UK, Paris & Rome plans- feedback sought (long)
BCTA
Would appreciate any feedback on this proposed schedule. I realise it
is pretty packed :-). Main question is are we missing any "must see"
attractions, esp. in Rome?
Also, is a day trip to Florence sensible or will it just scratch the
surface? Is Siena a better option?
thanks,
Jocko
---
LONDON
Sat 5-Oct Globe Theatre
London Eye
OXO Tower
Imperial War Museum
Sun 6-Oct King's Cross Station
British Museum
Sherlock Holmes Museum
Regents Park
Hyde Park
Victoria & Albert Museum
Mon 7-Oct Buckingham Palace (closed- walk by only)
Westminster Abbey
Jewel Tower
Houses of Parliament
Trafalgar Square, Nelson's Column
Cecil Court (bookshops)
Sherlock Holmes pub, 10 Northumberland Ave
Tue 8-Oct St Pauls Cathedral
Thu 17-Oct Cabinet War Rooms
Lords
Fri 18-Oct Tower of London
London Museum
Tower Bridge
Jack the Ripper tour
Sat 19-Oct Greenwich- National Maritime Museum
Old Royal Observatory
Queen's House
Sun 20-Oct Eton
Windsor Castle
---
UK
Tue 8-Oct Cambridge (PM)- Trinity College
Wren library
Fitzwiliam Museum
Wed 9-Oct Sherwood Forest
Yorkshire Museum
York Ghost Walk
Thu 10-Oct York Minster
City Walls
York Castle Museum
Fairfax House
Fri 11-Oct Captain Cook Memorial Museum (Whitby)
Whitby Abbey
Durham Cathedral
Hadrian's Wall (Housestead's Fort)
Edinburgh Castle
Sat 12-Oct Holyroodhouse
Scottish National Gallery
Arthur's Seat lookout
Literary Pub Tour
Sun 13-Oct Lakes District, Windermere lake, National Park Information
Centre
Stratford, Ann Hathaway's House, Shakespeare Centre & birthplace
Birmingham
Mon 14-Oct Warwick Castle
Blenheim Palace, Woodstock
Oxford- Christ Church College & Chapel
Carfax Tower
Ashmolean Museum
Magdalen College
Tue 15-Oct Bath- Roman baths & pump room
Stonehenge
Old Sarum
New Forest
Southampton town centre
Southampton Maritime Mueseum
Wed 16-Oct Hastings- Abbey & Battlefield
Dover Castle & Wartime Tunnels
St Augustine's Abbey
Canterbury medieval city walls (Broad St)
Canterbury- Christchurch Cathedral
---
PARIS
Mon 21-Oct Louvre
Tue 22-Oct Versailles
Basilique de Sacre-Coeur
Wed 23-Oct Notre Dame
Treasury
Crypt
Towers
Musee de Cluny
Pantheon
Louvre (again :-)
Thu 24-Oct Catacombs
Musee d'Orsay
Musee de L'Orangerie
Fri 25-Oct Champs-Elysees
Arc de Triomphe
Eiffel Tower
Invalides Museum
Sat 26-Oct Giverny- Fondation Claude Monet & Gardens
---
ROME
Sun 27-Oct Vatican
Mon 28-Oct Colosseum
Palatine Hill
Roman Forum
Museo Palatino
Tue 29-Oct Pantheon
Trevi Fountain
Spanish Steps
Museo Nazionale Romano (2 venues)
Wed 30-Oct Day trip to Florence or Siena
Thu 31-Oct ?
Fri 1-Nov Leftovers from Monday 28/10
HOME
---
Eric A Holeman
BCTA <BC...@shopmall.com.au> wrote:
>Would appreciate any feedback on this proposed schedule.
I got dizzy just looking at the London part.
> Main question is are we missing any "must see" attractions, esp. in Rome?
I dunno about Rome, but I don't think you missed much in London at all. Except
breathing time, of course.
--
---
Eric Holeman eholem1 at uic,edu Chicago Illinois USA
Miguel Cruz
> Would appreciate any feedback on this proposed schedule. I realise it
> is pretty packed :-). Main question is are we missing any "must see"
> attractions, esp. in Rome?
You know yourself better than I do, of course, but does this really sound
like fun? It's just a checklist of attractions you can easily see in a
coffee-table book from the comfort of your own home. I've always found that
the joy of traveling is to soak up the place, see how it works, what people
do, what they're like. After the 20-some tourist attractions in London,
you've no time to actually SEE the place.
miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu
New mini photo-feature: Life in DC: http://travel.u.nu/dc/
Pan
>Hi
>
>Would appreciate any feedback on this proposed schedule. I realise it
>is pretty packed :-). Main question is are we missing any "must see"
>attractions, esp. in Rome?
I won't comment on London, as I haven't yet had the pleasure of
visiting that city.
>Also, is a day trip to Florence sensible
No.
> or will it just scratch the
>surface?
Yes.
> Is Siena a better option?
