Exchange rates are finally down!

Save money on UK vacations

Its been a long time coming, but the exchange rate between the Dollar and the British Pound has finally come back down to the levels it was at 5 or six years ago. Thats great news for me! Now I wont be breaking the bank every time I go back to the UK to visit family and friends. Its also great news for anyone who had wanted to take a vacation there, but has been put off by how expensive everything has been when you get there.  Until recently, purchasing an item for 10 GBP would have cost you 15 USD. But now, you’ll only be paying around 16-17 USD for the same thing.

Not only that, but the economy has caused a lot of price reductions in the UK, so everything is more affordable than it has been in the past. That includes food, hotels and any fun stuff you might want to  buy when you’re over there. There are great deals on flights too. The flights I just booked to visit my parents are the cheapest I’ve ever had in the 5 years since I moved to the US. So if you are lucky enough to be able to afford it, right now is a good time to plan a UK vacation.

Cheap flights

If you are booking your own flights, think about trying the ‘Name Your Own Price’ feature at Priceline. You’ve all seen the ads with William Shatner for this but some people might be nervous about auction format and be concerned that you will get flights at bad times or to unpopular airports. You specify the airports and dates that you want to fly and your flights will depart between 6am and 10pm unless you agree to off-peak flight times. Flights will have a maximum of one connection unless you specifically agree to 2.  Remember that your credit card will be charged as soon as a matching flight is found. You do not get to reject it as I’ve had some great results using this service for flights and hotels, both for international travel and domestic.

Also remember that you can save money planning your own tour instead of purchasing an escorted tour. But also make sure that you look at package deals on the big websites. you often save money at sites like Priceline or Hotwire if you book hotel and air together or even hotel, air and rental car.

Tours and attractions

Another good way to save on your UK vacation is to pre-book attractions and excursions using a company like Viator. Not only do you save money over purchasing at the entrance, you also guarantee that you have tickets to all the sights that you want to see and you won’t have to wait in line. Its a great way to arrange some of your itinerary before you leave so that you don’t miss out on stuff that you really want to see. Take a look at London tours and activities on Viator.com. Also Check out Viator’s suggested itineraries to help plan your trip.

You can also by combination passes in many cities. These allow you entrance to a number of top attractions for a single price. Make sure you look at whats included to make sure you will get your moneys worth. If you only want to see a few of the included attractions, it might be cheaper to buy tickets separately.  The Great Britain Heritage Pass
is a good option if you are planning to venture outside London. It includes 580 attractions across the UK. If you will be staying in London for all or most of your trip, the London Pass
might work better.

Budget accomodations

If you are a little adventurous, there are some great ways to save money on accomodation. An increasingly popular option is home swapping. You swap houses with a family in Britain who wants to come visit the US, meaning your accomodations are free. You can also choose to stay on a college campus during the summer when the student accomodations are empty. For example, you can get a double room at the London School of Economics in the very center of the city for around 50 GBP per night. Accomodation is basic, but clean and safe and very well located. You can get even better deals later in the summer. Check out Venue Masters for a list of locations.

All you need is a passport

Visiting the UK is usually relatively straightforward for US citizens, requiring only a valid US passport for anyone visiting for leisure or tourism purposes.

In fact, everyone who does not have the right to live in the UK requires a visa to enter, however, for certain countries (including the US), this happens very quickly at the airport when you arrive. You will be asked a few questions by an immigration officer who will then put a stamp in your passport. This stamp is your visa. The short interview is required to make sure that you are not coming to the UK to live or work, so don’t be offended by the questions! For most people, it takes less than a minute. The officer may take some notes. This is a normal and helps officials to reconcile the Immigration Officer’s findings with any later applications or claims you might make during your visit to the UK. Again, this will never affect most people. The visitor visa usually lasts for six months but expires when you leave the UK. They are not normally extended beyond six months.

If you have a history of visiting the UK often and for extended periods, you may be subject to a longer, more probing interview. This is because your travel history indicates that you are visiting for purposes other than vacation!

