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Old 01-23-2009, 01:11 PM   #1
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England trip

We are talking about a trip to DLP for oct 2010, and I figured since I was going all that way, I need to spend a week in London.

Can anyone suggest a good guide book? I am a history buff, so all the historical sites are for me; hopefully a couple of day trips, like to Hever Castle for example.
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Old 01-23-2009, 01:23 PM   #2
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Frommer's is very good. Give Hampton Court Palace a try. While you're in Paris, do NOT miss Versailles. It's an east day trip and you'll never forget it
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Old 01-24-2009, 03:01 AM   #3
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I agree about Versailles - that's full of history.

As far as history in London goes, well, my goodness, where on earth do you start? There's just so much - it's probably just as well you're planning a weeek.

Hever Castle is stunning, as is Leeds Castle, which is not too far away. In London itself, don't miss the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament, as they're all full of history. Other great places to visit include St. Paul's Cathedral, Hampton Court Palace and the Globe theatre is very interesting, as it's a recreation of Shakespeare's original theatre. We've done the tour there and seen a play there and both were a lot of fun. There's Buckingham Palace of course and don't miss the Changing of the Guard ceremony.

Gosh, so much - and I'm sure there's lots I'm forgetting too. As for guidebooks, I personally love the Dorling Kindersley books, so that would be my recommendation.
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Old 01-26-2009, 09:22 AM   #4
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How exciting! I find the Lonely Planet guidebooks very helpful for everything "non-Disney" If you're interested in history, I'd consider going to Oxford. I loved that! Of course there's a ton of things to see in London, too
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Old 01-26-2009, 09:24 AM   #5
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We took a day trip to Stratford-upon-Avon and Liverpool. Those were really neat. On our way back from Stratford-upon-Avon we stopped to visit Warwick Castle too.
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Old 01-27-2009, 08:01 AM   #6
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Thanks for the tips and keep them coming!
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Old 02-19-2009, 12:19 PM   #7
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RCI has a place in Hampstead and one in Kensington. Which would be better to see the sights of London? I will not have a car, but have no problem with buses or subway/tube, as I come from the big city....
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Old 02-20-2009, 02:19 AM   #8
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RCI has a place in Hampstead and one in Kensington. Which would be better to see the sights of London? I will not have a car, but have no problem with buses or subway/tube, as I come from the big city....
I personally like Kensington - which Tube stations are they near to? You want to be near to a Tube station and, if you can find out which stations, I can tell you which lines run to those stations and whether they'd be good choices. If you're near somewhere like South Kensington or Gloucester Road, those have a couple of lines running to it, which make it easy to get into the centre of London.
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Old 02-20-2009, 06:39 PM   #9
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Having had a look at the RCI website to see where the Kensington and Hampstead resorts are I'd definitely go for the Kensington one. It's just off High Street Kensington which is a really good location - I lived less than a mile away during my first year at uni.
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Old 02-24-2009, 01:04 PM   #10
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Here's the place in Kensington:
Allen House - Luxury Serviced Apartments

The place listed in Hampstead is called "Old Frognal Court" and doesn't have an address or website listed.
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Old 02-24-2009, 01:22 PM   #11
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Rick Steves has a wonderful tour book about London.
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Old 02-25-2009, 01:14 AM   #12
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Here's the place in Kensington:
Allen House - Luxury Serviced Apartments

The place listed in Hampstead is called "Old Frognal Court" and doesn't have an address or website listed.
After a lot of research, I managed to pull up where Old Frognal Court is from its postcode and I think Allen House will be far the better bet for you. It's literally just further down the road from the Royal Garden Hotel, where we stayed last May on our DVC points. It's about two or three minutes walk from High Street Kensington tube station, so very convenient, although it's worth knowing that station is only served by the Circle Line and we did find that to be a bit of a pain, as it literally (as the name suggests) circles the edge of London, so you often have to change to get to the places you want to. But of the two, it's definitely the one to go for.
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Old 03-06-2009, 07:20 PM   #13
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IF you happen to visit Cambridge do not overlook the American Cemetary there. As a history buff I found it very moving. It would depend on what era of history you are most interested in.
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