Statelady & Chezp's London Adventure: COMPLETED!!!
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statelady01 · 11-24-2003, 08:41 AM

We are about to begin our TR! Just a few words before we get started:

We'll start it with DH and I- our journey over and our first day before we met up with Chezp and Mark. Then, we'll post together so you get two different perspectives and photos will be added a few installments after we start.

Here we go!

PRE TRIP and BACKGROUND

This trip began as an impulse purchase. We had just bought air for our July trip to Disney and I was surfing the Passporter Boards that same night. Someone (and I don’t remember who- but thank you!) posted a thread about a 12-hour sale at British Airways.com. Curious to see just how good it was- I headed over to the British Airways Website and was shocked to find that during late October and November- fares to London from Dallas (which is about 325 miles from here) were as low as $99 each way! I got Kevan, my husband to come look it over and I asked him if he thought we could work this out as an early tenth anniversary gift. The time was 10:30 pm and the sale was ending at midnight. He called his mom and disappeared into our bedroom to talk to her about it. About 30 minutes later, he came out and told me that she would take the kids for 5 days (again, as she was doing it in July too for my birthday) and that she thought it was a great deal that we would be crazy not to take up. Luckily, we still had some tax refund left so that would certainly help with the cost. As we started booking, he kept asking me if I was sure I wanted to do it- as I am a very fearful flyer but I thought after flying to WDW in July, I would have more practice and I was determined to get over it and see the world so I reassured him, that I would go through with it. At 11:30 pm, just 30 minutes before time ran out, we booked our air. Two of us from Dallas Fort Worth to London Gatwick with all taxes and fees for $540.00.

Kevan had been to Europe in high school but I had never been overseas. My mother absolutely loved London and told me wonderful things about it so both of us were really excited about this opportunity. I also very much loved and admired Princess Di, so this was especially exciting in that regard. Kevan had wanted to return to Europe ever since we met, so I knew this would be a great trip for him as well.

Soon after we bought the tickets- I posted a thread in the Globetrotting Section asking for a few recommendations about hotels in London. Cheryl (chezp) was the first to reply and first through PM’s, then emails a wonderful friendship began to flourish. As the next few months went by, she and her husband Mark decided to celebrate their anniversary in London and we arranged to have a meet. This friendship became quite strong through the months. I was so happy when they decided to stay at the Rembrandt as well. I was thrilled beyond belief when they offered to bring us to Maidstone and have us spend a night with them. We quickly took them up on their generous offer and that became one of the BIG highlights of the trip!

The next months just flew by and before we knew it, November 12 was upon us!

AKLRULZ · 11-24-2003, 08:50 AM

Neat! Didn't know the beginnings of your trip - way cool!

Disney Fan · 11-24-2003, 10:15 AM

This is already exciting! Can't wait to hear more about it!

MegglesMom · 11-24-2003, 10:29 AM

Maureen, what a great start! I can't wait to read more!

**LilMarcieMouse** · 11-24-2003, 11:04 AM

<font color="blue">Another duel report cool!!!!!!!!! Surprise trips like this are the best are they not?

nice begianing.
</font>

Smiley · 11-24-2003, 11:23 AM

Your adventure must have been heavenly!!!

Good for you for going!

**Colexis Mom** · 11-24-2003, 12:19 PM

Great start Maureen

Can't wait to hear all about it

wdwlovers · 11-24-2003, 04:55 PM

Great start Maureen! Neat to see how this all began. I can't wait to read your TR as I went to London almost 2 years ago and fell in love with the city. Looking forward to reading!!

Bert & Sully · 11-24-2003, 07:03 PM

Oh good you're starting your Trip Report!! Guess I'll have to catch up when we get back.

tikibird · 11-24-2003, 07:23 PM

Great start - very cool to know the origins of this trip - can't wait to hear more!

statelady01 · 11-24-2003, 10:38 PM

Day 1; Part One: The Long Awaited and Somewhat Feared Plane Ride to London ( thanks to all those who replied to my numerous threads re: this subject..)

Our drive to Dallas began at 7:30 am after dropping our kids off at Grandmas. A friend of mine gave me directions to get to DFW Int’l and told us it took her about 5 hours to get there. We did really well, even with construction along the way and were pulling into the Remote Parking Lot (a deal at just $6 a day) at 12:00 noon exactly. Check in at the British Airways desk was a breeze and we were through security and at the gate at 12:15- almost 4 hours ahead of flight departure.

We decided to have some lunch at a sit down restaurant directly across from our gate area that was okay. Nothing spectacular and it was very overpriced but then again, what airport food isn’t? We browsed the shops and parked ourselves at the gate area.

More and more people began to show up, among them a group of 3 older women who were the most catty and immature people I have ever seen while people watching. They made snide remarks and giggled about people as they walked by and it got to be so annoying hearing them talk that I got up and moved! British Airways brought out some London papers, which were quickly snatched up by British folks who I guess on this flight, were headed home and needed some news from home. I got increasingly nervous and by the time they called for boarding I was sort of shaking a little.

They boarded in order of last row to the first- Kevan and I were in the second group to be called. We were assigned to a row of three and we both kept watching for that third person to come take their seat, but low and behold no one showed and right before the doors closed, we realized we were going to have an extra seat to ourselves!

We took off right on time and it was relatively smooth so I began to relax and watch TV and the GPS system tracking where we were. I was doing so well until we began to go over Virginia and the DC Metro area- turbulence hit fast and furious- so much so the flight attendants were told to sit. I was in tears within a few minutes and Kevan did everything he could to make me feel better, without much success. About an hour later we approached the Atlantic Ocean and things calmed down a little- I had such a headache I decided to take some Tylenol PM, hoping it would knock me out- but it just made me extremely drowsy. Dinner was served soon after at about 8 pm and it was pretty good. From that point on, I just remember dozing in and out.

At some point I looked at the Flight Data Channel and realized that there was just about an hour to go- and when the British “landing cards” were handed out (for customs) I started to really wake up and get excited that we were getting close! We came into England just as day was breaking and I must admit it was a breathtaking sight as the majority of our flight was in the dark. Our landing at Gatwick was smooth as silk and we were off the plane in no time.

My first time on foreign soil and as we were walking I was looking for something. Anything that would really help it sink in we were in England. I saw a bright yellow sign with an arrow that said “Toilets”- we certainly don’t use the term Toilet as much as it was used in the UK so that certainly was an eye opener!

We were greeted in Passport Control by a nice officer who asked the nature of our visit and Kevan replied by telling him leisure- to which he started to laugh- I got it when I remembered how the British say leisure and I started snickering too- the way we say it is very different. British= lay-shure. American= leesshoor.

Off to baggage claim which was fairly easy and then making our way to the Gatwick Express, which was not. There were so many people in that area of the airport I felt like a salmon running upstream! We did make our way to the Gatwick Express- a 30-minute train ride that takes you from the Airport to London Victoria Station- where we would take the Underground (subway) to the hotel.

Coming Up: Our First London Underground Ride and an unbelievable coincidence in Harrod's