Windsor, UK
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Was hoping someone could give some tips/pointers concerning Windsor in the UK...we may be taking a trip there in Feb. Of course we're interested in how safe the area is...but also concerned with the rail system and how easy it is to get around to London, etc, things to do/see (it's partly for my daughter to see some schools...she's thinking of going to school in England next year,,,but also going to make it sort of a make shift vacation as well)...Are US citizens generally made to feel welcomed? Wouldn't mind seeing some London area Beatle related sites (just the public sites...not interested in walking by anyone's house) Probably won't rent a car since I can't see getting used to driving on the opposite side of the road (even if I start to acclimate, I can just see myself entering a rotary (you call them 'roundabouts') by turning right...LOL...So we'll want a place to stay that's close to a railway stop ...These are just some of our concerns, but feel free to drop any advice you can think of...Thanks in advance
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PS - we chose Windsor because my daughter knows someone from there and will probably spend some time with them....once we (the parents) feel more comfortable (we've never met them)
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You can take the train straight to Windsor (we did in 1993) it is a small, safe area you can walk around, see the castle, walk down the street and see the shops (2 levels on each side--wait, maybe that was Chester! LOL!) If you get a 7-day pass for the Underground you will just have to pay extra to get from London area to Windsor (or Hampton Court Palace which is on the way btw) DON'T rent a car! The trains and Tube are fantastic and easy to navigate. (Much easier than NYC!) When you asked if U.S. citizens were made welcome were you talking about your daughter in school? Here's some links for you: (I've been to London/England/Wales/Scotland/Liverpool 4 times and am going in Aug. 2015!) http://cdn.londonandpartners.com/images/explorer-map/tubemap-2012-12.png I have used this company before. Get the most expensive card for the Tube which covers all of London and you can travel any time of the day (rush hour as well) https://www.visitbritainshop.com/usa/special-offers/?utm_source=consumer_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=special_offers_page&utm_campaign=September https://www.visitbritainshop.com/usa/travel-and-transport/london-transport/#filter-area http://www.windsor.gov.uk/ You will have a blast! Try to do it all on your own. (I did with my Mom in 1980 when I was 25) Map out daily where you want to go and which line(s) on the tube you need to take--it's easy! (All You Need Is Love!)
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I've taken a bus (coach) but don't recommend it. I took the train another time and it was really convenient. The town is really nice, the castle is a must see. The town is very safe, but always recommended with any tourist attraction town, be mindful of your money and credit cards, goes without saying. https://www.londontoolkit.com/whattodo/windsor_transport.htm I've noticed that the tube stations can tend to sell you the full (furthest) zone tickets if you look like a tourist and buy them at a large touristy area. When I was only traveling in up to Zone 2 (most of local London), the guy sold me up to Zone 9, which is really far out! Zone 6 is mainly only the airport! I made him give back the money to what I had asked for, as the £ is quite a bit more than the $. If you're going for a week, I would get and Oyster Card, they never expire and you can top them up at a machine, instead of waiting in a long line. They work on the coaches (busses), overground, and most National Rail services in London. https://visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk/help/visitor-oyster-card/ Don't worry about not driving, all of England is very well set up for mass transportation everywhere, almost. The Black taxi cabs are going to be more than the tubes, there are also limo (car) taxis, which are more costly than the Black Taxis in general. It will be cold when you're there. Bring a very sturdy umbrella (I have a collapsible push button open and close one from Costco) I've used this tour company, with the red route and yellow route. To get an overview of all of London, during the first or second day. Their staff guides, just like taxi drivers, need to pass a test with knowledge of ALL of London. They are quite witty and will give you a verbal tour and answer your questions. You can get on and get off like a Hop On Hop a Off bus. It's great! Sometimes when you buy a hotel pkg, they would include one of these passes, or a Thames river boat pass. https://www.theoriginaltour.com/routes-and-times/tour-times/ If you want to get a theater ticket, there are discount outlets check with your hotel. I used to be a travel agent. I have tons of money saving tips so I'd be glad to answer any questions if you PM me!
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Really appreciate that - I'm sure I'll have a zillion questions in the upcoming weeks.. And regarding my daughter, yeah, that's where I was heading with that...she seems awfully set on attending a school in the UK...Some of the application deadlines are coming up and she'll have to apply to whatever schools she has in mind before we arrive. In any regards, thanks a lot
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My cousin's daughter and her best friend both went to school in London, they lived there for years and had a blast! One semester, the British consulate or whomever processes visas, did not give her a visa until after the school year started, so she had to catch up. There also was an issue on how many months she could work with a student visa. The company she worked for, had to transfer her to their sister company out of the UK for a number of months, due to the restrictions. If she's planning on working there, you might want to ask what the current restrictions are.
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I meant to buy Zone 6, not higher. They must have added more Zones since I was last there in 2011. But buy these things ahead of time online, not when you get there! Much more convenient and you can use it right away.
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Nancy R:
I meant to buy Zone 6, not higher. They must have added more Zones since I was last there in 2011. But buy these things ahead of time online, not when you get there! Much more convenient and you can use it right away.
I believe up to Zone 9 is the trains. Heathrow is in Zone 6 and for most of London you only need up to Zone 2 including the O2, excepting Wimbledon or Kew Gardens, which would be Zone 3. The good news is that they have extended the hours for the tube at nights, I recently heard. That's really good, because they used to close early 11-12 ish PM. You could get stranded far from your hotel, and wind up having to take a long cab ride
I've also got caught with the trains on Sundays, with some stations closed, and having no one to help you figure out how to get the correct ticket from a machine, or figure out when the last train returns (could be earlier than you think) Have learned the hard way, to get them in advance and I'm pretty sure they don't sell them on the trains, like they do here. http://i.imgur.com/JPKI5ZA.gif Here's the map with the Zones and trains. I been going to visit, and have friends in various places, for the last 6 years at least 2-4 times a year. I'm just starting to drive, but you really don't need to at all. It's also very easy to take side trips to Paris by high spped train thru the Chunnel and short hops by plane, bus or ferry ( a few hours to Holland) everything is pretty close really, took a plane to Italy 1 1/2 hours, Portugal 2hours. All inexpensive, maybe around $100 RT if you shop around.
