My London Wish List

By now you all know that I have been to London and can’t wait to go back. I have been compiling a list of things I want to do when I go there…which has way too many things on it to get to in a week or two (or eight), so I’m back to highlighting the things that I definitely must do on my next trip. Even though we packed a lot of touristy stuff in our last trip, we missed some crucial bits and need to make that right. I feel like half the time we spent there went by super-fast and the other half was totally relaxing. I’m not sure how long we’ll be there this fall, since we also want to spend more than a few days in Paris and actually get a better feel for the city – and try some good food that doesn’t come from a street vendor.

High tea is my number two must this time on my visit. You’ll see in a minute why it’s not number one. You’d think for spending over a week in London and being such a food lover, I would have forced my new husband to have afternoon tea three or four times, but alas, I didn’t make reservations before leaving home, so we kept putting it off and then we were back home!

This photo of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London is courtesy of TripAdvisor

I should have started with the top of my list, but I fear it makes me look like a total nerd and someone who doesn’t know what traveling is all about. I promise I do, but since I found out that Leavesden Studios (owned by Warner Bros.) has opened its doors to the public to take tours of the Harry Potter movie sets, I’ve been foaming at the mouth to get back. Judge me all you want, but I had the best time at the Harry Potter Exhibition when it came to Seattle. This is like that, but times a thousand to me – plus it gives me a chance to see the English countryside. Is that a valid excuse?

This photo of Changing of the Guard is courtesy of TripAdvisor

The Changing of the Guards! Should I be beat about the head and neck for not figuring out when this happened and gone to stand and stare with all the other tourists? Probably. In the fall, the pomp and circumstance that is the Changing of the Guards outside of Buckingham Palace only happens once every other day. I did go to the palace and took my photo in front of the gates. Yeah, I know that’s not the same thing.

This photo of Portobello Road Market is courtesy of TripAdvisor

I want to shop the markets! Again, poor planning on my part. I’m so much better at this now and I will be hitting up Portobello Market as well as Spitalfields Market in order to gorge myself of fresh fruits and veggies – hey, I might even take some back to my room to eat later – take a million photos and browse for some fab souvenirs.

This photo of Kew Palace and Queen Charlotte's Cottage is courtesy of TripAdvisor

A day-trip to Kew Gardens is right up there on my list, too. How can I miss the Royal Botanic Garden in all its splendor? Since attempting to grow my own vegetables and herbs I’ve had a whole new appreciation for plants of all kinds. There’s also this awesome country estate, restaurant that serves afternoon tea and a seed bank. Again, it’s the whole “English countryside” aspect that is drawing me in and the chance to maybe bring back some fancy plant seeds. Anyone know any native English plants/veggies that we don’t have here?

This photo of Bread Street Kitchen is courtesy of TripAdvisor

I missed out on so many restaurants in London the last time. Granted, I ate at so many London restaurants last time, but it was some of the best food I’ve eaten and I want to try more, especially Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen. It’s not astronomically priced and I can pronounce the foods they serve. Uh, and it’s Gordon effing Ramsay. I was lucky enough to get a table for afternoon tea and the Boxwood Café at the London West Hollywood and I loved it. I can’t wait to see how delicious the food is in the chef’s own country.

This photo of Harrods is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Being the handbag, shoe and designer clothes lover I am, there are some shops I simply need to pop into on my sightseeing around the city. I may not buy anything, but looking never hurt a girl, right? Harrods only got a quick run-through last time and I would love to take a bit of time to stroll the racks and browse the food hall a bit more. Lulu Guinness has amazing (and crazy expensive) bags that I love. Is it wrong that I just want to touch one in the store? I don’t think so.

Ride in a black cab. Yeah, I know. They are stupid spendy and I should be happy to have taken a picture of one, but I just want to say I took one once. I have no issue with walking and taking the tube. In fact, I think it’s fun, but I’m totally making Eric take photos of me getting in and out of one and then it’ll be out of my system.

My big thing last time was that I was going to see the skyline from OXO Tower and then go check out the Victoria & Albert Museum’s fashion collection, but did I do those things? No. We spent an unnatural amount of time at both the British Museum and Tower Bridge and never made it to either of those things. The good part is that we had amazing views of the London skyline from the bridge walkways and learned a bunch about bascule bridges and the plague.

This photo of ZSL London Zoo is courtesy of TripAdvisor

If you’re like me, you enjoy visiting zoos. We were only able to visit the two things out of three and the London Zoo lost out to the SEA LIFE Aquarium and Eltham Palace – which won out over Windsor Palace. Now, I still want to see Windsor Palace, but I’m also pretty keen on hitting up the zoo. Probably more so, since it doesn’t require me to take a train to get there.

