England, Part 1

We went on Brendan Tours' Britain Sampler. It is a 10 day tour of England, Wales, and Scotland. We customized the tour by adding an extra 3 days in London at the end of the tour. We used one day to explore more of London, one day to visit friends in Kent, and one day to go to Oxford! I love traveling around England on the trains. The train stations are so exciting! We visited Windsor Castle one day and I highly recommend a vist. It is easy to get to by train from London.

Quick Tips:

Get a Travelcard in London if you are going to be there for a few days! It is good for the Tube (subway) and the buses! If you only have a short time in London and want to see as much as possible, jump on one of the double decker tour buses. There are two or three different companies that run them. You can get on and off as you please and some have tour guides on them and some now have audio guides. Well worth the 12 or 15 pounds and the tickets are good for 24 hours.

Best Way To Get Around:

In London the tubes, the trains, and the buses are the best! If you do not feel up to driving on the 'wrong' side of the road, the trains can get you to the far corners of Britain!

It was clean and well appointed. Nothing fancy, but comfortable. It was a part of the package so I am not aware of the exact cost per night. Everyone was nice and helpful. There was construction going on so it made it a bit difficult walking down the street, but it should be in great ship shape for your visit! Hammersmith tube station close by.

If you want to see Egyptian artifacts, or Grecian antiquities, the British Museum is the place to go! You really need to spend a minimum of 3 hours to even get a feel for everything the museum has to offer. The guards are very helpful in helping you find specific items you want to see, such as the Rosetta Stone. The admission fee is by donation. They've got terrific gift shops!

The Tower of London is one of the most famous and infamous sites in London. It is home to the Crown Jewels and home to the many ghosts of people who were incarcerated there and those who lost their heads and lives! It is easy to get to by bus or tube. The jewels are displayed in long cases and there are moving sidewalks on either side. This is nice in the summer when there are so many tourists around! Whoever designed this area graduated from Disney's Line Design 101! There are 3 or 4 rooms which the line winds through before you actually get to the jewel room. But you are not bored while walking through these rooms. There are slides showing on the walls of the jewels and movies beamed on the walls showing the jewels being used in different ceremonies and occasions. Very well done I though! There are displays of armour and weaponry also. You should spend a minimum of an hour in the Tower in order to get a feel for the place. You can easily spend 2-3. It is quite an experience, especially if you have seen Richard II or Anne of a Thousand Days.