No. If Florence deserves at least a week, Siena deserves at least 2-3
days, and the most direct connection is by bus (not very frequent)
from Stazione Tiburtina, unless things have changed in the last few
years. The last time I went from Rome directly to Siena, I had to get
up really early and take a bus that left before 7 A.M., IIRC. But even
if bus service is more frequent now, I would not consider Siena for a
day trip.
If you want a day trip from Rome, consider the Villa d'Este with its
glorious Trevi Fountains. Nearby is the Villa Adriana, which many
people like more than I did (I was disappointed with the state the
ruins were in, by comparison with the Roman Forum and the ruins in
Pompeii and Herculaneum, and the lack or near-lack of beautiful
paintings or mozaics - I think there was one mozaic near the
piscina...it's been a while). Ostia is also recommended by many (I
haven't been there yet). I had a nice day trip from Rome to Tarquinia,
but it's a fair distance away. That said, you can really "do" the
Etruscan Museum in Tarquinia and the Necropoli between there and
Tarquinia Scalo in one afternoon, which is a lot more than I can say
of Siena or Florence.
[snip]
>PARIS
>
>Mon 21-Oct Louvre
>
>Tue 22-Oct Versailles
> Basilique de Sacre-Coeur
That's fine. You can go to Sacre-Coeur at night if you spend a lot of
time in Versailles. The point is just to see the view and feel the
vibe. In case you don't know, the steps leading toward Sacre-Coeur and
the observation deck below it are a big youth hangout place at night.
I found it fun.
>Wed 23-Oct Notre Dame
> Treasury
> Crypt
> Towers
> Musee de Cluny
> Pantheon
> Louvre (again :-)
You may be tired. Remember that you have to allot some time for lunch,
too.
>Thu 24-Oct Catacombs
> Musee d'Orsay
> Musee de L'Orangerie
The Orangerie has been closed for restoration for some time now. If I
remember correctly, the sign I saw when I was in Paris in June said
that it was projected to reopen in 2003.
>Fri 25-Oct Champs-Elysees
> Arc de Triomphe
> Eiffel Tower
> Invalides Museum
You can walk the Champs-Elysees at any time, but the Invalides closes,
so depending on what your day looks like, you might want to go to the
Musee Militaire at the Invalides first, then walk to the Eiffel Tower,
and go to the Champs-Elysees later. If you care about going to the top
of the Arc de Triomphe, that closes, too. I've never been up to the
top.
>Sat 26-Oct Giverny- Fondation Claude Monet & Gardens
All of that sounds fairly reasonable as a plan. Just be prepared to
cut out some things when necessary, and don't forget to walk a lot, if
you can.
>---
>
>ROME
>
>Sun 27-Oct Vatican
What do you plan on seeing in the Vatican? There's so much to see
there! Think about it now, and look into what's open on Sunday. You
may end up changing the day of your visit there.
>Mon 28-Oct Colosseum
> Palatine Hill
> Roman Forum
> Museo Palatino
The Forum is a whole afternoon by itself, in my opinion, and don't
forget to look at the Arch of Constantine though, regrettably, one can
no longer get right up close to it, as it's covered with glass or hard
plastic or something or other.
Perhaps you're more energetic than I, but this may prove to be too
much for one day. One does a lot of walking in the Forum. Then again,
my visits have been during the summer.
>Tue 29-Oct Pantheon
> Trevi Fountain
> Spanish Steps
> Museo Nazionale Romano (2 venues)
Which 2 venues?
But if you go to the Pantheon, don't skip Piazza Navona, which is
right nearby.
>Wed 30-Oct Day trip to Florence or Siena
>
>Thu 31-Oct ?
>
>Fri 1-Nov Leftovers from Monday 28/10
So you have 3 days to fill in Rome? Geez, there are all those
churches! The Gesu', San Giovanni in Laterano, San Clemente (close to
the Colosseum, by the way, and the remains of a former Mithraic temple
are in the crypt), and a whole bunch of others. Everyone has their
favorite.
Then there are more museums. The Villa Borghese and its lovely park
come to mind.
What's a "must-see"? The list of worthwhile things to see in Rome is
so long that when I visited Michelin's site and asked for a listing of
churches in Rome, I was prompted with the reply that there were more
than 50 hits and that I should limit the query further. You can try
that in various other categories and get the same response. And most
of those churches are probably worthwhile to visit. So I think the
"must" is to plan on taking another trip to Rome, or two or three or
four...
Enjoy! And walk a lot in Rome. Rome is very enjoyable to walk through.
Just a thought: It's very interesting to visit Testaccio and see the
Monte di Testaccio, which was formed from the piles of broken
amphorae. Testaccio was apparently the main port area of Rome, and
wine and olive oil were delivered in those amphorae.
Michael
Luca Logi
> >Also, is a day trip to Florence sensible
> No.
>
> > or will it just scratch the surface?
> Yes.
>
> > Is Siena a better option?
> No.
