Post by emily on Jun 7, 2003 22:00:11 GMT -5
I tried to get to the internet while i was on my trip, but our days were just so jam packed of things to do! (getting up at 7:30 am and not getting back to the hotel until kinda late each night)
We arrived at Heathrow on the 28th of May, and after checking into the London Guards Hotel, we immediately began our site seeing adventures. London Guards Hotel was a budget hotel located at Lancaster Gate. We were hardly ever at our hotel, so i didnt really have time to have any complaints about it...only positives....when we needed something, it was brought to our door immediately, they also booked a cab for us to take us to Waterloo station for the Eurostar....for $35 USD per person, i don't have much to complain about. we did all the tourist sites that afternoon (Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham, Westminister Abbey ---we did alot of walking the first day....we walked from Trafalgar to Parliament Square and then to Buckingham Palace) That night was really cool --we did the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London. If you have never done this, do it!! You have to write a month or so in advance to get tickets. (don't have the address right on me, but i can locate it if you need it )
Thursday- changing of the guards at buckingham, ate lunch at this great little noodle place right near Victoria station called Jenny Lo's Tea house. Dinner was at the Rock and Sole Plaice at covent garden area. these are great little inexpensive places to eat. Marks and Spencers is right around the corner...great for quick lunch time sandwiches and cheap breakfast food, and cheap food in general! We did the London Eye that night, this is a must do at sunset.....! (we went on at 9:30 pm) we also did lots of shopping on Regent Street and Oxford St. =)
Friday- church day--haha --we did Brass Rubbings at St Martin in the Fields (in the crypt) in the morning, this is a really neat and inexpensive thing to do...had lunch in the crypt cafe.....not bad food, and pretty cheap! Then we went to Westminter Abbey..toured around it, then went to St. Paul's Cathedral, and climbed the dome! Lots of Steps!! That night we saw My fair Lady (got our tickets from lastminute.com)
Saturday- Portebello Rd Market till around lunch time....can't remember where we ate lunch! The we went to paddington station, bought tickets to go to windsor (only 6.10 pounds) We spent the rest of the afternoon at the Tower of London, and then caught a show at the Globe Theatre for 12 pounds. (we left at intermission because we were not really into it....i think we were getting really worn out too...needed some zzzzz......
Sunday- We caught a train to Windsor Castle and spent the day at the castle (the queen was in residence, and we almost got a chance to see her at her church) Windsor is great to visit! i would recommend it!
Monday- took the eurostar to Paris. Over rated! I had wanted to take the eurostar for a long time, and im glad we got to do it, but i don't think it was worth the money in the long run....slow train, never on time going or returning (about an hour the first time, 45 minutes the way back) My opinion, take the cheapest easyjet flight. (or any other cheap flight)
We stayed at this WONDERFUL hotel in paris.....hotel Palais Bourbon. Wow, it was great! and it a terrific location!!!! we walked every where from here. it was right near the Seine River, and about a 5-10 minute walk to the Eiffel...5 minutes from Museo de Orsay, and 10 from the Louve. it was also right behind the Museum Rodin. at the end of the street was the French Parliament. it was also $35 per person. but what was so nice about this hotel, when you came in at night, they asked you what you wanted for breakfast and at what time, and brought it to your door then next morning at that time. always prompt and perfect. the room was quite large for a paris room! i will most definently return to this hotel.......i cannot say enough good things about it. Our walking tour on the first day was to the Louve, spent some hours there, walked up the Champs thru the Tulleries gardens to the Arc (long but great walk), climbed the Arc (4.5 euros if you are a student) then we walked back to our hotel, change clothes and ate dinner at a cafe around the corner from our hotel.....
Tuesday- We bought a student day pass for the Bato Bus ( river boat) (8 euros) walked to the Eiffel from our hotel, went up to the top (10.50 euros) took the bato bus to the Notre Dame, 3 stops down on the river, then grabbed a sandwich for lunch, jumped on the bato bus, and cruised down some stops, and decided to walk up Madeline to do some shopping at Printemps. wow, what a huge department store!
Wednesday - took the eurostar back to london, checked into the Hyde Hotel, one street over from Paddington Station...i chose to stay here because it was kinda inexpensive (only about 26 pounds per person) and it was right near paddington so we could catch the heathrow express to make our early flight. it was a fairly nice hotel, smalllll room.....but the location near paddington was nice.....if i could choose between the Hyde and London guards, i might lean towards the Hyde hotel because it was so near the tube, where as London guards was a bit of a walk from the tube. ate at wagamama's that night, i love that place! great noodles and rice for a cheap cheap price! i always come back to this place!
So for the most part, that is my trip....short and sweet....i wish it could have been longer, but we had to squeeze it in between my sisters graduation and my summer school......i hope to do an actual backpacking trip next time! this was more budget vacation.....we met some great people....one guy we met was starting off his 2 month backpacking trip in london and heading to scotland....
im sure i left out some things....we did so much in a short period of time...i'm still coming down off of the trip.....jet lag never was a problem for us at all, and for that we were very thankful!!! no time for jet lag...that was our motto haha........
