# Things to do in London



## snickerd3 (May 5, 2009)

We decided on going to london for vacation this year. Any suggestions on things to do?

We already know we want to go to the British Musuem and take a ride on the Eye ferris wheel thing.

We also already have tickets to see 2 performances at the Royal Opera House.


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## Master slacker (May 5, 2009)

St. Paul's cathedral. Very cool place to visit. Creepy, too, as the dome was all that was left after the area was bombed in WWII.


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## rudy (May 5, 2009)

Big Ben... isn't that the big clock in London. Must take a picture in front of it. Just to say, "Been there, done that."


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## Master slacker (May 5, 2009)

That reminds me... take a boat ride on the Thames. You'll pass right by Parliament and Big Ben. Not only that, but you'll go under the "London Bridge". Those can make for some neato pictures.


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## Sschell (May 5, 2009)

drink some warm beer, eat some crappy food, get bored and pop over to Scotland and visit some distilleries.

Thats what I would do...


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## FLBuff PE (May 5, 2009)

Changing of the gaurd at Buckingham Palace. Also, if the royal family is not 'in residence', I think they let the public go inside Buckingham. Very cool. Also, you should go see the crown jewels at the Tower of London (near Parliament).


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## Sschell (May 5, 2009)

go to a dubstep party

edit: Iv'e heard that's a real hot semi-underground scene in London... and I dig that style of music


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## Master slacker (May 6, 2009)

FLBuff PE said:


> Changing of the gaurd at Buckingham Palace. Also, if the royal family is not 'in residence', I think they let the public go inside Buckingham. Very cool. Also, you should go see the crown jewels at the Tower of London (near Parliament).


That also reminds me of something else. Go see Westminster Abbey. If you're lucky enough as my family when we went, we were touring the church when the London boys choir began singing. Hands down, that was the most incredible singing I have ever, and WILL ever, hear. Simply astounding. Side note, one of my ancestors is buried IN Westminster Abbey, Richard Busby.


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## roadwreck (May 6, 2009)

rudy said:


> Big Ben... isn't that the big clock in London. Must take a picture in front of it. Just to say, "Been there, done that."


Big Ben is actually the nickname for the largest bell in the clock tower, not the clock or the tower itself.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Ben


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## roadwreck (May 6, 2009)

Master slacker said:


> Not only that, but you'll go under the "London Bridge". Those can make for some neato pictures.


London Bridge is in Arizona 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Bridge...obert_McCulloch

The new London Bridge isn't very picturesque







Your probably thinking of Tower Bridge if you want "neato pictures"






http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_bridge

Edit: found a better picture of London Bridge, funny thing is if you search for London Bridge images 95% of the pictures returned are of Tower Bridge. Go figure.


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## EM_PS (May 6, 2009)

Watchout for Werewolves. . .with perfect hair. . .and beef chowmein


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## roadwreck (May 6, 2009)

dude said:


> drink some warm beer, *eat some crappy food*, get bored and pop over to Scotland and visit some distilleries.
> 
> Thats what I would do...


I happen to find the food quite good thank you very much. :angry:


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## RIP - VTEnviro (May 6, 2009)

^ Yeah I really like the food I tried over there. And the beer isn't warm, it's just not so cold that you can't taste it.

I stayed in Bath while I was there. I didn't make it to London. The train fare was $100/person, so it was just a little too steep. Went to the ocean instead.


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## Master slacker (May 6, 2009)

roadwreck said:


> London Bridge is in Arizona  .


Hence the quotation marks in my previous post. 



Master slacker said:


> Not only that, but you'll go under the "London Bridge".


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## GTjoy (May 6, 2009)

snickerd3 said:


> We decided on going to london for vacation this year. Any suggestions on things to do?
> We already know we want to go to the British Musuem and take a ride on the Eye ferris wheel thing.
> 
> We also already have tickets to see 2 performances at the Royal Opera House.


I'm going to London this year as well and would love to hear some good tips.

One friend said it would be great to see the English countryside.


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## RIP - VTEnviro (May 6, 2009)

^ I took the train a lot and got to see quite a bit of the countryside and some quaint little towns.

We did a traditional afternoon tea service in this ancient looking teahouse in Bradford-on-Avon.


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## snickerd3 (May 6, 2009)

GTjoy said:


> I'm going to London this year as well and would love to hear some good tips.
> One friend said it would be great to see the English countryside.


