Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

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Mick
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Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by Mick »

We will find ourselves in Athens mid May next year and will have to go from there to London before returning home. All together we have 11 nights between the two cities and we are looking for suggestions on what to see, what to do, and where to stay. In Athens we are thinking of a couple of days visiting the old ruins and maybe a day trip to Delphi to also see some of the Greek countryside. Beyond that, no idea. London...thinking of a hop-on/off bus tour to learn the city a bit and wing it beyond that. Would possibly like to do a day trip to Stonehenge and maybe another to Bath. TA recommends a hotel at $350 a night near the London Tower. Other thoughts and recommendations on a cheaper bed and must do things are greatly appreciated. Basically, the first time to Europe for both of us so we are at a bit of a loss.
curmudgeon
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by curmudgeon »

London is a pretty easy city to wing it, but it's not cheap. Don't think there's any need to go to $350/night unless you want a business-type hotel. Even if you do, I wouldn't stay near the Tower, but someplace more central; Marriot County Hall would be central and higher end, or Premier Inn County Hall for midrange. For a notch lower cost (but still not cheap), we've gotten in the habit of staying at smaller hotels which are converted townhouses; these cover a wide range of condition and price, often include a hearty breakfast, and somehow give me more of a "resident" feeling than staying in a big hotel. One of the better examples of this type of hotel would be Darlington Hyde Park in Sussex Gardens. You can get day passes for the tube and bus at a pretty good price for the ones that become valid after the morning rush hour.

Tripadvisor would be where I would look for more info.
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Watty
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by Watty »

The Rick Steve's books and be sites would be best place to find out more information for both of those locations..

Other the the historical sites Athens has a lot of the negatives of being a big city without a lot of the positives. Unless there is something of special interest to there it is often said that you can see most of the highlights of Athens in about two days and when I was there I found that that to be true. After that your time would be best spent outside of Athens since there is so much else to be seen in Greece. Instead of taking day trips and returning to Athens each night it would be better, and less expensive, to spend a few nights outside the city before returning to the airport to fly out.

Eleven days if a very short time and one of the days will mostly be a travel day going between the cities. If at all possible you should try to extent the time since the incremental cost of staying a few extra days is pretty low, especially if you can spend the extra days outside the large cities.

That is the early shoulder season in the Greek Islands and hotels on the less famous islands are dirt cheap then so you could add a week in the Greek Islands and get a nice mid-range hotel near a beach for $50 (or less) per night. For example check the hotel prices for May for the Islands of Naxos or Paros on a web site like Expedia and you will be amazed at how inexpensive they are then.
mageedge
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by mageedge »

Regarding London -for accommodation I would suggest you think about getting a Club Carlson visa card for both of you - the points you get from this between two would be sufficient to get 8 nights at Radisson Blu hotels (and some others in the chain). In London there are several highly rated Radisson Blus in central London which would otherwise cost you $400- $500 per night that you could use with points. We've stayed at the Leicester Square and Mercer Street locations and would recommend either. Central location cannot be beaten for first time visitors.
IF you don't want to pursue the credit card/points route, I'd check out vacation rentals which you can find for significantly less than $350 per night in London.
There have been numerous threads here on things to do in London and they all have good advice, particular Valuethinker.
For first timers the "big" sights are big for a reason! A simple starter is just walking around the old city - following the London Wall trail is good way to do it. Almost every street corner seems to have a fascinating story to tell.
Enjoy the trip
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by dolphinsaremammals »

British Museum.
Exuberent
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by Exuberent »

In London, I suggest going on as many walks as possible with London Walks - http://www.walks.com/. They really give you a behind the scenes look at the city and the guides are superb in my experience. They also do day trips - I have been on their day trip to the Cotswolds and really enjoyed it. I'd love to go back to the Cotswolds for a week but the day trip was a great introduction. They do day trips to Bath and Stonehenge on occasion too.
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by tigermilk »

Haven't been to Athens but have been to London a few times. The thing about London is that you could stay there a month and still not see "everything". Absolutely fabulous place from a tourist's perspective. As far as what to see, it depends on your interests. There's such a wide spectrum of fine art, natural history, architecture, sporting events, etc. My wife and I spent 3 days in the British Museum, but you may get bored in 10 minutes. What is it that gets your interest?
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by detroitbabu »

I highly recommend airbnb.com
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Mick
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by Mick »

Thanks to all for the feedback. Definitely some good ideas there. I understand about 11 days being short but this is the middle of a 6+ week trip where we end up in Athens and next have to leave from London. Those parts are not changeable thus only 11 days.

mageedge - intriguing thought about the credit card. Unfortunately, that gets us 85000 points but the hotels are 50000 a night.

