London - Getting There!

I have a friend who will be traveling by herself to London and overseas for the first time.  That’s a pretty gutsy thing to do, in my mind!  I thought that this article would be helpful to her and to anyone going to London who has never been there before. 

Landing

If you are flying into either Heathrow or Gatwick, gird your loins.  You are about to land in chaos.  My best tips for getting through it as quickly and easily as possible include:

• Do not check your luggage going over – take only carryon
• Disembark as quickly as humanly possible
• Run (do not walk) to the immigration lines

This may seem like hype, but in my world (one which lacks patience for queues), it makes sense.  Several hundred passengers are disembarking from your plane.  Try to get as close to the head of that line as you can.  You are about to go into a hall where dozens of airlines have dumped hundreds of travelers.  All of these are also waiting in line to get through immigration and customs.  Just a heads up.

The good news is that the lines usually move fairly quickly.  The bad news is that, even so, with all the people there, you will have to wait.  And, after being on the plane for all those hours – do you really want to have to go to a luggage carousel and wait for your luggage before departing? 

Finding Transportation

The English are pretty good at signage.  Follow the signs for your method of transportation.

There are some really great YouTube videos on getting to London Central.  We’ll talk about these in the following paragraphs.

Heathrow

See THIS For an excellent overview of your options for getting to Central London.  The following would be options I’d consider:

• Taxi – easy, but extremely expensive.  You are looking at close to $100 one-way to get you to the city center.
• Heathrow Express (train) – easy, and fairly fast (30-45 minutes to Paddington Station).  Cost is around $40 one-way.  However, if you are going anywhere else besides Paddington, you are going to have to connect via underground, taxi, or bus anyway.
• Tube – with an Oyster card, it’s less than $10 on the Piccadilly line to Kings Cross.  It’s a little less than an hour’s journey from Heathrow, so get comfy and sit down for the ride. This is the least hassle and the cheapest cost.  You can plan your trip HERE.

An oyster card looks like a credit card and has a magnetic strip that can be read by the turnstyles in the underground stations.  You can purchase an Oyster card for 5 pounds (refundable upon the end of your trip).  You then top off the card with the amount of money to be used on your underground trips.  I typically put in 20 pounds and update it as necessary.  You can purchase these cards online or at the station.  To purchase online, see THIS.

 

The station in Heathrow and many of the larger stations will have walk up customer service (that you will usually have to queue for). There are machines that take credit and cash. 

Gatwick

From Gatwick, you’ll likely be taking the Gatwick Express.  It’s easy, fast, and drops you at Victoria Rail Station from which you can catch the underground. See the following YouTube Video for information.

The Gatwick Express.  The Express is a 30-minute, non-stop journey to Victoria. 

Getting Around London

Tools

• Smartphone with British SIM card (you can get one at any mobile phone kiosk).  See my post on taking your smart phone.
• Oyster Card.  The tube is so easy, that I usually just stick with an Oyster card and map for my travels.   
• Smartphone Apps:
• Tube Map London Underground maps out tube directions to get you to your destination
• London Oyster Balance keeps you informed of the amount on your card.
• Pocket London A-Z .

Hop on Hop Off Bus

A hop on hop off bus is:

A type of tourist bus or tram that follows a circular route with fixed stops through a city and that allows paying passengers unlimited travel for a day (or other period of time) with the freedom to disembark at any stop and reboard another bus or tram to continue their journey. Also referred to as “step on step off.”

This is essential, I think, if you’ve never been to London.  Use one at least for a day to get the lay of the land.  You can use the tube after that more cheaply.

There are only two bus companies: Original London and Big Bus. Any others are spin-offs of them.

Both companies have two main routes, one with a live guide and the other with a recorded commentary in different languages.

Both offer extras: a short river cruise, a choice of guided walks.  An offer of discounts for meals, and  fast track tickets for various attractions.

• The Big Bus Company
• The Original Tour Company

Attractions

What should you see when you go?  I’ve been to London dozens of times and haven’t seen it all.  You could spend your lifetime exploring!