For full details, you can visit the official UK Visas site.

If you need to renew or apply for a US passport, be sure to check out the US gov’t official passports page for details on how to apply, what documents you need, what types of phots are acceptable and how much it will cost. Plan to apply at least one month before you travel and preferably earlier. Otherwise you might end up paying for expedited processing. Remember that everyone in your party, including infants, will need their own passport. The new, cheaper Passport Card that has recently been made available is NOT adequate for travel to the UK and Europe. It is intended for people who regularly cross the Canadian or Mexican borders.

Its almost time for the release of the 5th movie, so a fans thoughts might be turning towards Harry Potter once again (after being distracted by Twilight maybe?). What better vacation idea for Harry Potter fans than to tour some of the the fabulous locations from the movie. Here’s a list of some of the most memorable scenes and where they were filmed and at the end of the post I’ll give a few links to short and long Harry Potter tours and excursions.

Christ Church, Oxford - Hogwarts Dining Hall

Christ Church, Oxford

The Great Hall at Christ Church College was replicated in the film studios to create Hogwart’s Hall. As Harry and the new first-years enter Hogwarts they are greeted by Professor MacGonnigal. This scene was shot on the 16th century staircase which leads up to the Great Hall. Harry Potter continues a fine tradition of fantastic literature at Oxford. J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings and C.S Lewis, author of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and the Chronicles of Narnia both attended Oxford (at the same time…in fact they were good friends). Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in Wonderland also had a a long association with Christ Church.

Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucester - Hogwarts

Gloucester Cathedral

Magnificent Gloucester Cathedral has been a place of worship for more than 1,300 years and is renowned for its stunning Gothic architecture. The cloisters are regarded as one of the most beautiful architectural features in Britain and the cathedral provides the setting for several scenes in the film. Perhaps the best shot of the cloisters is from the Girls Lavatory door in the Troll scene in the film. Pupils from King’s School, which adjoins the cathedral, were used as extras. The scene in ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ when the message written in blood is discovered was also filmed here.

Bodleian Library, Oxford - Hogwarts Hospital/Hogwarts Library

Divinity School, Oxford

The historic Bodleian Library is the main research library of Oxford University. Both Duke Humfrey’s Library and the Divinity School were used as some of the interiors at Hogwarts. The Divinity School’s vaulted ceiling is regarded as a masterpiece of English Gothic architecture.

Alnwick Castle - Hogwarts Castle Exterior

Alnwick Castle

Alnwick Castle is the second largest inhabited castle in England after Windsor Castle, and has been home of the Earls and Dukes of Northumberland since 1309. It has featured in many film and television productions over the years, and was seen recently in ‘Elizabeth’, ‘Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves’ and ‘Robin of Sherwood’. The castle grounds are used as the location for some of Hogwarts’ exteriors, for example the scene where Harry and his classmates have their first flying lesson with broomsticks.

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A guide to London neighborhoods

London Skyline

If you are planning a stay in London, there are numerous safe and conveniently located neighborhoods to choose from. London is a sprawling city, and even the central area is quite spread out. But the London Underground or ‘tube’ offers an easy way to get around. You might not be able to stay within walking distance of everything that you want to see and do, but you will almost certainly be in walking distance of a tube station, which is just as good, if not better. Here is a guide to the main areas of London to help you decide where you want to stay.

Central London - Covent Garden, The Strand, Holborn

This is London’s theater district, so ideal for those who want to take in a show or two. It is home to The Royal Opera House, Theatre Royal, Adelphi Theatre, The London Coliseum and the London Theatre Museum. Covent Garden has a lively open air cafes, pubs, street entertainers, shopping in the Piazza and Central Market and home to West End theatres. Holburn, known as legal London, is home to the Royal Courts of Justice and the Inns of Court. The area is served by Tube stops at Leicester Square, Charing Cross, Temple, Embankment and Holborn.

