PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Swanton British Travel Service LLC
PO Box 7398
Wilmington. DE 19803-0398
PO Box 7398
Wilmington. DE 19803-0398
Phone : (302) 529-0100
Fax : (302) 475-8669
Toll Free : (800) 637-5713
Fax : (302) 475-8669
Toll Free : (800) 637-5713
© Copyright 2008. Swanton British Travel Service LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Website by Limestone Business Web, LLC
Independent / Group Travel to Britain (England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland)
"Accurate advice, cost effective personal attention & one on one mentoring."
Please call us for assistance (302) 529-0100 or toll free (800) 637-5713
EXAMPLE DAYS ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
A few ideas of just how much you can accomplish.
NOTTING HILL PORTOBELLO MARKET & CANTERBURY IN THE SAME DAY.
Breakfast at hotel. Went to Portobello Market (street market with lots of antiques, jewelry, and foods) and Notting Hill neighborhood. Unusual. Got there by walking to Pimlico Tube, Tube to Oxford Circus, Change to Notting Hill Line, walk to market then around and over to neighborhood houses. Tube back to Oxford Circus to St. Pancras & St. Pancras Train Station to Canterbury. 1.5 hour tour of Canterbury Cathedral was good. We went to Even Tide 3:15 service in the Abbey of Canterbury Cathedral. 40 minutes. All male choir including young boys singing soprano and alto and men singing men's parts. We sat next to a member, who afterwards gave us a ride to St. Augustine's Abbey ruins, and the St. Martin's Church, the oldest parish church in England. He was extremely nice and friendly. Ate at the Strada Italian restaurant, across from the main Cathedral entry gates. He told us it was the best place to eat. Came back on train to London (St. Pancras station). Back to hotel on Tube.
CHARTWELL & LONDON IN 1 DAY
Breakfast at hotel. Walked past Westminster Cathedral to Victoria Station. Train from Victoria to Seven Oaks Station. Bus 9:53 a.m. to Chartwell. Saw Chartwell. Ate lunch. Back on bus. Seven Oaks train station to Victoria Station then to Charing Cross Station. Walked down Whitehall past Horse Guards past 10 Downing Street over to War Rooms and Chuchill Museum. Visited War Rooms. Walked by park. Westminster Abbey for 5:45 organ recital and 6:30 service. Got on doubledecker bus. Rode it to both ends. #88 including Campden Town at top end and Clapham Commons at bottom end. Dessert at hotel.
CAMBRIDGE & DUXFORD DAY OUT FROM LONDON
By train from Kings Cross Station via Stevenage to Cambridge. Learned the story of the Cam Bridge. Punting on the river. "The Backs" (no longer "The Back Sides" after Queen Victoria). Walking tour of Cambridge University including King's College Cathedral. Over to Duxford Air Base Museum by taxi when realized bus would take 56 minutes. Went through Duxford museums quickly. Saw the Air Space building. Saw the U.S. Air building, including its tribute to the U.S. air efforts in WWII in the form of the glass wall outside showing symbols for the 6,300+ aircraft lost by the 8th Army Air Force and the 30,000+ men lost by the 8th Army Air Force from bases in England. Maps showed where they were based in England. Very windy and cold out on the Duxford field. Figured out too late that 4:37 was the last bus back to London. Got taxi. Split bill with a student from Italy, one from Spain, and the Italian student's father.
LONDON & OXFORD IN 1 DAY
Walked to Westminster Abbey and Shop, St. Margaret's Chapel, Parliament. Bought stuff in Westminster Abbey shop, walked back to hotel. Taxi, told driver to take us by St. Paul's cathedral and Wesley's Chapel and the Bunhill Fields Cemetery across the street on City Road. He took us by and let me get out and take pictures at both St. Paul's and the City Road Wesley places. Taxi driver pointed out numerous other sites along the way including Charles Dickens' house and Sherlock Holmes statue. He told us about Greenwich, which is where he lives. 25,000 taxi drivers in London. It takes an average of 3.5 years' of study to get the license to be a London taxi driver. He then took us to our actual destination for the taxi ride, which was Paddington Station. Paddington to Oxford. Walked from station to hotel. Checked in. Went to Tourist Information center. Traveled to & from Blenheim Palace by bus S3. Saw Blenheim Palace. Went to Turf Tavern for supper. Walked back over to train station to get times for going to Stratford-Upon-Avon, etc., but the information desk was closed.
