Two museums for kids.. and their parents!

My father always told me how lucky I was, how he didn’t have any of the things that I enjoyed in my childhood. Now I can see just how different my kid’s childhood is to mine. So I think that it’s an interesting idea to show today’s computer savvy, switched on kids what it was like before the microchip.

The V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green, London is a treasure trove of Toys, Games, Dolls, and Teddy Bears dating back to the 16^th Century and includes exhibitions and education about the lives of children over the last 400 years. After your visit, your children might have a little more respect for what they have. While at the same time, spotting your favorite toy might just leave you feeling older then when you went in.

The Museum is open daily from 10am to 5.45pm and entry is Free.

 

If you’re in the North of England you might want to visit Eureka! The National children’s Museum in Harrogate, Yorkshire. Unlike the V & A museum which tells the History of Childhood, Eureka! is very much about today’s kids.

A place where children play to learn and grown-ups learn to play. Everything at Eureka! has been designed to inspire children to find out about themselves and the world around them through 100s of hands-on exhibits.

Open Daily from 10am to 5pm, Admission is £7.50 for Adults and Children 3 and over, £2.25 for toddlers 1-2 years and free for babies under 1 year. After 3pm from Monday-Friday during school term time, visitors are admitted at half price.

Have you been to either of these museums? What are your favourite museum for kids? As always, your thoughts, ideas and comments are welcome.

A sweet stop for Chocolate lovers.

 

Cadbury is to the British what Hershey’s is to Americas.

Chocolate!

 It was in 1897 that the Cadbury Company launched its first chocolate for eating (just 3 years after Milton Hershey began to produce sweet chocolate as a coating for his caramel candy). The company history, however, goes back to 1824 when John Cadbury opened a grocer’s shop in Birmingham. Five years later he opened a factory to produce cocoa and drinking chocolate.

 Richard and George Cadbury, John’s son’s,  took over the company in 1861 and in 1879 the Cadbury Brothers moved to a brand new factory four miles outside the City of Birmingham and called it Bournville. Over time they acquired more land and built a village for their workers (Milton Hershey also built a town for his workers). In 1905, they launched ‘Cadbury Dairy Milk’, their ‘trade mark’ product that continues to exist today and, here is the U.S, is manufactured by the Hershey Company.

 Over the next 100 years the company grew, launching more products and merging with other companies until , in 2003, it became the Number One confectionary company in the world after buying the Adams Gum Company in the U.S. known for brands such as Trident, Stride and Bubblicious gum, Swedish Fish, Halls cough drops and Sour Patch kids.

 Cadbury sill produce chocolate at their Bournville factory and in  1990 opened “Cadbury World”. The £6 Million visitor center has grown over the last 18 years to become a major attraction. As well as learning about the history of Chocolate and the Cadbury company you can see how the different types of Cadbury chocolate is produced and packed. It’s not a factory tour, more of a Chocolate Based theme park and well worth a visit for any chocoholic if your in the Midlands area.

 More information about Cadbury World can be found at the Cadbury World Website.

 American – British lexicon

 In Britain, Candies are known as Sweets. Not to be confused with the Desert part of a meal which can also be known as a sweet or a pudding. As well as being sold in Supermarkets and Gas Stations they are also sold in small local stores called “Newsagents” unlike the U.S. where newspapers are most often local and sold from street vending machines. Britain has a selection of national daily newspapers that are sold in newsagent shops. Newsagents also carry a wide selection of magazines and often a small selection of greeting cards and other ancillary things. However, because of the large selection of candy (or sweets) carried by these shops, children refer to them as “Sweet Shops’. The word Candy is mostly used as part of a brand name or to describe particular types of Sweets.

 Have you any experience of Cadbury World? Have you tried any British candy? I’d love to hear what you think. Please feel free to add your comments below.

Fare Sales make getting to Britain Cheap

 

Last year the soaring fuel prices and the strong pound, made flying to Britain an expensive proposition. This year that seems to be turning on it’s head. The pound has dropped making things much cheaper when your there and the airlines are fighting to get you on their aircraft as the global resession bites. United Airlines have started a fare sale to Europe with fares to The UK from as low as $168.

