7 Night British Isles Sept 2, 2018

BadPinkTink: Could you give some advice, please? From what I've been reading on the various posts, credit cards (chip and pin) are accepted most places. Still need to have local currency, but wondering how much to carry for incidentals like Taxi, tips, small purchases, etc. in both Euros and Pounds? Also- have you been to Camden Market? Looks interesting for a short shopping/dining stop. Thanks for any info.

I'll get back to this in a day or so just popping in for a few minutes, but yes I can give you help about money and currencies. I used to go to Cmaden Market when I lived in London, but I havnt been there in a few years. Its changed alot since I used to go there, there was a huge fire a few years ago but it is still a place worth visiting
 
I'll get back to this in a day or so just popping in for a few minutes, but yes I can give you help about money and currencies. I used to go to Cmaden Market when I lived in London, but I havnt been there in a few years. Its changed alot since I used to go there, there was a huge fire a few years ago but it is still a place worth visiting

We have visited Dublin previously and are planning on just doing what we want on this visit. I am just wondering whether there is a difference with Red and Blue HOHO other than a few stops ? Looks like the places we are likely to go are on both rotes, wondering if one has more frequent busses.
 
BadPinkTink: Could you give some advice, please? From what I've been reading on the various posts, credit cards (chip and pin) are accepted most places. Still need to have local currency, but wondering how much to carry for incidentals like Taxi, tips, small purchases, etc. in both Euros and Pounds? Also- have you been to Camden Market? Looks interesting for a short shopping/dining stop. Thanks for any info.

Having a chip and pin card will really minimise hassle and give you alot more flexibility. For example you will be able to use the self service ticket collection machines and in restaurants and bars you wont have issues with the hand held machine they will bring to your table.

Tipping in UK and Ireland is no where near like in USA. It is not expected to tip taxis or tour guides for example but it is a nice gesture. The same in bars , restaurants and cafes, the bar tenders and servers earn a liveable wage, they do not have to rely on tips to make up their wage like in USA. Again tipping is a nice gesture but not expected.

In restaurants I would give round up and give a 10% tip, I dont tip bartenders.

For taxis I rarely tip, if I do, I would round up. For example if the fare is €8.60 I would hand the driver €10 and say thats ok, keep the change, but only if I felt the taxi driver gave exceptional service, ie helped me with luggage or was friendly and chatty. A note about Taxis in Dublin, most only accept cash and before 6pm there is €3.60 on the meter before you start your journey. After 6pm, the standing charge goes up to €4.80 I haven't been in a Taxi in London for a few years but they would have similar, and most likely only take cash.

I guess if you budget €50 / £50 per person per day in cash you would be fine. I would mainly use the card, but use cash for small purchases under €10 /£10 and for taxis.

Camden Market is amazing and I would easily spend 4 or 5 hours just wandering around. The easiest way to get there is to take the Tube, Northern Line. There are 2 routes on the Northern Line, both will bring you to Camden Town Tube Station, but on the way back you will need to check you are on the correct line to get back to your hotel.

When you up to street level you will be on Camden High Street. This is a very bohemian / offbeat / unconventional area. You will need to walk about 5 minutes up the road to get to the market areas. Alot of the shops on Camden High Street sell and display unconventional clothing, shoes,bags and other accessories.

This is the official website of Camden Market and gives great information about whats on , the shops and restaurants https://www.camdenmarket.com/ There are also street food vendors so I would plan to eat lunch in the Camden Street Area.

We have visited Dublin previously and are planning on just doing what we want on this visit. I am just wondering whether there is a difference with Red and Blue HOHO other than a few stops ? Looks like the places we are likely to go are on both rotes, wondering if one has more frequent busses.

There is a HOHO bus stop beside where I get my regular city bus home from the city centre. From what I see on a regular basis I would advise taking the Red GreyLine HOHO Bus.
1. They have agents on a regular basis at the bus stops in the city centre
2. They have live commentary from the bus driver or on board guide
3. The Red GreyLine HOHO Bus seems to be more frequent and have a better standard of bus vehicle.
 


