Tom wrote:
> On Feb 5, 1:25 pm, "EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>Tom wrote:
>>
>>>The family and I are taking our first trip to London in March (Spring
>>>Break). We are flying into Gatwick (arriving Continental Airlines) at
>>>@6:50 a.m. from Houston. Need to get to the Marriott Grosvernor
>>>Square but don't want to take a taxi.
>>
>>Why? True, a taxi is more expensive than other means of
>>public transport, but I've always considered a taxi from the
>>airport to my hotel more than worth the cost in terms of
>>confort and convenience! (If, after arriving in a strange
>>city after a long flight, you need to ask directions, why
>>not just put it in the hands of a professional, and relax
>>until you reach the hotel?)
>
>
> My understanding was that a taxi from Gatwick to this Marriott may
> cost close to $150. Not a problem to afford, but I thought it might
> be a bit more adventurous to take the train.

"Adventurous" no doubt! You are obviously younger than I -
although I enjoy the ambience of European cities, I don't
enjoy the helpless feeling of being lost in one. (Although
getting lost in an English-speaking country would be a bit
less traumatic than in one where I am far from fluent in the
language.) ;-)

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
(EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)) wrote:

> *From:* "EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" <[email protected]>
> *Date:* Tue, 06 Feb 2007 10:27:06 -0700
>
>
>
> Tom wrote:
> > On Feb 5, 1:25 pm, "EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)"
> > <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >>Tom wrote:
> >>
> >>>The family and I are taking our first trip to London in March (Spring
> >>>Break). We are flying into Gatwick (arriving Continental Airlines)
> at
> >>>@6:50 a.m. from Houston. Need to get to the Marriott Grosvernor
> >>>Square but don't want to take a taxi.
> >>
> >>Why? True, a taxi is more expensive than other means of
> >>public transport, but I've always considered a taxi from the
> >>airport to my hotel more than worth the cost in terms of
> >>confort and convenience! (If, after arriving in a strange
> >>city after a long flight, you need to ask directions, why
> >>not just put it in the hands of a professional, and relax
> >>until you reach the hotel?)
> >
> >
> > My understanding was that a taxi from Gatwick to this Marriott may
> > cost close to $150. Not a problem to afford, but I thought it might
> > be a bit more adventurous to take the train.
>
> "Adventurous" no doubt! You are obviously younger than I -
> although I enjoy the ambience of European cities, I don't
> enjoy the helpless feeling of being lost in one.

It's not really a journey that offers much scope for getting lost...

<[email protected]> wrote:

> In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
> (EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)) wrote:
[]
> > Tom wrote:
[]
> > > My understanding was that a taxi from Gatwick to this Marriott may
> > > cost close to $150. Not a problem to afford, but I thought it might
> > > be a bit more adventurous to take the train.
> >
> > "Adventurous" no doubt! You are obviously younger than I -
> > although I enjoy the ambience of European cities, I don't
> > enjoy the helpless feeling of being lost in one.
>
> It's not really a journey that offers much scope for getting lost...

Exactly. I don't find her (mostly enjoyable in other threads) posts on
this particular subject helpful. I'm hoping that if she ever arrived at
Gatwick in the past, that she didn't waste time and money on a taxi...

--
(*) ... of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate
David Horne- http://www.davidhorne.net
(don't email yahoo address) usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk

I have been lost in Paris before. No big deal. We have all day to
get where we are going.

I am sad for those (at least those who do not have a valid excuse such
as a disability or something of that nature) who never get out of a
sterile hotle room, sterile taxi, sterile museum and learn what the
real country is all about. I love visiting places off the normal
tourist trails. Get me in contact with the locals and I am in heaven.

[email protected] wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
> (EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)) wrote:
>
>
>>*From:* "EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" <[email protected]>
>>*Date:* Tue, 06 Feb 2007 10:27:06 -0700
>>
>>
>>
>>Tom wrote:
>>
>>>On Feb 5, 1:25 pm, "EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)"
>>><[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>Tom wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>The family and I are taking our first trip to London in March (Spring
>>>>>Break). We are flying into Gatwick (arriving Continental Airlines)
>>
>>at
>>
>>>>>@6:50 a.m. from Houston. Need to get to the Marriott Grosvernor
>>>>>Square but don't want to take a taxi.
>>>>
>>>>Why? True, a taxi is more expensive than other means of
>>>>public transport, but I've always considered a taxi from the
>>>>airport to my hotel more than worth the cost in terms of
>>>>confort and convenience! (If, after arriving in a strange
>>>>city after a long flight, you need to ask directions, why
>>>>not just put it in the hands of a professional, and relax
>>>>until you reach the hotel?)
>>>
>>>
>>>My understanding was that a taxi from Gatwick to this Marriott may
>>>cost close to $150. Not a problem to afford, but I thought it might
>>>be a bit more adventurous to take the train.
>>
>>"Adventurous" no doubt! You are obviously younger than I -
>>although I enjoy the ambience of European cities, I don't
>>enjoy the helpless feeling of being lost in one.
>
>
> It's not really a journey that offers much scope for getting lost...

