Q
Dear Travel Doctor...
I will be in London with my wife and two adult Daughters for the last two weeks of June 1996. I would like to know if it is advisable to book a hotel or room before arriving or take a chance of picking one up when in London. We will be in the UK from the start of June and will be touring the countryside for the first two weeks. I have read that the Ridgemount Hotel is reasonable but none of the hotels have email addresses. Also for some reason I could not access your hotel links page. I would also like to know if there are any accomodation booking agencies hooked up via email or Internet. Thanking you.
Robert
Melbourne Australia
A
Dear Robert,
It is alway a little risky not to book accommodation in advance but June 1996 is a particular problem. European football fixtures are taking place here during that month and hotels are already reporting extra demand for rooms. Therefore it would be wise to book early. I am unable to give reccommendations for hotels but our hotel link is now up and running again after a change of address. This link lists the e-mail addresses for those hotels that have one. We will also be adding new hotel links over the coming weeks. Have a good trip.
The Travel Doctor.
A
Dear Barbara,
Eurostar trains will take you from London-Waterloo station to Gare Du Nord in Paris in just 3 to 4 hours. Prices range from ú220 return for a first class ticket with no restrictions but if your stay includes a Saturday night you can buy a first class Leisure ticket for ú185. A standard return ticket costs ú155 (or with a Saturday night lesiure ticket ú125). These tickets can be purchased up to 30 minutes before the train departs.
If you can book in advance there are extra savings but if you cancel you will only get a 50% refund. An Advance return ticket bought at least 14 days before the trip costs only ú87. There are also special reductions for Children, Senior Citizens, Under 26, and Pass Holders. To contact Eurostar Tel ++44 1233 617575.
PS I've just come across Eurostar's own web pages. You can check them out at http://www/eurostar.com/eurostar/
The Good Doctor
A
You can take the Piccadilly Line tube right from Earls Court into the airport. The journey should take around 35 minutes. But do give yourself plenty of extra time if you are catching a plane - tube trains have a habit of coming to a standstill just when your're in a hurry!
The Doc
A
Dear Alex,
Putney is an area of London between Richmond and Fulham. It's about 6 miles from the very centre of town on the south bank of the river Thames. Puteney is probably best known as the starting place for the annual Oxford vs Cambridge university boat race. Also worth visiting close by Putney Bridge is the Museum of Fulham Palace.
The Travel Doctor
A
Dear Marshall,
Baker Street is a busy station being an interchange for 5 tube lines but it's no harder to navigate than any other tube station. In fact the Metropolitan and Circle line trains are above ground at Baker Street station so they are unusally easy to get to. Baker Street is well situated being served by frequent trains into the very centre of town. The area around your hotel is very pleasant with Regent's Park and Madame Tussauds near by, not to mention the ledgendary Sherlock Holmes. Baker Street station is a piece of history in itself being part of the world's first underground railway built in 1863.
The Travel Doctor
A
Dear Maggie,
The exact date varies from year to year but we put our clocks forward 1 hour in the last week of March. They are put back 1 hour to Greenwich Mean Time the last week in October.
The Time Doctor
A
Dear Terje,
I have no personal knowledge of The Forum Hotel but I gather it's a 4 star hotel with over 900 rooms. It has 2 bars, a fitness room and 3 restuarants and serves international cuisine.
The full address is The Forum Hotel, 97 Cromwell Rd, London SW7 Tel ++44 171 370 5757. Fax ++44 171 373 1448. Have a good trip.
The Doctor
A
Dear Arnold,
It may be possible to book guided tours through your own travel agent.
Once here though it is worth visiting the British Travel Centre in Lower Regent Street near Piccadilly Circus. They can provide free details of all the towns and tours throughout Britain. They can even book the tours for you from there.
You can of course travel under your own steam. The major cities are well serviced by both trains and coaches. National Express coaches depart from Victoria Coach station for a large number of destinations. Their telephone number is ++44 171 730 0202.
All popular towns in Britain have their own Tourist Information Centre. Arrive early and they will almost certainly be able to put you on a guided tour.
The Travel Doctor
A
Dear Kenneth,
The weather in England tends to be extremly unpredictable. In July/August the temperature can range from 18C (64F) to 28C (82F). There is a possiblility of showers but you would be very unlikely not to have a number of warm sunny days. July and August are usually the best months of the year over here.
