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General Category => Everything Else => Topic started by: rudebug on October 17, 2015, 12:36:57 PM
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We are beginning to plan a trip from the US to the UK (our first time) & need a little advice :) As of right now the plan is London (4 days) Bradford/Studio Bijoux (1-2 days) & Stonehenge (1 day). My question is about transport...my wife says rent a car but I think it might be more trouble than its worth. What does the family think?
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Oh, driving in UK... Left sided traffic gives me shivers. ;)
Well, I'm either not from UK but be welcome to the board, Rudebug.
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I'm probably the worst person to ask. I would say though wait till your out of London before hiring a car the traffic is a nightmare.
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Welcome Rudebug. Have to agree with Pol. London traffic at any time is a nightmare. Taxi's can cost a fortune. Travel around London on the underground. Stations all over the place. Just go down and ask where to go / which train.
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In London you most definitely DON'T need a car, in fact you really, really don't want to be driving; trust me, I live here! You can get everywhere you want to by public transport almost 24/7 and on the other hand driving is a nightmare because of traffic, parking costs, congestion charge (in central London)... Bradford you can easily get to by train or coach, the only thing is book well in advance cos otherwise rail (and to a lesser extent coach) fares a sick joke in this country. Stonehenge is probably the only place where a car might come in handy - you can get there by public transport but it's not very convenient, you'd have to get to Salisbury first, then get a bus or take a cab... still feasible, mind, but with a car you could get there in your own time and stop off somewhere along the route if you fancy.
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Thanks! You're all pretty much confirming what I thought :) Next question...for Bradford what's better coach or train? Time it takes, cost, convenience (we'll probably have a small carryon size suitcase/backpack each)? Also how easy is it to get around Bradford & anything we must see/do (we're going to Studio Bijioux for artwork/tattoos)?
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Train is a lot faster than coach, but potentially a lot more expensive. Sometimes you can get reasonable train fares if you book well in advance and for specific trains (as opposed to buying a ticket that's valid for any train, just turn up at the station and jump on the first one available). Coaches, from my recollections (I haven't really used one for a long time, other than for short/local area journeys) on the other hand are on the whole much cheaper, there is less variation in price between one particular service and the next and it's less necessary to book a long time in advance.
You can have a look at train times and fares here: https://www.qjump.co.uk/ (it's the one I use but there are a few more similar sites, just as good), and even buy tickets directly from it. Train tickets usually go on sale 3 months in advance.
For coaches, you can have a look here: http://www.nationalexpress.com/home.aspx
Can't comment on getting around in Bradford though, I'm afraid - never been myself...
Hope that helps.
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Hey rudebug, fancy a curry when in London.
Cheers
jc
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If you are in the center of Bradford, you can more or less walk everywhere. From the trainstations too.
London has good transport system and you can do stone henge by bus.
Book all train tickets as far in advanced as possible. If not they get three or four times more expensive.
It's not like America where a car is needed. European countries tend to have better public transport.
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Thanks for the info...a lot of good tips so far! Besides the obvious tourist sites what are some off the beaten track places in London? I've heard Camden Market should be on our list. Also, any cool record stores (due to space issues probably looking at mainly buying used cds...punk, post-punk, goth etc)?
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JC,
Being from the US I'm actually looking forward to a REAL curry when I get to the UK :)
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I've heard Camden Market should be on our list. Also, any cool record stores (due to space issues probably looking at mainly buying used cds...punk, post-punk, goth etc)?
There are several for sure. But if you're visiting Camden, I'd recommend All Ages Record Store (http://www.allagesrecords.com/). There are also good bars and gig venues. Devonshire Arms is a metal gothic punk club. Don't know if the Underground is still there in Camden? They had some really cool gigs there long time ago.
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Rusco, do you mean the Underworld? If so it still is, but they do all sorts, so it really depends who's playing.
Camden used to be really good, I don't personally like it anymore these days and hardly ever go there - but I suppose if you've never been it's still something worth seeing.
Record shops are disappearing fast unfortunately (apart from the slight revival caused by the hipsters) as more and more people get their stuff online. When I'm in Central London (rarely) I always put in a visit to Sister Ray, on Berwick Street in Soho (off Oxford Street). On the same street you also have Reckless Records, which only sells second-hand vinyl and CD and where I found lots of good stuff over the years, and at least one Music & Video Exchange (a chain of also second-hand stuff, there should still be one on Camden High Street too, and a bunch on or around Notting Hill).
Rough Trade's original shop is till open on Talbot Road (just off Portobello Road, almost on the corner with it) AFAIK, and for years now they've opened Rough Trade East on Brick Lane (which is one of the places to go for curry, the historical curry street in London in fact, although sadly some of the older restaurants have shut now). Just last week somebody told me that Sister Ray have also opened a second shop somewhere in Shoreditch (nearby, and hipster central!) that only sells vinyl (I told you it was hipster central!)
Other than the Devonshire Arms mentioned by Rusco there are a number of 'rock' pubs (The Crobar, The Big Red, 12 Bar) scattered around, although to be honest I tend to prefer normal pubs with character and good beer these days. Let us know when you're over, if I'm around I'll be happy to join you and JC for curry and/or a few beers and have a look at what's around alternative-wise.
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Greenwich. Open space and it's beautiful.
I don't care for London as it's just too massive, crowded and expensive for me.
But I like Greenwich a lot.
York may also be worth seeing if you are in Bradford. Not many tourist things in Bradford but york is a 45 minute train journey.
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Rusco, do you mean the Underworld? If so it still is, but they do all sorts, so it really depends who's playing.
[...]
Rough Trade's original shop is till open on Talbot Road (just off Portobello Road, almost on the corner with it) AFAIK, [...]
Oh yea thanks Danny, you're right. It was Underworld.
Is the Rough Trade that shop where you could find some real rarities? I think I visited that shop a long time ago too.
(I remember they had Charlie Harper's solo album on vinyl with 30 pounds.) Still wishing I'd spend my few quids there.
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When are you planning on coming over!
There are all sorts of offers avaiable transport wise. Heading north from London to Bradford you could and maybe should take in Oxford, Stratford and if you like castles Warwick!
Stonehenge is great but if you're heading that way head for Avebury too! It even has a pub in the middle of the circle!
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We're looking at March/April for our trip...
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When are you planning on coming over!
There are all sorts of offers avaiable transport wise. Heading north from London to Bradford you could and maybe should take in Oxford, Stratford and if you like castles Warwick!
Stonehenge is great but if you're heading that way head for Avebury too! It even has a pub in the middle of the circle!
And if you're coming this way and going to Avebury don't forget Silbury Hill, West Kennet and The Devils Den.
Oh, and Wood Henge which is on the way from Stonehenge to Avebury and it's environs.
:)
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Is the Rough Trade that shop where you could find some real rarities? I think I visited that shop a long time ago too.
(I remember they had Charlie Harper's solo album on vinyl with 30 pounds.) Still wishing I'd spend my few quids there.
You could certainly find lots of rarities in the old days, and I've spend many a hard-earned pound there over the years; not sure about now cos living at the other end of town I very rarely go to Portobello Road to be honest, but I suspect it still does have a few rarities. On Saturdays it used to have a second-hand record stall (belonging, or at least connected to it) on the pavement just in front of its door.