London on the quick

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A December 2003 trip to London by Grasshopper

Quote: Last-minute deeply discounted airfares make for seriously tempting quickie trips to one of my old favorite destinations. The following are tips from various long weekend trips.

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London on the quick

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Overview

Quote:

Over the last couple of years, deeply discounted last-minute airfares, coupled with frequent-flyer mileage status that allows me to accumulate double miles (so one trip across the pond nets me one free domestic trip), has made it increasingly attractive to take quickie trips to London. And interestingly, these trips have led me to feel less like I'm going "abroad" and more like I'm visiting an old friend. Quick Tips: The trick to making these cheap airfares translate into inexpensive trips is in finding the right accommodations. Hotels in London can be very expensive. But it's easy to find deeply discounted fares at various internet hotel booking sites. Check out my tips on finding ...Read More

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Millennium Baileys Hotel London

Hotel | "Millenium Baileys"

Quote:

My first introduction to the Millennium Baileys was on the solo trip where I discovered the Knightsbridge neighborhood. I was staying at another hotel, with a rather dumpy, deserted lounge and bar area and looking for some company and civility. Voila, I discovered the beautiful bar at the Baileys. The hotel lobby, lounge, bar and restaurant are beautiful. (On subsequent trips, I've relaxed in that bar, when I wasn't staying there) The downstairs loo is tres elegante, an invitation to choose this hotel as home base and find out how the bedrooms compare. The room somehow disappointed me. For the price, the room was pretty much the same as cheaper hotels I've stayed...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on June 12, 2004

Millennium Baileys Hotel London
140 GLOUCESTER ROAD
London, England
44-020-7373-6000

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Grange Strathmore

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Hotel

The Grange Strathmore Photo - Grange Strathmore, London, England

Quote:

I must admit to conflicted feelings about this hotel. It was my first try at solo travel – a long weekend in London. Thanksgiving away from family, shopping, cold, the chance to lose myself in a big city. There's something about the anonymity that a huge city provides a solo traveler. You can be alone and not alone at the same time. The Grange Strathmore is in the perfect neighborhood. It used to be the private residence of the Earl of Strathmore and in the common rooms you can feel the ghosts of the past. From the outside, it looks beautiful, as do all of the other hotels in the neighborhood. It's what these hotels do with their insides that make the difference. The "bones" of...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on June 12, 2004

Grange Strathmore
41 QUEENS GATE GARDENS
London, England
44-207-5840512

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Radisson Edwardian Vanderbilt Hotel

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Hotel | "Radisson Edwardian Vanderbilt"

Quote:

In my opinion, Knightbridge is the best place for a tourist to stay in London. Just a block away from the Glouchester Tube Station, it's a wonderful neighborhood environment with pretty houses, comfy restaurants, beautiful churches, and museums and the Royal Albert Hall. It's a short walk to Kensington Gardens and just a bit down the road from Harrods. I usually stay at one hotel here and the Edwardian Vanderbilt is my splurge. When the Internet gods are with me, and decent rates come up, I book this one when I can. Comfortable rooms, very nice bathrooms with all the amenities, a work out facility and indoor pool and a business center with Internet access provide everything you need. There ...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on June 12, 2004

Radisson Edwardian Vanderbilt Hotel
68 86 CROMWELL ROAD
London, England
44-20-7761-9000

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Montana Hotel

Hotel | "Hotel Montana"

Quote:

Hotel Montana is quite basic but the beds are comfortable, the rooms are clean and the private bathrooms perfectly adequate. This is a relatively inexpensive hotel in a great area. Across the street from the Glouchester Tube Station, you will find everything you need in the general area: restaurants (an Indian restaurant onsite), pubs, gothic churches, shopping, and even a couple of Starbucks. A very basic breakfast of toast and coffee or tea is provided in the restaurant that is also an Indian restaurant at night. The common areas smell faintly of curry. Unique Qualities: Two blocks away is the Natural History Museum. Two blocks in another direction is the Royal Albert Hall....Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on June 12, 2004

Montana Hotel
67 69 GLOUCESTER ROAD
London, England
+44 207 584-7654

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Thistle Victoria

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Hotel

Quote:

The best things about the Thistle Victoria are the opulent lobby; the buffet breakfast; the comfortable, but elegant, coffee lounge; and the luxurious, but expensive, bar. Now for the REST of the story . . . We arrived in London about 10am, tired from our long flight from San Francisco. Hoping for an early check-in, we were told, "Check-in is at 2 pm. Come back then." Now, I've arrived in London in the morning many times, and in nearly every case, the hotel has tried its best to accommodate my request for an early check-in. The Thistle Victoria made no apologies. I was just told to come back at 2pm. At 2pm we were faced with a LONG line. Finally, we managed to complete...Read More

