Trip to London (Page 3): Hi Elliern, I am English although I live in Spain now. England is beautiful in May with loads of pretty Blosson out on the trees but the weather is variable...

EnglishBrenda Loc: Kent, England

Hi Elliern, I am English although I live in Spain now. England is beautiful in May with loads of pretty Blosson out on the trees but the weather is variable and you will probably need a warm coat and rain wear for some of the time. I do not know London very well but a train ride to the coast might be a nice day out on a sunny day. A trip to Windsor Castle or Hampton Court might be nice or perhaps a river trip or even a trip to Oxford. Have a nice time.

lsimpkins Loc: SE Pennsylvania

Graham Smith wrote:

How about a visit to Cambridge? It has many historic buildings and fascinating museums, it's also very compact and easily reached by train from London.

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

We took the train to Cambridge on our last trip to the UK. I must say that the Cathedral and guided tour of it was the best of many we saw, and the town is great, too.

PaulB Loc: Alabama

There are bus tours from London that includes Windsor Castle, the town of Bath (the baths were built by the Romans), and Stonehenge. The Windsor changing of the guards is a much better photo op than the guard change at Buckingham, because you are so much closer. The village of Bath and the Roman baths are very photogenic. At the Stonehenge site, you can get very close to the stone structure. I don't recall there being an inordinate amount of walking involved in the tour. It takes a little more than half of a day.

Kayper Loc: Seattle

I used a company called "Better Travel Photos" (formerly Better Paris Photos) who will take you on photo tours in London or Paris (I used them in Paris). Don't know if they go to outskirts of London. You can ask them to take just you or you can do a shared tour with another person to reduce the cost. I think your husband can tag along. If you explain your situation with mobility, they might have some good strategies. I was so happy with them and am still enjoying my photos. I did a night and a full day but all options are available I believe. Ask them for a photo session for you and your husband as a memento! Also, it rains for real in London. While it wasn't cold per say, it poured every day all day of the 7 days I was there in May of 2012. Do not be discouraged and wear clothing that zips, allows for layers, has a hood and wear waterproof shoes! You can get some killer photos in rain with fabulous reflections and umbrella bouquets (including a plethora of abandoned and broken inside-out umbrellas in gutters). Congratulations on your 50th!

Elliern wrote:

My husband and I are going to London for a week in... (show quote)

Elliern Loc: Myrtle Beach, SC

Gary Graf wrote:

I wanted to see a castle. From a book, I selected ... (show quote)

Sounds like good memories. Yeah, can't do those steps. Do want to see some neat castles, though. Thanks, Gary

Elliern Loc: Myrtle Beach, SC

AlicanteBrenda wrote:

Hi Elliern, I am English although I live in Spain now. England is beautiful in May with loads of pretty Blosson out on the trees but the weather is variable and you will probably need a warm coat and rain wear for some of the time. I do not know London very well but a train ride to the coast might be a nice day out on a sunny day. A trip to Windsor Castle or Hampton Court might be nice or perhaps a river trip or even a trip to Oxford. Have a nice time.

Thanks, Brenda. Never thought of the coast. Windsor Castle sounds interesting, too. River trip if weather is nice also sounds good. Took one in Paris, but was so cold could not enjoy it. But, I was there in Feb or March several years ago.

Elliern Loc: Myrtle Beach, SC

lsimpkins wrote:

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

We took the train to Cambridge on our last trip to the UK. I must say that the Cathedral and guided tour of it was the best of many we saw, and the town is great, too.

Thanks again, Graham. I like that suggestion as well. Thanks to all of the replies, I have some good options.

lporrel Loc: California

Windsor has everything you could ask for. It is England in microcosm. An ancient castle, great art, adorable Elizabethan homes and pubs. Clean. Orderly. Compact. It is also very close to London. (Skip Legoland unless that is your thing!)

I've visited England many times, and if I had just one day, Windsor is where I would go.

On the other hand, Oxford is also spectacular, and if you can get to the top of he tower of St. Mary's in the center of town, the view is amazing. But, Oxford is a two or three hour drive (or bus ride), so that will give you much less time on the ground.

For something a little less touristic, Salisbury is lovely and has the the tallest (and one of the oldest) medieval spires in England. Heading up to Salisbury, you could take in Stonehenge too. But I would put Stonehenge in the "nice to see if its not too out of the way" category

Elliern Loc: Myrtle Beach, SC

PaulB wrote:

There are bus tours from London that includes Wind... (show quote)

Thanks, PaulB. Windsor Castle is getting a lot of votes. Will need to consider Bath as well. Like your photo. Sounds like you also had a good trip.

Elliern Loc: Myrtle Beach, SC

Kayper wrote:

I used a company called "Better Travel Photos... (show quote)

Thank you, Kayper. This is something new to think about. I will definitely check them out. I have not taken many photos in heavy rain...actually probably none :). In light rain I use a ziploc bag to protect my camera. I do hope we have some good days. Light rain is no problem, but would hate to have heavy rain all day. And really, really hate to have cold heavy rain. Can no longer zip in and out if buildings and doorways like I used to. Unfortunately, neither my husband nor I are huge fans of art museums, which are good for rainy days. One is usually enough for us.

Sounds like you had a good time, rain and all, though.

lporrel Loc: California

Elliern wrote:

Thanks, PaulB. Windsor Castle is getting a lot of votes. Will need to consider Bath as well. Like your photo. Sounds like you also had a good trip.

There is this curious American idea that more is always better. So, if Windsor is nice and Bath is nice, then Windsor AND Bath will be twice as nice. Unfortunately, this simply isn't true.

I would strongly discourage anyone from doing more than one town, such as Oxford, Bath, or Windsor, in one day. IMO, you'd be far better off choosing one place and spending the day there, getting a real feel for it. Otherwise, the main thing you'll remember is the highway and the bus ride. If you want something to remember and not just a bunch of 2nd rate, post-card-like snapshots of places you can barely recall, go for depth, not breadth.

twillsol Loc: St. Louis, MO

Bill Emmett wrote:

Oh, don't forget a rain hat too.

And your rain coat for your camera, they are very cheap.

AZNikon Loc: Mesa, AZ

Searcher is correct. This worked well for my wife and I when we went in 2013. Buy a city tour that includes unlimited on & off. Definitely the way to go. Enjoy your trip!

Searcher wrote:

Bring warm clothing and see (and photograph) London by double decker open top buses.

viscountdriver Loc: East Kent UK

Come to Canterbury and see the oldest cathedral in the world.
There is a high speed train from London.

DVJ

yes, top deck of the double decker for sure. I was stationed at RAF Station Sculthorpe for over a year and would have stayed if I had a way to earn a living there. I also liked the Underground -- gets you almost anywhere in London in no time.