Unfortunately, I seem to have a talent for doing so - even
in supposedly familiar areas of my home city!

David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*) wrote:

> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
>>(EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)) wrote:
>
> []
>
>>>Tom wrote:
>
> []
>
>>>>My understanding was that a taxi from Gatwick to this Marriott may
>>>>cost close to $150. Not a problem to afford, but I thought it might
>>>>be a bit more adventurous to take the train.
>>>
>>>"Adventurous" no doubt! You are obviously younger than I -
>>>although I enjoy the ambience of European cities, I don't
>>>enjoy the helpless feeling of being lost in one.
>>
>>It's not really a journey that offers much scope for getting lost...
>
>
> Exactly. I don't find her (mostly enjoyable in other threads) posts on
> this particular subject helpful. I'm hoping that if she ever arrived at
> Gatwick in the past, that she didn't waste time and money on a taxi...

I generally use Heathrow, in transit to other parts of
Europe. The only time I was staying in London, I stayed
with a friend who met met at the gate.
>

Tom wrote:

> I have been lost in Paris before. No big deal. We have all day to
> get where we are going.
>
> I am sad for those (at least those who do not have a valid excuse such
> as a disability or something of that nature) who never get out of a
> sterile hotle room, sterile taxi, sterile museum and learn what the
> real country is all about. I love visiting places off the normal
> tourist trails. Get me in contact with the locals and I am in heaven.

Well, traveling to attend a particular opera singer's
scheduled performances is not exactly ON "the normal tourist
trails", is it? I don't usually use taxis for anything but
getting to and from the airport - mostly I explore the area
around my hotel on foot. (Since I never stay at hotels that
are part of an American chain, I see a good deal of the
"locals" - enough to practice my language skills, anyway.)

Let is be knownst that on Tue, 06 Feb 2007 10:27:06 -0700,
"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" <[email protected]> writted:

>
>
>Tom wrote:
>> On Feb 5, 1:25 pm, "EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)"
>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>>Tom wrote:
>>>
>>>>The family and I are taking our first trip to London in March (Spring
>>>>Break). We are flying into Gatwick (arriving Continental Airlines) at
>>>>@6:50 a.m. from Houston. Need to get to the Marriott Grosvernor
>>>>Square but don't want to take a taxi.
>>>
>>>Why? True, a taxi is more expensive than other means of
>>>public transport, but I've always considered a taxi from the
>>>airport to my hotel more than worth the cost in terms of
>>>confort and convenience! (If, after arriving in a strange
>>>city after a long flight, you need to ask directions, why
>>>not just put it in the hands of a professional, and relax
>>>until you reach the hotel?)
>>
>>
>> My understanding was that a taxi from Gatwick to this Marriott may
>> cost close to $150. Not a problem to afford, but I thought it might
>> be a bit more adventurous to take the train.
>
>"Adventurous" no doubt! You are obviously younger than I -
>although I enjoy the ambience of European cities, I don't
>enjoy the helpless feeling of being lost in one. (Although
>getting lost in an English-speaking country would be a bit
>less traumatic than in one where I am far from fluent in the
>language.) ;-)

I think that's probably more connected to your desire for adventure. I
love being surrounded by bizzareness from time to time, and getting
lost is an unexpected pleasure. You speak english, and you have a
brain - you are never really lost.
--
---
DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
---
--

If you are on a weekend you can immediately get a travelcard good from
LGW to all zones for a day. If weekday you have to wait until 9 or
9:30 (don't recall exact time). Not usable on Gatwick Express, but on
all local trains/underground/bus. Check the transport for london web
page for travelcard information.

Deeply Filled Mortician wrote:
>
> I think that's probably more connected to your desire for adventure. I
> love being surrounded by bizzareness from time to time, and getting
> lost is an unexpected pleasure. You speak english, and you have a
> brain - you are never really lost.

Agreed, but even you say "from time to time." I don't see any particular
virtue in making every minute of every trip a challenge/adventure. If
I've arrived in Europe after an overnight flight during which I've
gotten very little sleep and flown through five or more time zones, I'm
uninterested in having an adventure. However, I happily embrace the
adventure of using mass transit, wandering, getting lost, reading a map,
and coping in a foreign language when I'm not sleep deprived and jet-lagged.

Karen Selwyn

Karen Selwyn wrote:

> Deeply Filled Mortician wrote:
>
>>
>> I think that's probably more connected to your desire for adventure. I
>> love being surrounded by bizzareness from time to time, and getting
>> lost is an unexpected pleasure. You speak english, and you have a
>> brain - you are never really lost.
>
>
> Agreed, but even you say "from time to time." I don't see any particular
> virtue in making every minute of every trip a challenge/adventure. If
> I've arrived in Europe after an overnight flight during which I've
> gotten very little sleep and flown through five or more time zones, I'm
> uninterested in having an adventure. However, I happily embrace the
> adventure of using mass transit, wandering, getting lost, reading a map,
> and coping in a foreign language when I'm not sleep deprived and
> jet-lagged.

Exactly! (And in daylight, please.)