My hubby has had the chance to see some of the countryside on some of his business trips there. He said the white cliffs of Dover are neat, but Sherwood forest was just a small bunch of trees. When he was out near Sherwood forest area he stayed at an Inn called the laughing donkey or something similar. It was literally an old stable they converted into a hotel. I saw pictures, the rooms were so tiny.



> We did a traditional afternoon tea service in this ancient looking teahouse in Bradford-on-Avon.


Ugh...tea...as bad as coffee.


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## RIP - VTEnviro (May 6, 2009)

^ I won't touch coffee with a 10 foot pole but I like a cup of tea from time to time.


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## Sschell (May 6, 2009)

roadwreck said:


> I happen to find the food quite good thank you very much. :angry:






VTEnviro said:


> ^ Yeah I really like the food I tried over there. And the beer isn't warm, it's just not so cold that you can't taste it.


you guys take all the fun out of being crass and crotchety!


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## Melanie11 (May 6, 2009)

snickerd3 said:


> We decided on going to london for vacation this year. Any suggestions on things to do?
> We already know we want to go to the British Musuem and take a ride on the Eye ferris wheel thing.
> 
> We also already have tickets to see 2 performances at the Royal Opera House.


It's a little bit of a drive but I thought Stone Henge was fascinating.


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## MA_PE (May 6, 2009)

Melanie11 said:


> It's a little bit of a drive but I thought Stone Henge was fascinating.


I'll bet that's a heck of a drive from FLA.


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## Kephart P.E. (May 6, 2009)

I loved the history of the place. So much to see, I suggest reading some books before you go.

Also, the women are the following:

1)Pretty (well at least decent)

2)Loose

3)Sober

Pick any 2.


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## snickerd3 (May 7, 2009)

Why to credit card companies charge a 3% fee on every purchase made overseas? Today's business world is all electronic, it's not like there is a person entering the transaction. Even the checkcard/debit will charge a 3% fee to all transactions. :angry:


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## GTjoy (May 7, 2009)

snickerd3 said:


> Why to credit card companies charge a 3% fee on every purchase made overseas? Today's business world is all electronic, it's not like there is a person entering the transaction. Even the checkcard/debit will charge a 3% fee to all transactions. :angry:


I didn't know this... though it's interesting that in the U.S., the retailer pays for that fee rather than the customer.

Last time I went to Europe (not the UK), it was easier just to go to an ATM to get your Euros every day or few days. You pay a small ATM fee, and then you can pay in cash for your multiple stops that day.


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## roadwreck (May 7, 2009)

GTjoy said:


> I didn't know this... though it's interesting that in the U.S., the retailer pays for that fee rather than the customer.
> Last time I went to Europe (not the UK), it was easier just to go to an ATM to get your Euros every day or few days. You pay a small ATM fee, and then you can pay in cash for your multiple stops that day.


Funny you guys should bring this up. I was just researching this, specifically for England too. As far as credit cards go, Capital One Visa apparently not only doesn't charge you a fee for foreign currency conversions but they also waive the 1% transaction fee imposed by Visa. I haven't tried using a Capital One visa across the pond, but it sounds like it's free from fees.

http://www.capitalone.com/search/?qt=inter...pitalone.com%2F

Also, Bank of America has a global ATM alliance with several banks, in the UK that bank is Barclays. So you can avoid fees by opening a BOA account here and withdrawing from Barclays ATM's there

https://www4.bankofamerica.com/search/Searc...mp;locale=en_US

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_ATM_Alliance

I haven't tried either of these options before. I know someone that just got back from a global jaunt (England, France, Austria, China) who brought this info to my attention. I'll have to ask if he was truly able to get away without being hammered with fees.


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## Capt Worley PE (May 7, 2009)

Yeah, but BoA is evil.


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## roadwreck (May 7, 2009)

Capt Worley PE said:


> Yeah, but BoA is evil.


do you know of a bank that isn't?

(preferably one that doesn't charge international ATM usage fees?)


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## Parks and Rec (May 7, 2009)

I thougth all of the banks here are Bank of USA 's now?


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## Capt Worley PE (May 7, 2009)

roadwreck said:


> do you know of a bank that isn't?


No, which is why I only deal with credit unions.


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## roadwreck (May 7, 2009)

Capt Worley PE said:


> No, which is why I only deal with credit unions.


okay, do you know of any credit unions that offer no fee ATM withdrawals overseas?


