Morgans

On 7 December 2019 at 7:02 PM, Post Captain said:

A few minutes search on the Premier Inn website shows that the following PI hotels should be within the OP's budget for a July stay:

 

---  Farringdon (Smithfield).  I spent a few nights here this past April, paying less than £100 p.n. My room seemed slightly smaller than those in other PI's in which I've stayed, but was more than adequate for my needs. I love bthe location -- a bit off the usual tourist track but within easy walking distance of the kinds of places I love to explore when I'm in London: St Bartholomew the Great, Smithfield Market, Charterhouse Square, the Barbican, Christchurch Greyfriars Church Garden, Postman's Park, the Old Bailey (from the outside), the Viaduct Tavern (from the inside!).  And ten minutes' walk from St Paul's Cathedral.

On 7 December 2019 at 7:02 PM, Post Captain said:

(Note:  Premier Inn uses the sort of dynamic pricing model practiced by the airlines, so the further in advance you can book, the less you will pay. The chain offers both "non-flex" and "flex" prices, explained on the website.)

 

 

 

The Premier Inn in Smithfield (Farringdon is a great location and I echo all that Post Captain has said. So great to see the Postman's Park mentioned too - it really is a hidden gem that few people know about ......would also recommend a visit to the church of St Sepulchre Without which is opposite the Viaduct Tavern, also known as the Musicians Church (my daughter was married there) and it is the resting place of John Smith of Pocahontas fame.  This area of London is a must for history buffs : there is so much to see as Post Captain has pointed out.

Ours have just started to show on the Cruise Personaliser and we are about 115 days away......!

On 8 November 2019 at 11:41 PM, rdt10 said:

Thanks for all of the comments on the Conrad St James.  I've booked a king executive room with lounge access. Is the lounge breakfast a full breakfast or continental? 

 

Rick

Try to make time for strolling through St James Park - very close and absolutely delightful. It's a favourite pastime of our family as there is so much to see and is beautiful especially in the summer. An oasis of calm in a busy city......

Thanks to you all. We will go armed with half the chemist's supplies to  be on the safe side!

We are upto date with all necessary inoculations/vaccinations but just wondered about the likelihood of being bitten - more for discomfort really. We will take plenty of spray! 

Doing a cruise from Singapore to Yokahama in March/April. Includes a couple of ports in Vietnam, South Korea, Hong Kong & Shanghai. Are mosquitos a problem in these places - we don't envisage going off the beaten track and will probably stay near the main towns/cities? Any advice or reccommendations. Thanks in advance.

I would be surprised if the ship doesn't offer excursions?  They are usually geared to wheelchair users too. We have seen adapted coaches being used. Perhaps it depends on the cruise line.

Hotel Monte Carlo is very pleasant - you can take a Water Taxi to the port or it isnt too far from the water bus stop also to the port. It is also handy for St Marks Square (just down a small alley way.)

Not sure if it will be warm enough to actually sunbathe but you certainly will be able to sit out in the sun. The weather can be variable (as anywhere). We have cruised several times in October and generally it isn't bad - certainly not the blazing heat of the summer. Bare in mind that the weather could be a bit hit and miss. We did have one particular storm that I remember !

It varies - it could be fine but it is the rainy season and the wind can blow up quickly to make the seas rough. Or it can be calm - go prepared for a mixture. The Mediterranean isn't calm all the time (as some people think) and it can get some very bad storms and winds on occasions.

54 minutes ago, Max and Ruby said:

Oh wow!  This is such great information.  I will copy and paste in my travel notes. :-)

 

1 more question- is the area safe to walk around especially in the evening (think no later than 11 pm) (23:00)?  Some of the research I saw online stated that north and east of this area isn't the best, but west was better.  Part of the length of our stay is also to just wander and explore.

 

Thanks!

As a general rule yes west is generally nicer but don't stress about it as there won't be any reason to go any further east as there is nothing interesting to see in that area. You'll be tired after all the sightseeing so I agree you probably will want to be back before it gets too late - taxis are easily available should you wish to use them in the evening to return to the hotel.   That said there are always people around- it won't be deserted even late.