Exuberant - thanks for the walks link. They do look interesting at first glance. Will have to give them a closer look.
flyingaway
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by flyingaway »

I used booking.com to find some small hotels around King Station. They are remodeled from old house buildings, small but OK, around $100 per night, including breakfast. Note that they did take credit cards, but they had a different exchange rate. So it would be better to pay them cash. Location is very convenient for the subway system.
dbr
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by dbr »

In Athens the obvious sites are the National Archeological Museum and the Acropolis/Parthenon. There are others. Beware that museum schedules are changing and uncertain. The "charming" area in Athens is Plaka, which has some nice smaller hotels, tends to the tourist boutique style, but is quite pleasant. That area is walking distance under the Acropolis. Otherwise I would say all of Greece is wonderful as long as you avoid Athens entirely. Frankly the place just isn't very nice, no offense to the wonderful people of Greece and I know people who differ. You have choices of the islands, both nearer and farther, day or, better, multi-day trips (can be hired from your hotel but the experience may be uneven) to Delphi, Peloponnese, Thessaloniki and other northern locations or even to fly as far as Crete or Rhodes. The Greek islands are probably the best prepared for handling tourists but the mainland is of more archeological and historical interest. However, sites such as Delphi, Mycenae, Epidaurus, etc. are widely separated. I am not sure renting a car in Greece is recommended, but I am not the car renting type and others may have different advice.

You should consult this site for information about strikes and delays which can defeat the best laid plans on any given day (The livingingreece site is excellent):

http://livingingreece.gr/strikes/ We experienced protests in Syntagma Square, an all transit (train, tram, bus, taxi) 24 hours strike in Athens, and a four hour hold in the plane on the tarmac at the airport due to a work stoppage by the air traffic controllers. Greeks will bend over backward to try make your stay enjoyable in spite of these things.

I don't think there is any cheaper way to stay in London just expensive and really expensive. The suggestion to look at Steves and Trip Advisor for research is probably a good one. For touring London hop on-hop off buses are really useful and the Tube is easily navigable except at rush hours.
gougmonk
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by gougmonk »

We have not been in London for several years and have stayed hotels from $800 to $150 per night. We finally settled at the Amsterdam Hotel, just off Earls Court. It is about two blocks from the Earls Court tube station. We purchase our tube pass at Heathrow and take the tube to the hotel. I don't have a current price but its probably in the $150 area. Their email is reservations@amsterdam-hotel.com.

In Athens we stay at the St George Lycabettus hotel. It is a fair and pleasant walk to the Akropli(about 2 miles). I don't recall the price, I suspect it is pretty high but not as much as a Hilton.
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tadamsmar
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by tadamsmar »

We visited Athens for a few years ago.

When we arrived at our hotel, they said we had to transfer to another hotel, the Jason Inn. We were given a room on the main street near the hotel's brightly lit sign.

The Jason Inn is an OK location a short walk to the gate of the Ancient Agora, but it would be better to have a room there off the main street. It has a room top restaurant with a great view of the Acropolis and other sites. I had a buffet breakfast there.

We found that the hop-on hop-off bus was great way to get around to the major sites.

We used these audio tours:

https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-l ... ece-turkey

We visited the Ancient Agora, the Acropolis, the National Archaeological Museum, the Acropolis Museum. You can get a book of tickets that cover all those.

The sidewalk cafes near the gate to the Ancient Agora are nice places to have supper. There is also lots of shopping in that general area,

I think we spent 3 days there.

We also went on an Star Clipper cruise of the Agean as part of that trip. Did not go to Delphi.
Iorek
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by Iorek »

In London if you want clean cheap newish no frills and centrally located then I would look into Premier Inn (they have a couple locations-- Blackfriars and County Inn are a couple of them). They are almost like a grown up hostel/dorm-- not a lot of charm (although friendly service) but perfectly adequate.

