Lobouspo Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 I booked through Expedia, but I just can't take her games anymore. Never traveled to Europe before, booked for November 5 through November 16. Thank God I got a hotel and did not agree to stay at her flat like she wanted. Is it worth it to go? Never traveled alone to a foreign country. Could I still have a fun trip? Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated Link to post Share on other sites
perol Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 If you comfortable going places alone, then yes go for it. I have no problem doing things alone and I wouldn't even blink at going on a trip like that by myself. 4 Link to post Share on other sites
Nellygirl Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Oh my gosh yes! Go! Get excited about it and enjoy it! 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Grumpybutfun Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 London is an amazing city and I see many solo travelers there by themselves when I go. I have traveled there alone for business and pleasure and loved it. I would definitely go and see all the sites. Hell, I could spend a week in their British Museum. Good luck and let us know what you plan, Grumps 2 Link to post Share on other sites
emi Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Why not? U dont know how many people wish for a chance to visit London:rolleyes: 1 Link to post Share on other sites
craw Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 There is loads of things to do in London. Although it's very expensive, I'd do a bit of London then hop over to another country for a bit and return. Might help if you express your interests. Check out a local couchsurfing event, u will meet other travellers. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Author Lobouspo Posted October 7, 2015 Author Share Posted October 7, 2015 Appreciate the input guys thanks. I wanna do all the tourist stuff. I'm also a huge sports fan so catching an EPL match would be fun. For the time frame I am going, how much money should I take?. I hear London is expensive, and I wanna have fun but watch what I spend. What would you guys recommend? Link to post Share on other sites
TMichaels Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Appreciate the input guys thanks. I wanna do all the tourist stuff. I'm also a huge sports fan so catching an EPL match would be fun. For the time frame I am going, how much money should I take?. I hear London is expensive, and I wanna have fun but watch what I spend. What would you guys recommend? Let me answer your question by working backward to give you some background info... Keep in mind, every country has it's own currency. US dollars are only legal tender in the US, so therefore, you're going to have to obtain and use currency of the country you'll be visiting. You can do that in advance or wait until you get there. If you want to have British pounds in your pocket when you land, you'll have to get them before you leave. In the US, it usually takes a week or so in order to "order" foreign currency from your bank. It could take longer from smaller banks or credit unions, and some don't offer this service at all. Then, there's the whole issue of having all that cash on you while you're traveling -- not a good idea -- unless you don't mind being paranoid about getting pick-pocketed or that you'll be stranded and penniless if all your cash disappears. Years ago, people would get traveler's checks in the currency of the country they were traveling to. No need for any of that if you have a credit or ATM card -- much safer to charge your purchases or take out what cash money you need as you go along when you get there. Before you go, check with your bank or credit union what networks they participate in/with overseas where you'll be visiting. (Cirrus, Pulse, Star, etc.) All you'll need to do in order to use your ATM card overseas, is to find a machine that is in your network. Like in the US, the machines usually have network logos on the front of them. You can also find that info online and many of the network sites allow you to put in an address or a postal code and then the site spits out a list of the closest ATMs. Also a good idea to ask your credit card issuer what's the fee for using your credit card overseas. There usually always is a charge for converting the purchase from one currency to another, but some also charge a convenience fee on top of that which can be hefty. Some cards don't charge anything at all for the convenience of being able to use your card. In London, you should have no problem using a VISA, MasterCard, or American Express card, but look in the window or on the menu at the establishment and see what it is they will accept. Discover cards are only a US thing; some places will accept Diner's Club, but you don't see many of those much anymore. How much money should you take? I used to take maybe 100 bucks American which I would change upon arrival at the airport just to be able to have walking-around money until I was able to get checked-in at my hotel and settled in. The rest of the time, I would just get local currency out of an ATM as I needed it or used my credit card. DO NOT take a large amount of American currency with you, exchange that for pounds when you get there, and then have to exchange it again when you leave England or land back in the US. There always is a handling fee or commission for exchanging currency of one type for another and it's stupid to end up paying that fee twice. IOW, only convert as much as you think you'll actually spend to avoid getting stuck with a bunch of foreign money you can't spend anywhere else or will have to pay a commission to convert it back to US funds. Another tip: You can exchange money at a number of places. There will be self-service machines in heavily-trafficked areas, exchange bureaus (a counter, small shop, etc.) all over where there are a lot of visitors/tourists, banks on just about every corner, and often times the front desk at your hotel will also change money for you. Just keep in mind ALL will charge you a fee for doing so which will vary, so "shop around" for the best exchange rate before you hand over your cash. You can look online and see what the current exchange rate is (how many USD for UK pounds) -- www.xe.com is one site. Dunno if they have an app you can add to your cell phone or not. They might. If so, you might want to add it so you know the going rate and also can determine quickly when you see the price of something how much that really is in US dollars. There probably is also a standalone app out there for smartphones that will do the currency conversion for you. Foreign prices of things might seem great, until you do the conversion. "50" might seem like a fair price for say a ticket to something, but in reality that ticket is really $75 in US funds. No big deal on the surface, but those little differences can add up in the course of a trip, and suddenly when you get home and the credit card bills come rolling in, you realize you spent 50% more than you thought... HTH, TMichaels 1 Link to post Share on other sites