A day trip between Rome and Florence isn't impossible, as a fast train
will do it in less than two hours. It may be sensible if you have no
foreseeable possibility of visiting Florence in the future; however, it
will be a long and tiring day and you won't see much. On the contrary, a
day trip between Rome and Siena is practically impossible as the
transportation is much slower.
-- -----------------------------------------------------
Luca Logi - Firenze - Italy e-mail: ll...@dada.it
Pan
>Pan <panNO...@musician.org> wrote:
>
>
>> >Also, is a day trip to Florence sensible
>> No.
>>
>> > or will it just scratch the surface?
>> Yes.
>>
>> > Is Siena a better option?
>> No.
>
>
>A day trip between Rome and Florence isn't impossible, as a fast train
>will do it in less than two hours.
I've taken that train.
> It may be sensible if you have no
>foreseeable possibility of visiting Florence in the future; however, it
>will be a long and tiring day and you won't see much.
Right.
> On the contrary, a
>day trip between Rome and Siena is practically impossible as the
>transportation is much slower.
Do you know how long the bus takes? I'm not so sure it's slower,
though it runs less frequently and - if it still leaves from Stazione
Tiburtina - from a less central location in Rome.
Michael
Barbara Mawdsley
matter how young you are, you will be tired from your flight. Allow recovery time.
Your first day in London includes both the London Eye and Oxo Tower. I would
eliminate Oxo Tower. I've been to London three times and still haven't been to the
Imperial War Museum but if you are a war buff....
I presume that your visit to King's Cross Station is the result of reading the Harry
Potter books. Been there, done that and not much to see. The British Library is
near by and is well worth an hour or two for the Magna Carta and early Bibles as
well as Shakespear and even the Beatles. Save the Victoria and Albert for another
time. Your mind will have absorbed as much as it can after an hour in the British
Library and a couple of hours in the British Museum. Go have tea.
On Friday, Oct 18th by the time you have been to the Tower of London and the Museum
of London you will be too tired to care about Jack the Ripper.
If it is available, take the boat to Greenwich so that you get some down time for
your body.
In Cambridge, take a Guide Friday or alternative to both see the city and to get
from place to place.
In York, go to evensong at the Minster at 5:00 PM. The Ghost Walk that leaves from
the front of the Minster is fun, haven't tried the others. Eat at Betty's in St.
Helen's Square. Walk the shambles. Drop the Fairfax House if you run out of
steam. There is also an excellent railway museum if that is an interest of yours.
I went brain-dead about the second half of the York Castle Museum but the first half
was interesting.
In Edinburgh, skip the walk to Arthur's Seat.
By pass the Lake District. It's lovely but can only really been "seen" by slowing
down considerably. Your day with Warwick Castle and Blenheim Palace isn't
physically possible.
On to Paris.
Versailles and Sacre Couer are in opposite directions.
After you've seen Notre Dame you must see St. Chappelle for its wonderful stained
glass. I'd skip the Pantheon and the evening trip to the Louvre and go to the Arc
de Triomphe at night and walk down Champs Elysses (sp). You've got too much on for
your brain this day.
On the day you visit the Eiffel Tower, add the Rodin Museum and pick up a picnic on
Rue Cler to eat in the park under the Eiffel Tower.
I'm not sure the visit to Giverney will be what you expect. The gardens will be
pretty much done for the season. At this time of year, I'd suggest a trip to
Chartres if you have any energy.
I'll leave Italy to others--I haven't been there in the last few years.
Allow time to do laundry.
Good luck and I hope it is the trip that you have always dreamed about.
Barbara in Connecticut, USA
J Quick
"BCTA" <BC...@shopmall.com.au> wrote in message
news:3D894B18...@shopmall.com.au...
> Hi
>
> Would appreciate any feedback on this proposed schedule. I realise it
> is pretty packed :-). Main question is are we missing any "must see"
> attractions, esp. in Rome?
>
> Also, is a day trip to Florence sensible or will it just scratch the
> surface? Is Siena a better option?
Your itinerary is laughable. Consider yourself lucky if you actually "see"
a small fraction of what you've listed in the time given. Even if you had a
private car with driver, I doubt if you could physically "see" these sites
even if you could fly by the exhibits sprinting at full speed using
rollerblades. To even attempt to do so would give you no time to actually
see any of them to any significant degree.
I suggest that you toss your schedule and instead make a prioritized list of
sites to see, and then just see what you can without concern for time. Let
your interests be your guide as you visit the sites, not some arbitrary
checklist and crazy schedule.
If anything, you should consider reducing the number of locations in your
itinerary that require travel.
Pedro
travel better than cattle class. The first day will be a blur which you
will not be able to recall. Ensure you allow some time at each location for
sitting down and enjoying a coffee while you watch the locals at play.
Travel can be hard work (and your itinerary suggests that will be the case
for you), so ensure you allocate at least a half a day (whole day is better)
per week for rest - read a book, do the laundry, etc. Also remember that
travel between cities takes time and never goes as smoothly as you had
hoped. Similarly with booking into hotels and then getting your bearings
before setting off for the day.
