Way OT - UK vacation plans :)
Aug 18th 2001, 12:26 pm
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
In an effort to not clog the newsgroup with OT postings, I would appreciate it if all
responses were sent to me via email rather than by posting to the group. Please do
*not* use the email above as it is for spam purposes only. Please direct all
responses to: [email protected].
Let me say first that I have no idea how I got sucked into this! I love my wife,
Sheila, but her suggestion that we holiday in the UK *and* that we take my parents
along caught me a bit off guard. My mom was born in London, and my dad and I were
both born in Glasgow. Sheila feels that it would be fun for all of us to rediscover
our roots! <sigh> Anyway, we're looking at next summer for the trip, but there are a
few problems which some of the more widely travelled readers might be able to
address. Sheila is a US citizen, and my parents and I are CDN citizens - I have a US
green card. We all hold valid passports from our respective countries.
1) Is it a problem for Sheila and me (Sheila specifically) to drive to Toronto where
my parents live, and then fly to the UK (London-Heathrow specifically) from there,
or must she depart fom a US airport?
2) Would it be less stressful for all concerned if my folks flew from Toronto and we
flew from Cincinnatti (our nearest BIG airport) and we all met in London?
3) Where would I apply for an international driver's license so we can tour the
two cities?
4) Is a BritRail pass a reasonable option for travelling between London and Glasgow?
5) It's been 30 years since I've been to the UK, Are there any "must see" spots in
London or Glasgow?
Thanks in advance for your responses. Ian
responses were sent to me via email rather than by posting to the group. Please do
*not* use the email above as it is for spam purposes only. Please direct all
responses to: [email protected].
Let me say first that I have no idea how I got sucked into this! I love my wife,
Sheila, but her suggestion that we holiday in the UK *and* that we take my parents
along caught me a bit off guard. My mom was born in London, and my dad and I were
both born in Glasgow. Sheila feels that it would be fun for all of us to rediscover
our roots! <sigh> Anyway, we're looking at next summer for the trip, but there are a
few problems which some of the more widely travelled readers might be able to
address. Sheila is a US citizen, and my parents and I are CDN citizens - I have a US
green card. We all hold valid passports from our respective countries.
1) Is it a problem for Sheila and me (Sheila specifically) to drive to Toronto where
my parents live, and then fly to the UK (London-Heathrow specifically) from there,
or must she depart fom a US airport?
2) Would it be less stressful for all concerned if my folks flew from Toronto and we
flew from Cincinnatti (our nearest BIG airport) and we all met in London?
3) Where would I apply for an international driver's license so we can tour the
two cities?
4) Is a BritRail pass a reasonable option for travelling between London and Glasgow?
5) It's been 30 years since I've been to the UK, Are there any "must see" spots in
London or Glasgow?
Thanks in advance for your responses. Ian
Aug 18th 2001, 2:38 pm
#2
Concierge
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 46,383
Ian
Shelia can fly out of Canada on her US passport. There is no problem with that at all. You will fly out of Canada with your Canadian passport and re-enter the US with your Canadian passport and US greencard. Again, no difficulties whatsoever.
A suggestion re sights to see and international driver's license and the like, go to http://www.britishexpats.com and ask in their chat group under forums. Lots of brits there that will give you first hand information on everything and anything you might want to see, do and places to stay at in your travels.
Rita
Shelia can fly out of Canada on her US passport. There is no problem with that at all. You will fly out of Canada with your Canadian passport and re-enter the US with your Canadian passport and US greencard. Again, no difficulties whatsoever.
A suggestion re sights to see and international driver's license and the like, go to http://www.britishexpats.com and ask in their chat group under forums. Lots of brits there that will give you first hand information on everything and anything you might want to see, do and places to stay at in your travels.
