A friend and I are planning a trip this summer for early August to London, Edinburgh, and Dublin. We're looking at flights, hostel stays, and food/entertainment for a 1.5-2 week trip, and hoping to do it somewhat cheaply. All the flights we've found are in the $1700-$1900 range, so that would be most of our budget for the trip, leaving not much left for anything else. (We were originally hoping to spend less than $2500 each) Is there some secret we just don't know? A site for finding the deals? We've looked at travelzoo.com and expedia, but what's the best way to find cheap flights? (is it a travel agent?) [more inside]
posted by lockstitch around England at 11:39 AM - 9 answers

I'm in London, staying in a nice little self-catering flat. Do I tip the guy who's been doing the cleaning? [more inside]
posted by still_wears_a_hat around London, England at 1:52 AM - 9 answers

Where can i find the best free printable maps of Central London? Something big I can print out multi-page. (I can find plenty of tiny print maps which aren't for me). I'm thinking it would fit on 25 sheets of 8 x 11. I'd fold it and carry it with me. A good map that shows the relative widths of streets. Labels the main sights, shows tube stations. Google Maps doesn't fill the bill.
posted by storybored around London, England at 9:04 PM - 10 answers

I finally saved up enough flyer miles for a flight to Europe and I am super excited since I've never been. I'm planning on a week in London and then a week in Paris, advice for things to do while I'm there would be much appreciated. [more inside]
posted by xtine around London, England at 12:16 PM - 21 answers

I'm scared of driving. But I'm determined to get over it and making great progress. There are some great questions and answers on the green about conquering fear of driving and they've helped me a lot. But I have a specific fear that towers over all the others, and I think that if I can just get over this, I will be a shedload more confident in driving in other situations. Here's the problem: joining a dual carriageway from a slip road on UK roads makes me cry. [more inside]
posted by pootler around England at 10:31 AM - 27 answers

Best place to exchange dollars for pounds in London?(debit/credit card not available) I am flying to London and need to exchange my US dollars into pounds there. I cannot use my credit or debit card to withdraw money from ATMs due to severe government restrictions in my country of origin regarding foreign currency operations. Debit and credit cards issued by all banks at home are at present mostly useless abroad. If you know where I can get good rates to buy pounds in London, that would be a great help.
posted by Basque13 around London, England at 9:09 AM - 7 answers

Fingers crossed, I'll have a spare (if probably jet-lagged) day in Manchester, UK, soon, and am looking for a thing or two to do. The sort of stuff I go for includes museums (science/technology, art, transport), history, industrial archaeology, cool architecture (Calatrava style), walking about, local cheap/take-out food, that sort of thing. Thanks! [more inside]
posted by carter around Manchester, England at 6:24 AM - 14 answers

A friend may be moving to the UK for a year this summer. He's wondering how he would go about bringing his beloved Ducati with him? It's fully compliant in the US and is less than 10 years old. [more inside]
posted by nickrussell around England at 4:41 AM - 8 answers

I am heading to London for a few days in June, and I need a hotel to which I can take my 10kg dog. Requirements: 100-200 pound a night; near, or within easy public transport to, UCL; green space nearby (for the dog). The internet does not seem very good for this, as some of the hotels that *say* they accept dogs put restrictions (like, must be under 5lbs (!)), and a lot of the information online is old or incomplete. Does anyone know of such a hotel in London, and is certain they'll accept a 10kg dog?
posted by Philosopher Dirtbike around London, England at 4:40 PM - 4 answers

As per my previous question, my wife is attending a course in London in June so we are moving from Australia for three months. We were thinking somewhere central initially, but the prices are nuts, so we will probably pick somewhere on the tube line (red or black line). Any suggestions for the seasoned London mefites in this thread that would suit our family of four (me, wife and two preschool boys). For reference, our rent here is equivalent to about 250 - 300 pound a week, but no idea how that compares. my wife would also be okay with up to a 1 hr commute, especially if we live at the start of the line and she can get a seat. Thanks all.
posted by ranglin around London, England at 3:50 PM - 26 answers

I'm visiting London for two weeks beginning mid-May. Woohoo! It's been a long, long time since my last time and I'm super-excited. I'm going through the Ask threads and reading guidebooks. One question I couldn't find an answer to is: Are there any interesting/novel day courses on offer? I would like to mix up the sightseeing with something hands-on. Or a top-notch seminar... Any subject would be fine. The only criteria would be that it's something not found in a smaller city (like Ottawa, Canada :). I'll be staying in the Bloomsbury/Russell Square area near the British Museum and willing to travel, say, under an hour to get to the course.
posted by storybored around London, England at 7:43 PM - 9 answers

Looking for travel advice on going to the Forest of Dean. Complication: no car. [more inside]
posted by Put the kettle on around England at 6:50 AM - 2 answers

Due to a last-minute work trip and a big difference in plane ticket prices, I have from Thursday evening through to a 2 PM Heathrow departure Monday free to go exploring. Where should I go and what should I do? [more inside]
posted by psycheslamp around London, England at 3:24 PM - 7 answers

We'll be traveling to Stratford-upon-Avon this Christmas and we're looking for a self-catering vacation rental either in Stratford proper or within an hour's drive. I'm familiar with VRBO and AirBnB, but what I'm not familiar with is the great Stratford-upon-Avon area. What are the towns/cities that we should consider? Also, if you have any suggestions for specific properties, we'd love to hear them. It would be ideal to find something with "traditional" English charm, but also with the 21st century "necessities" like WiFi.
posted by tmharris65 around Stratford-Upon-Avon, England at 4:41 PM - 7 answers

I would like to know if you have some place /event for me to visit in london. I'am a french otaku / geek / goth / rpg gamer. My friends already give me some address and i get somes like : The london hackerspace, namco station , forbiden planet, slimelight, the david bowie exposition. I will be there the 19 march to the 25 march mainly for the louie ck show. Regards Bussiere
posted by bussiere around London, England at 5:00 AM - 1 answer

Mr. msmanners is being sent to the UK for 2-3 months and he's bringing me and the kids. We're staying in Reading and he's commuting to Newbury. Help us figure this out. We leave in 1 week, my head is spinning! [more inside]
posted by msmanners around Reading, England at 7:59 PM - 12 answers

My job is transferring me from Chicago to London in the spring. I've certainly got a lot to figure out between now and then (much of which this forum has already been a big help with), but one specific question I have involves the purchase of a new computer. My current MacBook is definitely due to be replaced -- it's six years old, so move or not, I was planning on getting one sometime this year. Does it make more sense to buy one before the move or after? [more inside]
posted by mattstan around London, England at 4:06 PM - 8 answers

What is the best way to spend an 8 hour stopover in London England for a family that has never been there before? [more inside]
posted by fairmettle around London, England at 4:17 AM - 16 answers

Family of four adults spending ten days in London in June. We usually prefer apartments/flats and have used VRBO very successfully in the States. My first question (of many to come) concerns what part of the city to stay in. [more inside]
posted by raisingsand around London, England at 8:32 PM - 13 answers

We're headed to England for Christmas. The plan is to fly into Birmingham and then use Stratford-upon-Avon as a home base (there are two productions that we want to see at the RSC). Are we crazy to consider renting a car and driving in England? Pros = We'll be able to drive to other locations we want to visit; we'll be able to get to supermarkets to stock our vacation rental. Cons = December weather (snow? ice?)? Driving a manual (will renting an automatic be cost prohibitve?)? Most importantly: driving on the left? Thoughts? Advice?
posted by tmharris65 around England at 5:07 PM - 25 answers