For Greece, you might want to look at visiting the Peloponnese. Nafplio(n) is a nice seaside town that was built up/fortified by the Venetians, and nearby are ancient sites like the ancient theater of epidaurus, mycenae, corinth, etc. (note that apart from the ancient theater and perhaps the "treasury of atreus" most of the sites require a good imagination, but then you can visit the national museum and see what was found at those sites). Unfortunately, it's pretty much the opposite direction from Delphi, but it's certainly possible to do a loop around the Gulf of Corinth if you have the time/inclination. Crete is also very nice (Knossos, Chania, etc.)
dbr
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by dbr »

Iorek wrote:In London if you want clean cheap newish no frills and centrally located then I would look into Premier Inn (they have a couple locations-- Blackfriars and County Inn are a couple of them). They are almost like a grown up hostel/dorm-- not a lot of charm (although friendly service) but perfectly adequate.

For Greece, you might want to look at visiting the Peloponnese. Nafplio(n) is a nice seaside town that was built up/fortified by the Venetians, and nearby are ancient sites like the ancient theater of epidaurus, mycenae, corinth, etc. (note that apart from the ancient theater and perhaps the "treasury of atreus" most of the sites require a good imagination, but then you can visit the national museum and see what was found at those sites). Unfortunately, it's pretty much the opposite direction from Delphi, but it's certainly possible to do a loop around the Gulf of Corinth if you have the time/inclination. Crete is also very nice (Knossos, Chania, etc.)
Nafplion is a great overnight stay, but you are cheated of the experience if you end up there only on a day trip. I also agree with Crete.

As far as Greek archeology and history I think the "imagination" factor is valid. It helps a lot to be prepared with reading and research into ancient and Greek history. Otherwise I would not have know that the Mycenaean fortress at Tiryns was actually a short walk from the hotel we did not want to be in at Napflion (uneven experience with Greek tours) and turned tour lemons into historical lemonade on that trip. The Mycenaean period is the period of the heroes described by Homer (the treasury of Atreus is associated with that time of Agamemnon and before) in the Iliad and precedes a period of dark ages before classic Greek civilization that is better known to us flowered. Knossos on Crete is also a part of that story. The whole could be completed by an extended tour to Istanbul and south to the site of the supposed(?) historical Troy.

Also, any visitor to Athens and London should know that the frieze taken from the Parthenon can be seen in the British museum and can be accompanied by a discussion of the ethics of all of that having been either "stolen" or "saved" in so doing.
4strings
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by 4strings »

you need one day and one day only in Athens.

Check out the acropolis during the morning, walk through the plaka in the afternoon, have one nice dinner and then leave the next day.
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by mageedge »

Quick follow-up on the credit card option - you're right the card sign up bonus is 85k points but... spend $3000 with each card at 5 points per dollar and that gives you 100K total per card.
The key benefit here - with this card there is a "last night free" promotion which means if you book a 1 night points stay you can get the second night for free. So - book 2 nights on first card for 50k points; same hotel book next 2 nights on second card, 50k points off that card. You will have 50k points left on each card for up to 4 more nights in London - or Athens.
We did something very similar in London last year for 6 consecutive nights at a Radisson property - 100k points on 1 card, 50k on the second card.
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by gunn_show »

detroitbabu wrote:I highly recommend airbnb.com
+1 for airbnb, in these countries a lot of management companies with 20-30+ units use the site as a booking tool, so you get a real professional unit and not someones weekend pad.

athens is dirty... go to the Parthenon... then Plaka district, maybe the big museum... and then get out... nothing else to see, get on the boat to the islands or wherever it is you are off to next

London... many books and offerings on that place, too many to list... the Rick Steves book suggestion is one I did and worked out...
"The best life hack of all is to just put the work in and never give up." Bas Rutten
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gunn_show
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by gunn_show »

4strings wrote:you need one day and one day only in Athens.

Check out the acropolis during the morning, walk through the plaka in the afternoon, have one nice dinner and then leave the next day.
should have just +1 on your reply, same as mine :sharebeer
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Watty
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by Watty »

Mick wrote:I understand about 11 days being short but this is the middle of a 6+ week trip where we end up in Athens and next have to leave from London.
Since you will be in Athens first you should be OK if there is a strike or some other disruption.

Unless you will be really jet lagged it might be best to spend your time seeing the countryside first then spend the last day or two in Athens. That way you will be near the airport so something like a train or ferry strike will not cause you to miss your flight. Even without a strike the ferries can be disrupted because of weather.
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tadamsmar
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by tadamsmar »

Concerning strikes and disruptions in Athens.

