American wanting to do a London visit for BILLYthon!

[Yorkie]

Blimey, all these security tips. I thought Mikey was travelling to London not Scotland

[cglaid]

The times I've been to London, I've stayed in a small hotel on Ebury street, a few blocks from the VPT. Very cheap (25 GBP), but you get what you pay for - little more than a flat place to sleep, and a dry place to store your suitcase.

Which hotel is this, please?

[Steamboy]

http://www.belgraviarooms.com/main.html

Last time I was there, the 'room' wasn't much more than a large closet, just enough room for the bed and a very narrow bit of floor. To get into my suitcase under the bed, I had to open the door and sit in the hallway.... But, it is cheap and clean.

I think they own several buildings in the area, so your booking may or may not be at that exact address, but it will probably be close.

For those who haven't encountered such things before, an 'en-suite' bathroom is one that is within the rented room, like nearly all US hotels. 'Shared' baths are what they sound like, a common bath at the end of the hall, or perhaps even on a different floor. This isn't as much trouble as it may sound, in a smaller hotel there usually aren't enough guests wanting to use it at the same time to create much of a line. It's not unlike staying at a friend's house, and using their bathroom. The en-suite baths are sometimes one-piece units with shower, toilet, and sink all crammed into a footprint the size of my desk.

Oh, thinking about baths - not all UK hotels provide 'face flannels' with their bath towels, so you might want to bring your own washcloth.

[kport]

Wow! These tips make London sound scary!

It is not. The secret is to take prudent precautions; then enjoy yourself!

One tip to Americans - leave your gun at home! (You know that!). But items readily permitted in the US for self protection - pepper spray, Mace, clubs, machetes, even a humble Boy Scout pocket knife - are considered to be 'offensive weapons' and can land one into a spot of bother with Old Bill. The thinking is that a disarmed public is safer than an armed public (let's not enter THAT debate!). So, be prudent with your possessions; don't go to places that might be dicey; don't ever, ever threaten anyone. More or less the advice your mums gave you!

One completely different word of advice for non-EU visitors - check with your health insurance about coverage in case of accident or illness; travel insurance may be suggested if your coverage is not sufficient. You WILL be looked after by any hospital or GP practice but in some cases you will be asked to pay if the bill becomes excessive and you do have US insurance. You will never be turned away, and generally ambulances never charge. And bring enough prescription medicine; UK pharmacists cannot interpret US prescriptions (you will have to visit a GP to get a UK prescription). By the way, UK pharmacists are licensed to deliver quite a lot more medical advice that their US counterparts, and write certain prescriptions; speak to them first about minor medical issues.

[Billy Whiz]

http://www.belgraviarooms.com/main.html

I've just checked this hotel website and the rates started from £75pn for a room with shared bathroom.

I usually stay at The Belgrave House Hotel which is about a 10 minute walk from the Victoria Station. Rooms start from £30pn for a basic room. En-suite rooms are also available.

http://www.belgravehousehotel.com/

or The Cherry Court where quite a lot of American visitors stay.

http://www.cherrycourthotel.co.uk/index.html

Free WiFi internet is available in both of these hotel.

[Steamboy]

http://www.belgraviarooms.com/rooms.html

I see considerably lower prices... wonder if they have different rates on different pages?

It was five years ago that I was last able to jump the pond, and the prices have gone up a little, but not by much.

I'm not promoting them, just relaying my own small experience. There have been whole threads in the past about hotels, locations, and prices.

[ERinVA]

Blimey, all these security tips. I thought Mikey was travelling to London not Scotland

You can lose your docs or credit cards anywhere in the world, and not necessarily with the help of a thief or pickpocket, so it makes sense to have the backup information you need with you just in case.

Here's another precaution: When your hotel asks for your credit card info to cover incidental charges that you might accrue during your stay, DO NOT give them a debit card. When I was a travel agent, I had a client who went to London on a trip he had won. He stayed in a reputable hotel as part of the package, but he made the mistake of giving the desk clerk his debit card to cover possible incidental charges. When he got home, he discovered that his bank account had been drained, and somebody had booked a holiday with a British travel company called "Sun Holidays" using his card number. Credit cards have protections for these kinds of fraudulent charges, but debit cards are different. It was his bank's fault, of course, for allowing the charge to go through when it should have sent up all sorts of red flags in their system, so he eventually got his money back, but it was a real hassle. A word to the wise...

PS: Yorkie, the Scots who read this forum might not appreciate your joke. Just saying.

[Todd]

Wow! These tips make London sound scary!

It is not. The secret is to take prudent precautions; then enjoy yourself!

Truthfully, I've never felt unsafe walking the streets of London during the day or after dark. I keep thinking that at some point I'll encounter a "rough neighborhood" but I've yet to find any yet that make me feel as uncomfortable as I've felt walking around certain parts of Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, or New York.

One thing that I haven't had the courage to do (and don't plan to do on any future trips to Britain) is to rent a car and attempt to drive on the opposite side of the road that we drive on here in the U.S. Knowing me, I'd end up causing an accident . . . so I'll happily stick to public transportation and walking !

[ERinVA]

Nobody has implied that one will come to bodily harm. The advice has been about keeping your documents and funds safe, not about protecting yourself from muggers.

I have never felt unsafe in London, but as a woman, I personally would not go strolling around London at night after the show by myself. I like staying at the Cherry Court Hotel because when I leave the show by myself, it is a short walk to the hotel, and most of it can be accomplished by cutting through Victoria Station, which is well lit and busy, even late at night. I think it's a prudent choice.

[Yorkie]

PS: Yorkie, the Scots who read this forum might not appreciate your joke. Just saying.

No worries Ellen, the Jocks have a good sense of humour. Usually. As long as you don't make jokes about them being mean I was hoping to rile Keefy but he is obviously busy enjoying his birthday celebrations.

London is a very safe city, particularly so for it's size. Of course it is always a good idea to keep in mind your street smarts - I don't worry too much wandering around by myself at night and I'm sure that 999 times out of a 1000 a woman would be safe too, but there is no point risking that 1 time in a thousand.

Compared to some European cities pick pockets are not as big a risk (Paris, Barcelona) but one thing you need to be aware of is your bags/purse in restaurants/bars/cafés etc. They do have a habit of wondering off if you are not careful so a tip is to put your chair leg through the handle or strap - nobody is walking of with it (as long as you keep sitting in your chair of course!).