More Travel Tips
- When in a pub, find a table first, then go to the bar and order your food and/or drink. If you need a refill, you'll have to go back to the bar and reorder. We never saw a waitress or waiter. Ale is dark; lager is more like our traditional brew; cider is, well...cider, and it's very good!
- Be aware of pic pockets. Signs will be posted if it is an extremely well-worked area. We wore thin shoulder strap purses beneath our coats and never had a worry. We talked with an American woman who, wearing one of those zippered waistpacks, was the victim of a 12-year old pic pocket (a girl), who had the pouch unzipped in the blink of an eye.
- We accomplished two daytime/one evening event(s), going at breakneck speed. Long queues, tube delays, and walking distances all come into play. Be careful, and slightly pessimistic, when estimating travel time. Be flexible!
- Be careful when purchasing a videotape overseas. Most of them (if not all) are PAL (the English system), not VHS. If you intend on purchasing videos while in London, check your VCR before you leave home; there might be a PAL switch on it. Always inquire if VHS format is available.
- Taking a water bottle on the plane was one of the best pieces of advice that I received. It was a life saver. The air was so dry and the water really helped. (So did body lotion, which I applied to my face periodically.)
- Save some British currency to use at the airpor duty-free shops. Harrod's has a very, very nice outlet at Gatwick, and there's a nice china and glass shop right next to it. Great for last minute shopping.
- We traveled on a Wednesday and Monday, and both days the planes weren't even half full. Of course, this may change during high season, but those seemed to be good travel days.
- The 7-day Travelcard worked very well. We only needed Zone 1 for the places we visited.
- "Travel light" is an understatement! I did travel light, and think that next time I visit, I'll travel even lighter. Don't forget to bring a robe and slippers if you will have a shared bath at the hotel. Shower slippers would be a good thing to pack, as well.
- I mention "drizzle boots" in one of my journal entries. We bought these at Wal-Mart before we left. They may have looked tacky (actually, I prefer to think they looked funky), but we didn't have to worry about where we were walking/stepping at night when it was raining ~ we just plodded through, and our feet remained dry. Good investment, and makes for great conversation starter. There were two nice teenage boys riding the tube with us one night and, staring at our feet, inquired, "Excuse us, but...what ARE those???" It gave them a good laugh! They wondered if EVERYONE in America wore them? Naturally, we said, "But, of course!"
- Always visit the restroom when you're in a store/shop because they are hard to find when out and about. And you may even have to pay. We had to pay for the ladie's room at Victoria Station, and also at Harrod's (£1 for their "Luxury Washrooms" which weren't luxury at all, in my opinion.)
- We ordered a bit of British currency from the bank before we left (made it convenient upon landing to buy train tickers, etc.), and carried the rest of our money in British Pound Sterling American Express Traveler's Cheques which, because we were members of Triple AAA, were free. Traveler's Cheques in American dollars are NOT, let me repeat, are NOT, accepted. When using BPS Traveler's Cheques, be aware that you will need to show your passport for every transaction.
- The Internet is an unbelievable source of information when planning a trip. Use it!
- If you plan on taking in one of the grand hotel teas (The Dorchester, Brown's, Claridge's, The Ritz), you will want to call a couple of weeks beforehand for a reservation. Reservations for tea via e-mail are not accepted.
- Buy all your film before you leave. It's expensive to buy in London. Take more than you need. When you get home, you'll wish you had taken twice as many pictures. Trust me, I know!
- I found the people of London to be very friendly, and the city to be quite safe. I think it's an ideal destination for a woman traveling alone, even if for the first time. There's no language barrier, and getting the foreign currency down takes only a little time.