It's best not to stay right on Syntagma Square if there is reason for concern. That's where the demonstrations and tear gassing is much more likely. I met one tourist couple who had some trouble getting back to their hotel on Syntagma Square, the hotel management was trying to head off guests and get them in via a the back door because of riots and tear gas on Syntagma Square. (Also I think the ones on Syntagma Square are pricey, so a Boglehead might riot and get tear gassed anyway :))

We flew into Athens twice during the period of disruptions. The strikers did not shut down the subways to and around central Athens because that's how folks get to Syntagma Square for demonstrations. Once the buses and subways to the port at Piraeus seemed to be shutdown by a strike and we took a cab. The strikes against the airport seemed to be short and symbolic, perhaps significant disruption of air traffic was off the table for some reason not sure.)
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by chaz »

Stratford on Avon.
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dbr
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by dbr »

Watty wrote:
Mick wrote:I understand about 11 days being short but this is the middle of a 6+ week trip where we end up in Athens and next have to leave from London.
Since you will be in Athens first you should be OK if there is a strike or some other disruption.

Unless you will be really jet lagged it might be best to spend your time seeing the countryside first then spend the last day or two in Athens. That way you will be near the airport so something like a train or ferry strike will not cause you to miss your flight. Even without a strike the ferries can be disrupted because of weather.
Did you read my post about the Athens 24 hour all transit strike? Also about the four hour delay on the tarmac? We missed the crew timing out by about 20 minutes. The whole affair still entitled us to an all expenses paid vacation in Jamaica (Queens, that is) that wasn't in the original plan.

Perhaps a helpful note is that the Athens airport Sofitel while expensive is a really excellent hotel across the street from the airport terminal. They had a notice up the night we were there for where all the passengers from the Air Canada flight that did not beat the previous day's air traffic slowdown should gather for dinner. It was amusing to look out the window when the strike started and see all the cabs, buses, etc. simply disappear. There were still loads of tour buses that were coming and going not from Athens at that time.

We spent out first night in Greece at that Sofitel and flew out to Crete the next day for our first real day of vacation. Seven to nine hour time lags are best met by doing nothing for a day, in my opinion.

It is indeed true that ferries can be disrupted by weather. When we were there there were not weather disruptions but no ferries unloaded at Crete because there was a taxi strike on Crete which involved the cabs blocking the docks so that no one could access the shipping. Most ferry service along the south coast of Crete had been suspended because an inspector of ships had been found to have dry logged the inspections while pocketing the fees. That put the ferry fleet out of safety compliance until reinspections were done -- at least that is what we were told, but there were no ships for sure.

But the good news is that as long as one takes into account that things might not happen exactly when or where one had planned, then Greece is a fantastic country mostly outside Athens and everything eventually works out somehow. I can't necessarily say so much for Jamaica (Queens, that is).
Naismith
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by Naismith »

Ditto on the Rick Steves books and audiotours for those locations--they are available for the Acropolis, British Library, British Museum, Westminster walk, etc. Everyone in our group had an iPhone or ipod so that worked well for us.

On our last trip to London in 2011, we stayed at the Ridgemount Hotel, 65 - 67 Gower Street, in Bloomsbury. A double with bathroom is currently running $165 a night, including a good breakfast. It is in easy walking distance of the British Museum & British Library. It is also in walking distance of three different tube lines and busses. It is a family-run place (rather than having all eastern European staff at other hotels we had tried in London), and during breakfast the owner would come by and hear about our plans for the day, offering advice or approvimg. It is on the same street where the outside-Baker Street shots of the new Sherlock TV show were filmed.

We made three different trips to the British Museum over the course of the week that we were there, so that we didn't get museumed-out or overwhelmed. There are also some less-expensive eats near the BM: Wagamamma noodles only a block away, and a My Old Dutch Pancake House location. And of course a local fish & chips shop near our hotel.

The Victoria & Albert is perhaps my favorite museum, because of the emphasis on everyday practical arts (clothing, wrought iron). The Tate-to-Tate boat can be charged to your Oyster Card, if you get one, which was very convenient and a fun ride on the Thames, much cheaper than other tourist boat rides. Of course you'll want to walk across the bridge from St. Paul's to the Tate modern.
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by marielake »

I have been to Athens twice and agree with others that one day and an overnight is plenty. Two very inexpensive Athens hotels I stayed at were Atolas (sp?) and the Central Hotel. They were fine for the short time I was there and the location by the Plaka was great. I would spend your other days going to one of the Islands or touring the surrounding classical sites if you like ancient history. On my first trip I did the 5 day classical tour that covered Naplion, Olympia, Delphi, Meteora and a few other stops . That was too long to be on a bus, but I enjoyed spending time at the sites. If you are interested in going to any of the Islands, I'd suggest you start by looking at the ferry schedule to those closer to Athens--it can be a bit overwhelming to figure out the routes. Last visit, my favorite Island was Sifnos, probably because it wasn't crowded and not too touristy. It was a challenge to get there; we had to plan our entire Island hopping trip around the ferry schedule.
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by VictoriaF »

dolphinsaremammals wrote:British Museum.
Excellent suggestion. I was there on the 1st October and particularly enjoyed centaurs and sphinxes.