I did a quick check based on that $168 fare routing from Chicago to London and discovered that you can fly in May for just $113.00 round trip plus taxes. The taxes however are higher than the fare at $363.10. Still, the total round trip cost of $476.10 is not unreasonable and things are now a lot cheaper when you get there.

I also compared the United fares with British Airways and American Airlines and they both matched the total. The only carrier who flies the route directly that didn’t offer a low fare was Virgin Atlantic. Currently their lowest fare for the dates i chose (4th May – 12th May) is $375.00 plus taxes of $363.10 making their cheapest fare $738.10. But that may change if they notice a drop in bookings.

Fares vary from other airports and, of course, all fares are ’subject to availability’ but if your planning a trip now might be a good time to book.

What airfare bargains are you finding for your trip to Britain?

Two Heathrow Lounges make Top 10

 

Most travellers don’t experience the lounges that airlines provide for their premium passengers in Business and First Class, but for those who use them they are an important part of the travelling experience, especially in these days of longer check-in times and higher security. 

David Armstrong has written on thestreet.com about (what he considers to be) the Top 10 lounges around the world. Two of those 10 are at London’s Heathrow Airport, The British Airways  Galleries in Terminal 5 and the Virgin Atlantic Club House in Terminal 3.

Heathrow  hasn’t had too much good press among frequent travellers recently, so it’s nice to see that they make the Top 10 twice. The only airport to do so.

What are the best and worst lounges you have encountered. Do you have any suggestions or reccomendations, tricks or tips? Your thoughts and comments are welcome.

Cruise to Britain with James Taylor

 

If you’re thinking of taking the slow boat to Britain and you’re a fan of James Taylor you might want to consider sailing on Jun 19th. There will be two “Cunard Command” Performances on the six day Queen Mary 2 crossing from New York to Southampton.

 During The Crossing, guests will have the chance to join a live Q&A interview by Cunard’s Entertainment Director, where James will talk about his award-winning career and the Summer European Tour he will begin after his arrival in England. 

Cunard is famed for hosting well known names on it’s crossings. Elizabeth Taylor, Rita Hayworth, Cary Grant, Clark Gable all sailed on Cunard ships across the Atlantic. More recently Rod Stewart, Shirley Bassey, Harry Connick, Jr. and Lenny Kravitz, Uma Thurman, Angela Bassett, John Cleese, Richard Dreyfuss and Terence Howard have sailed aboard the Queen Mary 2..

Banking on the right card

Yesterdays Frugal Traveler column in the New York Times gave some advice on “Packing the Right Credit Card“. There is some good advice in the article, but since it is general information that covers the world as a whole I thought I would add information that will specifically apply to Britain.

“Discover, for example, charges no fees, but is not as widely accepted abroad as Visa, MasterCard and American Express.”

Discover card will be no use to you. It simply isn’t accepted anywhere in the U.K. So you’ll need to stick with one of the other three. American Express, while accepted in many places, is not as widely accepted as the other two, Visa and MasterCard. Ditto, Diners Club which is, in my experience, accepted in even less places than American Express. My Advice is to make sure you have a Visa or MasterCard.

“But as they do with credit cards, banks tack on foreign-exchange fees to A.T.M. withdrawals. My home bank, Bank of America, charges $5 plus 1 percent of the withdrawal, while Citibank charges 3 percent of the withdrawal plus $1.50 at non-Citibank A.T.M.s.

Both reduce the fees somewhat if you use their own machines, or those of their partners. Bank of America, for example, partners with Deutsche Bank in Germany and BNP Paribas in France, so withdrawals are fee-free there (but not, however, at Deutsche Bank branches outside Germany).”

Bank of America is an excellent choice of ATM card, in my opinion. The trick here is to use ATM machines at ‘Barclays Bank’. Since there is an agreement between the two. You can use your Bank of America ATM card at Barclays Bank ATMs with no fees. Barclays is one of the big UK banks and their ATMs are located in most towns and cities across the country, so it shouldn’t be hard to find one.

