RAILforum: Question for U.K. members

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Posted by mho357 (Member # 1204) on :

It appears that I will be going to London on business sometime next month. I'll be there for a few days of business (and some sightseeing, I hope). I was thinking that I would travel to Belgium after my business was completed for a few days of vacation.

Any suggestions on the best way to travel to and from Belgium? Eurostar? I wanted to visit Brussels and Bruges.

I'll be flying in and out of Gatwick.

If you only had a few days in London, what would you do?

Thanks,

Mark

Posted by Geoff Mayo (Member # 153) on :

Eurostar is definitely the way to go if you like trains. In fact, it's actually quicker to take the train than to fly when you take into account transfers, check-in time etc. Bruges is connected by rail from Brussels.

Try http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en?ld=107&newrequest=yes& for timetables across Europe, including Eurostar.

If I had a few days in London, I'd find somewhere else to go - it's full of politicians ;-)

Usual touristy things are Trafalger Square, Buckingham Palace (changing of the guard), Madame Tussauds or maybe London Dungeon, Leicester Square... erm, running out of things here!

If you want to see trains then try Clapham Junction in the evening rush hour (supposed to be busiest junction in the world) or London Bridge (again, pretty busy). Freight tends to go around the outskirts of London. Eurostars go from Waterloo, up the track from Clapham Junction.

Let us know if you want any more info on the above, or if you have any other questions.

Geoff M.

Posted by mho357 (Member # 1204) on :

Geoff,

My business will actually be in Northampton (Ravensthorpe). I'll probably have one night there and one or two in London.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks,

Mark

Posted by Geoff Mayo (Member # 153) on :

Can't think of anything near Northampton... what type of things are you looking for?

Geoff M.

Posted by mho357 (Member # 1204) on :

Geoff,

History is always of interest. A good pub is high on the list. Meeting people and sampling local cuisine. Seeing the countryside and learning about the culture.

I know it's not much to go on but if you can think of any "must do's" or towns to visit I would appreciate it.

Thanks,

Mark H.

Posted by Geoff Mayo (Member # 153) on :

Ah, beer, now you're talking! If you mean "proper" British Beer, as in Real Ale, then you want to go to a CAMRA-approved pub. Their website is http://www.camra.org.uk/ (Campaign For Real Ale). There is a Northampton branch listed on the site. The main thing to look for in a pub is the hand-pulled beers, not the fizzy gnat's p*ss, sorry lager, style electric pumps.

For historical sites, again I can't think of any in Northants (which is short for the county of Northamptonshire). Try English Heritage http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/ or the National Trust www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ . There are plenty of guidebooks on London so I won't repeat anything there, although if you are interested in trains, then a visit to the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden is supposed to be recommended.

The nation's favourite dish is apparently curry, and there are plenty of places to get it from. Fish and chips is the official one although I haven't had it the traditional way for years (chips=fries and manky ones at that, and overflowing with oil). Roast dinners with all the trimmings are also good, drowning in thick gravy is my preference. Any pub worth its salt does a Sunday Roast.

Geoff M.

Posted by mho357 (Member # 1204) on :

Geoff,

Thanks for the tips. I'll let you know how things go.

Mark

Posted by mr williams (Member # 1928) on :

Welcome to the UK, Mark, where public funding of railways is $34 billion a year just on the infrastructure alone and where my little suburban halt gets more trains in a day than Houston gets in a month!!

Yes, Eurostar to Brussels. I think there are about eight trains a day, first one about 06.50. Actual travelling time 2hr 45 mins, but add one hour on arrival as you cross onto Central European Time.

Northampton is reached from London Euston. Trains every 10 or 15 minutes most of the day, journey time about 1 hour.

Geoff sums up the attractions pretty well; as for Fish & Chips, well there are still some good chippies around. The reason standards have fallen is that many take-aways offer fish and chips as a sideline alongside the chinese, kebabs etc. Real Ale definitely merits a try, but if you want to drink Continental lager just remember that one of the most popular brands, Stella Artois, is FRENCH (I saw two American tourists refuse to drink it when they realised!).

Anyway, enjoy your trip!

Posted by mho357 (Member # 1204) on :

Mr. Williams,

Thanks for your tips. We have decided to stay in London near Euston Station. I'm really looking forward to the trip and I wish I had more time (and money).

By the way, isn't Stella from Belguim?

Cheers,

Mark