Thursday, June 5, 2008

Travel Plans

I know one of the nice things about this course is that it gives all of you some freedom on weekends (since we have three day weekends). That means you have the ability to do some stuff that you wouldn't be able to do during the week.

Whether you want to sight see in London, travel around the UK, or check out mainland Europe, the three day weekend will help you guys out alot.

So do any of you have plans to travel somewhere while in London?

I have a couple plans. On the second weekend there my wife and I are going to escape to the Netherlands to check out the sights, sounds, and culture of beautiful Amsterdam.

We're also planning on hitting up Liverpool where the Beatles got their start. We'll go on the Magical Mystery Tour while there. I've done the tour twice before and it's fantastic -- an essential for anyone who loves The Beatles. Liverpool is a day trip from London -- about a three hour train ride. If anyone is interested in doing this, let me know maybe we can go together.

I also would love to check out Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral again but probably won't get a chance to do that this time. I'm definitely checking out Hampton Court Palace in far west London this time around. It's a fantastic place from what I've heard. I've never had the opportunity to check it out though.

So what are your plans? Use the comments section here to tell me and everyone else what you're doing. Who knows, you might just get a travel partner out of it!


By the way, I'll be giving you guys tip and suggestions of places to go in London that we won't necessarily hit during class time.

7 comments:

~Nightinga£e~ said...

I don't have any plans for weekends, but I'm up for trips that won't cost a lot of money.

-Heather-

Tristan said...

I need to get in touch with my family friends in Normandy/Paris and see what they're up to. I'm planning on seeing them on either the first or second weekend.

Then on the opposite weekend, I'd like to backpack around Ireland. I don't know how to do this, where I should go or even what to see. If anyone is up for the challenge, let me know!

Finally, on the final Friday before we leave England, I'd like to do a day trip to Wales, one of my homelands. Seeing as my name is Welsh, I can't wait to see all the people of Wales freak out when they meet this American. It'll be great. I'm also looking for anyone to go on this trip with me, if you're interested.

Ryan Parkhurst said...

Tristan, you might want to check out http://www.haggisadventures.com/

They do trips to Wales and Ireland. It's a backpacking tour -- and is a FANTASTIC time. I actually am thinking about doing the Travel Writing course in Scotland next year and using Haggis for all of our tours. To the left of the page on that website there is "Shamrocker Tours". They work with Haggis and have some great deals and trips for two or three days.

Heather, I think you should look into some day trips that take you to Kent, Stonehenge, Stratford, Brighton, etc... Usually the day trips are a bit cheaper and are also a great way to see more of England. SO many students make the mistake of using London as a launching pad to other European destinations when England is so incredibly rich in culture and character all on its own.

Do some research -- you'll find some pretty cool things that you should try and do just outside London.

The Brute said...

My weekend plans include France and the Netherlands. The North Sea Jazz Festival is the first weekend in Rotterdam, south of Amsterdam. I feel that Amsterdam will be pretty crowded, but I think I am going to check the festival out on the final day and pack around Amsterdam before. The second weekend I am thinking of heading out to Paris and getting a 2-day museum pass. After that trying to get out into the country for a day at least.

I would definitely enjoy some company that is willing to just ramble around the countries.

- Laura

Tristan said...

Hey all,
Awesome news. I have a friend in Paris, who I was hoping to visit. Turns out she won't be there, but she did offer me her flat for the weekend! I'm going to get back to her, and see if she's OK with having company. So if anyone is looking for a free place to stay in Paris...

Tristan said...

One other thing. On the Friday before we leave England, there's this huge festival in Wales called The Big Cheese.

http://www.caerphilly.gov.uk/bigcheese/english/index.htm

It looks fantastic. I wish we could stay the whole weekend, but instead I was thinking it would be a great way to spend our last night with the Brits. Check it out and tell me what you think.

ICLondonTraveler said...

Hey guys,
Tristan, I might be interested in going to Wales with you. Other than that, I didn't have thrilling weekend plans--I was definitely gonna hit up more of the museums, especially the British museums, and definitely go on a shopping spree at Harrod's.
Allie