Some of the highlights of my trips have been:

• London’s West End for a show (or three)
• Camden Market
• Fortnum and Mason to purchase my favorite tea
• Greenwich – awesome little town outside London but still available using your Oyster card.  See the Greenwich mean time line, the Royal Observatory, the market, the Cutty Sark, the Royal Maritime Museum, and various other sights.
• Covent Garden – shops and … weird stuff
• Westminster Abbey
• Buckingham Palace
• St. James Park
• Churchill War Rooms
• Royal Horseguards
• Big Ben/Houses of Parliament

So many of these things are located within walking distance of each other – you’ll be amazed!

Good luck on your journey, and remember – travel safe, travel fun!

I'm a Patriot

There are times when I find myself wondering… where would I be right now if I could?  My vivid imagination always takes me to a sunny day in the English countryside. 

My friend, Michael, has told me that he believes I was English in a past life (or lives), and I tend to agree.  When people talk about their passion, I wonder if it’s something as abstract as “England” rather than, say, painting or car racing or sailing.  What *is* passion for a country? 
In my case, it is multi-layered and sometimes complex.  I recently put on a job application that I speak British English as a foreign language.   I was only half kidding.  There are very few topics on England that do not interest me.

There is a term “anglophile” which really feels like “English groupie” to me.  Websters defines it as: a person who is fond of or greatly admires England or Britain.  Neither definition fits me.  “Fond” and “greatly admire” doesn’t go far enough.  “Groupie” goes too far.  I am a patriot.  Both of the U.S. and U.K.  I would imagine myself as an ambassador in a previous life (though Michael said I owned a pub). 

Being passionate about England doesn’t mean I love my country less.  It may, however, mean that because I see England less often, I talk about it more!
I tend to read British newspapers and watch BBC news.  I watch British programming, in general, when I find it.  American programming seems to be more about violence, anger, and frustration.  English programming is more nostalgic.  How can you not love a country that continues to broadcast the arts over its radio stations?  Want to listen to a play?  Want someone to read a book to you?  Want to learn more about the planet?  There’s a show for that.

I love that the English have a soft spot in their hearts for animals, and that they don’t quibble (much) if a dog shows up in a pub.  I love that once an Englishman knows you well, you have a loyal, generous, and faithful friend for the duration.  Some of the kindest people I’ve ever met are English.

The division of the country by so many wars and invasions shows its mark to this day.  You’ll still catch an inkling that the north and south don’t trust each other – much less understand each other’s dialect.  I hear the echo from an old Catherine Tate script that has an upper-class child from the south asking her mother, “Mummy, what’s she saying?” regarding her northern nanny. And the mother replying, “Run for your lives, children, we’re all going to dieeeeeeeeeeee.” 

Hilarious.  And not *altogether* untrue! 

England is a heartbeat.  It’s a warm hug on a cold day.  It’s emerald and beautiful and so interesting that people have written about it for millennia.  There are countries with higher mountains, better economies, better weather (for sure!).  But not with the same spirit, history, and culture.

I’m biased, because, well, I'm a patriot!

Smart Travel with Smart Phones!

It wasn’t all that long ago that I was traveling with notebooks, a camera, videocam, GPS, and cell phone. It was a LOT to pack and a lot to haul when all was said and done. Especially back in the days when videocams were HUGE! GPS units are not as large, but cost quite a bit when you update maps (I paid $140 for European maps alone!)

Unless you are a photographer or video producer, there is no reason to lug so much equipment with you. It’s all done now with one small unit: the smart phone.

There are some ups and downs with the smartphone overseas, so I wanted to cover them in this article.

Calling, Texting and Data
Type

GSM or CDMA

• GSM Global Service for Mobile (GSM) use Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Cards. 
•  Code division multiple access (CDMA) technology, which although popular here in the US, is not as common in Europe, a reason many US phones do not operate there. 

Find out which phone type you have, GSM or CDMA, and discuss with your carrier whether your phone will operate internationally.

Locked or Unlocked

Your phone may also be locked or unlocked. Some cell phone manufacturers designed phones to be locked to just their service. For example, if AT&T paid for the phone, AT&T would lock it so that it could only be used on AT&T and not T Mobile. This lock is called by several names including "Sub Lock" or "SPC Lock" or "Sim Lock". Before travel, ensure your phone is unlocked. Almost any local cell phone carrier has the ability to unlock your phone.