Last time I used my Bank of America ATM card in a Barclays Machine, not only were there no fees, but when i checked my statement, the exchange was better than I would have got hadIi bought Sterling Cash or Travelers checks before I left. Of course I can’t guarantee that for every transaction.

Something not mentioned in the article, but it is good to be aware of is ‘Chip and Pin’. Most UK issued cards now have small chips in them. Rather than use the magnetic strip on the back of the card, retailers have machines that read the chip. When this system was firs introduced it caused some problems for overseas travelers, including me. Retailers refused to accept the card because it didn’t have a chip.  In most places you should not have a problem, but the retailer can and must accept your card by swiping the magnetic stripe in the traditional way.

Finally a word about ATM/Debit cards and cash back. It’s unlikely you’ll be able to use your ATM card as an ATM card in a store. In most cases it will be a ‘credit’ transaction rather than a ‘debit’ transaction. this means that you’ll be unlikely to be able to get cash back. And remember, unlike most of continental Europe, Britain does not use the Euro. They still have the good old British Pound.

If you have experience of using Credit Cards and ATM machines in the UK please share it with us and add your comments below.

Opens Skies to Amsetrdam for $1000

 

OK, I admit that Amsterdam isn’t in Britain. So you may be wondering why I’m writing a post about the city. Well, if you want to get to Britain and you are not travelling to London it’s a great place to connect with flights to regional British airports. Even if you are travelling to London it can be worth considering if you want to avoid Heathrow.

The reason i bring it up now is because The new British Airways subsidiary airline “Open Skies” is offering a great fare to Amsterdam from New York in their ”Prem +” cabin. Just $1000 round trip, and that includes taxes and fees. The actual fare is advertised at $417 each way (based on round trip) plus taxes and fees. It must be booked by Jan 26th, but you can travel up until May 31st 2009. The fare is non refundable and fees apply if you make any changes. More information can be found here

Once you arrive in Amsterdam you can get flights to Belfast with Easyjet , Birmingham with BMIBaby, Bristol with Easyjet, Cardiff with BMIbaby, East Midlands with BMIBaby, Edinburgh with Easyjet, Exeter with flyBE, Leeds Bradford with Jet 2, Liverpool with Easyjet, Gatwick with EasyJet, Lutonwith Easyjet, Stansted with Easyjet, Manchester with BMIBaby and Southampton with FlyBE.

Remember to allow plenty of time to connect since you’ll not be able to check-in for both flights or check your baggage through to the U.K. from the U.S. using these airlines and you’ll need to collect your bags at Amsterdam and check-in again for the second leg of your flight (in both directions) but Amsterdam is a great airport to connect through. You’ll be purchasing your flights from Amsterdam to Britain in Euros, so you’ll need to remember the currency conversion and check what your credit card company charges for that. 

Since your going to be there anyway, you might want to spend a couple of nights in Amsterdam. It’s a beautiful city and Springtime is arguably one of the best times to visit since the world famous bulb fields are in full bloom. There is a quick and easy and frequent train service from the Airport to the City Center.

Even if you don’t fly through Amsterdam to get to Britain, with so many low cost airline routes it makes a great destination for a side trip during your stay. You don’t even need to fly. If you want to see a little bit of the countryside the “man in seat 61” (an excellent resource for all your European train travel) has the details of the Train and Ferry option.

Conveniently, Over on Karen Bryan’s Europe Al La Carte Blog, Andy Hayes has just written about “Where to take your bike in Amsterdam” . As he correctly points out “Bike is the only way to travel in Amsterdam” .  Britain’s Telegraph Newspaper has an Amsterdam travel guide and this article from the New York Times (even though it is a year old) will tell you a little bit more about the Bulb fields and Amsterdam.

But that’s enough about Holland. Next time we are back where we belong in good old Blighty!

