Hello all! It’s been awhile since I’ve written – mostly due to some really strange health issues over the past couple of years. I still watch and read about Britain, though, and am making my comeback this year with a new set of classes in the Fall and a new trip in 2023!
I thought I’d make a list of my best kept secrets for visiting Britain and perhaps to share the good and the bad of what I’ve found over the years.
#10 Travel for Free (or nearly free)
Travel for free using reward points for credit cards you get. I believe there’s a two-year gap required before getting another card, but you can easily get free travel using this link:
#9 Use Travel Hubs
Don’t try to stay in a different city or town every day. Find a hub from which you can do day trips. This avoids time and energy spent packing and moving and can get you discounts as some places offer a free night for a minimum stay.
#8 Use a London Black Taxi
You won’t always need one, and most times you can travel cheaper some other way. But, you will never get the services you get with the Black Taxi. They are the only ones you can legally hail from the street. They know the ins and outs of London and have the entire map of Greater London in their heads! This means you get from point A to point B in a more timely fashion. Also, use them for touring London to see the most fascinating and little-known sites. I recommend JP Taxi | Facebook.
#7 Use Facebook to Network
I found out by accident that having friends on the other side of the pond is a real treat in more ways than one! I’ve been asked on hikes, have seen local sites I would not otherwise have seen, and have even been (kindly) offered places to stay on occasion. I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook, but this is one of my loves.
My friends are the best!
#6 Sky Garden
This freebee is one of the “go to” spots for me on almost every trip. You get a bird’s eye view of London without paying the price of the London Eye. You have to reserve a time to visit on their site, but tickets are free.
#5 Phones
Use your unlocked GSM mobile phone while in Britain. Just get a new SIM from any authorized retailer (such as O2, Vodaphone, or Carphone Warehouse). Top up your card as needed.
#4 Left Luggage
Check with your destination spots about left luggage spaces. Storage (if it exists) will be around train and plane stations/airports. You can easily leave London early for a trip to Edinburgh and make a day trip of York. Just leave your luggage at the storage facility, tour York, then get your bags and continue to Edinburgh. An inexpensive way to sneak in even more adventures!
#3 Don’t Over Plan
I’ve been guilty of this and have rushed through day after day of touring and sightseeing… wearing myself out and missing things in the process. If you do like to plan, put “spontaneous days” into your calendar. It allows you to sleep late (if you want) and sightsee at a more leisurely pace. You end up seeing the most fantastic things that way. I ended up at Kew Gardens one year when I booked my hotel in Chiswick.
#2 Premier Inn
Everyone is looking for cheap hotels in London and around the country. Premier Inn is similar to our Holiday Inn and generally has decent rooms for a decent price. My favorite hotel in London for location and price is the Premier Inn Earls Court, London Kensington.
#1 Charles Schwab
Get a card that doesn’t have a transaction fee. All cards have a conversion fee, but a few won’t have the transaction fee and some rare debit cards also allow for free use of overseas ATMs. No ATM fees is a good thing! Charles Schwab is easy to sign up for and their cards are easy to use overseas. I never pay transaction or ATM fees when on vacation in Britain.