Yes it's true that you have chosen an area which isn't usually on the list of tourist hotspots and is slightly off the radar of most tourists when they come to London but that said, the area is fine and provides very easy transport links to many of the sights you will want to see as well as some which are very near and walk able. The hotel gets very decent reviews and many returning guests.

From in front of the hotel you can take the  no. 15 bus directly to the Tower of London, St Paul’s and Trafalgar Square – all door to door. It’s a good sightseeing bus.  Or you can walk to the Tower and Tower Bridge if you prefer. Make sure you see St Katharine Docks next door as its well worth a visit and the marina is very pretty. HMS Belfast on the south side of the river is well worth a visit too – very, very interesting indeed.

Whitechapel is a very ethnic area – at the top of Commercial Road if you turn right along Whitechapel High St  you will be in the Market area (mainly Bangladeshi) – it is quite an education visiting the market. Fruit and veg that will have never seen before!

Turn left towards Aldgate East tube there is the Whitechapel Art Gallery – totally free to visit. Quirky, different and well worth a look in. At Aldgate tube (not to be confused with the former) there is the beautiful church of St Botolph’s. In front of here the bus stop has links to many spots in London –100 bus to go to Wapping and the Town of Ramsgate pub which is comfortable and welcoming. Walk along the Thames footpath for marvelous views of Tower Bridge and the old wharves, now luxury flats. The 100 bus in the opposite direction will take you to the magnificent Bevis Marks Synagogue which has guided tours as well as services). Continue the same road to the Museum of London (free) and St Paul’s. Jack the Ripper tours take place from (i think )Aldgate tube.

There is a great cinema near the hotel (Curzon Aldgate) and also some good restaurants. If you like curries – the Empress in Leman Street(cheap but excellent) and Café Spice Namaste in Prescott St (dearer but excellent and well known with TV chef Cyrus Todiwala.) There is the Brown Bear Pub in Leman Street and the Princess of Prussia in Prescott St – basic Victorian. (You may have heard of Leman St from the TV Programme Ripper Street.) There is an excellent Chinese restaurant immediately next to Aldgate tube at the Dorsett Hotel, but bit pricey but great food. If you want a first class Sunday lunch we can recommend the Chamberlain in the Minories, near the Tower.

Download a bus map, a tube map and a general map of the area. Top up your Oyster cards and off you go……

Which hotel have you booked in Whitechapel?- we know the area fairly well.

I hope your plans work out - HMS Victory is superb. 

25 minutes ago, annieuk said:

Steve, we've been wondering about purchasing dollars too!  We do need to buy some dollars but haven't decided where to get them from yet.  I don't somehow think the rate is going to improve between now and when we go on 1st September.   One other thing that occurred to me today.  I was reading in the paper this morning about the new security changes to using credit cards coming in September because of and EU dictum.  The idea is that when anyone uses a credit card on line they will have to put in a code before the purchase goes through.  The code will be sent to them by the credit card company either by text on a mobile phone or by email.  The newspaper article forecasts all sorts of problems at checkouts - Santander for example is insisting on sending the code via text to a mobile phone - what happens to those who don't have a mobile?  The reason I'm raising this is that if we are using a Credit Card in Canada or the US on our forthcoming cruise starting on September 1st, will this apply to us?  Are we all going to have a problem we we try to use a Credit Card?  Anyone have any idea?

Hello Annie - I could be wrong but I think it's just for purchases made on the Internet. It would be too problematic for everyday buying in shops I would think.

13 hours ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

 

I am afraid this is not correct. Neuf has two meanings, nine and new (distinctly different to nouveau - neuf has more of a  sense of brand new or very new). 

 

As I said in my post, in this context it clearly means ‘New Bridge’. For whatever reason you seem to want to disbelieve or contradict things I contribute to this forum, but a glance at any published source on the Pont Neuf might help you accept this...

 

In any case, neuf as nine, the cardinal number, would be incorrect for Ninth Bridge - it would be Neuvième Pont. 