Rita
Aug 18th 2001, 3:13 pm
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
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You don't need a international drivers licence if you licence is in English. Just
make sure its not expired and you will be fine
Steve
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You don't need a international drivers licence if you licence is in English. Just
make sure its not expired and you will be fine
Steve
Aug 18th 2001, 5:42 pm
#4
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2001
Location: Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
Posts: 307
Ian,
The traffic in London (and Glasgow) has increased by very large amounts since you were last here. It's also got more aggresive on the roads than it was 30 years ago when you were last here. I am hopefully, moving to USA in three months (just waiting the embassy interview now), and the traffic in London is about the same now as any large US city and actually it was worse than Dallas was on my last visit there!!!
The UK rail network has gone downhill by huge amounts. It's often unreliable and expensive. Three out of the last five inter-city trains I took this year have had delays of more than about 20% of the total journey time, they were all dirty and the staff just didn't care. I no longer go anywhere by train except on the London Underground, which even with new trains on some lines is just as hot or cold, dirty, noisy and smelly as it always was.
If you factor in the grief when you DO get a delay on the trains and with our huge gas prices (about 3 times US prices), it might be better to fly to Glasgow from Heathrow and take a taxi to your hotel from there, and get a hire car for touring.
As for new "must-sees" in London, try The London Eye (South Bank by the old County Hall). The Covent Garden district has been completely rebuilt and is an interesting area to walk round (but watch your wallet). Take one of the bus tours that go all round the central area, which at about $30 are not cheap, but really worth it to see loads of places if you have never been there before.
Hope any of this helps...
The traffic in London (and Glasgow) has increased by very large amounts since you were last here. It's also got more aggresive on the roads than it was 30 years ago when you were last here. I am hopefully, moving to USA in three months (just waiting the embassy interview now), and the traffic in London is about the same now as any large US city and actually it was worse than Dallas was on my last visit there!!!
The UK rail network has gone downhill by huge amounts. It's often unreliable and expensive. Three out of the last five inter-city trains I took this year have had delays of more than about 20% of the total journey time, they were all dirty and the staff just didn't care. I no longer go anywhere by train except on the London Underground, which even with new trains on some lines is just as hot or cold, dirty, noisy and smelly as it always was.
If you factor in the grief when you DO get a delay on the trains and with our huge gas prices (about 3 times US prices), it might be better to fly to Glasgow from Heathrow and take a taxi to your hotel from there, and get a hire car for touring.
As for new "must-sees" in London, try The London Eye (South Bank by the old County Hall). The Covent Garden district has been completely rebuilt and is an interesting area to walk round (but watch your wallet). Take one of the bus tours that go all round the central area, which at about $30 are not cheap, but really worth it to see loads of places if you have never been there before.
Hope any of this helps...
Aug 18th 2001, 6:41 pm
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
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email is just as pullable from message content as it is from headers,
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email is just as pullable from message content as it is from headers,
Aug 19th 2001, 4:13 am
#6
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 110
Hey Ian,
Seeing as everyone else responded here I guess I will, too.
>>
1) Is it a problem for Sheila and me (Sheila specifically) to drive to Toronto where
my parents live, and then fly to the UK (London-Heathrow specifically) from there,
or must she depart fom a US airport?
>>
US citizens are free to come and go to Canada or the UK on vacation. This is virtually the same as you flying out of Cincinatti, connecting in Toronto, and then flying on to Heathrow. Since you are a greencard holder you are free to travel abroad for vacation just like a USC.
>>
2) Would it be less stressful for all concerned if my folks flew from Toronto and we
flew from Cincinnatti (our nearest BIG airport) and we all met in London?
>>
Well, that really depends on your personal preference, see #1.
>>
3) Where would I apply for an international driver's license so we can tour the
two cities?
>>
While on vacation in the UK you can drive on your US or Canadian driver's license. I think this might only become an issue if you were to move to Britain permanently.
>>
4) Is a BritRail pass a reasonable option for travelling between London and Glasgow?
>>
I would compare the price of the BritRail pass and what it gives you. My wife & I generally have gone to the UK twice a year for the past 3 or 4 years and have never had a car, although we've been lucky to get picked up at the airport and such by her parents. For the most part we always use the railways and it's been pretty good for the most part, even though the press likes to report that it is woefully bad. Compared to most U.S. public transport it's a gleaming gem. We've done the Edinburgh to London train trip, it's about 5-6 hours, I imagine it's the same to Glasgow.