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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by retired recently »

I was in Athens years ago as transit on my way to Santorini. I would do it the same and spend a day or two max in Athens. It really depends on what your interests are though...London is hard to beat. If you are doing this as part of a larger trip and do not have to deal with jetlag so much then why not see more of Europe than just Athens/London? Istanbul, Croatia, Paris...
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by Professor Emeritus »

Wow folks hate Athens. Athens is a pain but it is incredible. Study up before you go. Best deal in Athens is the McDonalds at Monestariki. For one Euro you get a cup of quite respectable coffee, a fantastic view of the Parthenon and the use of their very clean bathroom.

We are in London for 12 days in May. Been there many times.
top sights
1) British Museum
2) British Museum second trip
3) National gallery
4) tower of London (yea, skip the crown jewels.
5) Boat ride on the Thames
6) A London show, any show

After that it depends on taste
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by reisner »

Credentials: I have spent over a year in London teaching and touring with American college students. And I have spent over a year in Greece and wrote the book on the history and literature of travel to Greece, "Travelers to and Antique Land" (University of Michigan Press).

While I love Athens, it is something of an acquired taste, not nearly so enjoyable now that it has become as expensive as the rest of Europe but without the reliability of basic services. After a visit to the new world class Parthenon Museum, I'd get out of Dodge City--not as easily accomplished as elsewhere in Europe. I'd take in as much of the Peloponnese as I could, Corinth, Mycenae, Tiryns, Pylos, Olympia. If I had time only for a day trip or two days, I'd head to Delphi. If I wanted spectacular scenery and that old-time culture, I'd head to Mani, the middle finger of the Peloponnese--after reading Patrick Leigh Fermor's classic travel book "Mani" and Bill Stanley Moss's book about their joint WW II exploit on Crete, "Ill Met by Moonlight," made into a bad movie with Dirk Bogarde in starring role.

London: I agree with all the advice about its inexhaustability, the advisability of long walks, and a wonderful excursion to Bath. Two of my own slightly off-piste pleasures are tramps on Hampstead Heath, with lunch and art at Kenwood House, and the Borough Market, a Dickensian food scene.
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by dgdevil »

Bath is do-able as a full day trip, and you can get an organized bus tour to Stonehenge from there. Book in advance, though.

A Windsor Castle excursion is also recommended.

I prefer the British Library over the British Museum - original manuscripts, Beatle lyrics, etc.

There is another thread somewhere on BH offering advice on UK trains.
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by 2comma »

Greece, my wife is from Athens but she was of little help with hotels (never needed one) or current happenings (she is out of date) so I'll give you the American visitors point of view. See the ancient sites in Athens, Plaka and if interested see Delphi or Olympia or a monestary and then try to get to an island by ferry to see the whitewashed archeture and sheer beauty. Be sure to try a Greek coffee and a gyro. Most of the young people speak English but few of the older ones or uneducated do.

Athens is a poor representation of Greece and London is a poor representation of Britan. The country of Greece offers a lot but two the cities just don't compare but few cities do.

London has some of the best theater and theaters in the world, rivaling NY but at much reduced prices so be sure to take in at least one show if that is your thing.
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Mick
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by Mick »

Thanks for all the responses. They are making me rethink our Athens portion some. I had read about the Greek strikes in the news but just didn't relate that to this trip. Need to watch it closer.

Sounds like you just can't go wrong wandering around London. Appreciate the pointers on must sees and places to stay. I'll look into the Carlson Visa a little closer, thanks for taking the time to clarify its use in more detail.

Really appreciate all the help!
bberris
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by bberris »

I loved using audio walking guides. There were a great series of these from Robert Wright, available for free. but sadly gone now. I wish I could find the files!
Here is something similar, that I haven't done yet:

http://www.theguardian.com/books/audio/ ... heart-city
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by trueblueky »

Changing of the Horse Guards is accessible. Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace is not.

