This is our 1st visit to Europe and I have some questions - would love any help or insight!
1. What's the best way to get from Heathrow to our hotel in London? The hotel gives 2 scenarios using public transportation but I'm an idiot and can't figure out which would be most economical/convenient: 1)Take the Piccadilly Line and change at Green Park (50 minutes) for the Victoria Line to Warren Street (5 minutes) OR 2)Take the Heathrow Express train to Paddington (15 minutes). There take the Bakerloo Line to Oxford Circus (10 minutes) and change for the Victoria Line to Warren Street (1 minute).
2. I know it's often rainy - esp in Ireland - and we're going in April. Are waterproof/resistant shoes a must? What do you wear? This is my biggest concern right now. I broke my leg a few years ago and now really have to have supportive shoes for walking or I'm useless. Should I buy something like this?
3. What kind of phone usage will we be able to expect/afford? If we were to split up, we can't text each other without major expense, right? What about using apps? We are not there long enough to purchase phones but I know that apps/mobile access can save so much time when touring a city. Is a paper map the best option?
4. Is free WiFi easy to find? I found an app that will help you find it nearby but... question 3.
2. I would imagine any closed leather shoe with waterproofing would be fine - like an ankle boot or something? What (besides ballet flats) would you normally wear? Can you just put waterproofing stuff (like Nikwax, etc.) on that? Each time I've gone to Ireland it's been late spring/early summer and much less rainy, but I can't imagine rubber is necessary unless you want to go that route.
3. We usually add an international talk plan to one phone so that if we need to make calls while we're there it doesn't cost a fortune. Came in handy last time when United lost our friend's checked bag. We needed to be able to stay in touch w/ United to track it down and get it back. I don't think texting is outrageously expensive, but we are not big texters. If someone in your group has an iPad, you can pull up a map with wifi wherever you are staying, and refer to it while out and about without using data. Or just use a paper map/book, old school style.
4. Free wifi was reasonably easy to find in Ireland. I set my phone to turn off data roaming, and I was able to keep up with most things online reasonably easily via wifi.
5. We are able to share one adapter, although it sometimes gets mildly dicey the night before the flight or something, when we're trying to charge his phone, my phone, his Kindle, etc. etc. It kind of depends on how long your devices take to charge and how many you will be charging on the regular.
We went to London in summer 2010, and then went to Ireland to meet up with my family.
1. We took the Heathrow Express to Paddington Station, and then walked about 5 minutes to our hotel. It was quick, easy, and we didn't have to deal with local commuters on the Tube. We had no trouble taking the Tube when we were sightseeing, but since we had luggage I'm glad we took the Express. The Tube during rush hour was very crowded and the locals were visibly annoyed by the dumb tourists.
2. I was OK wearing regular sneakers, flip-flops, and Sperrys boat shoes. It rained for most of our trip, but never for very long. I'd just wear comfortable shoes and keep an extra pair of dry socks in your purse. And a poncho or hooded rain jacket ... I had a Columbia wind breaker that rolled up small in my purse.
3. MH got the iPhone right before our trip, and my little flip phone stayed switched off the entire time. He downloaded the Skype app and put about $10 or $20 worth of credits on it before we left the US, and he left it on airplane mode while we were traveling. Whenever we found a place with WiFi he'd switch it off airplane mode and then surf the Web, call his dad back home in the US, or look up maps or Yelp recommendations for our next activity. My brother got a Blackberry right before the trip, but I guess he didn't do much planning (he sent texts and made calls willy-nilly) because he had a pretty big bill waiting for him when he got back home.
Re: maps ... when we found a WiFi spot, MH would look up routes on Google Maps and take screenshots. That way we could access the maps on the fly without having to use data. I also had a paper guidebook in my purse and we referenced that a lot, especially for Tube routes. A big paper map would make me feel self-conscious as a tourist.
4. We didn't have much trouble finding WiFi in either London or in Dublin. Our first stop in London was actually at a Starbucks, and most of the hotel lobbies throughout our trip had WiFi as well. We spent a lot of time in the Irish countryside and so obviously some of those little villages didn't have hotspots or chain stores that offered WiFi.