We arrived at Heathrow on the 28th of May, and after checking into the London Guards Hotel, we immediately began our site seeing adventures. London Guards Hotel was a budget hotel located at Lancaster Gate. We were hardly ever at our hotel, so i didnt really have time to have any complaints about it...only positives....when we needed something, it was brought to our door immediately, they also booked a cab for us to take us to Waterloo station for the Eurostar....for $35 USD per person, i don't have much to complain about. we did all the tourist sites that afternoon (Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham, Westminister Abbey ---we did alot of walking the first day....we walked from Trafalgar to Parliament Square and then to Buckingham Palace) That night was really cool --we did the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London. If you have never done this, do it!! You have to write a month or so in advance to get tickets. (don't have the address right on me, but i can locate it if you need it )
Thursday- changing of the guards at buckingham, ate lunch at this great little noodle place right near Victoria station called Jenny Lo's Tea house. Dinner was at the Rock and Sole Plaice at covent garden area. these are great little inexpensive places to eat. Marks and Spencers is right around the corner...great for quick lunch time sandwiches and cheap breakfast food, and cheap food in general! We did the London Eye that night, this is a must do at sunset.....! (we went on at 9:30 pm) we also did lots of shopping on Regent Street and Oxford St. =)
Friday- church day--haha --we did Brass Rubbings at St Martin in the Fields (in the crypt) in the morning, this is a really neat and inexpensive thing to do...had lunch in the crypt cafe.....not bad food, and pretty cheap! Then we went to Westminter Abbey..toured around it, then went to St. Paul's Cathedral, and climbed the dome! Lots of Steps!! That night we saw My fair Lady (got our tickets from lastminute.com)
Saturday- Portebello Rd Market till around lunch time....can't remember where we ate lunch! The we went to paddington station, bought tickets to go to windsor (only 6.10 pounds) We spent the rest of the afternoon at the Tower of London, and then caught a show at the Globe Theatre for 12 pounds. (we left at intermission because we were not really into it....i think we were getting really worn out too...needed some zzzzz......
Sunday- We caught a train to Windsor Castle and spent the day at the castle (the queen was in residence, and we almost got a chance to see her at her church) Windsor is great to visit! i would recommend it!
Monday- took the eurostar to Paris. Over rated! I had wanted to take the eurostar for a long time, and im glad we got to do it, but i don't think it was worth the money in the long run....slow train, never on time going or returning (about an hour the first time, 45 minutes the way back) My opinion, take the cheapest easyjet flight. (or any other cheap flight)
We stayed at this WONDERFUL hotel in paris.....hotel Palais Bourbon. Wow, it was great! and it a terrific location!!!! we walked every where from here. it was right near the Seine River, and about a 5-10 minute walk to the Eiffel...5 minutes from Museo de Orsay, and 10 from the Louve. it was also right behind the Museum Rodin. at the end of the street was the French Parliament. it was also $35 per person. but what was so nice about this hotel, when you came in at night, they asked you what you wanted for breakfast and at what time, and brought it to your door then next morning at that time. always prompt and perfect. the room was quite large for a paris room! i will most definently return to this hotel.......i cannot say enough good things about it. Our walking tour on the first day was to the Louve, spent some hours there, walked up the Champs thru the Tulleries gardens to the Arc (long but great walk), climbed the Arc (4.5 euros if you are a student) then we walked back to our hotel, change clothes and ate dinner at a cafe around the corner from our hotel.....
Tuesday- We bought a student day pass for the Bato Bus ( river boat) (8 euros) walked to the Eiffel from our hotel, went up to the top (10.50 euros) took the bato bus to the Notre Dame, 3 stops down on the river, then grabbed a sandwich for lunch, jumped on the bato bus, and cruised down some stops, and decided to walk up Madeline to do some shopping at Printemps. wow, what a huge department store!
Wednesday - took the eurostar back to london, checked into the Hyde Hotel, one street over from Paddington Station...i chose to stay here because it was kinda inexpensive (only about 26 pounds per person) and it was right near paddington so we could catch the heathrow express to make our early flight. it was a fairly nice hotel, smalllll room.....but the location near paddington was nice.....if i could choose between the Hyde and London guards, i might lean towards the Hyde hotel because it was so near the tube, where as London guards was a bit of a walk from the tube. ate at wagamama's that night, i love that place! great noodles and rice for a cheap cheap price! i always come back to this place!
So for the most part, that is my trip....short and sweet....i wish it could have been longer, but we had to squeeze it in between my sisters graduation and my summer school......i hope to do an actual backpacking trip next time! this was more budget vacation.....we met some great people....one guy we met was starting off his 2 month backpacking trip in london and heading to scotland....
im sure i left out some things....we did so much in a short period of time...i'm still coming down off of the trip.....jet lag never was a problem for us at all, and for that we were very thankful!!! no time for jet lag...that was our motto haha........
