those areas including (maybe) Wales.

By the way, are a lot of the museums and castle open this time of year? Does it close due to bad weather?

Thanks in advance!
Mirasol

Adz595 · 01-04-2003, 06:25 PM

Hi, as far as I know Edinburgh Castle is open all year round. I reccomend you take a little trip to the Edinburgh Dungeons, well worth the laugh you get with it!!

I would definetly tell you to take a day trip to Glasgow, you can get the train from Waverly in Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen St. This will take you straight into Glasgow city centre. There is the modern art museum there and the art gallery. There are people in Glasgow who wear Red jackets who are around town to guide you about!!

They are both 2 great cities to see.

Deeds2 · 01-05-2003, 06:26 PM

You will love Edinburgh! I work there and live just outside. Bring warm clothes as it will be cold at that time of year!

How about Stirling for a day out from Edinburgh. There's the castle and the Wallace Monument (William Wallace - Braveheart!) it's about an hour from Edinburgh.

I don't think you'll have any problem with things in Edinburgh being closed as we have tourists all year, there may just be shorter opening hours.

For something in the evening you should go on a Ghost tour, they set off from the Royal Mile in the evening (so it's nice and dark!) and the guide will tell you some really spooky old stories about the city as you walk. Again wrap up warm, but it's definitely worth it. There are a few companies who do them, so it would be worth reading up on them beforehand to get the one that suits you best.

Have a wonderful trip! If I think of anything else I'll add it!

katiwren · 01-05-2003, 10:15 PM

Mirasol,

As an American living in London I've done the tourist things here loads of times, first as a tourist myself and then when people come to visit me. My best advice is do not try to do everything. A lot of tourists come over thinking that they can see it all b/c it's a small country, but it's impossible. My favorite (I'm still getting through these) are the London Walks. There are loads of choices and the guides are amazing. They know everything! If you are trying to save a little cash for souvenirs they are good too--not very expensive. (I spent time here as a student, so money was very important to me.) The Jack the Ripper tour is my fave. I've done it about 6 times now. You can get brouchures for these at just about every hotel and tourist info place. They start from various tube stops, so are easy to get to.

Another good thing are the coach tours (buses) out to various places. They have day trips to loads of places and again the guides are really good. There's a really good one that does Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral (and somewhere else, Bath maybe?). I would definitely see Bath in any case.

Museums and things are open pretty much year round, but opening times are shorter than in the summer. If things closed here due to bad weather I don't think they would ever open. lol The museums in London are all free, so it's worth stopping in just for a few minutes if you don't want to spend the whole day. You'll be staying near the British Museum, and should definitely see that. Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens are worth seeing too. Unless you are a big animal fan, or want to see where the original Winnie the Pooh was, the London Zoo can be missed. We often end up going because I love animals and so does my youngest sis.

There are loads of castles and things within a reasonable distance of London. I'd look through the books and decide which you want to see. Hampton Court is lovely, but so are loads of others.

Have a really good time. Make sure to try out the public transport. Despite all of the time I spend complaining about it, it really is good (most of the time

).

--KT

Mirasol · 01-06-2003, 05:47 PM

Thanks for responding everyone. You've all been very helpful. Another question, which is better to take to get surrounding areas the Qjump or Britrail?

hunterli · 01-06-2003, 07:31 PM

MIrasol

I live and work in London, and I'm not understanding the Qjump/Britrail question, but then I don't use the trains very often (I travel to work by Tube i.e. metro/subway). ARe they different train companies??? If so, you don't usually get to chose which to use...I think only one company serves each destination. So if for instance you want to get the train from London to Bath, there will only be one train company doing that route.

I've been thinking about your "where should we visit" question....

1. Take a walk around Westminster, you can see Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery.

2. There are several museums at South Kensington...Victoria & Albert museum, Natural History, and Science museum. Then a short walk to Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, and see Kensington Palace where Princess Di lived.

3. Tower of London and Tower Bridge

4. River Boat up the Thames to Greenwich, visit the Royal Observatory (beware of the STEEP hill!!) and the Queens House.

Lis

Aggs · 01-06-2003, 11:21 PM

Another suggestion from a Londoner, for cute things to buy, do go to Covent Garden. There are loads of little shops and stalls in the market area with good, interesting gifts and they don't all cost the earth!

There is usually always some kind of street entertainment going on theretoo, which can sometimes be fun - anything from string quartets to jugglers.

Covent Garden is a couple of tube stops away from where you will be staying.

As someone who has also lived in Glasgow, I totally agree that you should take a day trip from Edinburgh if you can. It is only an hour by train. While it is not as classically beautiful as Edinburgh, Glasgow has some fantastic buildings and it has a really earthy, vibrant feel to it. There is an excellent tour guide bues running from George Square that takes you right around the city and shows you all the main buildings of interest. It would be worth visiting the Cathedral and the Necropolis above it if you have time.

We've thrown lots of ideas at you, and hope we haven't bamboozled you with too much choice! Have a fab holiday!