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## GTjoy (May 8, 2009)

roadwreck said:


> I'll have to ask if he was truly able to get away without being hammered with fees.


Thanks for the tips. Last time I went for a full summer, I also used a Capital One Visa card with a 0% interest rate so I didn't have worry about paying off the balance each month. I think I'll use a BoA ATM card based on your research.  I also use a credit union but I doubt they'd waive the ATM fees.

Please do let us know what your friend says.


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## Capt Worley PE (May 8, 2009)

roadwreck said:


> okay, do you know of any credit unions that offer no fee ATM withdrawals overseas?


No. But I've never had a desire to leave the country, so it hasn't been much of an issue.


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## roadwreck (May 8, 2009)

Capt Worley PE said:


> No. But I've never had a desire to leave the country, so it hasn't been much of an issue.


you're missing out


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## FLBuff PE (May 8, 2009)

Capt Worley PE said:


> No. But I've never had a desire to leave the country, so it hasn't been much of an issue.






roadwreck said:


> you're missing out


I agree. Everything in Europe is way better! oking: opcorn:


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## roadwreck (May 8, 2009)

FLBuff PE said:


> I agree. Everything in Europe is way better! oking: opcorn:


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## Chucktown PE (May 8, 2009)

:wacko: :brickwall: :suicide1:


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## benbo (May 8, 2009)

FLBuff PE said:


> I agree. Everything in Europe is way better! oking: opcorn:


http://www.aa.com/aa/reservation/oneWaySearchAccess.do


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## bigray76 (May 8, 2009)

My wife and I honeymooned in London... we did a ton of day trips based on the flyers we found in our hotel (we stayed in London).

Avon, Salsbury, Stonehenge, Bath, Buckingham, Harrods, Westminster, the Thames River cruise, museums, Tower of London, palaces, etc.

I wanted to get to a horse track while we were there, but nothing was easy to get to unless we drove or took a very expensive cab.


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## FLBuff PE (May 8, 2009)

benbo said:


> http://www.aa.com/aa/reservation/oneWaySearchAccess.do


:appl:


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## SkyWarp (May 8, 2009)

Trafalgar Square

Roam around Picadilly Circus

St. James Park is a nice walk

If you go to the Tower of London, wait for a tour to start, the Yeoman Warders really make it a lot more enjoyable.

I thought Windsor Castle was worth the time to get there They also have some demonstrations on the grounds that are worth seeing.

I don't regret riding on the eye, but I wouldn't do it again.

The changing of the guard isn't all it's cracked up to be, but it's not every day so plan for it if you want to see it.

London is a great city, I can recommend some hotels if you'd like. Taxis hurt there though. The last time I was there, I took a taxi 1 mile from the airport to a hotel. The fare was over $10 before we left the parking lot, ended up being around $20.


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## snickerd3 (May 10, 2009)

SkyWarp said:


> London is a great city, I can recommend some hotels if you'd like. Taxis hurt there though. The last time I was there, I took a taxi 1 mile from the airport to a hotel. The fare was over $10 before we left the parking lot, ended up being around $20.


We are cashing in our Hilton honors points for the hotel, I think we are staying at a doubletree that used to be an old courthouse in the Soho district.

The hubby is an experienced underground rider, so taxi riding should be at a minimum.


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## RIP - VTEnviro (May 11, 2009)

> The hubby is an experienced underground rider


Wow that sounds kinda naughty.


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## MA_PE (May 11, 2009)

Does he know Harriet Tubbman?


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## RIP - VTEnviro (May 11, 2009)

Well played!


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## snickerd3 (May 11, 2009)

ha ha i'm laughing on the inside


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## wilheldp_PE (May 11, 2009)

MA_PE said:


> Does he know Harriet Tubbman?


What's this about Tubgirl?


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## FLBuff PE (May 11, 2009)

wilheldp_PE said:


> What's this about Tubgirl?


She was at the Lemon Party.


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## MA_PE (May 11, 2009)

wilheldp_PE said:


> What's this about Tubgirl?


thank you for not disappointing me.


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## wilheldp_PE (May 11, 2009)

MA_PE said:


> thank you for not disappointing me.


I do what I can.


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## Capt Worley PE (May 12, 2009)

roadwreck said:


> you're missing out


Nah, plenty of stuff to see right here in the ole USA . Plus, Erope is a little too claustrophobic for me. My parents have been a few times since they retire. I love their pictures, but cringe internally just thinking about how close everybody is crammed together there. I'm a wide open place guy.