Try the Underground once for the experience, then use bus to get around -- you'll see Big Ben, Parliament, London Eye, etc. Many experiences in London are free -- people watching, seeing the famous buildings and monuments.

See a show in the West End. Same day tickets are available. Chinatown is near there for dinner before the show.

Expect to pay outrageous price for meals. You'll see a menu posted that says 9.50 for a burger and think that's not too bad for lunch, then the exchange rate hits you.
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Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by VictoriaF »

trueblueky wrote:Try the Underground once for the experience, then use bus to get around -- you'll see Big Ben, Parliament, London Eye, etc. Many experiences in London are free -- people watching, seeing the famous buildings and monuments.
I had trouble with London buses. In early October, I was going from Bloomsbury to South Kensigton and decided to take a bus rather than the tube, with which I was familiar. I could take a near-by bus and then change it for another bus. Instead, I decided to walk a few blocks to the vicinity of the Holborn tube station and take a bus from there that would take me directly to my destination. I carefully studied the bus map, the street maps, and had all these maps with me. But when I got close to the intersection where I thought I would catch my bus, there was construction and bypass signs. After I walked around the construction, I lost my way on small streets that were not shown on my map. I asked several people for directions, but no one knew how to get to what I thought was a major intersection. Then I saw my bus and came up to talk to the driver when he stopped at a stoplight. The driver was very nice and explained to me that he was going in the opposite direction and that I should catch my bus at Cambridge Circus.

Cambridge Circus was not on my map either, and I started walking in the direction opposite of the direction of the bus. But after several turns of circular streets, I was lost again. After a while, a young woman told me that she thought I had to go a certain way. She was right, and after some more walking, I found myself at Cambridge Circus. But my search was not over. The intersection was very complex with several bus stops, and I had to study a map posted at one of the bus stops to figure out where my bus stop was.

When I finally got on the bus, I felt relieved ... until the bus started moving through central London at about 2 mph, stopping at every stoplight and intersection. I have given myself plenty of extra time and was "only" 30 minutes late for my meeting.

For the record, I am not spatially challenged or mapophobic. I use maps all the time and easily find my way. Except in London.

Victoria
Inventor of the Bogleheads Secret Handshake | Winner of the 2015 Boglehead Contest. | Every joke has a bit of a joke. ... The rest is the truth. (Marat F)
killjoy2012
Posts: 1329
Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2012 5:30 pm

Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by killjoy2012 »

I've visited Greece in 2006 for a 2 week vacation, and have been to London 4 times, leaving for the fifth time next week. At the risk of duplicating a lot of comments already said:

- I love Greece, but I would limit your time in Athens to the minimum. 1 full day with an overnight stay is enough. Climb the acropolis and see the Parthenon, see the prison of Socrates, walk around the plaka and have dinner, etc. If you want to spend more time in Greece, I would certainly head to the islands and pick which islands based on your interests (although it would almost be a sin to visit Greece and not at least stop by Santorini).

- London is probably my favorite big city in the world. That said, it's not cheap. The USD:GBP exchange rate is one thing, but the most notable IMO is that hotel prices are very high. Hotel prices are higher during the work week than weekends, and don't be surprised if a Marriott class hotel within zone 1 is pushing $400+ USD. If you're looking for some less expensive @ about the level of a Holiday Inn, as others have already recommended, Premier Inn offers a very good value option (work week can still run upwards of $250 USD/night). I've stayed at BlackFriars before - awesome - very well connected. And I'm staying at Waterloo (County Hall) for my upcoming trip. Honestly, my #1 criteria for picking a London hotel (besides price) is how close to a tube station it is, and which lines are there, as you will be using the tube a lot and it can take you everywhere you want to go. There's a million things to do in London, and then when you get bored with those, there's hundreds of possible day trips via train.

- Tripadvisor.com is your friend. Tripadvisor's forum is your best friend.

- I certainly would not cut your London time short, but I also would not travel all the way to Athens w/o stopping for a couple days on one of the islands.
PowDay
Posts: 320
Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2011 7:43 am

Re: Athens and London, what to do and where to stay?

Post by PowDay »

Unless you are a huge history buff, i would recommend 24 hours at most in Athens. We spent 48 hours there on the tail end of a week in the Greek Islands, and we knocked out everything we wanted to see in a day.

We went mid July and it was 100+ degrees, no shade at any of the monuments. The $20 of slushies I spend at the bottom of the Parthenon was the best money I spend the entire trip.

Consider swapping out Athens for Santorini
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