Some years ago I accompanied a couple of senior citizens and their niece to
Paris. While I headed off to do some work during the day, they went to see
the sights. When it came time to come back to their hotel they realised
that they didn't remember either its name or address - they were too intent
on seeing all the city had to offer. They eventually made it back at a late
hour, but more by good luck than anything else.
Have a great holiday, but try to resist the urge to simply tick off a list
of 'attractions' as soon as you have visited or photographed them.
"J Quick" <nob...@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:2dgi9.1877$7T5.63...@newssvr14.news.prodigy.com...
gerald
WE must split up, one going one place while others go to the other
places. Take lots of photos, then collective share upon returning to
the Mother country.
Transit and wait times may exceed the number of hours in a day.
How you going to transmortatate from London to Paris, and do the
Louvre? Night train? How you going from Giverny to the VAtican in an
overnight? The Vatican museum had a line about 2 hrs long when I was
there, and closed down by 3pm or so.
Stack rank the things you want to do, or hire a plane and just fly
over every thing in Europe.
On Thu, 19 Sep 2002 13:57:12 +1000, BCTA <BC...@shopmall.com.au> wrote:
Alan Thomas Harrison
BCTA wrote:
with an intinerary which included:
> LONDON
>
> Sat 5-Oct Globe Theatre
> London Eye
> OXO Tower
> Imperial War Museum
>
> Sun 6-Oct King's Cross Station
> British Museum
> Sherlock Holmes Museum
> Regents Park
> Hyde Park
> Victoria & Albert Museum
>
> Mon 7-Oct Buckingham Palace (closed- walk by only)
> Westminster Abbey
> Jewel Tower
> Houses of Parliament
> Trafalgar Square, Nelson's Column
> Cecil Court (bookshops)
> Sherlock Holmes pub, 10 Northumberland Ave
>
> Tue 8-Oct St Pauls Cathedral
>
There seem to be some curious imbalances in your proposed itinerary:
seeing both the British Museum and the V & A in one day, but setting
aside a whole day for S. Paul's????? You may have particular reasons for
this - like a strong academic interest in the work of Wren - but for
general tourist purposes it does seem a bit odd. I would suggest, as one
possibility, moving your visit to the British Museum to teh same day as
S. Paul's and/or visiting the Museum of London on the same day. (You can
virually spit on it from S. Paul's!)
> Sat 19-Oct Greenwich- National Maritime Museum
> Old Royal Observatory
> Queen's House
Good idea. Also visit the Cutty Sark, and I suggest eating cheaply and
well at either the Tai Won Mein noodle bar or Goddard's Pie Shop,
follwed by a pint at the Spanish Galleon. At the Queen's House, American
visitors may be particularly interested in the portrait of the gallant
officer responsible for the unusual colour of 1600, Pennsylvania Avenue,
Washington!
> Fri 11-Oct Captain Cook Memorial Museum (Whitby)
> Whitby Abbey
> Durham Cathedral
> Hadrian's Wall (Housestead's Fort)
> Edinburgh Castle
Frankly, I think that you will be rushing around like a blue-arsed fly
attempting to see all these places in one day.
> Sun 13-Oct Lakes District, Windermere lake, National Park Information
> Centre
> Stratford, Ann Hathaway's House, Shakespeare Centre & birthplace
> Birmingham
Really not a workable proposition, I'm afraid. I suggest leaving
Stratford to the following day, and would really recommend that you
decide to see only one or two of Stratford/Warwick/Blenheim. People with
more knowledge than mine of south-western England might perhaps coment
similarly on some of your other moer crowded days.
> ROME
>
> Sun 27-Oct Vatican
>
> Mon 28-Oct Colosseum
> Palatine Hill
> Roman Forum
> Museo Palatino
>
> Tue 29-Oct Pantheon
> Trevi Fountain
> Spanish Steps
> Museo Nazionale Romano (2 venues)
>
> Wed 30-Oct Day trip to Florence or Siena
Your Rome itinerary sounds well-planned and doable, but I would skip the
trip to Florence or Siena. I really don't think that you can do justice
to Florence in a day, and the public transport links to siena, as
mentioned elsewhere in the thread, are not brilliant. Instaed, I would
suggest a trip out of Rome to Ostia antica or Tivoli.
Alan Harrison
Luca Logi
> Do you know how long the bus takes? I'm not so sure it's slower,
> though it runs less frequently and - if it still leaves from Stazione
> Tiburtina - from a less central location in Rome.
I don't know. But there is no way a car - let alone a bus - can travel
between the centre of Rome and the centre of Siena in less than three
hours (and this involves a lot of speeding).
hamilton
(Miguel Cruz) wrote:
> BCTA <BC...@shopmall.com.au> wrote:
> > Would appreciate any feedback on this proposed schedule. I realise it
> > is pretty packed :-). Main question is are we missing any "must see"
> > attractions, esp. in Rome?