As a frame of reference, I freaked out hen I went downtown ATL and haven't been to anything remotely big since then. I hated it.


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## wilheldp_PE (May 12, 2009)

Capt Worley PE said:


> Nah, plenty of stuff to see right here in the ole USA . Plus, Erope is a little too claustrophobic for me. My parents have been a few times since they retire. I love their pictures, but cringe internally just thinking about how close everybody is crammed together there. I'm a wide open place guy.
> As a frame of reference, I freaked out hen I went downtown ATL and haven't been to anything remotely big since then. I hated it.


You should try Hong Kong some time. They ran out of real estate, so everything started going up. Almost everybody lives in high rise apartment buildings. I hit the subway right at rush hour one time...that was a sight to behold. I'm 6'2", so I could see across the entire station, but it was nothing but a see of bobbing black hair.


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## MA_PE (May 12, 2009)

> but cringe internally just thinking about how close everybody is crammed together there


Have you considered a relaxing vacation to New York City?


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## GTjoy (May 19, 2009)

SkyWarp said:


> I don't regret riding on the eye, but I wouldn't do it again. The changing of the guard isn't all it's cracked up to be, but it's not every day so plan for it if you want to see it.
> 
> London is a great city, I can recommend some hotels if you'd like.


Ooh, please do keep the recommendations coming. I only have 5-6 days there (tacked on after a business trip) but I want to see the best stuff in my short time.

Also... I'm doing some online research on this but it's tough to find details. Upon arriving I'd like to buy a pay-as-you SIM card in England and change out my SIM card on my phone.

Anybody know how much this typically costs? I found this: http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/mobile-phon.../pay-as-you-go/... but how much will it typically cost to call long distance to the U.S.?

And if you anyone has a better or alternative suggestion, let me know!


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## MGX (May 19, 2009)

Get in a fistfight
Eat a Cornish pasty (I know you said London, so if you can't find a pasty at least get a doner kebab)
Drink some proper tea (none of that Earl Grey junk; try PG Tips)
Try the spotted dick


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## RIP - VTEnviro (May 19, 2009)

^ Cornish Pasties kick ass!

i've tried to make them with no success of recreating the awesomeness of this one shop in Bath.



> Have you considered a relaxing vacation to New York City?


I had a great time on the infamous No. 7 train a few weeks back after checking out the new Citi Field. Nothing like being wedged together far beyond the limits of safe occupancy with a bunch of people with meat sweats and beer farts on an 85 degree day.

At least I was on the Super Express 7 back to Grand Central. My lovely gameday companion then opined whether difference between the Super Express 7 and the Express 7 was analogous to the difference between the Super Adventure Club and the Adventure Club.



> As a frame of reference, I freaked out hen I went downtown ATL and haven't been to anything remotely big since then. I hated it.


I'm with you there. I'm 20 miles from Boston but haven't just gone there to see the sights in the year I've lived here. Though granted I have seen several of the bit tourist places in the past. I'm fortunate to live by several of the reservoirs that serve the area. There are some really nice state parks out this way where you have no idea you're not in a huge, sprawling subburb.


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## roadwreck (May 20, 2009)

Okay, so this isn't exactly in London, but I thought I'd mention it b/c you're only going to be day's drive away







http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/falk...heel/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falkirk_Wheel

I'll be in England this summer, and we are planning on heading up to northern England/southern Scotland for a portion of our trip. I will be tantalizingly close to this, I may have to insist we take a break from touring the countryside and old castles and go see this thing in person.

Is it sad that I really haven't been all that excited about taking this trip until now?


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## FLBuff PE (May 20, 2009)

roadwreck said:


> Okay, so this isn't exactly in London, but I thought I'd mention it b/c you're only going to be day's drive away
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I believe that you just PROVED that you're an engineer. So the answer to your question is yes.


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## SkyWarp (May 20, 2009)

GTjoy said:


> Ooh, please do keep the recommendations coming. I only have 5-6 days there (tacked on after a business trip) but I want to see the best stuff in my short time.
> Also... I'm doing some online research on this but it's tough to find details. Upon arriving I'd like to buy a pay-as-you SIM card in England and change out my SIM card on my phone.
> 
> Anybody know how much this typically costs? I found this: http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/mobile-phon.../pay-as-you-go/... but how much will it typically cost to call long distance to the U.S.?
> ...


