December 4, 2008
It's official: London for New Year!
My New Year plan is really taking shape now! I just bought tickets to get from JFK to London and back. I ended up paying $500 each leaving Dec. 27th (arriving in London on the 28th) and leaving London Jan. 5th. Interestingly, leaving a day earlier and coming back 2 days earlier (like I had planned originally) was going to cost about $650 each.
I'm going to miss a dinner with some friends on Jan. 4th but I couldn't bring myself to pay all that extra money. If you're curious I used ebookers, a British website and am flying Virgin Atlantic. I found them through Mobissimo. The Virgin Atlantic site was about $70 per ticket more expensive.
Now I have to decide what to do In London. One thing is set: we're having dinner on Dec. 31st at Rules. They say it's the oldest restaurant in London. I won't decide until that day, but the "Breast of Wild Duck with Jerusalem Artichoke & Black Cherry Sauce" sounds pretty good. So does the "Apple & Blackberry Crumble with Custard."
But like I said, I need more stuff to do. I'm going to look over the London stuff on this blog:
Thanksgiving & Christmas in London (I'll be there around New Year so I can check out the tree and the store windows)
James Bond travel ideas (not sure about a James Bond walking tour if London is as cold as I think it will be)
London is expensive (The $142 Heathrow Express has me wondering how I'll get to and from the airport - any ideas?)
Free stuff in London (The Burlington Arcade off Piccadilly sounds like the best one on that list for my wife and I)
Sherlock Holmes travel ideas
Da Vinci Code tourism
London & Amsterdam travel plan (this is where I first heard about Evensong at Westminster Abbey)
But if you know of anything special, please let me know. I'd especially appreciate ideas for good live music (folk, jazz, rock, classical in that order) and info on Evensong at Westminster Abbey (which strangely is not in my wife's old London Lonely Planet (it's about 10 years old so we're not relying on it).
No hotel yet. I thought I had booked a package on Priceline that had us staying at the Landmark (a famous 5 star hotel) - 6 nights there (average price on tripadvisor was $500/night) and airfare for 2 was $2700. So I entered my credit card info and filled in all the other stuff. Then the Priceline system told me to wait a few minutes. I started getting some info on the Landmark ready for my wife to give to her as a birthday present (coming up this weekend). Then Priceline told me that the Landmark had no rooms for me. I was pretty mad and felt like I'd been misled - I wish they had checked before I did all that.
That London & Amsterdam travel plan recommends Crowne Plaza London St James. Seems to be 107 GBP a night or 119 with breakfast. I must admit I like breakfast but I don't know if I like it enough to pay 12 GBP per day. Maybe it's not so bad since it's breakfast for 2 but still we're going to be in London for 8 nights - I have to figure out a way to save some money...
Posted by James Trotta at December 4, 2008 10:24 PM | TrackBack
good deal on the flight, thats an ok price for a london hotel during that time too.
As for the heathrow express, skip it and take the underground. The express would be about 30pounds roundtrip per person, if you buy an oyster card which you'll want anyway and they give you at the airport for i think a 3 pound deposit then the tube will only cost at the most 7 pounds round trip and if you are during off peak times then 4 pounds. The express saves about a half hour, so up to you.
Posted by: mike at December 5, 2008 12:07 AM"London is expensive (The $142 Heathrow Express has me wondering how I'll get to and from the airport - any ideas?)"
Mate, forget the heathrow express and take the Heathrow connect service.. it only runs slower by 5 mins as compared to Heathrow Express and is like 1/4th of the cost.
ALso, when in london, by a weekly travel card which entitles you to travel in both train,tubes and buses. Remember london tubes runs only uptil 12 in night.
Posted by: suhail at December 5, 2008 11:15 PMLondond connect - I'll check it out. My wife was saying we should just take the tube. As far as the weekly tube thing goes, I was planning to do that - just have to remember to bring a picture because I read somewhere that for the weekly pass you need a photo.
Thanks for the advice and please keep it coming! Also, I may have a hotel to announce soon but not a tradional one...
Posted by: James Trotta at December 5, 2008 11:35 PMMy daughter leaves on the same day, I am not sure if via Virgin or BA. She is traveling with her high school band. They will be performing in the Queens Parade on New Years Day. If you happen to see it, she is performing with El Capitan High School Band and Color Guard. She is the shortest on the color guard team. Scream 'Hi Roni' if you are there. It would totally freak her out and she will return home and tell me - "mom, you know way too many people" lol.
This is the second time they have been invited to perform in the parade, her first time going there.
Renee Valdivia, Lakeside, California.
Posted by: Renee at December 6, 2008 6:13 AMThe Tube and Buses are free from about 23:45 until about 4 in the morning of New Years Day, so you won't have any problems getting around. In fact, I used them last time when I went to the bank of the Thames to enjoy the fireworks. Great atmosphere. Normal social rules about not talking to other people in the street are abandoned. See you all in London for New Years!
Posted by: Hywel at December 7, 2008 3:39 AMRenee - thanks for letting me know about the parade. I had no idea there even was one. I'm not sure how cold I'll be so I may not see much of the parade but if I see El Capitan High School and the noise isn't too bad...
Hywel - fireworks on the Thames is good to know! I must say though, I like July 4th fireworks so much better because it's warm outside!
Posted by: James Trotta at December 7, 2008 12:59 PMPretty expensive trip to London but I guess it's worth it to spend for the NEW YEAR! I guess I'm going to spend the new years eve at home....as the value of Korean Won dropped so bad...
Posted by: Youngho CHOI at December 7, 2008 10:03 PM