>
> You know yourself better than I do, of course, but does this really sound
> like fun? It's just a checklist of attractions you can easily see in a
> coffee-table book from the comfort of your own home. I've always found that
> the joy of traveling is to soak up the place, see how it works, what people
> do, what they're like. After the 20-some tourist attractions in London,
> you've no time to actually SEE the place.
my sentiments exactly -- and a hurried rush north to 'see' Florence in a
day trip from Rome is the same sort of thing. one is likely to hate
Florence under the circumstances
less is more --
hamilton
Logi) wrote:
> Pan <panNO...@musician.org> wrote:
>
>
> > >Also, is a day trip to Florence sensible
> > No.
> >
> > > or will it just scratch the surface?
> > Yes.
> >
> > > Is Siena a better option?
> > No.
>
>
> A day trip between Rome and Florence isn't impossible, as a fast train
> will do it in less than two hours. It may be sensible if you have no
> foreseeable possibility of visiting Florence in the future; however, it
> will be a long and tiring day and you won't see much. On the contrary, a
> day trip between Rome and Siena is practically impossible as the
> transportation is much slower.
yes -- my kids had a short weekend after our Rome trip and I had advised
them to try Siena as a more manageable town for a short time -- before
they had to be back in Rome to catch their plane -- they found that they
couldn't get to Siena from Rome and back without wasting a big hunk of
their limited time. They caught a train immediately for Florence and
spent one night there -- not enough but at least doable compared to
getting to Siena from Rome. [Siena is a place that is worth visiting for
a day however -- which I think Florence is not -- it really does take many
days to get anything out of -- we always schedule a week or so there]
Luca Logi
> ROME
>
> Sun 27-Oct Vatican
>
> Mon 28-Oct Colosseum
> Palatine Hill
> Roman Forum
> Museo Palatino
I wonder if the Vatican museum is open on Sunday (on some Sundays, it
may be, but I think not all of them). Certainly a Sunday is the worst
day to visit St. Peter's, if the visit is possible at all (even a
Wednesday may be bad, if the udienza is kept in the piazza).
I also wonder if the other museums are open on Monday (I don't know).
Barbara Vaughan
Luca Logi wrote:
>
> BCTA <BC...@shopmall.com.au> wrote:
>
> > ROME
> >
> > Sun 27-Oct Vatican
> >
> > Mon 28-Oct Colosseum
> > Palatine Hill
> > Roman Forum
> > Museo Palatino
>
> I wonder if the Vatican museum is open on Sunday (on some Sundays, it
> may be, but I think not all of them). Certainly a Sunday is the worst
> day to visit St. Peter's, if the visit is possible at all .
The Vatican Museum is open one Sunday a month, and I think it's the last
Sunday of the month, so the 27th should be OK. However, it's also free
that day, and as a result the lines are terribly long.
By the way, Luca, I'm going to send you that address in Florence. My
husband has it and I keep forgetting to ask him for it. Thanks for the
offer!
Barbara
grey
How are you getting around? By car? Anyway, I doubt you'll be
able to see all that, but consider adding the National Gallery in
London when you see Trafalgar Square. Then there's the Viking Museum
in York, and the Ely Cathedral (near Cambridge).
You've written a lot about the formal sights, but consider
adding time for informal ones--one of our favorite things to do in
Paris is to sit in a cafe and make up (verbal) captions for odd
characters (and normal people) we see walking by until we're shaking
with silent laughter.
---------------------------
A truly cool book:
The World Is Already Yours
Conscious living in the real world
www.alreadyyours.com (sample chapter, etc...)
Ken Blake
> On Thu, 19 Sep 2002 08:59:57 +0200, ll...@dada.it (Luca Logi)
wrote:
>> On the contrary, a
>> day trip between Rome and Siena is practically impossible as
the
>> transportation is much slower.
>
> Do you know how long the bus takes? I'm not so sure it's
slower,
> though it runs less frequently and - if it still leaves from
Stazione
> Tiburtina - from a less central location in Rome.
I took this bus just last May. I can't remember the travel time
exactly but I think it was somewhere around 3 or 3-1/2 hours.
Yes, it leaves from Stazione Tiburtina.
--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup
me
> Pan <panNO...@musician.org> wrote:
>
>
> > >Also, is a day trip to Florence sensible
> > No.
> >
> > > or will it just scratch the surface?
> > Yes.
> >
> > > Is Siena a better option?
> > No.
>
>
> A day trip between Rome and Florence isn't impossible, as a fast train
> will do it in less than two hours. It may be sensible if you have no
> foreseeable possibility of visiting Florence in the future; however, it
> will be a long and tiring day and you won't see much. On the contrary, a
> day trip between Rome and Siena is practically impossible as the
> transportation is much slower.
This person is doing what I call "trophy tourism" and a day trip
for that purpose is just fine. Arise early, dine in Florence,
back in Rome for bed is quite doable for the trophy tourist. I'm
not sure why they wouldn't over night in Florence as that would
allow them to do Seina the next day too.
me
> BCTA <BC...@shopmall.com.au> wrote:
> > Would appreciate any feedback on this proposed schedule. I realise it
> > is pretty packed :-). Main question is are we missing any "must see"
> > attractions, esp. in Rome?