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on November 14, 2004

Thistle Victoria
101 BUCKINGHAM PALACE ROAD
London, England
044 207 834 9494

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Big Bus Tours-London Sightseeing Tour

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Attraction | "The Big Bus Company Tour"

The Big Bus Tour Photo - Big Bus Tours-London Sightseeing Tour, London, England

Quote:

I absolutely LOVE the Big Bus Tours for getting a great overview of the city without much work. These Hop on Hop off buses have open tops and take three different routes through the city. Most come with a live guide who gives a running commentary and imparts interesting tidbits of information about the area you are in. (For example, did you know that the writer of the screenplay "Notting Hill" was attempting to raise house prices in the area when he couldn't sell his flat? The Hugh Grant / Julia Roberts movie did exactly that, causing the area to skyrocket.) The 16 GBP tickets are good for 24 hours (although the buses stop running at about 7 pm) and also give you one Thames River cruise and...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on June 12, 2004

Big Bus Tours-London Sightseeing Tour
48 Buckingham Palace Road
London, England
+44 (20) 7233 9533

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Hampton Court Palace

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Attraction

Guided Tours Photo - Hampton Court Palace, Surrey, England

Quote:

Take a train from Waterloo Station to Hampton Court for an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city and step into the past . . . 500 years past! Hampton Court was home away from home to the likes of Henry VIII (and a few unlucky wives) as well as William of Orange. This is an all day visit. Take the tours guided by costumed experts to see Henry's quarters and those of William. We found the incredibly knowledgeable guides to be helpful and friendly on their interactive tours. After the tour of the William and Mary quarters, the guide stayed and chatted with us for at least 20 minutes, speculating about life back in the day. Borrow the free CD player to take the "guided" tou...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on June 12, 2004

Hampton Court Palace
Next To River Thames SW Of London
East Molesey, Surrey KT8 9AU
44 20 8781 9500

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Criterion Theatre

Attraction

Quote:

The Complete Works of Shakespeare has got to be one of the funniest things we have ever seen. Many people go to London expressly for the theatre. I have seen "real" performances, but this evening performance entertained me beyond anything I have seen in London.

Three guys play all of Shakespeare's characters, male and female, as they hurtle through the "complete" works. It's fun, it's wild, and it's immensely entertaining. I didn't see a straight face in the house.

The Reduced Shakespeare Company also does The Complete Bible, and the Complete History of America, but these are performed with much less regularity than Shakespeare.

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on June 12, 2004

Criterion Theatre
Piccadilly Circus
London, England W1V 9LB
+44 20 7413 1437

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The London Eye

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Attraction | "London Eye"

The London Eye Photo - The London Eye, London, England

Quote:

Once, when I was flying into Heathrow, my flight got in very early and we were forced into a holding pattern for about 20 minutes, circling around and around the city of London. From my seat, I had the most remarkable view of London and felt incredibly lucky to be caught in that moment of time. Barring such an experience, London lacks places where you can get above it all and see for miles and miles. Rome has the top of Domes, Florence has its Bell Towers. And now London has the London Eye. Visible from anywhere near the River Thames, the London Eye, at first glance, seems like a pretty tacky touristy thing to do. But it's NOT! I don't think there is any single place in London from whi...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on June 12, 2004

The London Eye
South Bank of the River Thames
London, England SE1 9TA
+44 (870) 500 0600

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Choosing Accommodations

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Story/Tip

Quote:

As I mentioned before, London hotels can be very expensive. So when a trip is in the offing I start surfing all the different sites and pick a hotel that fits my budget for that particular trip. The first thing one has to do when planning a trip to London is determine what neighborhood they want to be in. Obviously, that's going to be tough on a first trip. I started out right next to Buckingham Palace, at the recommendation of a family member. While that was nice, I soon discovered Knighsbridge, where I am very happy. I suppose I should branch out and try another area or two and when the Savoy fits my travel budget I shall do that! To find the best websites for hotels a...Read More

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On the Trail of the Da Vinci Code

Story/Tip

Quote:

My daughters and I had just read "The Da Vinci Code" and decided, on our December trip to London, that we'd like to see some of the locations. The Temple Church was the first stop on the trail of the Code's secrets. We made our way on the dreaded tube on a Saturday morning. Exiting at the Temple station, we tried to follow our map. It was a lot harder to find that we thought it would be. On Saturday morning, the streets of legal London were eerily quiet and really beautiful in their majestic splendor. Finally, we found a sign directing us through a huge doorway to an alley. The door was locked. We went way around and through and more around and through, making our way through office bu...Read More