IanHarryWebb
Posts: 3344
Joined: 30 Nov. 2002
From: Edinburgh United Kingdom
Status: offline
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When choosing to travel between Edinburgh and London think TRAIN.
Yes a flight is 50 minutes but when you add travel to the airport waiting time and travel at the other end it all adds up in real time to around 4/5 hours.
The train should take four hours 35 minutes city centre to city centre.
Plug in your laptop or DVD player or read a book and glance at the passing scenery on the way to King's Cross station.
London what you expected?
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/99e3f/#TL
Well the train was 45 minutes late a quick walk and wait to buy a ticket for the circle line to Paddington. A ten minute trip and out I walked into the air and a two minute walk to my hotel. Pubs: shops; Restaurants near-by. What else could I need?
After a few minutes I was walking to Hide Park on to Slone Square and the Kings Road and along the Thames taking night photos. And so started my journey to having blisters on my feet.
Next day I walked to the R.A.H. taking in Diana's memorial on the way.
I took a tour of the building just because I was there and one was about to start. £7.50p.
Did you know that the rent/rates for the Royal Albert Hall is five pence?
Yes really 5p a year for one thousand years.
Anyway on to see the Natural History Museum; V&A, and the Science museum. All Free!
But I was lucky to visit all three in one day.
Which was why I choose my hotel at Paddington.
Continental breakfast or full english. Bacon: Eggs; Beans, toast fruit + fruit juice & coffee or tea. So lunch was usually missed by me. £39 a night.
Christmas
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I came across some Xmas lights on Oxford St and ice-skating someplace.
Oxford St after 9am you can keep it, gosh it must be hell at this time of year.
Harrods was the one shop I looked into the 'Foodcourt' is worth seeing but you will need money. 'Fish N Chips' Oh with Tartar sauce costs £18.50p. I gave it a miss.
I visited the Churchill museum and Cabinet War Rooms £11.
And I enjoyed it! The British Museum great building with lots to see, Museum Tavern is good for lunch across the street and the Bank of England Museum where you can pick up a bar of gold. Both free to enter. Sorry no chance of getting the Gold Out.
I also visited Kensington Palace £12 and enjoyed my visit but Princess Margaret's rooms are empty which is a pity. The State Apartments added by William III & Mary II are interesting. Kensington Palace has only opened to the public in recent years.
Do any of you watch 'Spooks'? MI5 on BBC well did you know Thames House is in fact a Masonic Lodge? Yeah it is I have been inside, its free and nothing about MI5 oh well.
My last day was to visit
Hampton Court
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/9a13e/#TL
I loved it even if the weather was not great. £13.
Gosh two Palaces in one and the kitchens were awesome.
You can walk around with a tape playing in your ears and/or walk with guides dressed in period costume playing their roles as they take you within. I did both and I can recommend doing both if you have the time. Don't miss getting your own headphones after you enter Hampton Court in a small door on your right ahead as you enter, it helps knowing what your looking at. {I missed it going in and returned to collect them}
The journey is easy 35 minutes from Waterloo. {Enter via behind the London Eye its easier} Come out the station and cross the bridge, you will see Hampton Court on your right. I was a little suprised that Elizabeth was never mentioned. Mainly Henry VIII and William of Orange. There are gardens to visit too and the maze.
On my way home to Edinburgh I checked out St Pancras train station and looked and found Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross. The train lost 20 minutes but made up 15 and so I arrived at Waverly 5 mins late, got across Princes St and caught the 22 bus home which was standing at the stop. I left at 11am and in the house by 4.05pm.
The hotel was fine I had a good nights sleep the room was clean, I had a shower and sink the toilet was two floors down, I had my own key.
Warning and Dangers
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This was for me more of a museum visit to see what I had not seen before.
And I'm glad I had time for Hampton Court.
I desired to to see the Cabinet War Rooms near Parliament Square across/opposite St James Park. Look for a statue of Clive.
Flicker photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/62158564@N00/
Those are well worth seeing...enjoy.
This is just a wee taste Oh and I must say Madame Tussaud's at £25 is daylight robbery I gave it a miss.
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IanHarryWebb
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