Dover – Underground and Overground

Operation Dynamo, better known as the evacuation of Dunkirk, took place between May 26th and Jun 4th 1940. 338,226 soldiers (198,229 British and 139,997 French) were rescued by a hastily assembled fleet of 860 boats including about 700 fishing boats, Pleasure craft and lifeboats known as the little ships of Dunkirk. This evacuation proved crucial in saving the British army from total defeat and capture. The operation got it’s name from the Dynamo Room where Sir Admiral Ramsay directed the operation. The Dynamo room was part of a labyrinth of Secret Wartime Tunnels built deep into the ground below Dover Castle in Kent.

 Dover, located on the south east coast of England, is the closest part of Britain to Continental Europe just 22 miles away. Dover is famous for it’s White Cliffs that, for hundreds of years, have provided both a symbolic and real defense against attack from it’s neighbors across the channel. The cliffs were recently voted Britain’s most popular stretch of coastline. The Cliff Face hides miles of Hidden Tunnels which were used by during the Second World War as a military command Centre and underground Hospital, but they were there long before World War 2. The Tunnels were originally built in 1216 when Louis VIII of France invaded and attacked Dover Castle. The English defenders tunneled outward from the Castle and attacked the French.

The Castle was built by Henry II during the 1180’s. When Henry VIII was excommunicated by the Pope following the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon and following the 1538 peace treaty between France and Spain, an invasion of Britain by the Catholics seemed inevitable. Because of this Henry strengthened his defenses he commissioned a chain of costal artillery forts and you can still see two of them close to Dover, Deal Castle and Walmer Castle.

 You can tour the Secret Wartime Tunnels where they have recreated life as it was lived by the 700 personnel based here in the worst days of World War II. You can view Winston Churchill’s Battle of Britain Command and view underground hospital. Sounds, smells and film clips from the time realistically recreate the atmosphere of wartime Britain.

On July 25^th 1909 Louis Blériot completed the worlds first flight “over a large body of water in a heavier than air craft” when he landed in Dover.  He won a £1000 prize offered by the Daily Mail newspaper for the first successful flight across the English Channel. The trip from Les Barraques, near Calais in France took 37 Minutes and secured him a place in History. In 2009 Dover will be celebrating the centenery of that flight. Over the weekend of July 25^th and 26^th there will be many events including a historic recreation of Bleriot’s flight across the English Channel by the distinguished Swedish pilot, Mikael Carlson, flying one of his two Bleriot XI airplanes.  

Dover is home to a Cruise port and, along with the nearby towns of Sandwich and Deal makes for an ideal pre or post cruise stopovers. Especially if your looking for an alternative to London.

Skiing in Royal Deeside

If you’re planning a skiing holiday this winter and want something a little bit different from the Alps or Aspen you might want to try Scotland.  There are five ski resorts, all close together. On the western side you’ll find Glenshee, Cairngorm and the Lecht Resort. The Nevis Range and Glencoe are on the Eastern side of the country. This post will concentrate on the resorts in the West. A future post will look more closely at Nevis and Glencoe.

The Three Resorts are located very close together making it possible to ski more than one of them on the same vacation. Their close proximity to some of Scotland’s main cities and tourist attractions also means that the skiing can be combined with some sightseeing and an amazing choice of accommodation.

Located near Braemar in Royal Deeside, Glenshee is the largest and oldest of the Scottish Ski Resorts with 36 runs. Braemar is home to the Braemar Gathering and Highland Games which are regularly attended by members of the Royal Family. The Scottish home of the Queen and her family is nearby Balmoral Castle. Balmoral has an estate that extends to over 50,000 acres of Hills and woodlands. Vacation cottages that will accommodate large families or parties of up to 5, 7 or even 13 guests can be rented on the estate. Balmoral lies just under half way between Glenshee and the Lecht Ski Resort.

The area gets its name from the River Dee which travels 85 Miles from its source at Braeriach to Aberdeen and is well known for its excellent salmon fishing. However, fishing isn’t the only sport that Scotland is famous for. The area has many excellent golf courses and the world famous ‘Home of Golf’, St Andrews is only about 65 miles south of Glenshee, across the River Tay.