Camden Market is amazing and I would easily spend 4 or 5 hours just wandering around. The easiest way to get there is to take the Tube, Northern Line. There are 2 routes on the Northern Line, both will bring you to Camden Town Tube Station, but on the way back you will need to check you are on the correct line to get back to your hotel.

When you up to street level you will be on Camden High Street. This is a very bohemian / offbeat / unconventional area. You will need to walk about 5 minutes up the road to get to the market areas. Alot of the shops on Camden High Street sell and display unconventional clothing, shoes,bags and other accessories.
This is the official website of Camden Market and gives great information about whats on , the shops and restaurants https://www.camdenmarket.com/ There are also street food vendors so I would plan to eat lunch in the Camden Street Area.

Thank you BadPinkTink! Camden Market looks like fun.


There is a HOHO bus stop beside where I get my regular city bus home from the city centre. From what I see on a regular basis I would advise taking the Red GreyLine HOHO Bus.
1. They have agents on a regular basis at the bus stops in the city centre
2. They have live commentary from the bus driver or on board guide
3. The Red GreyLine HOHO Bus seems to be more frequent and have a better standard of bus vehicle.[/QUOTE]
 
Thank you BadPinkTink!
You are so generous with your time and expertise Your information is very practical and helpful. Looking forward to having a little taste of your part of the world!
 
Thanks on the HoHo, this will round off our planning for Ireland. Since we are B2B on the WBTA we are arriving only the day before the cruise. This is ok since we have been to London several days prior to other cruises, this time we are headed straight to Dover and will spend the day seeing what we can there. We just need to secure Liverpool plans and then all stops will be wrapped up.
 


My daughter (9) and I will be on this cruise. This will be our fourth DCL cruise but first in Europe and we cannot wait. We are part of the Facebook group for this cruise and made silicon bracelets for our group and have a few extras so I thought I’d share here as well if anyone was interested. (I tried attaching a photo but can’t figure it out☹️)

Price each is $1.80 USD each (which was just the cost and shipping, not making profit at all). I will plan a Meet and Greet for 3:20-3:50 to pick up your bracelets and say a little hello to everyone. Please PM me your stateroom number in case you don’t end up connecting at that time, and we will deliver in the first 2 days on board.

You can either pay cash onboard or I have a paypal account, both in CDN or USD.

Any question, just let me know.

Can’t wait to meet you all.
 
Hi! This is our first Disney cruise and our first time in Europe! My husband, daughter and I will be traveling with another family and staying in London pre trip as well! we're all so excited.
 
Hi! Getting excited (and a little nervous about details) now that we're in double digits! Has this been asked before? Or does anyone know the easiest way from Heathrow to Victoria Station? Since we will be pulling our luggage with us, I was wondering what the easiest route would be. Train, tube, other? Our hotel is within walking distance of Victoria Station. Thanks in advance for your help!
 
Hi! Getting excited (and a little nervous about details) now that we're in double digits! Has this been asked before? Or does anyone know the easiest way from Heathrow to Victoria Station? Since we will be pulling our luggage with us, I was wondering what the easiest route would be. Train, tube, other? Our hotel is within walking distance of Victoria Station. Thanks in advance for your help!

Tube Piccadilly line ( dark blue) to Hammersmith, walk accross same platform to other side, district line, ( green), to Victoria.

Or

Heathrow Express fast / TFL rail ( slower), to Paddington. Circle ( yellow) to Victoria.
Note at Paddington take entrance to circle line, i.e. Not to Edgware Road, first platform but over bridge via High Street Kensington and Victoria.
Heathrow express costs more than Piccadilly line or TFL rail, but its 15 minutes to Paddington.
 
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Having a chip and pin card will really minimise hassle and give you alot more flexibility. For example you will be able to use the self service ticket collection machines and in restaurants and bars you wont have issues with the hand held machine they will bring to your table.

