Tag Archives: travel planning

7 London Experiences for a First-Time Visit

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Most of these probably won’t come as a surprise (we’ve even written about some of them extensively), but I’ve compiled my list of the top 7 things to do and see in London for a first-time visit.  It wasn’t easy and I’m sure not everyone would agree with all of the items, but here is what I would recommend for a first trip to London:

1. Tower of London

Crown Jewels, Tower of London

It may be expensive and crowded, but the Tower of London is worth a few hours of your time.  The Crown Jewels are a must-see and do be sure to take a (free!) tour with one of the Yeoman Warders (Beefeaters).  The tours are popular and may be large, but our Yeoman Warder had a booming voice and was full of stories and jokes about the Tower of London.  Other than that, see anything that sounds interesting – we visited the White Tower (it houses the Royal Armories’ collections), walked a portion of the wall surrounding the Tower of London, and spent some time looking at torture devices in the Lower Wakefield Tower.  Don’t forget: depending on when (time of year) you’re visiting, you may be able to take advantage of the 2-for-1 tickets – we only paid £20.90 for the two of us.

2. British Museum

An extensive collection of artifacts spanning human civilization, the British Museum is a perfect escape from a dreary London day (and it’s free!).  For a quick trip, I recommend following Rick Steves’ guide (found in his London book or here, where you can download an audio version).  He goes through the essentials – Egypt, Assyria, and Greece – and provides information about the key items in each section.  With more time, explore exhibits focusing on cultures from all over the world: Ancient and Imperial China, Ancient Rome, Incas, and Aztecs, to name a few.  In addition to the permanent exhibits, the museum has temporary exhibitions that may be worth a visit (flowers and plants from North America were being featured while we were there). 

3. Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral

College Garden, Westminster Abbey, LondonThe entrance fee (£18) to Westminster Abbey includes an audioguide with 20 listening points throughout the interior.  As you walk in through the north transept, you have a view of the breathtaking nave – the ornate vaulted ceiling was the show-stealer of Westminster Abbey. It was very impressive and something that has to be seen in person (the pictures don’t do it justice).  A substantial portion of the tour took us to various tombs, including that of Queen Elizabeth I and Kind Edward the Confessor (he built the original Westminster Abbey).  We finished our visit outside in the Cloisters, and then continued to the Little Cloister and College Garden (pictured above – according to Rick Steves it is only open Tuesday-Thursday).  

The entrance fee (£15) to St. Paul’s Cathedral also includes a free audioguide and access to both the dome and the crypt.  We started out in the nave, made our way around the spacious church, and then started up the stairs leading to the dome.  If you are physically able, there are about 500 or so stairs that lead up to the top of the dome and I highly recommend the trip.  The first level (about 250 steps up) brings you to a walkway around the inside of the dome, overlooking the church interior.  The second and third stops are outside of the dome, with sweeping (and windy) views of London.  We finished our visit down in the crypt.  We started in a room with the Oculus, 270° film that shows the history of St. Paul’s Cathedral, and finished by admiring the numerous tombs of famous people.  A visit to St. Paul’s Cathedral is definitely worth 1.5 hours during your trip!

4. Borough Market and Portobello Market

I wrote about the markets in more detail here, but they were so enjoyable that they deserve another mention.  Even if you don’t plan to purchase any souvenirs, bring your appetite and plan to have lunch or a snack while browsing the offerings.  Remember to visit Borough Market on Thursday-Saturday and Portobello Market on a Saturday to enjoy the full-blown markets.

5. Indian Food

Ryan wrote aboutvegetable masala, Woodlands Restaurant, London the two Indian restaurants we tried in London and I think it’s safe to say I wouldn’t have minded trying more.  I wasn’t familiar with the vegetarian dishes found in southern India, so I welcomed the chance to taste something new (the picture to the right shows my appetizer from the dinner – vegetable masala idli: steamed rice and lentils with mixed vegetables) .  Next time I visit, I plan to expand my palate even more – either by choosing more adventurous dishes from the menu or trying a new cuisine (such as Pakistani).  Don’t miss a spicy meal in the land known for bland food!

6. Afternoon Tea

Cream Tea, The Wolseley, LondonWhether it’s cream tea (just tea and scones) or a full-blown afternoon tea (tea, scones, pastries, sandwiches, and champagne, if you wish), an afternoon tea break to unwind is a must! Not only is it fun to take part in an English tradition, but sitting down to tea is a great break from walking around and serves as a snack to tide you over until dinner.  The picture on the left is from our cream tea at The Wolseley.  Some of the well-known tea rooms include those at The Ritz, Fortnum & Mason, and Claridge’s, but tea rooms can be found almost anywhere (including department stores and book stores), ranging in prices.

7. See a show

Along with Broadway shows in New York, musicals in London are another must-see. Known for it’s great theater district, London has several famous shows to choose from each night.  We planned to see Les Misérables and purchased tickets ahead of time, but for another trip I would consider getting half-price tickets the day of the show.  Ryan provided information for anyone considering a show (whether you choose to book ahead or try out the half-price tickets, his post will be helpful).  Plan a fancy night out, with a pre-show drink and a late-night post-show dinner!

