My son and I recently returned from a first-time, two-week (May 7 through 21, 2015) trip to England. Our visit was divided into two parts, the first part being London and the surrounding area.
Being a history and aviation enthusiast, I spent several months researching and booking a series of tours to feed these interests. Places visited included Churchill’s War Rooms, Chartwell home, and Blenheim Palace; Tower of London; Cambridge and Oxford Universities; Duxford Imperial War Museum; Royal Air Force Museum; the Cotswolds; Bampton (Downton) village; Stonehenge; Dover; the Battle of Britain Memorial; Windsor Palace; and the Bletchley Park code-breaker site.
We kept four days open with no tours scheduled. On those days we saw or visited Buckingham Palace; Whitehall; Big Ben; Westminster Abbey; Parliament; National Gallery; British Museum; Selfridges; Harrods; Victoria and Albert Museum (most excellent); and the Natural History Museum. Spent a sunny afternoon strolling through Hyde Park.
The second part of our trip might be termed a pilgrimage of the heart. My great-grandfather emigrated from northern England near Carlisle to America in 1837. Among other adventures, he participated in the California Gold Rush of 1849. We took the train 350 miles north and, with the help of a Carlisle historian I had corresponded with by email prior to our trip, visited the farm where my great-grandfather spent his youth and saw the family church, including the family plot and headstone in the church graveyard. We also toured Carlisle Castle and Lanercost Priory, and walked along portions of Hadrian’s Wall.
Somewhere during all this we found time to celebrate my 76th birthday.
Travel: Delta Airlines to and from Heathrow Airport; Heathrow Express train to and from Paddington Station in London; Underground train to and from Victoria Station. Underground and taxis around London. North to Carlisle on the National Rail (Virgin Trains).
Hotels: Stayed in the Pimlico area near Victoria Station in London – central location; within walking distance of many attractions. Stayed near train station in Carlisle.
Food: Hotels served a continental breakfast. Most other meals consisted of pub grub (excellent fare) or items bought in grocery stores. My son is vegetarian and usually found a menu item to his liking. We did enjoy one delicious home-cooked family meal in Carlisle, complete with an amazing dessert of apple pie and hot custard poured over.
Guide books: Rick Steves’ Pocket London (paper) and England (Kindle on phone) – both worked well.
Luggage and packing: Used Rick’s convertible carry-on bags, packing cubes, and traveling toiletry kits. Civita day packs for day trips. Packed light generally following Rick’s guidelines, but needed some “old guy” items not on the list (won’t be many years before Rick adds those). Washed small clothing items in hotel; used coin laundry (expensive) once.
Travel tips: Samsonite flat compact umbrella weighs only 4 oz. and protected well in London rain. Columbia fleece and windbreaker were easy to pack and kept me warm and dry. Tried a money belt, but found it too awkward. Used Lewis N Clark RFID neck purse (larger than most others) instead to carry valuables. Rick’s lambskin wallet is the perfect size for travel use.
Electronics: Relied on smartphone only; took no tablet or laptop. Phone global plan saved money and provided connection in most areas. Used Wi-Fi sparingly in places we trusted for email, maps, and information regarding trains, airlines, and attractions. Did no financial transactions.