The Good Doctor
A
Hi Krish,
There are a few Bed and Breakfast hotels that offer single rooms from about ú14 but at that price they can be a bit rough. Most B&B's charge at least double that. On a budget it's well worth considering staying at a hostel.
The Youth Hostels Association has 7 hostels in London. The charge per night ranges from ú14 to ú20 depending on which hostel you choose. If you are not already a member you can join your countryÆs YHA or get an international membership over here at any hostel for ú9. Anyone over 14 can join and there is no upper age limit. At hostels you will have to share a room with others and probably sleep on bunk beds. Luckily the atmosphere tends to be very friendly. All rooms are single sex except for family rooms.
It is possible to just turn up at a hostel and hope they have room but it is much safer to book in advance. To get more information and to book contact the YHA in your country (they have bases in over 60 countries worldwide.) There are also YMCA hostels in London.
Check out the UK Hotels Web Site via our links page!
The Travel Doctor
Q
Dear Travel Doctor...
A friend and I wish to visit your country this coming summer. I hope you can help us find a nice, cheap place to stay. I hope you can find something by the Notting Hill Gate tube stop. I stayed with a friend in that area once but they came back to the US. Thank You. Happy New Years!
James, US
A
Hi James,
Notting Hill Gate is certainly a popular place to stay but it can be a bit expensive. One bed and breakfast hotel near to the station that has reasonably priced rooms (though we don't have first hand knowledge of the hotel) is The Gate Hotel, 6 Portobello Road, London W11 3DG. Tel 0171 221 2403. Fax 0171 221 9128. Also check out the UK Hotel web site on our links page.
Doc Holiday
A
Dear Astrid,
The journey will take about 30 minutes or more by taxi. If you don't have too much luggage to carry a much cheaper way to do the journey is by train. Take the British Rail mainline train from Silvertown and London City Airport station and change at West Ham onto the Underground District Line. You can change at Gloucester Road station for another District line or a Circle line train to bring you to High Street Kensington. A 3 Zone Travelcard will cover the entire journey.
The Doctor
My questions are: a) what's the best way to get to Heathrow (?Tube). b)can she leave bags at Euston during the day - or where else would be better? c)how will she get on as far as bags on the Tube(s) from Euston to Heathrow in the evening - would she be better to get a cab to a different tube station or will the transfers be easy enough?
John Marwick
Wellington, New Zealand
A
Hi John,
Euston station has a manned left luggage department. It's open for deposits from about 7am - 11.15pm but you can collect your luggage any time 24 hours a day. The cost is ú2 for a small bag and ú3 for a large one.
There is a frequent service on the tube trains from King's Cross Station (one tube stop from Euston) to Heathrow airport. The only problem may be negotiating the escalators. As an alternative consider the Airbus A2 which takes about an hour from Russell Square.
The Good Doctor
A
Dear Marc,
Murders, Music Halls and Millionaires; Smugglers, Scufffle Hunters and Mudlarks in Historic Docklands. These are just a couple of the many guided walks held daily in London. The walks are great value and the guides have a real contagious passion for their subject.
Leaflets from the various groups who run the walks, containing full times and details of the walks can be obtained from any Tourist Information Centre. They are also listed in the weekly magazines Time Out and What's On In London.
There is usually no need to book a walk, just turn up at the meeting point (most meet outside Tube stations). A typical walk costs ú4 and lasts about 2 hours.
If you have the stamina the best unguided walk has to be the London Silver Jubilee Walkway. It covers 12 miles and passes almost everything of interest in central London. At a gentle pace and with stops along the way it can easily be done in 6 hours or so. The route is marked by aluminium discs set in the pavement and at intervals there are panoramic panels pointing out the places of interest. A free map of the route (which includes information on all the attractions en-route) can be picked up at Tourist Information Centres.
The shop inside the London Transport museum in Covent Garden sells loads of underground posters.
The Travel Doctor
A
Airbus A2 goes as far as Russell Square which is about 3/4 of a mile from King's Cross Rd. You can take a bus or taxi from there. Alternatively you could travel by underground train right from the airport to King's Cross station, though there is an escalator at the King's Cross end so if you have a lot of luggage this may not be such a good idea.
The Doctor
A
There is no doubt about it - accomodation in the centre of town is expensive. You may well find a flat a better prospect. Here are some agencies that offer self catering flats.