Perth and Dundee also lie to the South of Glenshee (About 35 miles). Perth is Scotland’s former Capital City and home to Scone Palace where 42 of Scotland’s Kings were crowned. Dundee on the Bank of the River Tay is known for its sea faring and industrial heritage. Captain Scott’s famous Antarctic expedition ship R.R.S. Discovery is berthed here.

Just to the North of Glenshee is the Cairngorms National Park and its here, close to the town of Avimore, that you’ll find what is perhaps Britain’s best known skiing area Cairngorm. The Cairngorms is Britain’s newest National park, made up of moorlands, forests, rivers, lochs and glens and is home to 25% of Britain’s threatened birds, animals, and plants.

From here it’s possible to make a day trip to Loch Ness to see if you can spot the fabled Loch Ness Monster. On the way to Loch Ness you’ll pass through Inverness and close to Culloden Moor where in 1746 the Jacobites, under Bonnie Prince Charlie, were defeated by British forces. Of course a visit to Scotland wouldn’t be complete without a visit to a Scottish Whisky Distillery. And why stop at one when you’re close enough to enjoy Scotland’s Malt Whisky Trail?

Have you been to the area? Are you a skier? What are your suggestions and recommendations for this area of Scotland? We’d love to have your suggestions and ideas so please take a moment to comment below.

Britain – up to 25% off

If you thought Britain was to expensive last year, it may now be time to reconsider. The Pound is dropping against the dollar from about $2 = £1 earlier this year to (as I write)  just under $1.5 = £1. In effect this means that when your there, things are about 25% cheaper then they were a few months ago, including hotel rooms and domestic travel. The drop in the cost of oil is also helping. Those exorbitant fuel surcharges that the airlines imposed are dropping too. Not fast enough (I don’t think they should have been there in the first place) but that’s just my opinion.  The credit crunch might help to improve things for U.S. Travelers as well. With people tightening their belts financially, there may not be as many people travelling which could lead to bargains on flights and hotel rooms.

Frommer’s (the people who, in my opinion, produce excellent travel guides) are alerting us to some special offers from Virgin Vacations to London with 6 nights starting at $649.00 per person. This price is for January Travel and includes flights, hotels and those dreaded fuel surcharges. The Price is for travel from New York staying in a Tourist Class hotel. It will be more expensive if you fly from somewhere further west and/or stay in a higher grade property. Not included in the price are airport taxes and fees which can add up to $200 per person (it varies) but it’s still good value when you consider that a few months ago you might have paid that price for the flight alone.

If you prefer a little independence in your vacation planning British Airways Holidays are offering hotel accommodation from $51 per person per night at the Royal National Hotel in Russell Square. This 3 star hotel is a centrally located budget hotel and is even better value if you’re travelling with a family since they have rooms that can accommodate up to four adults. To benefit from this rate you do need to book in conjunction with British Airways flights, but you don’t need to spend your entire vacation in London and can book more rooms in other cities (either with B.A. holidays or independently). Booking with B.A. Holidays does give you the piece of mind that your hotel is pre-paid in U.S. Dollars, so whatever happens to the dollar verses the pound you know exactly what you’re going to pay and can budget accordingly.

Before you book your flights directly with any specific airline, you might want to see what’s available without too much searching around. While Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz and similar sites are a good way to check a variety of carriers, I have often found that the price increases during the booking process. In addition these online travel agents may charge a fee on top of the price of the ticket.  I prefer kayak.com for initial investigations. The site includes fares from online agents as well as from the airlines directly. You can search different nearby airports and a period of up to three days either side of your preferred date. On the same site you can also check for hotel and hire car rates too.

If you do find a good value hotel, check the location carefully. Some may be a short tube ride into the city centre.

I’ll watch what’s happening as we move into the New Year and you can be assured that I’ll be keeping you advised of the best offers here on the blog.

Remember that the hotel and flight deals shown above have restrictions including booking periods and travel dates, so please refer to the relevant terms and conditions on the individual sites.