>
> You know yourself better than I do, of course, but does this really sound
> like fun? It's just a checklist of attractions you can easily see in a
> coffee-table book from the comfort of your own home. I've always found that
> the joy of traveling is to soak up the place, see how it works, what people
> do, what they're like. After the 20-some tourist attractions in London,
> you've no time to actually SEE the place.
If they walk between these places, they'll see quite a bit. What
I noticed is that they seem to have no plans for the evening most
days. Maybe they just didn't list them, but London, Rome, Paris,
these are places to dine, not just eat. Florence and Bath shouldn't
be missed at night, if only for the FOOD. Plus, at least in London,
"there be theater in them there buildings". See a show man!
But if they can do this many museums this quickly, my hats off
to 'em. I've been to London at least 4 times for a total of about
4 or 5 weeks and I STILL haven't gotten to some of those things.
('course I probably am an exception. Ya see, they have these things
called "pubs"......)
Barbara Vaughan
me wrote:
> But if they can do this many museums this quickly, my hats off
> to 'em. I've been to London at least 4 times for a total of about
> 4 or 5 weeks and I STILL haven't gotten to some of those things.
> ('course I probably am an exception. Ya see, they have these things
> called "pubs"......)
There are still lots of museums I haven't seen in London, but every time
I'm there I'm drawn like a magnet to the British Museum. I think I would
need a full month to see everything I want to see there. Often I make
multiple visits on one trip.
Barbara
Jenn
Barbara Vaughan <bvau...@opr.princeton.edu> wrote:
I love museums and the British Museum is fabulous -- but even loving
museums as I do, I would never schedule more than one in a day -- less
is more
I agree with you
Zany B. Side
As a former keen and youthful Australian backpacker, I wish to
reinforce to Jacko the lunacy of his itinerary mentioned in earlier
posts.
Sounds like an ABC tour to me: another bloody church, another bloody
cathederal ... Even the keenest most youthful Australian backpacker
allowed out for the first time will throw this itinerary out the
window on or before day 2.
Commenting on London (I too got dizzy after that), I would leave out
the following:-
- Oxo Tower (Its an overgrown smoke stack with an overpriced
restaurant. Am I missing something? Is it a tourist destination?
You will see it from the outside anyway when you are at the Eye, and
the views from the Eye will beat those from the tower-ette.)
- Kings Cross (If you happen to be there, looking at St Pancras next
door is worthwhile if you know a bit about its history but, again,
what am I missing, since when was it a tourist destination?) I agree
that the British Library next door is a worthy stop.
- Sherlock Holmes Museum (Never been, but we have got to make the cut
somewhere.)
- Hyde Park and Regents Park - Do a flip around Green Park when you
swing by Buck Palace instead.
- London Museum - it is one of those museums with lots of stuff on the
wall to read. Great for primary school groups.
- Parliament - again, you will see the outside when you are at the Eye
- Trafalgar Traffic Island
I would also suggest the following:-
- spend as long as you can at the British Museum before museum-itis
sets in. You will only scratch the surface.
- the V&A has an amazing collection of decorative arts. Definitely
see it if you want to, but do not be afraid to say, "antique frocks
are not my thing", I will leave it for next time.
- remember to book the London Eye in advance - look at British
Airways' website now. This is a bugger, because the experience varies
greatly depending on the weather.
- As you are in town on a Sunday morning, Speaker's Corner is a laugh.
Go to Marble Arch tube station and then go into Hyde Park (you can
tick the park off the list) and you can't miss it.
- Visit my website below and buy something from one of the affiliate
links in exchange for this otherwise free sanity check.
With kind regards
Zany B. Side
_____________________
www.londonside.com
Mark Fagan
effectively, and too many of the same kind of sight. For instance, there is
now way you should even want to do the BM and V&A in the same day. Firstly,
you can't really they both need more than a day to really see, secondly, how
many museums can you stand?
Or Versailles (normally a day trip) and Sacre Coeur in the same day? Can
your feet take it? You need to slow down and relax more. Maybe not go to
so many places.
"BCTA" <BC...@shopmall.com.au> wrote in message
news:3D894B18...@shopmall.com.au...
Joan McGalliard
> There seem to be some curious imbalances in your proposed itinerary:
> seeing both the British Museum and the V & A in one day, but setting
> aside a whole day for S. Paul's????? You may have particular reasons for
> this - like a strong academic interest in the work of Wren - but for
> general tourist purposes it does seem a bit odd. I would suggest, as one
> possibility, moving your visit to the British Museum to teh same day as
> S. Paul's and/or visiting the Museum of London on the same day. (You can
> virually spit on it from S. Paul's!)
You're not reading closely enough. After St Paul they're spending the
rest of the day in Cambridge!