>>
5) It's been 30 years since I've been to the UK, Are there any "must see" spots in
London or Glasgow?
>>
The London Eye, although if you can get passes ahead of time it could save you 30 minutes to an hour to wait to get on it. The fairly new Tate Modern is groovy. Some of the theaters are great, if you want to go to see theater then Theaterland/West End is where to go. Harrod's is always interesting to see. Greenwich Park and the line dividing the world in half (Prime Meridian?) is nifty. I have yet to go to Glasgow so I could not say anything about it.
-Matt
Seeing as everyone else responded here I guess I will, too.
>>
1) Is it a problem for Sheila and me (Sheila specifically) to drive to Toronto where
my parents live, and then fly to the UK (London-Heathrow specifically) from there,
or must she depart fom a US airport?
>>
US citizens are free to come and go to Canada or the UK on vacation. This is virtually the same as you flying out of Cincinatti, connecting in Toronto, and then flying on to Heathrow. Since you are a greencard holder you are free to travel abroad for vacation just like a USC.
>>
2) Would it be less stressful for all concerned if my folks flew from Toronto and we
flew from Cincinnatti (our nearest BIG airport) and we all met in London?
>>
Well, that really depends on your personal preference, see #1.
>>
3) Where would I apply for an international driver's license so we can tour the
two cities?
>>
While on vacation in the UK you can drive on your US or Canadian driver's license. I think this might only become an issue if you were to move to Britain permanently.
>>
4) Is a BritRail pass a reasonable option for travelling between London and Glasgow?
>>
I would compare the price of the BritRail pass and what it gives you. My wife & I generally have gone to the UK twice a year for the past 3 or 4 years and have never had a car, although we've been lucky to get picked up at the airport and such by her parents. For the most part we always use the railways and it's been pretty good for the most part, even though the press likes to report that it is woefully bad. Compared to most U.S. public transport it's a gleaming gem. We've done the Edinburgh to London train trip, it's about 5-6 hours, I imagine it's the same to Glasgow.
>>
5) It's been 30 years since I've been to the UK, Are there any "must see" spots in
London or Glasgow?
>>
The London Eye, although if you can get passes ahead of time it could save you 30 minutes to an hour to wait to get on it. The fairly new Tate Modern is groovy. Some of the theaters are great, if you want to go to see theater then Theaterland/West End is where to go. Harrod's is always interesting to see. Greenwich Park and the line dividing the world in half (Prime Meridian?) is nifty. I have yet to go to Glasgow so I could not say anything about it.
-Matt
Aug 21st 2001, 1:02 am
#7
Guest
Posts: n/a
Hi Ian,
I know you said that both you and your folks were born in Glasgow, but since you've
not been for 30 years, please excuse me if the below info sounds like the 'idiots
guide to Glasgow'.
I don't know if tickets can be purchased from the US, but you may want to look for a
cheap airfare from London Stanstead to Glasgow Prestwick on www.ryanair.com. You may
actually be able to book ryanair while in London if you can get to a website. My
hubby took them down to London for his visa interview, and they do a version of
e-ticketing. They are a pretty basic service, but occassionally they have really good
buys.(Dougie got to London and back for 30-35 pounds - cheaper than the train, and
quite possible cheaper than the bone-wracking bus) We've flown ryanair a lot and have
no complaints. Glasgow Prestwick is almost in Ayr, and about a 30-40 train ride from
Glasgow Central. When I was last in Glasgow, your Ryanair ticket stub entitled you to
a hefty (like 60-75%) discount on the railfare to Glasgow.
As for 'must sees' in Glasgow, if you are into art, check out the Burrell Collection,
Kelvingrove Art Gallery, Glasgow University Art Gallery (entrance on the side of the
library). My favorite museumy/arty thing is actually People's Palace on Glasgow
Green. A real eclectic slice of Glasgow.