Tipping in UK and Ireland is no where near like in USA. It is not expected to tip taxis or tour guides for example but it is a nice gesture. The same in bars , restaurants and cafes, the bar tenders and servers earn a liveable wage, they do not have to rely on tips to make up their wage like in USA. Again tipping is a nice gesture but not expected.

In restaurants I would give round up and give a 10% tip, I dont tip bartenders.

For taxis I rarely tip, if I do, I would round up. For example if the fare is €8.60 I would hand the driver €10 and say thats ok, keep the change, but only if I felt the taxi driver gave exceptional service, ie helped me with luggage or was friendly and chatty. A note about Taxis in Dublin, most only accept cash and before 6pm there is €3.60 on the meter before you start your journey. After 6pm, the standing charge goes up to €4.80 I haven't been in a Taxi in London for a few years but they would have similar, and most likely only take cash.

I guess if you budget €50 / £50 per person per day in cash you would be fine. I would mainly use the card, but use cash for small purchases under €10 /£10 and for taxis.

Camden Market is amazing and I would easily spend 4 or 5 hours just wandering around. The easiest way to get there is to take the Tube, Northern Line. There are 2 routes on the Northern Line, both will bring you to Camden Town Tube Station, but on the way back you will need to check you are on the correct line to get back to your hotel.

When you up to street level you will be on Camden High Street. This is a very bohemian / offbeat / unconventional area. You will need to walk about 5 minutes up the road to get to the market areas. Alot of the shops on Camden High Street sell and display unconventional clothing, shoes,bags and other accessories.

This is the official website of Camden Market and gives great information about whats on , the shops and restaurants https://www.camdenmarket.com/ There are also street food vendors so I would plan to eat lunch in the Camden Street Area.



There is a HOHO bus stop beside where I get my regular city bus home from the city centre. From what I see on a regular basis I would advise taking the Red GreyLine HOHO Bus.
1. They have agents on a regular basis at the bus stops in the city centre
2. They have live commentary from the bus driver or on board guide
3. The Red GreyLine HOHO Bus seems to be more frequent and have a better standard of bus vehicle.


Chip and pin helps, but if you get a " contactless" bank card you can tap in and tap out on yellow readers in London instead of buying an Oyster card. Thus avoid any oyster deposit.

https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-informati...g-around-london/best-ways-for-visitors-to-pay
 
Wondering about the weather/how to dress. I’ve been to London in theSummer and in the Fall, but not on a cruise ship and I suspect it will be a bit cooler?? Anyone with experience on what you’ve packed- dresses, pants and sweaters or just layer? Did you spend any time at the pool or should I just forego the swimsuit?

Prepare for everything, September can be nice, but changeable, Autumn can kick in quickly but recently we had good weather until October.
 
Tube Piccadilly line ( dark blue) to Hammersmith, walk accross same platform to other side, district line, ( green), to Victoria.

Or

Heathrow Express fast / TFL rail ( slower), to Paddington. Circle ( yellow) to Victoria.
Note at Paddington take entrance to circle line, i.e. Not to Edgware Road, first platform but over bridge via High Street Kensington and Victoria.
Heathrow express costs more than Piccadilly line or TFL rail, but its 15 minutes to Paddington.

THANK YOU!
 
Tube Piccadilly line ( dark blue) to Hammersmith, walk accross same platform to other side, district line, ( green), to Victoria.

Or

Heathrow Express fast / TFL rail ( slower), to Paddington. Circle ( yellow) to Victoria.
Note at Paddington take entrance to circle line, i.e. Not to Edgware Road, first platform but over bridge via High Street Kensington and Victoria.
Heathrow express costs more than Piccadilly line or TFL rail, but its 15 minutes to Paddington.

Hi again Acquaduck! Do you know the best way to get to Dover from Victoria Station? Can we take the tube? Again, we'll have luggage in tow. Thanks!
 
Anyone else staying in Dover the night before the cruise ? We are at the Best Western Dover Marina.
 

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