This list is a great start for a first visit to London.  And the good news is, these can all be done on a short 3-4 day trip!  The days will be long, but a sample plan could go as follows:

Day 1 – Borough Market (plan to eat lunch there!), Westminster Abbey (1.5-2 hours), and Indian food for dinner (if your first day is a full day, the morning will be clear for any other must-see sites on your list!)

Day 2 – The Tower of London (3-4 hours), lunch break, St. Paul’s Cathedral (1.5-2 hours), a show in London’s West End (with dinner either before or after)

Day 3 – Portobello Market in the morning (eat an early snack/lunch there), British Museum in the early afternoon (~2 hours), and an afternoon tea break to rejuvenate before the rest of the night

This plan leaves some time to wander around, stop at a pub or two, and add extra sites as you see fit.  Enjoy your trip to London!

LAX to London on Air New Zealand’s Sky Couch

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There are no shortage of options for flying between LAX and London.  We always focus our search on direct flights offered by Star Alliance carriers, given our membership in United’s Mileage Plus.  We were intrigued when Air New Zealand (a Star Alliance member) offered the cheapest fare for our trip to London, and also offered a reasonably priced upgrade option to their economy “Sky Couch“, a block of 3 seats that include footrests that fold up for a bed.  Although we’ve flown together to Europe 3 times, we have always arrived in the evening.  For our London trip, we were arriving in the morning with a full day ahead of us.  We figured the extra investment for the Sky Couch to improve our chances of sleeping would be a good investment.

Air New Zealand’s Sky Couch.  Photo courtesy Air New Zealand.

We were very impressed with Air New Zealand from the moment we boarded.  Air New Zealand operated their London-LAX-Auckland route with brand new 777s with very sleek interiors.  The personal televisions (PTVs) in economy class are the most sophisticated we’ve seen, with extraordinary entertainment selection (literally hundreds of shows/movies) and the ability to order snacks and drinks.  We even enjoyed the safety video, which was filmed using Lord of the Rings characters.  Before takeoff, the flight attendants demonstrated how we could raise the footrests and use the special “Sky Couch” safety belt, which would allow us to lay across the seats securely.

The meals offered in flight were surprisingly unique.  Instead of the usual fare of fettuccine alfredo and meatloaf, we were offered things like provencal beef with white bean salad and beef madras curry.  And they weren’t bad!  Like many European carriers, Air New Zealand offers free wine in economy class, before, during, and after the meal (and available through the PTV order system!).

The “Sky Couch” itself was not as comfortable as our bed at home, but definitely an improvement over a standard economy seat.  I’m convinced that we squeezed in at least 2 more hours of sleep then we would have without the upgrade, and it was also nice not worrying about sharing a row of seats with a third person (e.g. asking to go to the restroom in the middle of the flight).  After we arrived in London, we actually had plenty of energy for an ambitious day of adventure, including our first pub grub lunch, a ride on the London Eye, and an Indian dinner–all manageable with just a short cat nap in the early evening.

Our only real disappointment with Air New Zealand was the revelation a month later that we did not earn the 10,000+ United Mileage Plus miles we expected from the trip.  Even though our airfare was not “killer”, we found that we were booked with booking class “K”, which is not eligible for United mileage accrual (see reference here, just one code up, “T”, earns 100%).  Although we have always chosen a Star Alliance carrier for our trips to Europe, at least partly due to incentive of earning United miles, I’m not absolutely certain our decision would have been different if we had known.  At least now, we are aware that mileage accrual through Star Alliance is often dependent on booking class.  In planning future trips, I have been checking the booking class associated with the fare and researched the mileage eligibility on United’s website.

We’ve already discussed using Air New Zealand again on our next trip to London, and I expect we will get the “Sky Couch” again if it remains a good value.  Hopefully, we’ll be able to book in a class that earns United mileage.

Travel in the New Year

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I am always thinking of our next trip.  I don’t let it interfere with the planning or enjoyment of my upcoming trip, but I want to have something to look forward to after our travels for the year are over.

For Ryan and I, 2013 is going to be the year for a little Germany (Munich) and a lot of Austria (Hallstatt, Salzburg, and Vienna).  Or, at least, it was going to be.  It’s a long and complicated story, but essentially, we had an idea of this trip in mind.  Not long after that, my dad mentions that my uncle is planning a similar trip for the exact same time frame we were planning on going.  While we hadn’t decided whether we wanted to join that group (it would have been 10-15 people), the thought of meeting up and spending some time together seems like a great idea. 

Well, yesterday I found out that my uncle’s (and therefore, my dad’s) trip to Germany and Austria is likely going to be delayed to 2014.  So now what?  We find ourselves just coming back from London less than about a month ago and without a trip to plan in 2013.  Luckily, Ryan and I stay ahead of the game and we had already started to think about  a potential trip for 2014 which, much to my delight, will now be moved up to 2013:  Croatia and Northern Italy.  

Within a few hours of my dad letting us know that the trip had been moved, we were already researching Croatia to see where we want to spend our time.  No decisions have been made, but there are so many different possibilities that I’m wondering if it will just be a Croatia trip (no Italy).  Some of the top contenders are: Dubrovnik, Split, Rovinj, Motovun, Hvar, Vis, and Korcula.  