Wandering around the genteel west end of the city can be fun.The City Centre is nice
as well, if you are into architecture and varying styles.
Some new science park/museum has opened.
Glasgow has changed a lot even in just the last 5 years. Most of the soot has been
sandblasted off the buildings, and the city seems to be in the midst of a
renaissance. Glasgow Cathedral and Provand's Lordship will give you a nice taste of
really old Glasgow. If you want a good overview of the city, hop on/hop off bus tours
leave from George Square. They aren't as comprehensive as the Edinburgh tours, but
they are pretty entertaining.
Every guide book will tell you to go to the Barras. If you are into fleamarkets you
may like it. The best deal I got at the Barras was on a used ironing board and
clothes drying rack. (hey, I was a student). Grand total: 3 pounds.
Try to get out of the city as well to Loch Lomond, maybe, or Troon. Inverary is nice
if you have a car. Stirling makes an excellent day trip (castle, windy streets,
frequent trains from Glasgow Queen Street Station). A daytrip to Edinburgh is also
very feasible.
The List is a fortnightly arts/events/entertainment review and listings magazine
which might be worth checking out. It covers events both in Glasgow and Edinburgh. I
believe they have a website. (www.thelist.com maybe?)
Hope you enjoy your visit. Hubby requests that you have a nice curry from the Ashoka
since he can't have one.
All the best,
Kathie
I know you said that both you and your folks were born in Glasgow, but since you've
not been for 30 years, please excuse me if the below info sounds like the 'idiots
guide to Glasgow'.
I don't know if tickets can be purchased from the US, but you may want to look for a
cheap airfare from London Stanstead to Glasgow Prestwick on www.ryanair.com. You may
actually be able to book ryanair while in London if you can get to a website. My
hubby took them down to London for his visa interview, and they do a version of
e-ticketing. They are a pretty basic service, but occassionally they have really good
buys.(Dougie got to London and back for 30-35 pounds - cheaper than the train, and
quite possible cheaper than the bone-wracking bus) We've flown ryanair a lot and have
no complaints. Glasgow Prestwick is almost in Ayr, and about a 30-40 train ride from
Glasgow Central. When I was last in Glasgow, your Ryanair ticket stub entitled you to
a hefty (like 60-75%) discount on the railfare to Glasgow.
As for 'must sees' in Glasgow, if you are into art, check out the Burrell Collection,
Kelvingrove Art Gallery, Glasgow University Art Gallery (entrance on the side of the
library). My favorite museumy/arty thing is actually People's Palace on Glasgow
Green. A real eclectic slice of Glasgow.
Wandering around the genteel west end of the city can be fun.The City Centre is nice
as well, if you are into architecture and varying styles.
Some new science park/museum has opened.
Glasgow has changed a lot even in just the last 5 years. Most of the soot has been
sandblasted off the buildings, and the city seems to be in the midst of a
renaissance. Glasgow Cathedral and Provand's Lordship will give you a nice taste of
really old Glasgow. If you want a good overview of the city, hop on/hop off bus tours
leave from George Square. They aren't as comprehensive as the Edinburgh tours, but
they are pretty entertaining.
Every guide book will tell you to go to the Barras. If you are into fleamarkets you
may like it. The best deal I got at the Barras was on a used ironing board and
clothes drying rack. (hey, I was a student). Grand total: 3 pounds.
Try to get out of the city as well to Loch Lomond, maybe, or Troon. Inverary is nice
if you have a car. Stirling makes an excellent day trip (castle, windy streets,
frequent trains from Glasgow Queen Street Station). A daytrip to Edinburgh is also
very feasible.
The List is a fortnightly arts/events/entertainment review and listings magazine
which might be worth checking out. It covers events both in Glasgow and Edinburgh. I
believe they have a website. (www.thelist.com maybe?)
Hope you enjoy your visit. Hubby requests that you have a nice curry from the Ashoka
since he can't have one.
All the best,
Kathie