Cost

If your phone operates internationally, the next thing you want to ask your carrier is: How much does it cost for voice and text overseas? Typically it is a staggering amount. For two weeks in England I was quoted about $200 for Voice, text, and data. There is a much easier and less expensive way to do this.

First, ensure your destination supports GSM phones and has a stable network. You’d hate to go to all this trouble if you’re in a remote area with little ability to use your phone!

I typically go to the UK and Europe. All you have to do there is go to a cell phone shop and buy a SIM card. This SIM card works on a local carrier and provides you with a local phone number. It allows you to call, text, and use the internet within your destination country for minimal cost. Just replace your current SIM card for the new card you purchased overseas.

But, what if you want to call or text the U.S.? Check with the carrier overseas to see what the cost to the U.S. would be. Some carriers offer International cards that allow you to call overseas for very little. For instance, the O2 in England charges 1 pence a minute for calls to the U.S. with their international card.  

Note: If you are a citizen on the regular O2 network, you can top off the card at any time. If you are an international visitor, you can't. You must buy a new SIM card. Be sure to verify how many minutes, text messages (incoming and outgoing), as well as how much time on the Internet, are included.

Camera and Video 

Research smart phones to determine the resolution and features you want for your camera or video cam overseas. Some phones have two-way (selfie) capability. Some don’t. Features will vary from camera to camera.

GPS 

If you have Google Maps loaded, you can not only get step by step travel instructions, but also voice response as well as traffic conditions.  

Document Storage 

Download Google drive and upload all travel documents so you have records of:

• Boarding passes
• Hotel receipts
• Car rental receipts
• Train tickets and passes
• Travel itinerary
• Phone numbers and addresses
• Etc.

Note: TripIt is an application that also records your travel documents. Pick the one that works for you.

Power and Cables

Check your destination country. In general, your car cable *should* work overseas. Plugging into a battery charger in your room may (and probably will) require an adapter and converter.

Summary

Smart Phones are a very good way to save yourself extra weight and storage space. There *are* some down sides, though. They won't always work - especially in more remote places. You must have an unlocked GSM phone to be able to use a SIM card purchased overseas. But, with a hoop jump or two, you are set to go on your vacation with much less to carry and more features than you can shake a stick at!

Group Travel or Not?

Hello friends… I say that like a lot of folks are out there reading, but I’m never sure it’s not just me here posting away for no good reason other than to hear myself roar!

I had lunch last weekend with Sharon Williams, the woman who got me into teaching travel classes in the first place! There were a lot of topics flying around. Many about group travel.

I find that as I get older, group travel seems to hold more and more appeal! So, I thought I’d blog a bit on that and see if anyone else out there has further comments on the subject. The reason I say I might be interested in group travel are:

• Someone is handling the bags for me
• I don’t have to wrack my brains to plan the perfect trip – it’s planned for me
• They pick me up, they set me down, fixed itinerary – no muss, no fuss. No picking up (and driving) rental cars in a foreign country. No trains or planes to catch. Nothing but a luxury bus ride
• There are any variety of groups traveling… I can take a walking holiday with a guide or see Arthurian historical sites. I can go on a pub tour or a fishing angler’s tour… anything that you can imagine is out there!
• I can see new countries in relative safety with a group tour. It’s not like I just show up in Turkey and have to find my own way around.
• It’s a great way to introduce myself to a country and then on followup trips, I’ll know the places I want to visit on my own or even whether I *want* to return to the country or not.
• You (can) get really great insight if the tour guide is decent. I love to learn!
• If you’re shy about meeting people, group tours are a great way to break into things more easily. Solo travel *can* be daunting!
• It can be an adventure that you never could have thought of on your own. Imagine a James Bond tour or a music legends tour.

 Of course, there’s the little guy sitting on my other shoulder saying:

• You’re LOCKED into their itinerary. It’s not flexible.
• If you get a bad tour guide, that’s just tough… you’re stuck for days on end.
• You’re stuck with what *they* consider are good hotels (I wasn’t happy on my last Trafalgar tour with the chosen hotels for the most part). 

But then, the OTHER guy says, "yanno, you can get small, custom group tours or river tours or train tours or self-catering tours or ... there is just about any FLAVOR of group tour you can think of!"