At this point, we are going to try to make a stop in Venice and then spend the rest of the time in Croatia.  However, more research needs to be done prior to committing to any place, so for now, I’ll just share some pictures of Dubrovnik, Hvar, and Rovinj, all from Wikitravel: 

Croatia has so much to offer.  Our research thus far has only scratched the surface, so I can’t wait to learn more about the potential stops on our trip!

West End Shows: Discounts, Seats, and Dinner

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Seeing a show in London’s West End was near the top of our list of things to do on our visit.  Originally, we planned on getting tickets from Leicester Square’s Half Price Ticket Booth.  We even started planning our sightseeing itinerary around being able to be near Leicester Square when the booth opened at 9am.  I had a great memory of snagging front row tickets to Les Misérables for half price when visiting in 2003, and wanted to relive the experience with my wife.  Luckily, I did enough research before leaving to know that half-price tickets for Les Mis are no longer easy to come by.

For visitors to London less particular about the show they see, the Half Price booth is a great option.  The booth now posts the list of most of it’s offerings online, including shows available for the next 2 days.  Not all of the shows are “half price”, but decent discounts are sometimes available for even popular shows (tickets to Jersey Boys 33% off at the time of writing this post).  The seats available at Leicester Square are likely less desirable, but many of the theaters in the West End are fairly small with very few bad seats.

If you do buy ahead, however, do some quick research to try and get the best seat possible.  Similar to popular website Seat Guru (used for selecting airline seats), Theatre Monkey provides information on the best seats for many of London’s theaters.  We ultimately decided to buy Les Mis tickets in the Orchestra section and Theatre Monkey was a great resource for choosing our seats.  It’s surprising how different pricing can be for seats that appear to be the same on a map, often due to an obstructed view that may not otherwise be intuitive.  We decided to be close to the action, so we bought tickets for the front row, but avoided the ends of the row since Theatre Monkey identified them as bad seats.  Interestingly, front row seats are often significantly cheaper than seats a few rows back in the Orchestra section, due to the view being less than ideal.  We had absolutely no issues with our view, however, and I believe we enjoyed the show much more than we would have from the Upper Circle and we were able to save a bit of money.

We decided to follow Les Mis with dinner at YO! Sushi (a franchise restaurant in the UK), because of a happy hour on Monday nights discounting all sushi to £2.49 and their 11pm closing time.  We were dismayed to find the restaurant totally empty upon arrival after the show.  We were informed the kitchen was closed and we were relegated to eating whatever was leftover on the sushi belt.  After sampling what was available, we were very disappointed in the quality (on par with supermarket sushi in California) and we cut our losses and quickly left.  Back out on the main streets, we explored for an alternative but didn’t find anything that fit the bill.

Later on in our trip, we realized we just didn’t look hard enough that night, as there are actually plenty of options for late night dining in the West End, including some that actually offer a “Theatre Menu”.  Several nights later we enjoyed one of our best italian meals ever (especially outside Italy), at Bocca Di Lupo, which does offer post-theatre dining.  This restaurant, like many other good ones, is just not on the main streets we explored that night.  With a little research and patience, we learned, it would be possible to enjoy a nice dinner after the theatre.

For a successful West End experience, either book ahead for a specific show or wait until the last minute and choose from the available shows at the half-price ticket booth.  Even though we booked ahead for Les Mis, it is certainly possible to see shows on the West End with much less planning.  Next time, we might try getting half price tickets the same day and use the savings for a fancy post-theatre dinner!

A Few Hours in Brussels

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We finally purchased our Eurostar tickets for a trip to Brussels! I wish we had done it sooner because the prices went up from the low of £69 round trip (per person) and we ended up paying £89. However, it was tough to commit to a day. Anyway, by the time we purchased them on Monday, the prices were even higher for our original itinerary which had us leaving london at 9am (arriving in Brussels at 12pm) and coming back from Brussels at 6pm and arriving in London at 7pm. So now, instead, we will be leaving london at 11am and arriving at 2pm, and then leaving from Brussels at 7pm and arriving back in London at 8pm. This gives us 5 hours to eat, explore, and people-watch.

Part of the reason it took us a while to commit is because we considered venturing further into Belgium and spending the day in Bruges.  The city looks enchanting, with canals winding through the neighborhoods (see picture below, taken from wikipedia).  However, the extra travel time was a bit too much, so Bruges will wait for another trip.  

So, we now have tickets to Brussels and nothing much planned.  Much of our time will be spent around the Grand Palace (below, picture taken from wikipedia), which is the main square in Brussels.

I’m excited to try the famous Belgian mussels, chocolate, and beer!  Ryan has been researching the beer and Trappist beer kept coming up as the star of the show.  There are only 8 Trappist abbeys that brew the beer and 6 are in Belgium.  Brussels is definitely a great place to try it!  I don’t know much about it, but I’m always open to trying a new beer.  So this is how we’ll be spending the majority of our 4th day in London – enjoying food and beer, just across the Channel.