ESCORTED DAY TOUR OF THE COTSWOLDS
Took local escorted tour with 7 other people in the van including us and 5 others. So we toured the Cotswolds. Taynton. Bourton on the Water (=Little Venice). Upper and Lower Slaughter. Stow-on-the-Wold. Stanway. Stanton. Broadway (a stop for afternoon tea, Chipping Campden. Moreton-in-Marsh. Chipping Norton. Woodstock. Rode through Blenheim Palace grounds even though it was already closed. Saw some things we had not seen on our visit the previous afternoon, including riding by the butterfly house and secret garden. Rode out through a different exit gate. Got back to Oxford at 6:30 p.m. Ate supper at an extremely popular burger place.
OXFORD IN DEPTH
Breakfast at hotel. Travel Information Center at 9:30. Another "Official Oxford Shop" Bought stuff. Bought Oxford University tour for 10:45 a.m. Went on the tour. Then ate at University Church. Walked down to Christ Church College. Hall of Christ Church College. (Harry Potter; painting of John Wesley; paintings of lots of other famous people). The church. Prayer by woman minister. Walked out and went down walk through meadow of Christ Church College. Isis River (Thames). Blackwell's Bookshops. Ashmolean Museum. It is a fantastic museum. Walked to see Eagle and Child Pub. Got taxi to Binsey Village and The Perch. Walked to Binsey Church (St. Margaret's Church) and Alice's Well at the church, which had been recommended to us. A beautiful place. Out of the way. We were too tired to walk down there, but we did walk most of the way back, on a very narrow road. Got a bus ride the last portion of the way back, after getting close to Oxford. Supper at Eagle and Child, where C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien frequented. Steak and ale pie. Cornish pasty. Cauliflower tart. Chicken pie. Roast potatoes. Warm chocolate brownie and ice cream.
HOW TO PUT THAT LAST DAY TO GOOD USE WHEN YOU ARE STAYING AT THE AIRPORT
LONDON & GREENWICH & THE BRITISH MUSEUM
Breakfast at hotel. Taxi 7:40 a.m., to meet 8:02 train arriving at to Paddington about 9:25. Paddington to Victoria. Crowded Tube. 7 stops to Victoria. Victoria to Gatwick via Gatwick Express Train. Left 10:30 a.m. Arrived 10:59 a.m. Taxi to our airport hotel. Bus back to airport. Gatwick Express train back to Victoria. Going back: Gatwick to Victoria Station. Tube to Tower Hill. Docklands Light Rail (DLR) to Island Gardens via Canary Wharf (the Manhattan of London). Walkway under the Thames River to Greenwich. Went in Visitor Center. Went to Trafalgar Tavern. Lunch there, on the river, in the place that Charles Dickens frequented. Walked around Royal Naval Academy. Prince Charles went to school there. It is now the University of Greenwich. Went in Chapel and Painted Hall. Got info from one of the staff about the Painted Hall. Largest painting in UK. Royal Maritime Museum. Walked by the Queen's House, built for her by the King after she got mad and would not speak to him because he got mad at her and swore at her in public because she had accidentally shot his favorite hunting dog. Walked through the meadow and up the big hill to the Royal Observatory where the Greenwich Mean Time and the Zero Meridian of Longitude are. Stood on 0 meridian longitude. Got our picture taken by people in line behind us. Walked down and through town. Got on boat to Embankment Station via Thames River. Got off and went to Embankment Tube. Up to Tottenham Court Road Station. Off and walked to British Museum. 5:55 to 8:05 p.m. Walked back to Tottenham Court Station. Tube to Oxford Circus Station. Switched there to Victoria. Victoria got on Gatwick Express. 9:00 a.m. left Victoria. 9:30 to Airport. Bus to hotel.