Okay, this list seems pretty long already and I haven’t even added everything I plan to do. I better be realistic with my time and budget when it comes to really planning my trip, but I have a good feeling that we will be able to do all of this and more once I start putting it all down on paper.

What have I missed that you think I should include? Any restaurant recommendations?

Super Useful Travel Links

It’s that time again! The last month in travel has been pretty busy and since half of those things are sad like snowstorms in the Midwest and economic uncertainty. Because of that I found some fun links that will make you not frown when you think about planning a trip and packing your bag. Yup, travel should be fun. Enjoy!

There are several things I do when I first arrive at my destinations. One of those is to hit the grocery store to load up on food for my breakfasts and some dinners. I will probably also grab something to eat as soon as I get off the plane. Independent Traveler has a list of ten things to do in the first 24-hours of touching down. They are pretty good. Do you have any to add?

This photo of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Only at Universal's Islands of Adventure is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Are you a nerd? If you travel the world in search of places that are your favorites from TV, movies and books, CNN Travel thinks you are. In a good way. I enjoy seeing destinations that I have seen only on the screen before and I am definitely looking forward to the day I can visit Leavesden Studios for the Harry Potter studio tour (and was really excited to visit the HP part of Universal Studios after it opened). CNN gives you the best in nerdy pilgramages. It doesn’t just cover pop culture stops, but also true nerd destinations like the CERN laboratories. Have you visited any of these destinations?

It’s hard to find free Wi-fi and laptops can add bulk to your carry-on, but what if your whole hotel room was plugged in? A room where you can check your email on the walls or play YouTube videos on the floor or check out your day’s itinerary on the ceiling before getting out of bed. Sounds awesome, right? Tell me what you think of this hotel room of the future that Too Many Adapters brought to my inbox.

What happens too all that change people forget in those bins and bowls at security? Twelve cents here and there may not seem like a lot, but Denver International saw that it adds up quickly, like quarters in your couch cushions (if you’re lucky) and decided to put it to good use. Last year, over half a million dollars in change was left behind at security checkpoints across the nation. Congress gave TSA the right to use this money their operations. Denver International Airport wanted to use change for change and have donated all their undeclared cents to a corporation that helps the homeless. In fact, you don’t even have to forget your change. You can donate it right at security. Thanks to Stuck at the Airport for posting this uplifting story.

OMG! I love churros! I know I’m not the only one. Disney blogs spent an entire post on the glory of this dessert stick and what it can be used for aside from snacking. I love the creativity. Unfortunately for me, after I get to anywhere that I could try to use my churro as an alternate thing, I have already eaten it ten minutes ago. Maybe you have more control over me. Either way, enjoy how much Disney loves the churro.

I am an eco-conscious person. When I travel, I still try to do my part. I recycle everything I can, I pack light and I walk and take public transportation as much as possible. Huffington Post has a list of eco-friendly travel tips, because if you’re going to travel, you should try to do it responsibly or there will be fewer places to visit in the future.

And for those of you who just don’t have the means to travel right now, don’t worry. You’re not the only one. If all my tips still can’t help you with a travel budget, then just be happy where you are. tiny buddha wants you to know that happiness is a form of travel and can enable you to love the present and what’s happening in your life.

If you do think you have money in your budget for a trip, and you’re planning it for summer, make sure to download a copy of my updated ebook: Secrets to Summer Savings.

Did you find some interesting travel links recently? Feel free to share them in the comments. Also, Happy Friday! I thought it would never get here.

A Good Old Fashioned Road Trip

Spring break is nearly upon us and that means travelers are going to be hitting the roads and skies. Sometimes, it’s just more cost-effective to travel by car, but it depends on how far from home you plan to visit, how many you’ll be traveling with and how much time you want to spend at your destination. How do you know if driving is a better deal than flying? Start by calculating the number of times you’ll need to fill up the tank, eat and stay overnight somewhere along the way, because if you have to travel for 3 days there and back and it’s going to cost your family of four $1200 before you even make it anywhere, it’s not worth the time and effort. You’re losing a week in transit when you could have been there in 6 hours or less and everyone will already be cranky and sick of each other by the time you get where you’re going.

If a road trip is within your budget and sounds like a good time, then by all means, start planning it out and packing up your car.  There are many benefits to a good road trip and a few downsides, but that seems to be with anything. Let’s look at the benefits first, because those are the most fun:

Family togetherness – With school, sports, friends and work, you are lucky to see your kids at dinnertime. Reconnect with everyone while you have them trapped in the car for hours at a time. Play games, listen to music, talk about what you’re most looking forward to (or what you loved the most, if you’re on your way home) and plan out what you will do when you get to your destination (if you haven’t completed you itinerary yet).