I have to agree with everyone else, this is too rigid a timetable, and
too full. The joy of great cities it to see what you see. If are
enjoying the British Museum, why rush off to see Sherlock Holmes. Be
more relaxed and go with the flow.
btw, I think you should do St Pauls on the same day as the Globe.
They're about 10 minutes apart, and you'll want to walk across the
millenium bridge anyway.
If you can avoid it, don't do Museums on a Sunday. As they are free
they are very crowded on weekends. Leave them until the kids are back
in school.
Also, unless you are interested in British motorways, you may want to do
less each day outside London. The traffic can be hellish (the motorways
around Birmingham are so notoriously jammed that A to Z has written a
book about it), plus many towns it;s better to "Park and Ride", where
you use a carpark outside town, and take a bus in. With a 15 minute
trip, and 15 minutes between buses, this can add an hour to your journey
time. If you are only planning to spend an hour at Oxford, that's a
long time.
joan
Poetic Justice
I've visited 3 times in the off-season and have found it hard sometimes
to enjoy the museum due to the crowds.
Go to the Palatine Hill 1st, the entrance ticket is also valid for the
Colosseum that day and the Palatine Hill queue will be *alot* shorter:).
In March the SW corner of the Palatine was closed-off (excavation,
renovation?).
You didn't mention the Forum Museum (Antiquarium Forense)? It's often
overlooked, the building is located ~40m NE of the Arch of Titus.
Small, but *very* interesting museum containing artifacts dug-up from
the Forum. Like two 7thC BC skeletons (man & woman) who were actually
human sacrifices (labeled "Equus Domitiani").
Trevi Fountain IMO only worth it in the early AM or late evening.
During the day very crowded and vendors bothering you.
Spanish Steps never did it for me:) but I understand it's a nice place
to be at sunset.
Siena, a privately-owned busline leaves from Tiburtina and arrives
Siena in 2:45. I have the website somewhere:) if you're interested. I
researched that leg of my trip but rented a car instead, so no 1st hand
info but I know you can reserve your seats. I don't know if this was the
busline that the other posters mentioned. A very long daytrip though:).
Florence, why not, it's 1:35min and basically all the tourist sites are
within a 1.6 sq/km-1 sq/mi area of the train station. So you can't see
it all but you can see an interesting piece of it. Better than
nothing:).
For daytrips check-out www.twenj.net click-on Rome & Excursions. If
you're up for a long daytrip go to Pompeii, if not Ostia Antica (very
easy), Tivoli & Hadrain's Villa and others.
Regards, Walter
BCTA wrote:
>ROME
>Sun 27-Oct Vatican
>Mon 28-Oct Colosseum
> Palatine Hill
> Roman Forum
> Museo Palatino
>Tue 29-Oct Pantheon
> Trevi Fountain
> Spanish Steps
> Museo Nazionale Romano
(2
>venues)
>Wed 30-Oct Day trip to Florence or
>Siena
>Thu 31-Oct ?
>Fri 1-Nov Leftovers from Monday
>28/10
>HOME
..And Paradise Was Lost...like teardrops in the rain...
Doug Weller
wrote:
>n article <YIci9.4066$GO2....@nwrddc04.gnilink.net>, m...@admin.u.nu
>(Miguel Cruz) wrote:
>
>> BCTA <BC...@shopmall.com.au> wrote:
>> > Would appreciate any feedback on this proposed schedule. I realise it
>> > is pretty packed :-). Main question is are we missing any "must see"
>> > attractions, esp. in Rome?
>>
>> You know yourself better than I do, of course, but does this really sound
>> like fun? It's just a checklist of attractions you can easily see in a
>> coffee-table book from the comfort of your own home. I've always found that
>> the joy of traveling is to soak up the place, see how it works, what people
>> do, what they're like. After the 20-some tourist attractions in London,
>> you've no time to actually SEE the place.
I'm confused by 3 museums in London in one day (plus parks, etc), and
yet one day devoted to St. Paul's. That doesn't make sense.
>my sentiments exactly -- and a hurried rush north to 'see' Florence in a
>day trip from Rome is the same sort of thing. one is likely to hate
>Florence under the circumstances
Go to Ostia Antica, or Herculaneum, or Naples, instead. I'm told in any
case Florence isn't an attractive city (although Sienna is from my
experience of it), so you will only be going there for the museums.
Doug
Doug Weller member of moderation panel sci.archaeology.moderated
Submissions to: sci-archaeol...@medieval.org
Doug's Archaeology Site: http://www.ramtops.demon.co.uk
Co-owner UK-Schools mailing list: email me for details
Doug Weller
>
>Sat 12-Oct Holyroodhouse
> Scottish National Gallery
> Arthur's Seat lookout
> Literary Pub Tour
>
>Sun 13-Oct Lakes District, Windermere lake, National Park Information
>Centre
> Stratford, Ann Hathaway's House, Shakespeare Centre & birthplace
> Birmingham
Not practical. I presume you're leaving Edinburgh the morning of the
13th. Since it's Sunday, you'll make good time to Stratford, but
Autoroute says it'll be a 6 hour trip stopping at Windemere and
Birmingham, or rather going through them as that leaves no time for
stops. I live in Birmingham and there are things wortwhile seeing
there, but I suggest you skp it. So, if you leave at 8, spend an hour at
WIndemere (where you could have lunch), you should still expect to spend
6 hours travelling, gets you to Stratford at 3. You'll have to choose
between Ann Hathway's House and the Shakespeare Centre I'd say, as both
close at 5 and you have to drive between them.