A few ideas of just how much you can accomplish.
NOTTING HILL PORTOBELLO MARKET & CANTERBURY IN THE SAME DAY.
Breakfast at hotel. Went to Portobello Market (street market with lots of antiques, jewelry, and foods) and Notting Hill neighborhood. Unusual. Got there by walking to Pimlico Tube, Tube to Oxford Circus, Change to Notting Hill Line, walk to market then around and over to neighborhood houses. Tube back to Oxford Circus to St. Pancras & St. Pancras Train Station to Canterbury. 1.5 hour tour of Canterbury Cathedral was good. We went to Even Tide 3:15 service in the Abbey of Canterbury Cathedral. 40 minutes. All male choir including young boys singing soprano and alto and men singing men's parts. We sat next to a member, who afterwards gave us a ride to St. Augustine's Abbey ruins, and the St. Martin's Church, the oldest parish church in England. He was extremely nice and friendly. Ate at the Strada Italian restaurant, across from the main Cathedral entry gates. He told us it was the best place to eat. Came back on train to London (St. Pancras station). Back to hotel on Tube.
CHARTWELL & LONDON IN 1 DAY
Breakfast at hotel. Walked past Westminster Cathedral to Victoria Station. Train from Victoria to Seven Oaks Station. Bus 9:53 a.m. to Chartwell. Saw Chartwell. Ate lunch. Back on bus. Seven Oaks train station to Victoria Station then to Charing Cross Station. Walked down Whitehall past Horse Guards past 10 Downing Street over to War Rooms and Chuchill Museum. Visited War Rooms. Walked by park. Westminster Abbey for 5:45 organ recital and 6:30 service. Got on doubledecker bus. Rode it to both ends. #88 including Campden Town at top end and Clapham Commons at bottom end. Dessert at hotel.
CAMBRIDGE & DUXFORD DAY OUT FROM LONDON
By train from Kings Cross Station via Stevenage to Cambridge. Learned the story of the Cam Bridge. Punting on the river. "The Backs" (no longer "The Back Sides" after Queen Victoria). Walking tour of Cambridge University including King's College Cathedral. Over to Duxford Air Base Museum by taxi when realized bus would take 56 minutes. Went through Duxford museums quickly. Saw the Air Space building. Saw the U.S. Air building, including its tribute to the U.S. air efforts in WWII in the form of the glass wall outside showing symbols for the 6,300+ aircraft lost by the 8th Army Air Force and the 30,000+ men lost by the 8th Army Air Force from bases in England. Maps showed where they were based in England. Very windy and cold out on the Duxford field. Figured out too late that 4:37 was the last bus back to London. Got taxi. Split bill with a student from Italy, one from Spain, and the Italian student's father.
LONDON & OXFORD IN 1 DAY
Walked to Westminster Abbey and Shop, St. Margaret's Chapel, Parliament. Bought stuff in Westminster Abbey shop, walked back to hotel. Taxi, told driver to take us by St. Paul's cathedral and Wesley's Chapel and the Bunhill Fields Cemetery across the street on City Road. He took us by and let me get out and take pictures at both St. Paul's and the City Road Wesley places. Taxi driver pointed out numerous other sites along the way including Charles Dickens' house and Sherlock Holmes statue. He told us about Greenwich, which is where he lives. 25,000 taxi drivers in London. It takes an average of 3.5 years' of study to get the license to be a London taxi driver. He then took us to our actual destination for the taxi ride, which was Paddington Station. Paddington to Oxford. Walked from station to hotel. Checked in. Went to Tourist Information center. Traveled to & from Blenheim Palace by bus S3. Saw Blenheim Palace. Went to Turf Tavern for supper. Walked back over to train station to get times for going to Stratford-Upon-Avon, etc., but the information desk was closed.