You can bring your own food – Sure, you can bring your own food on the plane, but you can’t take an entire cooler full of sandwich fixings, sodas, fruit and potato salad. When you drive you can bring all that and more. It can feed you for many meals and allow for snacks without stopping every 5 minutes.

You can bring the dog – Yes, you can bring your dog on the plane with you, but at a price to both the dog and your wallet. Your dog is probably already used to riding in the car, so it’ll be less stress on everyone and you can share your vacation fun with your four-legged child(ren).

2 or 7 can travel for the same price – This is one of the biggest plusses. No matter how many people can fit in your car or minivan, it’s not going to cost you more gas to carry them. You will fill up the same amount whether there are two of you or a bunch of you.

More legroom – If you’re among the majority, your car has more legroom than your average airplane seat. If you get cramped, you can stop at a rest area and run around and use a regular size bathroom stall. Stretch your legs, eat a sandwich and then get back in the car and be on your way.

See many things along the way – Some people aren’t into stopping when they’re on the road, but I say that’s most of the fun! Buy AAA guides and search the Internet before you leave for funky and odd things along your route. You can stop at something you never would have before, like the Oregon Vortex. Maybe it’s hokey, but it can be entertaining and also get you out of the car for a bit.

No “peak” travel days – Aside from everyone trying to drive somewhere during rush hour and all day on Saturday, you won’t have to pay more to road trip when you want to. You might get stuck in some traffic, especially if you’re driving in/through a big city, but that’s to be expected.

Pack as much as you want – As long as it fits in your car, you can take it. No one is going to tell you that your bag is overweight and slap you with a heavy fee. If you are traveling with strollers, car seats, camping equipment or golf clubs, this is awesome. If your little one refuses to go anywhere without their own pillow or blanket, you don’t have to say there’s no space. You only have to pack light if you want to.

Can stay in campgrounds or hotels – When you drive, you have the choice of where you stay. If a hotel seems like too much, you can bring a tent and stop at a campground. There’s a big difference in price here. Usually they charge around $12-15 per car at a campground. If you multiply that by the number of days you’re traveling and compare it to spending $50+ per night on a hotel, it’s a big savings. Of course, if you’re like me, after a long day on the road, I want to sleep in a bed. Pick up those coupon books at rest stops and roadside diners and find deals on lodgings along your way.

Bring your own car or rent one – If your car is in good shape, you can save even more money by traveling it in. If it’s not, you have the option to rent a car or a bigger car if it would be more comfortable for everyone traveling. This is still a huge savings over airfare.

You have a car at your destination – You don’t have to rent a car at your destination or take public transportation if you don’t want, because you already have a car to get around town. Convenient!

Now that you know all the good things about road tripping it, let’s look at the potential sucky parts of being in the car much of the day for possibly several days. You probably remember your childhood trips in the car and don’t exactly look back on them fondly. You can make them better, and I have some great ways to do it in my two-part post here and here.

Family togetherness – While this can be a plus, too much togetherness can be a bad thing. If your kids are fighting the whole way or your driver doesn’t like to stop for directions when lost you may NOT have a very good time. At that point, you want to leave everyone on the side of the road and go without them. Bring your GPS, pack some chocolates, handheld games and DVDs and when everyone has just about had it with each other, let them all do their own thing for a while.

Takes longer to get there – You “waste” a lot of time driving to your destination if you have to spend days to get there. It’s time you could have spent having a good time there already if you’d flown.

Parking fees – When you drive, you can sometimes incur parking fees, both at hotels and activities. Sometimes they are nominal and still beat public transportation costs, but other times they are outrageous.

Gas prices – Gas prices are nearing $4 per gallon in some places and in others it’s even higher. You may want to check online to see what the average cost per gallon is along your route to make sure you’re actually saving money.

Rental fees – If you have to rent a car, the rates can be a little steep, since the larger the car, the more you pay. A compact car is always going to be less expensive than a sedan or a minivan. You have to decide if it’s worth the cost, especially if you don’t want to drive your own car.

If you decide to go for it and take that road trip you’ve been talking about and plan to stop at hotels along the way, make sure you check in advance if there are any conventions or festivals happening along your way, as this can really throw a wrench in your plans if you were just assuming you could find a place to stay while you were driving. This happened to us on a few trips and we didn’t have reservations and had to drive quite a long way to find a vacancy or we had to sleep in our car in a campground. It’s better to be prepared than not. Don’t forget, campgrounds can fill up, too, especially during the weekend. Many will let you book ahead of time.

What are some of your favorite road trip memories?