TMichaels Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 (edited) Regarding English Premiere League football (soccer) tickets... Here's what matches will be played in various London stadiums while you're in town. You can order tickets online from various brokers. Just Google it. Nov 05 Europa League Tottenham Hotspur v Anderlecht 20:05 - White Hart Lane - London, United Kingdom Nov 07 Football League Championship Fulham v Birmingham City 15:00 - Craven Cottage - London, United Kingdom Nov 07 Football League Championship Queens Park Rangers v Preston North End 15:00 - Loftus Road - London, United Kingdom Nov 07 English Premiership West Ham United v Everton 15:00 - Boleyn Ground - London, United Kingdom Nov 08 English Premiership Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur 16:00 - Emirates Stadium - London, United Kingdom You also might want to double-check on what the public transport options are to various stadiums. For example, Emirates Stadium can be reached easily by taking the Piccadilly tube line (which is one of the main lines that runs throughout central London), and getting off at Arsenal station. Others might require a train and/or bus ride and most likely a change of trains/buses, etc. depending on where you're coming from. Keep in mind if you get a London transport card (cheaper than buying individual tickets), the cards often only cover a Zones 1&2 (central London) and the stadiums tend to be on the outskirts. You'll need to "add on"/pay an addl fare to cover the cost of going outside the central zone/s. For more info about public transport options/costs/etc. you might want to take a look here. Best, TMichaels Edited October 8, 2015 by TMichaels 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Lois_Griffin Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Random tip - make sure your credit cards and/or ATM card have that 'smart chip' on them. My son and I were in Europe a couple years ago and ran into that issue a lot - ATM machines, ticket machines, etc. only taking cards with the smart chip built into them. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
violetdiamond Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 I would totally go. From your post it looks like you are native English-speaker, so you will have no trouble traveling around London. The city is easy to navigate with their subway system, and you won't have to worry about any language barriers getting in the way. Have you looked on tripadvisor? I always use that when I'm planning trips, they have great forums and reviews on there. Link to post Share on other sites
Ijustdon'tgetit Posted October 10, 2015 Share Posted October 10, 2015 I booked through Expedia, but I just can't take her games anymore. Never traveled to Europe before, booked for November 5 through November 16. Thank God I got a hotel and did not agree to stay at her flat like she wanted. Is it worth it to go? Never traveled alone to a foreign country. Could I still have a fun trip? Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated Yes, I went alone and used couchsurfer. Although, it was my third time traveling there. Using couchsurfer helps you meet mostly nice locals who can help tremendously. I always exchange enough money through my home bank as it's cheaper. Then, I use a money/travel belt to hide most of it and only take out the days amount needed in my purse, in case something unfortunate happens. The travel belt should never be seen. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
acrosstheuniverse Posted October 10, 2015 Share Posted October 10, 2015 Totally go! London is as cheap or expensive as you want to make it to be honest, you can cover large areas of it on foot while avoiding the underground tube station, plus you see more that way. I travel there every month or two for different music concerts I go to and if I have the time, always walk places rather than use the tube. The tube actually has a cap on it though, meaning if you stay within a certain zone they can only charge you up to a certain amount and after that as long as you stay within the zone the travel is unlimited. There are lots and lots of free touristy things to do. Food and drink isn't cheap but it depends on what you're comparing it to. There are plenty of fast food places like Burger King and McDonalds, I'm sure you don't want to eat junk constantly but just saying there are options for cheap meals. If you make a few contacts from the area it's easy to find out the cheap places to eat. A lot of the tourist things to see are completely free don't forget, such as going to see Buckingham Palace, going for a wander around Harrods in Knightsbridge, visiting 10 Downing Street (the home of our prime minister) and seeing Westminster. Loads of the museums are free too. Regarding food it depends how much you eat... I'm quite happy to eat breakfast and a late lunch and skip evening meals which would make it much cheaper for me to eat if I was on a budget but I know someone people who want three cooked meals per day so obviously if you're eating out for all of them it's gonna cost loads more. I think there are quite a few posters on here from London, hopefully they'll be along soon to offer their advice but you might wanna hit up a travel forum! If you decide to cut costs and stay in a hostel, just bear in mind that your trip will likely be a miserable one as you'll be sharing a room with loads of strangers. I stayed in a well respected hostel last week there because it was so cheap £38 for a double bed in a room with 16 other people and although it was way cheaper than most places to stay, it was impossible to get any sleep, which made me miserable the next day. Don't think you'd want to ruin your holiday being exhausted. 3 Link to post Share on other sites