ESCORTED DAY TOUR OF THE COTSWOLDS
Took local escorted tour with 7 other people in the van including us and 5 others. So we toured the Cotswolds. Taynton. Bourton on the Water (=Little Venice). Upper and Lower Slaughter. Stow-on-the-Wold. Stanway. Stanton. Broadway (a stop for afternoon tea, Chipping Campden. Moreton-in-Marsh. Chipping Norton. Woodstock. Rode through Blenheim Palace grounds even though it was already closed. Saw some things we had not seen on our visit the previous afternoon, including riding by the butterfly house and secret garden. Rode out through a different exit gate. Got back to Oxford at 6:30 p.m. Ate supper at an extremely popular burger place.
OXFORD IN DEPTH
Breakfast at hotel. Travel Information Center at 9:30. Another "Official Oxford Shop" Bought stuff. Bought Oxford University tour for 10:45 a.m. Went on the tour. Then ate at University Church. Walked down to Christ Church College. Hall of Christ Church College. (Harry Potter; painting of John Wesley; paintings of lots of other famous people). The church. Prayer by woman minister. Walked out and went down walk through meadow of Christ Church College. Isis River (Thames). Blackwell's Bookshops. Ashmolean Museum. It is a fantastic museum. Walked to see Eagle and Child Pub. Got taxi to Binsey Village and The Perch. Walked to Binsey Church (St. Margaret's Church) and Alice's Well at the church, which had been recommended to us. A beautiful place. Out of the way. We were too tired to walk down there, but we did walk most of the way back, on a very narrow road. Got a bus ride the last portion of the way back, after getting close to Oxford. Supper at Eagle and Child, where C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien frequented. Steak and ale pie. Cornish pasty. Cauliflower tart. Chicken pie. Roast potatoes. Warm chocolate brownie and ice cream.
HOW TO PUT THAT LAST DAY TO GOOD USE WHEN YOU ARE STAYING AT THE AIRPORT
LONDON & GREENWICH & THE BRITISH MUSEUM
Breakfast at hotel. Taxi 7:40 a.m., to meet 8:02 train arriving at to Paddington about 9:25. Paddington to Victoria. Crowded Tube. 7 stops to Victoria. Victoria to Gatwick via Gatwick Express Train. Left 10:30 a.m. Arrived 10:59 a.m. Taxi to our airport hotel. Bus back to airport. Gatwick Express train back to Victoria. Going back: Gatwick to Victoria Station. Tube to Tower Hill. Docklands Light Rail (DLR) to Island Gardens via Canary Wharf (the Manhattan of London). Walkway under the Thames River to Greenwich. Went in Visitor Center. Went to Trafalgar Tavern. Lunch there, on the river, in the place that Charles Dickens frequented. Walked around Royal Naval Academy. Prince Charles went to school there. It is now the University of Greenwich. Went in Chapel and Painted Hall. Got info from one of the staff about the Painted Hall. Largest painting in UK. Royal Maritime Museum. Walked by the Queen's House, built for her by the King after she got mad and would not speak to him because he got mad at her and swore at her in public because she had accidentally shot his favorite hunting dog. Walked through the meadow and up the big hill to the Royal Observatory where the Greenwich Mean Time and the Zero Meridian of Longitude are. Stood on 0 meridian longitude. Got our picture taken by people in line behind us. Walked down and through town. Got on boat to Embankment Station via Thames River. Got off and went to Embankment Tube. Up to Tottenham Court Road Station. Off and walked to British Museum. 5:55 to 8:05 p.m. Walked back to Tottenham Court Station. Tube to Oxford Circus Station. Switched there to Victoria. Victoria got on Gatwick Express. 9:00 a.m. left Victoria. 9:30 to Airport. Bus to hotel.