All in all, though, I don’t think group tours should be ignored as a possible travel option even if you typically travel solo or are an experienced traveler.  It just *could* open some horizons for you. :)

 

The World Famous Dog & Gun Pub, Keswick

Maximize Fun, Minimize Anxiety

First blog post of 2014!

There are:

* 9 days to the cruise

* 114 days to the trip with mom to Virginia

* 246 days to the England trip

* 331 days to a potential trip to see the final stage show of War of the Worlds in Leeds.        

This leaves me both excited and nervous.  I can easily get into the “how am I going to make this all happen” mindset.  But there are some things I know that are true that help me through the anxiety that trips can sometimes produce.

The first is: If it was meant to be, it will be.  If things happen out of your control, you don’t need to worry about them.  If things are in your control, well… then you control your situation and there’s no need for anxiety.

The second is: The more you worry, the less likely you are to manifest what you want – or to manifest it in the way you want.  If you get stuck in “how can I afford this?” or “how can I get time off?” you are adding stones to your dry stone wall.  Sooner or later, you won’t be able to see your trip over it!

The third is: Everything will be fine.  I get into a worry loop sometimes about leaving my dogs, my house, my family and friends, my country, taking a long plane ride over sometimes turbulent ocean air, and landing in the middle of a morass of folks all at the end of their similar trips.  Put your heart and head on autopilot.  Put one foot after the other.  Everything will be fine.

The fourth is: Focus on adventure.  Every moment on your trip is a wonderful adventure!  Maximize that by seeing it for what it is.  Missed your train?  Wow, what a great time to hang out and see the sights, talk to the people, have a bite to eat, take some pictures, etc.  I am grateful for every moment of every trip I’ve ever taken.  Even the bad bits have silver linings.  Find them.

The fifth is: Ignore your mom’s warning and talk with strangers.  Some will ignore  you. Some will be curt.  Most will be charming and funny and interesting.  I’ve made so many wonderful friends that way.  Each person is a chance to experience your trip on a deeper level.

The sixth is: Don’t be afraid to veer from your itinerary.  If you have a plan, and someone comes up with a better idea or with an idea to do something you’ve never tried before, give it some thought.  Go for it if you feel like it would add to your experience.  Don’t tie yourself to a schedule to the point that you limit your fun.

Feel free to brainstorm other ideas on your own that will help you overcome anxiety and create the best vacation you ever had!

Walking in a British Wonderland...

I have not blogged in awhile.  I write that up to not having a lot of free time lately, but mostly it’s just due to my short attention span!

My plans for the 2014 trip have been made, and most of the reservations settled.  It looks as if the next voyage will be a doozy!  I’m taking a travel partner this time, April Moore Fager, who is the sister of one of my best friends.  April is up for the challenge and has never been overseas before.  This will be a great adventure for both of us! 

So, with GoogleMaps in hand, I began crafting a trip.

When I asked April what she would like to do, she said she’d like to see some of the legendary sites of King Arthur.  This is one reason I’d recommend traveling with someone else:  They may give you a new perspective on things you had never thought of.  I typically go to London and to the Lakes and possibly Yorkshire… but this King Arthur thread opens a whole new world of possibilities.    I also wanted to include some things that had been on my bucket list more times than I can shake a stick at. 

Lindisfarne (the Holy Island) would be one of those things.  And since we were going to be in the Durham area anyway, why not see Durham Cathedral and go to an Elizabethan banquet at Lumley Castle?

I have several Facebook friends in the Durham area as well as my long-time friends, Kim and Greg who I hoped would be able to meet up with us.  So, I put out a call to all the folks in the neighborhood and invited them to the banquet with us.  I also asked Kim and Greg if they’d like to tour with us around and about Durham and Lindisfarne.  Sounds like a lovely time in the North!

Last year on my Trafalgar tour, we went through some amazing places in Scotland.  So I wanted to return to Pitlochry and to the Trossachs.  It’s a bit like the Lake District.  A bit like the Ozarks in America.  Very lush and green with lots of places to hike and breathe fresh air.  I had passed a hotel that looked posh beyond belief, and – just to treat myself, and because I never do go to very expensive hotels – I decided to book us at the MacDonald Resort and Spa.  It is also a perfect hub from which to see Loch Lomand and Stirling Castle.