madjac74 Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 A hotel is a great place to meet people! There are a lot of women traveling solo for business and what better way to strike up convo at a hotel bar then being a confused tourist from another country! Link to post Share on other sites
NewLeaf512 Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 Just for clarity: have you only booked your flight? I know Expedia doesn't do refunds. I would visit. There is much to do here that is free. You need a travel card for buses trains and the tube. It is best to get a weekly travel card for zones 1-3. That will cost approximately £46. Depending what you want to do (galleries, changing of the guard, parks, some churches) = free Tower of London Sherlock Etc cost £ You are likely coming into Heathrow or Gatwick. You then need to get into town. £25 approximately Link to post Share on other sites
Penguin_hugs Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 If I was you I would still continue your trip- sometimes you can appreciate things differently on your own. Recently I travelled to California on my own without my BF, mainly because it was a really last minute trip (flew 10 days after I booked- graduation present to visit family in the US) but I think I really appreciated being able to do things myself. I wandered about the town where my family lived- planned day trips, ate anywhere I wanted to go and it was actually really liberating just to do things that I wanted to do without considering anyone else. Like just sitting in a cafe reading for 2 hours with no one else getting bored. I'm not a London local, but I do live in the UK- so I've been for quite a lot of day trips (I'm actually going tomorrow!) London can be as cheap or expensive as you make it. So many of the museums are free- you could visit a different one every day of your trip and not pay a penny! Places like The Natural History Museum, The Science Museum, The British Museum, The Victoria and Albert etc etc. There are some good places too that you can pay to go- but I'd limit them to one or two on your trip as the places that need paying for are pricey. I'd recommend the London Dungeons though- and sometimes you can get offers online for cheaper tickets. It depends where you eat as to the price. Sure if you go to a fancy restaurant you would pay a lot- but if you like Asian food then China town is good for some cheap food! If you want to see a London Show, go to the Box office in the middle of Leicester square and see what tickets they are selling that day- tickets can be half price if you go last minute. And just wandering about is free! There are so many things just to look at. I once spent 5 hours walking about Harrods- 2 of those just looking at the food court! And I didn't spend a penny! I hope you have a good trip 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Els Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 Of COURSE you should go! Have lots of fun. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
SandraTempleton Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 My favorite thing to do in every city that I have traveled to is take a walking tour with a local guide. It helps to do it on day 1 or day 2 to get your bearings and have an idea of the layout of the city. In Europe, Sandeman's and Free Tours by Foot are both popular options. London is a fascinating city and a good one for your first trip abroad. There's lots of good advice on this thread on what to do and see. I know hostels were mentioned as a budget saving option. I really like the site airbnb which allows you to rent an apartment (aka flat) or a room from a person on a temporary basis. I've really enjoyed my hosts from the site. For sightseeing in London I recommend the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, and the British Museum. I wish I had gotten to go to a Shakespeare play at the Globe theater or watched a play in the West End. For food, I highly recommend trying traditional fish and chips and shepherd's pie and a proper Indian curry. If you go into a pub to meet the locals it's nice to buy someone a pint as a hello and thanks for the chat mate. I really like that about the Brits. Buying someone a drink over there isn't the same as the States. To me it's always felt more like a sexual advance. Link to post Share on other sites
craw Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 BTW, be aware of pick pocketers. My mom got pick pocketed, her wallet was full of photographs that she lost. It was my father carrying the money. Do you like art? The Tate modern mostly free. Loads of great museums. Make sure you have adequate rain gear . Link to post Share on other sites
SandraTempleton Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 I forgot to add, I don't recommend meeting up with your ex in London. No point dragging out the break up. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Haydn Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 I`ll pick you up. Enjoy my City. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Author Lobouspo Posted October 16, 2015 Author Share Posted October 16, 2015 I`ll pick you up. Enjoy my City. I may hit you up bro. One thing I'm worried about is being in her home city, I don't want my trip ruined by her. She still wants to meet up while I'm out there. As tempted as I might be, it's just not a good idea. I just wanna stay busy and enjoy myself, and not get bogged down with thoughts of her. Link to post Share on other sites
froz Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 London's a great city, have only been a few times, last time being 2010. Plenty to do and see, it'll certainly get your mind off this break up. Link to post Share on other sites
fred123 Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Appreciate the input guys thanks. I wanna do all the tourist stuff. I'm also a huge sports fan so catching an EPL match would be fun. For the time frame I am going, how much money should I take?. I hear London is expensive, and I wanna have fun but watch what I spend. What would you guys recommend? hey man message me. I'm from london. i could sort out an ell game for you and we could meet for a drink 1 Link to post Share on other sites
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