The Mall at Buckingham Palace

Our first trip to England holds special meaning to me because of what resulted from it. It was this trip that got me thinking that my next career could be as a travel agent.

As is usually the case in travel to Europe, we arrived at Heathrow Airport early in the morning. Getting from Heathrow to central London can be done in many ways. These include taxis, taking the Tube (London’s subway system), bus, or by private transfer. We elected to have a private transfer, and I would recommend this for first-time visitors to London.

Our hotel was in Charing Cross, right next to the train station, just two blocks from the Thames River. After checking in and freshening up, we took the bridge to cross over to the south bank of the Thames and walked to the Globe Theater for a tour of the theater. Afterward, we had Tea at a nearby restaurant. The restaurant was on the riverbank of the Thames and looked out over St. Paul’s Cathedral.

In the city, we visited several historic sites. On one day of the visit, we started with a tour of Westminster Abbey, followed by watching the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. After a lunch of traditional Fish and Chips at a pub, we walked down to Downing Street to visit the Churchill War Rooms. On one evening, we took a “Jack the Ripper” tour, visiting the sites where Jack was said to operate. After the tour, we had a traditional English meal in a pub near Parliament. On another evening, we took in a play in the West End Theater District. And on another evening we took a dinner cruise on the Thames.

On one day, we had a “casual” day, where we just walked, visiting Piccadilly Circus, Harrod’s Department Store, Hyde Park, and the London Natural History Museum. On another day, we took the Tube to the Tower of London and watched the opening ceremony before seeing the Crown Jewels, the places where prisoners were confined, and the armory museum. Afterward, we visited St. Paul’s Cathedral.

We took several guided tours out of town while in London. The first was to Stonehenge, the town of Bath and Stratford-on-Avon. On another tour, we went to the Town of Oxford and afterward visited Highclere Castle and the town of Bampton, both of which were the centerpiece of the “Downton Abbey” television series and movies.

When I travel, I often try to do something special; this trip was one of those. It was a “milestone” birthday for me, and I am a Formula 1 race fan. So, we timed this trip to see the British Grand Prix at Silverstone Raceway near Milton Keynes. The trip could not have been easier. On Sunday morning, we to the Tube to Euston Train Station. From there, we took the train from London to Milton Keynes. The trip took approximately 90 minutes and went through the English countryside. We took a shuttle bus from the train station to the racetrack. After the race, we simply reversed the process. I should note that all of these arrangements, including the race tickets, were made in advance.

Our trip was in July, and the weather was very mild. As you have seen in the past few years, the weather can change rapidly, so you should plan for varying conditions.

Our trip was nine days in length, including two travel days.

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