I'm not sure on the SIM card, but be sure to unlock your phone before you go there, I had to wait 3 days for my unlock code. If there's only one person calling you, consider getting a phone card and having them call your new cell number.
Every trip I seem to pass through Covent Garden, not a must see, but there's food and shopping so if you're nearby it's worth stopping at. I finally went to Harrod's on the last trip, lots of high end shopping in there. If you want to buy stuff branded "Harrod's" (women seem to like these gifts), go to the bottom floor. The rest of the place is just a giant store of things you can buy elsewhere.

Ask if anyone you know has an Oyster card you can borrow. If you're going to use the Underground a lot it's nice to have.


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## GTjoy (May 29, 2009)

roadwreck said:


> Is it sad that I really haven't been all that excited about taking this trip until now?


See, I wouldn't have known about cool stuff like this if wasn't for this board. Thank you! Is it sad that I really want to go see this now?


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## snickerd3 (May 29, 2009)

GTjoy said:


> See, I wouldn't have known about cool stuff like this if wasn't for this board. Thank you! Is it sad that I really want to go see this now?


when are you going? We leave Tuesday night for a wednesday late morning arrival.


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## GTjoy (May 29, 2009)

snickerd3 said:


> when are you going? We leave Tuesday night for a wednesday late morning arrival.


Not for another week, and then I have 2 weeks of work at a government facility. After that, I get to go have fun and be a shameless tourist.


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## RIP - VTEnviro (May 30, 2009)

snickerd3 said:


> when are you going? We leave Tuesday night for a wednesday late morning arrival.


The red eye is definitely the way to go. I flew out of Boston at like 11 PM, had a short layover in Paris which got extended by an hour due to delays, then got to Bristol, UK about 11 AM or so. My luggage liked Paris so much it stayed there an extra day and a half.

We just stayed up until it was bedtime in their time zone and zonked out then. I've heard that's the best way to acclimate to major jet lag. It's weird, I usually find it easier to fly east because if you leave the west coast in the morning and fly to the east coast, the 3 hours you lose plus the 6 hours of flying plus layovers means its at least late afternoon when you get here. By the time you get your luggage, drive home, and eat dinner, you can justify going to bed.

Similarly, its no fun to visit the in laws on the west coast, because you get up at 2 AM to leave at 3 to get to the airport by 4 to fly out at 6, fly all the way over there, and its only about 11 AM their time. And they're very peppy, let's go do something type of people.

We're going to Alaska in a little under 2 weeks and I am going to be totally cooked. 4 hour time difference plus the fact that its not really going to get dark the whole time we're there. That's OK, vacations weren't meant for sleeping anyway.


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## helwardman (May 30, 2009)

I just got back from a trip to England, including a day trip to London. I can recommend the Thames boat trips. We got on at Westminster Bridge and travelled up to Tower Bridge. It's well worth a look.


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## wilheldp_PE (May 30, 2009)

VTEnviro said:


> We're going to Alaska in a little under 2 weeks and I am going to be totally cooked. 4 hour time difference plus the fact that its not really going to get dark the whole time we're there. That's OK, vacations weren't meant for sleeping anyway.


Try going to Hong Kong some time. That is the only jet lag that has affected me. It is 12 hours different from EST, so whatever time it is here, it's the opposite time there (it's almost 7 pm here, it's almost 7 am there). That really screws with your internal clock.


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## GTjoy (Jun 4, 2009)

^ I am taking a red-eye too - and flying economy class, so perhaps I should take a sleeping pill and some earplugs as well. I'm a light sleeper so I'll do anything that can help (such as traveling in pajamas and using those night-eye-blinder things). Fortunately, it's a direct flight so it won't be as long. But it probably won't matter if I'm sitting next to someone who snores or smells funny.

Anyway, like yourself, I do think I'll have an easier time recovering from jet lag there than after coming back here (plus the flight back here takes longer due to the winds).

I just have to make myself stay up all day once I land so I can be ready for a full days' work on Monday.


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## GTjoy (Jun 4, 2009)

helwardman said:


> I just got back from a trip to England, including a day trip to London. I can recommend the Thames boat trips. We got on at Westminster Bridge and travelled up to Tower Bridge. It's well worth a look.


Any specific boat tour company you recommend?

Some folks recommended making a stop to Cambridge (which I'm pretty sure I'll do). While there, I was told to go "punting on the Cam". It looks fun but still kinda cheesy and touristy.