Astons Budget Studios/Luxury Apartments, 39 Rosary Gdns, London SW7 4NQ. Tel ++44 171 370 0737
Ashburn Gardens Apartments, 3 Ashburn Gdns, London SW7 4DG. Tel ++44 171 370 2663
Service Suites, 42 Lower Sloane St, London SW1 8BP. Tel ++44 171 730 5766
If you fancy staying in an appartment in an historic building contact - The Landmark Trust, Shottesbrooke, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 3SW. Tel 01628 825925
You might also contact the UK Hotels Web Site who may have some more pointers for you. You'll find them via our links page.
The Doctor.
Jon Wilson
Charlotte, N.C. USA
A
Hi John,
The best way to know what's happening here is to keep an eye on our Janey Le Grace Really Good Gig Guide page at this site for all the best concerts in London Town. You could also get a copy of Time Out when you arrive here.
Doc
A
The biggest crowd pullers in the West End are the musicals such as Cats, Les Miserables, Sunset Boulevard and Miss Saigon to name but a few. Don't expect any discount tickets though. Demand for tickets for this type of show is high but don't fall prey to ticket touts either! There are usually a number of seats available for most shows as well as returns so it's always worth trying the box office.
Among current plays are the award winning An Inspector Calls and a new play by Alan Ayckbourn - Communicating doors. For comedy there's the hilarious new farce Funny Money. And for both children and adults there's the return of Alan Bennett's excellent version of The Wind in the Willows.
This is just a personal selection of some of the best of the West End. When you arrive in town get a copy of What's On In London or Time Out from any news-stand. They both run a complete listing of all shows and much more.
The Doctor
A
Hi Pascal,
The Hard Rock is at 150 Old Park Lane, London, W1 which is just off Piccadilly. Phone ++44 1 171 629 0382. By the way, Linda McCartney has provided their Veggie Menu !
The Travel Doctor
A
G'day John,
Yes, as far as we know Pizzaland is still going. Their telephone number is ++44 171 930 1165 (where ++ is your international dialling access code).
Gotta shoot through now.
Doc
A
Hi Dean,
As we doctors live in London we do not have any first hand experience of staying at this hotel but it sounds very posh. Perhaps another surfer will send some info on it or you could try our pals at the UK Hotels Web Site via our links page.
A taxi from Gatwick to Central London will cost around ú60 (somewhere in the region of $90)! Even if you fill the cab up you will still find it much cheaper to use the Gatwick Express train which leaves the airport every 15 minutes for Victoria station in central London. A single ticket on the Express costs ú8.90. With a journey time of 30 minutes the train is a lot faster than going by road too. From Victoria it's easy to get a taxi or bus to your Hotel which is just about half a mile away. Have a nice stay.
Q
Dear Travel Doctor,
What in the London Theatre is Pantomime?
Gerry Kelly,
New York
A
This may sound odd but it's a show aimed mainly at children in which the principle boy is played by a girl and some of the female members of the cast are played by men (known as pantomime dames)! Some actors can also be found dressed as cows, horses and other animals but it is always lots of fun ! The panto season always occurs around Christmas time but you will usually have to travel out of central London to see one as the major London theatre's are too busy raking in the big bucks from their major shows to indulge in anything as silly as panto.
The Good Doctor
Hi Robert,Take the Piccadilly Line from Heathrow to Earl's Court then change to the northbound District Line. At the second stop, Notting Hill Gate, change to the eastbound Central Line and Queensway is the next station along!
If you are travelling after 9.30am I would suggest getting a 'Travelcard' which will cost you only ú3.80 and will give you unlimited use of the tube and London's buses too for the rest of the day!
Cheers,
The Doc
Getting a work permit will open up a lot more opportunities. One that is proving popular is working as a helper at a childrenÆs summer camp. These camps have really taken off in Britain in recent years. They only pay pocket money but you do get free accommodation and food.
There are there are lots of other possible opportunities such as work on farms and a number of voluntary schemes that also provide accommodation. ItÆs quite a job to find what you want so your best bet may be to get a book such as æWorking HolidaysÆ which provides full details of a large number of seasonal work opportunities. You should be able to get a copy Stateside.
Generally accommodation is London is expensive. But there are YMCA centres and even a few camp sites. For information on Work Permits write to the Department of Employment, Overseas Labour Service, W5 Moorfoot, Sheffield, England, S1 4PQ.
I would of course, also recommend that you get a copy of Virtual London before you come so that when you get here, you'll know what you're looking at!
Doc
The Travel Doctor
The Good Doctor