London Central - Bayswater

Bayswater is in West London. Its not the same area as the ‘West End’ theater district which is further east and close to The City.  It is a residential area, with stately homes and foreign embassies. The Bayswater (District Line) and Queensway (Central Line) Tube stations and are just a short ride to many of London’s top attractions including Buckingham Palace, Westminster and Royal London and shopping at Harrods in Knightsbridge. Of course, traveling by Tube will require you to change lines and master the mysteries of the Underground. Attractions in this area include Kensington Palace, Albert Memorial, Royal Albert Hall, the London Toy and Model Museum and the Saturday market at Portobello Road.

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This list is my top ten popular tourist attractions in London. These aren’t ‘off the beaten track’ places. These are the ones that everybody has heard of and will ask you if you have seen when you tell them you went to London! So if you are planning your first trip, this is the list for you.

Tower of London, The White Tower

Tower of London
My American husband visited London with his family before we met, and he is always talking about what a fun, memorable experience the ‘beefeater’ tour was. Definitely his favourite memory of London! The beefeaters (or Yeoman Warders, to give them their official title) are more than just costumed tour guides. Yeoman Warders are a detachment of the ‘Yeomen of the Guard’, and they’ve formed the Royal Bodyguard since at least 1509. Their origins stretch back as far as the reign of Edward IV (1461-83). Today, Yeoman Warders are required to have served in the armed forces with an honourable record for at least 22 years. The tour includes access to the Crown Jewels, the greatest working collection of Crown Jewels in the world and priceless symbols of British monarchy (watch for the ‘in use’ signs) and to the Royal Armouries. You might even catch a glimpse of the tower ravens! Legend says that the kingdom and the Tower will fall if the six resident ravens ever leave the fortress.

St Paul’s Cathedral
A Cathedral dedicated to St Paul has overlooked the City of London since 604AD, a constant reminder to this great commercial centre of the importance of the spiritual side of life.

St Paul's Cathedral, London

The magnificent baroque cathedral which currently occupies the site was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1675 and 1710. In the crypt are effigies and fragments of stone that pre-date the Cathedral, relics of a medieval world. From Wren’s original vision, Jean Tijou’s beautiful wrought iron gates of 1700 still separate the quire from the ambulatory; children still test the acoustics in the Whispering Gallery; and the 1695 organ which Mendelssohn once played is still in use. The magnificent mosaics are the result of Queen Victoria’s mid-19th century complaint that the interior was “most dreary, dingy and undevotional.” The American Memorial Chapel stands behind the High Altar in an area that was bomb-damaged during the Second World War – a gesture of gratitude to the American dead of the Second World War from the people of Britain.

The Tower Bridge Exhibition
Tower Bridge is an internationally recognised symbol of London (that’s why its in our header graphic!). The best reason to visit the Tower Bridge exhibition is to enjoy fabulous views of the ever-changing London skyline from the upper walkways, 140ft above the River Thames. You can also visit an exhibition about the history of the bridge and how it was built. You can then visit the Victorian Engine Rooms, home to the original steam engines that used to power the lifts. Tower Bridge walkways have specially-designed windows, giving visitors a unique opportunity to take photos of the views without them being obscured by glass.

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle is an official residence of The Queen and the largest occupied castle in the world. A Royal home and fortress for over 900 years, the Castle remains a working palace today. Visitors can walk around the State Apartments, extensive suites of rooms at the heart of the working palace. For part of the year visitors can also see the Semi State rooms, which are some of the most splendid interiors in the castle. They are furnished with treasures from the Royal Collection including paintings by Holbein, Rubens, Van Dyck and Lawrence, fine tapestries and porcelain, sculpture and armour. Within the Castle complex there are many additional attractions, including the Drawings Gallery, Queen Mary’s dolls’ house, and the fourteenth-century St. George’s Chapel, the burial place of ten sovereigns and setting for many Royal weddings. It’s also close to Legoland !

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