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## RIP - VTEnviro (Jun 4, 2009)

> Some folks recommended making a stop to Cambridge (which I'm pretty sure I'll do). While there, I was told to go "punting on the Cam". It looks fun but still kinda cheesy and touristy.


Huh, on Sunday I was in Cambridge.......Massachusetts.


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## MA_PE (Jun 4, 2009)

VTEnviro said:


> Huh, on Sunday I was in Cambridge.......Massachusetts.


dod yopu suddenly get the urge to raise taxes on the rich and start a public welfare program?


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## RIP - VTEnviro (Jun 4, 2009)

No, I just got to help my sister in law move out of a nasty grad school apartment into something nicer. I got a free burrito out of the deal.

I did get an urge to slug her slimeball landlord however. :dunno:


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## Kephart P.E. (Jun 4, 2009)

wilheldp_PE said:


> Try going to Hong Kong some time. That is the only jet lag that has affected me. It is 12 hours different from EST, so whatever time it is here, it's the opposite time there (it's almost 7 pm here, it's almost 7 am there). That really screws with your internal clock.



Try Thailand, from North Carolina, with stops in Washington and Guam.

And oh, it was on a C-141 Cargo Plane.

Worst trip of my life.


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## snickerd3 (Jun 10, 2009)

my stomach started growling at 11 this morning, with the 6hr time change it's dinner time already. Woke up at like 4 am and had a hard time going back to bed too


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## snickerd3 (Jun 10, 2009)

Highly recommend the oyster card for the underground...way more convienent than trying to buy and keep track of little paper tickets anytime you wanted to ride the subway!

The wait for eating at the original Hard Rock Cafe was an hour and half at 8:30 PM. Good thing eating at the counter was available right away...we were straving.


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## MA_PE (Jun 10, 2009)

snick: Did you just arrive in the UK, or have you gone and returned already?


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## snickerd3 (Jun 10, 2009)

MA_PE said:


> snick: Did you just arrive in the UK, or have you gone and returned already?


Got back late Monday.


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## MA_PE (Jun 10, 2009)

snickerd3 said:


> Got back late Monday.


nice. let's see the vacation pics.


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## snickerd3 (Jun 10, 2009)

MA_PE said:


> nice. let's see the vacation pics.


We didn't get back home until last night, so pictures have been the last thing on our minds 

might get to it tonight.


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## squishles10 (Jun 10, 2009)

im glad someone mentioned the spotted dick. heehee.

go up into the tower bridge. being an engineer youll think its cool. even normal people thought it was so i thought it was great. crown jewels as already mentioned are awesome. i saw parliament in session, at like 8 pm or some weird hour. i went by just to see it (its right next to big ben) and they let me in. its great they yell at each other and call each other idiots. the way congress should be. changing of the guard at the palace is pretty sweet.

the beer isnt warm, its served at the proper temperature unlike here. it has to be served below freezing to hide the fact that bud taste like crap. good beer in the us isnt served ice cold either.

yes the food sucks. i ordered chinese takeout cuz i thought i would starve. the chinese takeout tasted like cat food smells. and looked the same. eat the fish and chips. and anything with "pie" in the name. nothing else. especially the bacon. and the beef


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## snickerd3 (Jun 10, 2009)

squishles10 said:


> im glad someone mentioned the spotted dick. heehee.
> go up into the tower bridge. being an engineer youll think its cool. even normal people thought it was so i thought it was great. crown jewels as already mentioned are awesome. i saw parliament in session, at like 8 pm or some weird hour. i went by just to see it (its right next to big ben) and they let me in. its great they yell at each other and call each other idiots. the way congress should be. changing of the guard at the palace is pretty sweet.
> 
> the beer isnt warm, its served at the proper temperature unlike here. it has to be served below freezing to hide the fact that bud taste like crap. good beer in the us isnt served ice cold either.
> ...


It was election week while we were there...every entry to parliament was heavily guarded with police carring MP5s, according to the hubby.

tower bridge was cool, we took a boat ride on the thames and got to see under it.

All the pubs we visited had variety, you could get the warm beer, the properly chilled beer and the super chilled stuff.

The food wasn't bad. Our hotel was in the middle of "little Italy" so to speak 90% of the cafes were italian food. I was rather disappointed in some places that were offering chickern with bacon...and got chicken with ham. What would I have gotten if I ordered ham? Some places did have actualy bacon though.