Exactement!

15 hours ago, deladane said:

Bouillon Chartier is located just around the corner from our hotel.  They are highly rated on Trip Advisor and known for having good French cuisine at affordable prices.  It shouldn’t surprise me that when we approached the restaurant, there was a HUGE line outside and the hostess said it would be at least a 30 minute wait to be seated.  With the time it took to get back to this side of the city from the Arc de Triomphe, it was already 8:30pm so we did not want to wait another 30 minutes (likely longer, judging from the length of the line!) just to be seated, let along waiting to be served some food. 

 

Instead, we went a few stores down to Café H.

It is a shame you missed Chartier - quite an experience. Cafe H is no comparison.

You might want to check out Columbus Insurance - they offer decent quotes and cover for pre existing conditions and cruises.

 Eurostar does take you more or less to the park gates - its very convenient and easy .It takes approx 2hrs 40 mins. Direct trains to/from St Pancras would give you approx 5 hours at the park when going/returning the same day. Some days are better than others for choices of direct trains so best to try to be flexible with dates.

It may not be too much help to you but we have done a Cosmos Tour in Italy. It was very well organised, with an excellent guide and decent hotels. 

We had friends who several years ago did a Cosmos tour of the U.K. They found it fine - mostly used Best Western Hotels then, not sure which they use now. It was a busy itinerary as I recall and they saw a lot.

The company is still going strong here - you would certainly see a great deal and then relax on your ship......

11 minutes ago, GrJ Berkshire said:

This location is a long way from most tourist sites, and if it's the weekend largely deserted as its a business area. 

Not at all - quite busy (but not rammed with people) and some excellent shops and restaurants. There are some lovely walks by the river. Yes you are certainly out of town but there is easy access into town where you will be able to fight through the crowds when sight seeing! Handy for river boats, buses and DLR .

Which hotel have you seen?  

Some of the European cities are indeed getting spoilt by tourism, especially in the summer months when crowds, heat and smells (Amsterdam!) are very prevalent. But it's not just cruise passengers - London can be very uncomfortable and crammed and it's not ships to blame there - purely tourists and visitors on holiday.

We went to Amsterdam in the summer and unfortunately it wasn't pleasant at all - and we have always loved it. It was packed both on land and on the water - there seemed an abundance on small boats offering booze/herbal/music trips which clogged the canals. They are ruining the city unfortunately.

The cruise destinations are becoming victims of their own success - they are extremely busy without the cruise passengers but when ships are in port they're even worse.

Sorry but I wasn't referring to Camden Town - but to the other places you mentioned.  I still don't think any tourist will walk from Canary Wharf to Bromley.....

56 minutes ago, ducklite said:

I must disagree that there is nowhere in London unsafe for two women.  Have you been in Camden Town at 1:00 am?  Take a walk through Bromley in the evening or Barking and Dagenham pretty much any time of the day and tell me it's perfectly safe for two tourists who probably aren't walking with purpose.   

There are plenty of extremely safe parts of London--I've walked from the Kings Road in Chelsea to a place on Queens Gate just south of Cromwell Road in So Kensington by myself at 10 pm without hesitation.  But to make a blanket statement that all of London is perfectly safe is foolish, because it's not.

Hardly tourist areas of course.......so unlikely posters on our boards would find themselves in such areas anyway. Central London is generally very safe - just use common sense. I still don't like the areas around Kings Cross and Waterloo but that's just because I can go back to the days when these areas were very dodgy - I appreciate great improvements have been made in latter years. 

Its very small and easy to do on your own if you just want to wander. Cafes, bars and restaurants. Small side streets to get lost in. October is coming to the end of the season so things could be fairly quiet and cooler but with a cruise ship in port it may be different. It s a beautiful, tiny island - near to the islands where some of Game of Thrones was filmed. There are some lovely walks along the water from the old town. We found the house where Marco Polo was supposedly born and did a little tour there... its a very pretty place.

Nothing at all in Tilbury ......Southend would be better. Perhaps a taxi straight to the ship?