No trip with Joy would be complete without staying several days in theEnglish Lake District.  So, we will be housed with my friends Marion and Peter at Goodwin House B&B in Keswick yet again.  It is here that I hope to meet up with all the wonderful people I saw last year and more who couldn’t make it last year to do a day hike.  Perhaps to bag yet another Wainwright or two!  And, of course, no trip would be complete without a trip to the pub afterwards.

So, with the first half of my trip planned, I was pretty proud of myself.  It’s a lot of work timing things just right for the amount of time and money we have.  But, for me, it’s definitely a labor of love.  And crafting a trip is like crafting a beautiful painting.

So what else has been on the bucket list?  The elusive Portmeirion (pronounced Port Marion) for one.  It’s so out of the way from my usual trekking, but if we’re heading south to see King Arthur anyway, why not?

So, we leave Keswick for Portmeirion to spend a couple of hours in this enchanting town.  And, with any luck, will make our halfway point to Cornwall by nightfall.  We’ll be staying in an area I’ve long wanted to see (Brecon Beacons National Park), though we won’t have any time to scout around much.  We’ll be staying at the Dragon Inn in Crickhowell.

And then, finally, we make our way to magical/mystical Cornwall.  There, to stay three nights in the town of Doc Martin fame, Portwenn (Port Isaac in reality).  We plan to see Tingagel Castle (reportedly King Arthur’s birthplace) and tour other King Arthur sites as well as taking a Doc Martin tour.  It should be great fun!

Sadly, we start heading back toward London and Heathrow not long after Port Isaac, but not before stopping at Salisbury to see the Cathedral and making a trek out to Stonehenge and the Avebury stone circles.  With luck (and a little extra time), I hope to visit Glastonbury.  It sounds like the English version of Austin, and has Arthurian links to it as well!

There you have it.  A complete tour of the outer edges of Great Britain all within a two-week period.  We’ll be driving to Heathrow to drop off the car and catch our plane.  If I’ve done my homework well, April will be hooked on England as I am, and will want to return.  As for me, I treat each trip as if it were my last.  You just never know, do you?  So, I will have enjoyed the long drive, seeing new sights, breathing fresh air, hiking, and just filling my heart with the love and wonderment I feel for England and Great Britain.  It will be glorious and surprising – as it always is.

Eng-volution

Someone recently posted to me that she thought I hated England… if so, why did I continue to go back?

As I mentioned in my My First Experience in England blog post, things hadn’t gotten off to a great start.  Nor did they get any better, particularly, over the next three years.

The first year we were there, my husband worked while I stayed at home, alone.  I knew no one, and the folks in Harrogate weren’t particularly outgoing.  I knew the young family next door and that was about it!  Then, there was the Faulklands War (which the English thought we should have joined in on).  When we didn’t, we got the cold shoulder (to put it mildly).  About the same time, Cruise missiles were being sent to UK bases.  The protests began.

The only things that saved my sanity back then were the ability to sightsee, my dog (Sheba), knitting, and taking university classes.  By the time our three years were up, I remember my plane taking off for the last time and thinking, “I never have to see that godforsaken country ever again!!!”

Famous last words!

Over the next few years, something happened.  I began to notice I missed the culture and the history… the tradition and the dialect.  I made plans for us to take a trip back over the pond. 

It was fun, but it was also difficult with my (now) ex video taping every single move we made!  There *were* fun times, though, and I continued to muse about my penchant for England.

And then I divorced.  One of the very first things I did was to go to England.  I went with a friend back then, and had a blast.  That feeling of how fun the trip I’d had was carried over to the next trip.  And the next.  And the next.  Each trip adding on the last.  My knowledge of dialects, places, history, literature, art, hiking, and sightseeing constantly growing with each trip. 

I had become an anglophile!  God, how I hated that.  Anglophile sounds like some sort of English groupie.  It’s not that.  It’s a deep seated love for the land and the history that made it what it is and where it’s going. 

And then someone said…

“Why don’t you teach a class on it?”

And I said, “me???”

Hmmm…  well, it is my passion.  I guess I could!  So, I began teaching travel classes to the UK and enjoying the heck out of them.

And, of course, I continued my travels. 

Well, it IS my passion.  :)