Hot tips traveling in London

World Travel Business Elite guest blogger Diane Rudis recently visited London. Her blog offers up some hot tips when traveling in London.

September was perfect weather to go to London.  The whole week was unseasonably warm, 60 – 65 degrees each day. Should you arrive at Heathrow and need transportation to London, be aware that many cabs will not accept credit cards. Those that would accept credit cards, charged a 10% credit card fee. Taking the train into the city is the best most economical option.

We stayed at the Double Tree near Victoria Station, close to a metro and train stop. If you are a business traveler and have time to see some sites while on business, this location or one in London near both the tube and train will be an ideal way for you to squeeze business in with pleasure.

The Double Tree was a nice, cozy hotel, one I consider off the beaten path which was great to have less traffic and enjoy the stay. The breakfasts were good – hot and cold options and you could custom order your omelet ingredients.  The staff was very helpful in tending to our needs. The lounge was a great place to unwind and have a drink after a long day.

It was an ideal location so that we could ride the tube across town and also get on a train to go to Hampton Court and Windsor Castle. It’s also within walking distance to Buckingham Palace. Tours for the Palace are offered only certain dates (my guess that dates are when the queen is away on holiday), so we were fortunate our plans coincided with the time that it was open.

Since we were only going to be there for a week, we wanted to utilize the time as best we could. We planned our travels sort of by region of London and chose the places we wanted to go making sure that we arrived at various tours at the right windows of time. Among the places we went to that we saw on the London Pass (90 British Pounds per person) using the Oyster card to ride the tube, below is a list of the places we enjoyed the most:

• Buckingham Palace – you will see the rooms of the Queen used as her personal drawing room, the throne room where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s official wedding photos were taken. You will also see the Queens art gallery and the room the official baptism photo was taken for Prince William. After the tour, you can walk the gardens and make your way to the royal mews or stables to see the horses and carriages still used by the Queen and past monarchs.
• Victoria and Albert Museum – amazing and overwhelming place. There are so many treasures to view there, you really need to research the place in advance to know which ones are a must see. Great place, don’t miss out on it.
• The British Museum – As you walk in, there is a beautiful courtyard. You should stop to see the Elgin marbles while they are still there, plus the Rosetta Stone is on display.
• The Art Museum – we viewed the impressionists.
• Royal Albert Hall – the tour is guided by a long time worker of the Hall. It is a great tour include the history and view of the Queen’s box as well as her private waiting area.
• Westminster Abby and Big Ben are a must see for obvious reasons. Take a tour of Parliament both the House of Lords and House of Commons were open.  Great guided tour.
• Between Trafalgar Square and Big Ben is Whitehall Ballroom / Throne room, the remaining part of the Palace built by Henry VIII saved Christopher Wren during the London fire of 1666. Whitehall is also the place where Charles I was executed by Cromwell.
• Shopping – you can’t go to London and not stop at Harrods or Selfridge’s, both are a must see!
• Tower of London – The Beefeater tour is a must! These fellows are quite entertaining and are very knowledgeable and thorough with their history. The tour is the only way to see St. Peter Advincula chapel where Thomas Moore, Anne Boleyn / Catherine Howard and Lady Jane Grey are buried. The crown jewels are in the tower as well.
• The Globe Theater – Where William Shakespeare’s writing comes to life. Make sure to carve out time in the morning to go on tour.  The afternoons are booked with performances.
• Covent Gardens – lovely shopping and eating.
• Kensington Palace – Tour the William and Mary, George II, Queen Victoria and some fashions from the Queen, Princess Margaret and Princess Diana.  All are quite lovely but will not take a large amount of time to see.
• St Paul’s Cathedral – venue in which Prince Charles married Princess Diana. A lovely church. There is a tour but it’s not part of the London pass.
• Picadilly Square – the theater district, shopping and lots of restaurants. If you have time, see a show.

There were 2 days that we decided to travel by train outside of the city to and made a day of it. Train tickets are separate from the tube. But you can use the $ from the Oyster card to purchase the tickets if you wanted to.

Hampton Court – Henry VIII’s kitchen and apartments are a must see. There is a replica of his crown in the chapel.  The great hall contains beautiful stained glass. You will hear some great stories about Henry and his 6 wives. Outside you will see an amazing astronomical clock.

Windsor Castle – Another amazing place. It was built originally as a fortress and is now converted to a functioning castle used quite frequently by Queen Elizabeth II. On our tour, they curator was preparing a few of the rooms for an investiture that Prince William would be attending. St. George’s chapel is also on the grounds – Henry VIII, Edward VII, and Georg VI are also buried there.

Dining – There are a multitude of places to try. We decided to go for the authentic British food at some of the local Pubs like – Albert’s, St. George’s and Porter’s. The fish and chips, steak and cheddar pie and toad in the hole are very good.

We also had dinner at one of Gordon Ramsey’s restaurants, Petrus. Rated a 1 Michelin star, we were under-whelmed by the cuisine. The food was good, nothing stood out as a WOW course. The wine accompaniment was a huge disappointment. The wines lacked nose and were tastelessly bland.  Would I go back? I would try another restaurant instead. The full restaurant review is on trip advisor under Steve R.

So whether you’re traveling to London for business or just making it a fun trip we recommend you check out some of these hot tips Diane offers for traveling in London.

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