Guest Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 We took James up to London yesterday for a day out as the weather was nice and Monday doesnt' look so good. Mum would have taken the train but as that's so expensive (£35) and I prefer driving I took the car. It took just 50 mins door to door (Westminster!) which was a LOT quicker than the train would have been as we would have spent 1/2 hour just getting to the station using the park and ride, then it's about a 50 min journey and we also would have had to hang around for trains. I dropped Mum and James off right outside the Houses of Parliament then drove round the corner looking for somewhere to park - I would have happily paid £20 for a days parking but I soon found an empty disabled bay where you could park all day on a Saturday using a Blue badge - and Mum has a blue badge and was with me so that was OK. We saw Big Ben, went on the London Eye (booked online before we left), walked back to Westminster, along to Downing Street then through horse guards and across St James Park to Buckingham Palace. James got a bit upset that we couldn't go in! I walked Mum and James over to Trafalgar Square and then left them to play on Nelson whilst I marched back to get the car and pick them up. Somehow whilst I was fetching the car Mum decided to take James to Hamleys so I had to drive them to Regents Street and drop them outside then find another disabled parking space - again it was easy, I got one just over by Fortnum & Masons (which I have still never been in!) and walked back to Hamleys to help them browse before fetching the car again and picking them up. Whilst we were going I was mobile blogging with pictures (sorry I kinda took over the planet page yesterday!). There are so many free wifi hotspots in London that it was rather too easy to do on my N96. We had a lovely day and it was an 86 mile round trip, I get about 28mpg and paid .97 per litre for my last tank of petrol so by my reckoning it cost us about £13.50 in "fares" giving us a huge saving on the train fare and backing up my reasoning that I could have afforded to pay £20 to park if I needed to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paola Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 Sounds like you all had a fantastic time I love Hamleys and I still have not been to Fortnum's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassett Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 Sounds like you had a fantastic day. I love days out in London , and the children always find it so exciting as there are so many different things to do and see. Enjoy the rest of half term! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlo Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 You are very brave driving round the centre of London. It is not an experience that I would take on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omletina Kyckling Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 Wow! You packed a great day in! Sounds like you had a fab time, and I'm impressed at you driving around central London! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 You are very brave driving round the centre of London. It is not an experience that I would take on! I don't find central london tricky, I know my way around and I have a fantastic sense of direction which usually keeps me out of trouble. Now the first time I ever drove abroad was in Madrid - in rush hour traffic and my husband was USELESS as a navigator at the best of times but in Madrid he couldn't even read the signs as they were "in spanish" errrm it's the same alphabet! So eventually I was driving and trying to read the map and the road signs. By the time we arrived (3.5 hours for a 13k journey) I was ready to KILL him. I'm seeing the divorce solicitor on Thursday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisP Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 Sounds like you had a lovely day! I've never been on the London Eye, definately a trip to do next Spring I reckon!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannie Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 I guess you didn't need to pay the congestion charge with the disabled parking badge either? Not sure how it works! Oyster cards are really good for making London journeys cheaper too: definitely recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 I don't know about the congestion charge, it was Saturday. I remember when they first brought it in I had to get a bus to visit my friend rather than pay even though she had an empty garage for me to park in. I was staying at my BIL's at Maida Vale and she was at her b/f's in Paddington Green. Was blinking stupid as it would have taken me less time to drive than I waited for the bus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