Fish and chips were good at the pub we ate at, although the veggie was mashed minted peas... :dunno:

also had a warm jacket with cheddar cheese, yum.


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## snickerd3 (Jun 10, 2009)

a few shots, the site was downloading at a snail pace, here is a link to few more

London photos


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## RIP - VTEnviro (Jun 11, 2009)

Cool shots Snick! Glad you had a good time.


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## SkyWarp (Jun 11, 2009)

Looks like you had great weather. In all the times I've been to London, I think I had one morning of sunlight.


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## helwardman (Jun 11, 2009)

snickerd3 said:


> the veggie was mashed minted peas.


Those are mushy peas, mate. And right tasty they are too!


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## scottlpool2003 (Jun 12, 2009)

There's so much culture to see in London. You can see a few great sights in one trip, I recommend you use a journey planner to plot your sites so you get to see as much as you can while you're there.


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## snickerd3 (Jun 12, 2009)

SkyWarp said:


> Looks like you had great weather. In all the times I've been to London, I think I had one morning of sunlight.


we had great weather until the last few days. I don't recommend visiting the Tower of London in pouring rain. We ended up going to see a couple of matinee performances (Wicked and Romeo &amp; Juliet) that last two days cuz of the rain.


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## GTjoy (Jun 25, 2009)

snickerd3 said:


> Highly recommend the oyster card for the underground...way more convienent than trying to buy and keep track of little paper tickets anytime you wanted to ride the subway!


I just got back too... and we used the Oyster cards instead of the paper tix or the unlimited daily/3 day/ 5 day passes.

We spent 5 days in London (after I was in the English countryside for work for 2 weeks - stark difference!!) and we took it slow, for the most part. Sure, we didn't hit quite everything, but there's just SO much to do. If we tried to pack our time with an overly detailed itinerary, we might not have appreciated everything as much. Plus we were fairly low-budget so I didn't want to pay to see the inside of, say, Windsor Castle, if I hadn't seen all the free stuff yet, either.

My favorites? Probably seeing the Rosetta stone in the British Museum and watching Les Miserables (both gave me goosebumps!) in one of the West End theaters. Of course Big Ben and Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's, Covent Garden, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, and the Shakespeare Globe were very cool too, to name just a few.

We stayed in the Canary Wharf area - which is a very new-ish, skyscraper-filled business area built over the old Quays and wharf district. It was not very touristy, but I liked it for that very reason. (At dinner, we were surrounded by business people rather than gaggles of high schoolers.) Waterfront restaurants were everywhere and other eating and shopping options were abundant. Plus, everything was clean and pretty and didn't smell bad!  The weather was pretty much perfect too.

My time in the Norfolk and Suffolk regions was very pleasant, and the people were wonderful. If you'd like any recommendations, I can pass them on.


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## snickerd3 (Jun 25, 2009)

GTjoy said:


> My favorites? Probably seeing the Rosetta stone in the British Museum and watching Les Miserables (both gave me goosebumps!) in one of the West End theaters. Of course Big Ben and Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's, Covent Garden, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, and the Shakespeare Globe were very cool too, to name just a few.


The rosetta stone was cool to see. Did you just take the tour of the Globe or see a play? We saw Romeo and juliet, but we paid extra for the seats. 5pounds is a good deal, but i didn't want to stand for 3 hours


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## GTjoy (Jun 25, 2009)

snickerd3 said:


> The rosetta stone was cool to see. Did you just take the tour of the Globe or see a play? We saw Romeo and juliet, but we paid extra for the seats. 5pounds is a good deal, but i didn't want to stand for 3 hours


No, but we tried to see a show (As You Like It). The showings we wanted were already sold out, and we weren't sure if we'd have time to go see it another day. I'm sure I would have enjoyed it though, and my tired feet would have welcomed the break. We were cheap but wanted the full experience (but not so cheap that we'd stand for 3 hours), so if we couldn't watch it, we wouldn't want to just take a tour - thus, we just walked in and around it as much as we could for free.


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## GTjoy (Jun 25, 2009)

snickerd3 said:


> we had great weather until the last few days. I don't recommend visiting the Tower of London in pouring rain. We ended up going to see a couple of matinee performances (Wicked and Romeo &amp; Juliet) that last two days cuz of the rain.


I think your bad weather that hit London was the same that gave us the freak hailstorms up in other parts of England. There was so much hail that the piles looked like snow drifts, some of which had not melted fully even more than a day later. The locals all told us they had never seen weather like it before.


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