5. We were fine sharing one adapter ... but, again, I didn't use my phone the entire trip since I didn't have a smartphone at the time. But one adapter was fine for MH's iPhone and both our iPods. I ordered this one from Dillard's back then, and I've seen plenty of them in other department stores and at Marshall's/TJ Maxx as well: www.amazon.com/ETA-Adaptable-Piece-Adapter-Black/dp/B0023T9322
Post by alleinesein on Feb 17, 2015 16:30:20 GMT -5
1. What's the best way to get from Heathrow to our hotel in London? The hotel gives 2 scenarios using public transportation but I'm an idiot and can't figure out which would be most economical/convenient: 1)Take the Piccadilly Line and change at Green Park (50 minutes) for the Victoria Line to Warren Street (5 minutes) OR 2)Take the Heathrow Express train to Paddington (15 minutes). There take the Bakerloo Line to Oxford Circus (10 minutes) and change for the Victoria Line to Warren Street (1 minute).
Or consider option 3- Take the Heathrow Connect (25-30 minutes) to Paddington and then take a cab to your hotel. Or option 4- just hire a car from the airport. Heathrow connect will run you GBP $20 per person and Heathrow Express will be GBP $35 per person. Taking the Piccadilly line will be the cheapest option and you can just get an Oyster card and load it with cash or buy one of the Travelcards.
3. What kind of phone usage will we be able to expect/afford? If we were to split up, we can't text each other without major expense, right? What about using apps? We are not there long enough to purchase phones but I know that apps/mobile access can save so much time when touring a city. Is a paper map the best option?
Do you have an unlocked phone with a SIM card? If so just buy a SIM card when you get to LHR. At T5 there is a SIM card store near the Underground ticket counter and you can get a card with 1GB of data for GBP $25. What cell phone carrier do you have? Look into their international travel options. AT&T offers a $30 international plan that includes unlimited text and 120 MB of data.
4. Is free WiFi easy to find? I found an app that will help you find it nearby but... question 3.
Its in some places and it can be really slow and crappy.
5. How many adapters should I buy?
How many electronic devices are you bringing? 3-4 adapters would be good if you will have multiple items to charge. Also take into account that most hotel rooms will not have electricity when you aren't in the room b/c your room key goes into a slot by the door and it activates the power to your room. If your key isn't in the slot you wont have power. So if you want to charge stuff while you are out and about bring something to slide into the slot while you are gone.
Option one would be the cheapest, and the tube starts at Heathrow so you will get a seat. But it will take longer. While a car sounds great traffic is horrible and it could take forever to get into the city.
We are in the UK often and free wifi is way more common than over here (and in Ireland too). We were just there over Christmas for 2 weeks (and this past summer in both England and Ireland for 2 weeks) and found free wifi in many places, and it was never slow.
It is tiny. I find paper maps easier than electronic ones, but I'm an idiot when it comes to phones.
5. Depends on how many electronics you bring. Typically I travel with my iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, and an alarm clock/white noise machine. I bring one adapter that charges 4 USB devices at once (that covers me iPhone, iPad, and Blackberry), and my alarm clock has a UK plug option. If I expect to be using other devices (charging my camera battery, for example), I'll bring another adapter.
1) I prefer the Heathrow Express or car service. Even if your'e stuck in traffic in the car, you're at least in your own space.
2) You shouldn't even need rain boots.
4) It's about as easy/difficult to find as any large city in the US. Hit or miss.
5) Call or email your hotel and ask how many US sockets they have. Often they will have one in the bathroom, and one built into the desk. I wouldn't buy more than one, even if you have multiple devices.
This is our 1st visit to Europe and I have some questions - would love any help or insight!
1. What's the best way to get from Heathrow to our hotel in London? I'm not super familiar with London so trust the other posters, but definitely don't rent a car. After a long flight the absolute last thing I would want to do is drive around London traffic on the other side of the road!
2. I know it's often rainy - esp in Ireland - and we're going in April. Are waterproof/resistant shoes a must? What do you wear? This is my biggest concern right now. I broke my leg a few years ago and now really have to have supportive shoes for walking or I'm useless. Should I buy something like this? Are you doing lots of hiking? If not, I would just wear whatever your most comfortable pair of shoes are. Waterproof jacket is definitely nice to have though.
3. What kind of phone usage will we be able to expect/afford? If we were to split up, we can't text each other without major expense, right? What about using apps? We are not there long enough to purchase phones but I know that apps/mobile access can save so much time when touring a city. Is a paper map the best option? I live in Scotland so not sure about the phones. But, if you're concerned, my absolute favourite maps are these - www.amazon.com/London-PopOut-Map-Maps/dp/1845879481/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424249333&sr=1-1&keywords=london+popout+map
I have them for about 15 cities now. They're fantastic and really easy to just pop in your bag. They have public transport on them as well so you can work out how to get around.