>Mon 14-Oct Warwick Castle
> Blenheim Palace, Woodstock
> Oxford- Christ Church College & Chapel
> Carfax Tower
> Ashmolean Museum
> Magdalen College
Really impossible. We easily spent 3 hours at Warwick Castle yesterday.
Drop either it or Blenheim.
>
>Tue 15-Oct Bath- Roman baths & pump room
> Stonehenge
> Old Sarum
> New Forest
> Southampton town centre
> Southampton Maritime Mueseum
Allow about 2 hours to get to Bath (at least). Another 2 or 2 1/2 hours
just driving Bath/StoneHenge/Old Sarum/New Forest/Southampton.
You might be able to do it, but enjoy Bath and relax about the rest. The
Maritime Museum shuts at 5 so you may be pushed to see it. Both
Stonehenge and the New Forest are diversions. I'd drop the latter if
you are running out of time.
Doug
>
>Wed 16-Oct Hastings- Abbey & Battlefield
> Dover Castle & Wartime Tunnels
> St Augustine's Abbey
> Canterbury medieval city walls (Broad St)
> Canterbury- Christchurch Cathedral
Doug Weller member of moderation panel sci.archaeology.moderated
Pan
<dwe...@ramtops.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>Go to Ostia Antica, or Herculaneum, or Naples, instead.
IMO, Herculaneum and Naples are too far for good day trips from Rome.
I know others disagree.
> I'm told in any
>case Florence isn't an attractive city
Don't believe what you're told. It's a very attractive city.
> (although Sienna is from my
>experience of it),
Siena is much more pleasant than Florence in some ways: It has
virtually no vehicular traffic and clear air. Florence is a much
bigger city, so it has cars and more dirt. Otherwise, it's quite
beautiful in many parts.
>so you will only be going there for the museums.
Nope. What you overlook - because you've never been there - are the
splendid Florentine palazzi and the Ponte Vecchio, not to mention the
views.
Michael
Owain
> is pretty packed :-). Main question is are we missing any "must see"
> attractions, esp. in Rome?
> London Eye
> OXO Tower
> Imperial War Museum
For me, the IWM was at least a full morning. If you're seriously
interested in this period of history (and I'm not, and walked quickly
past probably half the galleries) you could spend several days in
here! There are a lot of detailed exhibits.
The same goes for most of the other big museums: British Mus, V&A,
etc. You haven't mentioned the Natural History or Science Museums, for
example.
The main drawback in your timetable (apart from trying to cram in too
much...)is WEATHER. If it is pissing down you probably want to spend
most of the day in a nice big museum or three (the Nat Hist, Sci and
V&A Museums are all very close together, for example) whereas if it's
bright and sunny then several smaller indoor attractions interspersed
with walking through parks, sitting outdoors for meals, etc, would be
more the thing, or changing your schedule to take in a country house
with gardens instead of a town or city centre.
And British weather can be very localised; an hour's drive or train
journey can take you out of heavy showers and into sunshine.
Owain
--
http://come.to/braveheartcountry
Owain
Margaret Mikulska
me wrote:
> [...] Plus, at least in London,
> "there be theater in them there buildings". See a show man!
A theater, an opera house, a concert hall - this is one of the most
attractive things about London. Whenever I'm in London, I spend every
evening at some music venue or at the theatre, and on some day one can
catch a concert around lunch time (for instance, Monday at 1 or 2 pm at
Wigmore Hall - art songs recitals).
> But if they can do this many museums this quickly, my hats off to 'em. [...]
"Do" may be the right word. "See" and "perceive" aren't. It looks like
a contest in "checking off" art works.
-Margaret
--
mikulska at silvertone dot princeton dot edu
Margaret Mikulska
Pedro wrote:
>
> Must agree. After the 24hr(+) flight, you will be knackered - even if you
> travel better than cattle class. The first day will be a blur which you
Absolutely. When I fly just from the US (East Coast) to Europe and
arrive in the morning (as eastbound planes usually do), I write off the
day of arrival - it's a delusion to think that one can absorb anything.
If I travel to a conference or a meeting and have to be alert, I don't
plan anything for the next day, either: just a leisurely stroll, taking
it very easy, relaxing. A flight from Australia must be much more
exhausting and I would allow a few days for very easy sightseeing, w/o
committing oneself to visit various "must-see"s.
There is really no point in trying to check off one tourist attraction
after another if you are too tired to enjoy them.