127cbcb55d013630bee00a6b912df898

London Travel Guide powered by advice from Real Travelers

 Get Real Deal alerts »
Editors Pick

London

From European Dream in London, United Kingdom on May 09 '06

This entry is about:

see all »

1 Place Visited

see all »

3 Trip Photos

see full route »

Itinerary Map

LMM has visited 1 place in London
show more map
Kelsey in front of Kensingon Palace, the former home of Princess Diana.  When I saw this Palace on the news with all of the thousands of flowers in front of  its gates for her, I didn't realize that she didn't have the whole Palace.  It actually has several apartments occupied by several royals.  Princess Margaret had an apartment there and Princess Michael of Kent still does.
Kelsey in front of Kensingon Palace, the former home of Princess Diana. When I saw this Palace on the news with all of the thousands of flowers in front of its gates for her, I didn't realize that she didn't have the whole Palace. It actually has several apartments occupied by several royals. Princess Margaret had an apartment there and Princess Michael of Kent still does.
see all photos »

*We arrived at 7am after an overnight flight (ugh!)and decided to take a quick tour of London on no sleep since our room would not be ready until after 2pm.  We had purchased a London Pass which gives you unlimited transportation and access to various museums, etc. around London (a good buy!) and our first stop was Kensington Palace. We also went to Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace and then to the London Eye.  It looks like a big Ferris Wheel, but instead of little seats they have huge glass pods that hold up to 20 people!  You get a great view of London and it takes about half an hour to go around. It is near Big Ben so we got a view of it as well.  We had planned to go to the Tower of London to see the crown jewels, but we had to get back to the hotel to shower and change for dinner.  We had reservations at the "Medieval Banquet". It was pretty fun - set in dungeon type basement for effect and everyone was dressed in period costume from Henry the VIII to the wenches serving the food.  There was singing, jousting and eating several courses of food.  A little cheesy, but fun none the less.

Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
see all photos »

The next day we had to be up early for our tour to Stonehenge, Windsor Castle and the Roman Baths.  I ordered these tickets on the internet before I left home and had a little problem with the company I purchased them from when I arrived(Evan Evans Tours) because their records showed I had only purchased one ticket.  My receipt/confirmation from them showed 2 tickets purchased as well as my bank statement and I thought everything was worked out but a few days later they charged my account again!  Eventually it was credited when I returned home, but even though it is illegal to hold credit information, they were able to recharge without my consent a full 2 weeks after the initial purchase!

The London Eye
The London Eye
see all photos »

That aside, the tour was really nice and the guide was knowledgable.  We first went to Windsor Castle, which is HUGE!  It has a little town surrounding it of the same name and originally came to be to support the Palace.  A must see inside the castle is Victoria's Dollhouse.  It is a 3 story dollhouse that is amazing.  Apparently artists of the time cooperated and the paintings are done by real masters.  Everything works - down to the plumbing!  It is kept behind glass and under low light to protect it and no pictures allowed - but wonderful to see.  Then to Stonehenge. .. amazing!  It is stuck out in the middle of a huge field.  Makes you wonder how and why all of these huge rocks were brought there.  Last stop- the Roman Baths.  Pretty amazing that this entire thing was buried for who knows how long.   It is an actual hotsprings, although the guide told us that there is a harmful bacteria in the water that they can't get rid of.


 
LMM avatar LMM on Apr. 22, 2006 @ 04:06PM said
I stayed at Kensington Close hotel. If you look on my London page to the left you will see the review I did of it. It was very close access to public transportation and Kensington Palace. I purchased a 1 day London pass (available 1 - 6 days)(http://www.londonpass.com/) with transportation that was pretty inexpensive and it was good for the entire day and was very easy to use. It allows you free entry to over 55 attractions and the best part is you get to skip the lines. A great deal if you plan to see the sites. Glad you enjoyed my entries!
LMM avatar LMM on Apr. 22, 2006 @ 04:06PM said
WOW, I was hoping my problem with Evans Evans was a fluke but it seems that that is just how they operate. They made the threat to leave without us at Windsor as well... they didn't explain that you don't get out the same way you came in, so when we tried to do that we were sent another way and just barely made the bus. Our time at Stonehenge was longer than 30 minutes, but didn't give much time to go through the gift shop. It's not right - you pay a lot for these tours and you barely get time to see them.
Europe Traveler avatar Europe Traveler on Apr. 22, 2006 @ 04:06PM said
Hello! I am a college student from Tennessee. I am studying abroad this semester in Finland- a LONG way from home! But, my boyfriend is coming over from the States to visit, and I am planning a surprise trip to London! I am reading your blog and love the advice it gives. Where did you stay? I have seen a lot of places in Kensington- but was curious what you found best. Was it easy to get from where you were to all the attractions? Thanks!
angryatevans avatar angryatevans on Apr. 22, 2006 @ 04:06PM said
I had a very bad experience with Evan Evans Tours and think the word should get out. My friend and I booked for the Windsor, Bath and Stonehenge tour. We were rushed through and threatened to be left in Bath if we didn't return promptly (mind you, this came out of nowhere, not because of anyone being late). The guide gave detailed descriptions on the bus without any visual aids and then left us alone when we got to the sites. She gave us only 30 minutes at Stonehenge and recommended that we NOT get their free audio tour because she'd been told that her "tour" on the bus was better! Even though we were delayed leaving London for an hour in the morning, and she said we'd make up the time at the end (and the driver verified that he could do it legally), we were delivered back to London 1/2 hour before the tour was originally scheduled to be back. The tour company claims that our guide saying that Stonehenge was disappointing (she said it three times!) was a joke, and that the brochure times were "approximate", we are NOT AMUSED. We were forced to eat a cold meal on the coach (which we had to purchase during our time in Windsor, taking away from our tour time, and making it so we could not see the Doll House). The coach had signs everywhere prohibiting eating on the coach! We wrote a detailed letter to the company asking for a refund and were answered with a sarcastic letter dismissing or ignoring every concern. "Have a nice day." I WILL NEVER BOOK ANYTHING WITH EVAN EVANS TOURS AGAIN! Please warn people - if you want a decent tour in England, stay away from Evan Evans Tours!

Would you like to comment or ask a question?

Sign up for a free account, or sign in (if you're already a member).

Where have you been lately?

Share your travels with friends & family

Free travel blog
Sign up for a free travel blog