4. Is free WiFi easy to find? I found an app that will help you find it nearby but... question 3. If you need wi-fi, you'll be able to find it certainly in London and any cities. I wouldn't rely on it if you're going to the countryside or to smaller towns.
5. How many adapters should I buy? I hate sharing so we usually bring a few. Most of my stuff charges off of USB so I have a couple of dual USB chargers I bring.
This is our 1st visit to Europe and I have some questions - would love any help or insight!
1. What's the best way to get from Heathrow to our hotel in London? The hotel gives 2 scenarios using public transportation but I'm an idiot and can't figure out which would be most economical/convenient: 1)Take the Piccadilly Line and change at Green Park (50 minutes) for the Victoria Line to Warren Street (5 minutes) OR 2)Take the Heathrow Express train to Paddington (15 minutes). There take the Bakerloo Line to Oxford Circus (10 minutes) and change for the Victoria Line to Warren Street (1 minute).
I hate the Green Park station with a passion and avoid it when I can - you have to walk for ages to get between lines & with luggage, no, just no.
2. I know it's often rainy - esp in Ireland - and we're going in April. Are waterproof/resistant shoes a must? What do you wear? This is my biggest concern right now. I broke my leg a few years ago and now really have to have supportive shoes for walking or I'm useless. Should I buy something like this?
Black leather boots - it'll still be potentially coldish here in London & in Ireland and I wear mine all the time for walking around in London. Otherwise, I've never owned any 'rain' type shoes. You could get nicer looking sneakers (black ones) and wear those if you want more support. Much of our rain isn't downpours but more like spritzy stuff.
3. What kind of phone usage will we be able to expect/afford? If we were to split up, we can't text each other without major expense, right? What about using apps? We are not there long enough to purchase phones but I know that apps/mobile access can save so much time when touring a city. Is a paper map the best option?
4. Is free WiFi easy to find? I found an app that will help you find it nearby but... question 3. In London, not so much, expect for maybe your hotel. Most of the 'free' wifi is for people who have specific phone plans or cable plans.
5. How many adapters should I buy? two - one for each of you.
For 3/4, I highly recommend downloading the TripAdvisor City Guides app for whatever cities you're visiting (it's different than the regular TA app). You can download and update them when you have wifi, but the maps work without data form when you don't have wifi. They've been awesome for our trips we've taken since we've discovered them. They can even locate you -- I don't know how that works without data on, but it does. It's also handy if you do research for restaurants or sights on TripAdvisor because you can bookmark them on the app and they show up on your map.
Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime. Mark Twain
Post by osumelissa on Feb 18, 2015 15:01:04 GMT -5
The last few times I have traveled, I've been solo. But on an upcoming trip, I'll be with my boyfriend. Our plan is to get the codes to unlock our phones and purchase international SIM cards when we land in Prague. We already know we will be splitting up a few times over the course of 12 days. I have also used WhatsApp for texting.
I think I'm going to use the car service V uses! That sounds way more appealing than dragging bags on/off a train after an overnight flight Thanks for the recommendation!
It is tiny. I find paper maps easier than electronic ones, but I'm an idiot when it comes to phones.
5. Depends on how many electronics you bring. Typically I travel with my iPhone, iPad,Blackberry, and an alarm clock/white noise machine. I bring one adapter that charges 4 USB devices at once (that covers me iPhone, iPad, and Blackberry), and my alarm clock has a UK plug option. If I expect to be using other devices (charging my camera battery, for example), I'll bring another adapter.
Re: #3 - Definitely get the SIM card. London will have wireless stores all over the place. Look for Vodafone, O2 or Orange. All of those have very inexpensive pre-paid rates. We walked in our first day, explained that we wanted unlimited data and a little bit of calling and walked out with a 10 GBP sim card. It was really nice to be able to use the phone as much as we wanted without worrying about incurring any additional costs. We used the navigation feature a lot whenever we got lost.
It is tiny. I find paper maps easier than electronic ones, but I'm an idiot when it comes to phones.
5. Depends on how many electronics you bring. Typically I travel with my iPhone, iPad,Blackberry, and an alarm clock/white noise machine. I bring one adapter that charges 4 USB devices at once (that covers me iPhone, iPad, and Blackberry), and my alarm clock has a UK plug option. If I expect to be using other devices (charging my camera battery, for example), I'll bring another adapter.