Pre-London Update #2

Hello everyone!

At this point it's about seven weeks until I set off on my adventure in England. In the past few weeks I've been doing lots of researching and planning with my friend Gabby, who is also coming. We've finially finished our plans for the first week (we're arriving about a week before our school meet-up date so we can do a little travelling before the semester with Gabby's dad). 

During our first week, we're starting in London, then spending a few days in Keswick and York, and then  back to London again. I'm very excited that we're going to visit the Lake District! It was one of the places that I wanted to visit, but wasn't sure we'd be able to fit into our travelling schedule because it's a fairly long trip. Although it's not home to as much history as a place like Canterbury or Bath, the Lake District is said to be one of the most beautiful places in England. In Pride and Prejudice, Lizzie visits the lakes with Mr. and Mrs. Gardiners, and the beautiful landscapes also inspired poets such as William Wordsworth. (Correction: Lizzie and the Gardiners originally planned to go to the lakes, but only made it to the Peak District.) I'm thrilled that Keswick will be one of the first places we get to visit! 

After spending a few days in Keswick, we'll take a train to Carlisle where we'll sight-see for a few hours before catching a second train to York. In Carlisle I hope we get to visit Hadrian's Wall, Carlisle Cathedral, and Carlisle Castle (I'm also excited because I have a friend whose ancestors are from Carlisle!).  I'm not sure exactly what we'll do in York, but we are definitely going to visit Castle Howard. I don't know too much about it other than that it's a beautiful home and is where the BBC mini-series of Brideshead Revisited was filmed. I have a long list of books to read, and hopefully I'll get to read Waugh's classic before my trip! After York it's back to London for a few days to see the sights. During our time in London we may take a day trip to Windsor or Hampton Court. There are some bike tours I've been looking at online which seem like a lot of fun! Our accommodation and main transportation has been booked, so the framework for the first week is set.  We haven't decided exactly the places we'll visit and things we'll do, but I'm sure whatever we decide will be awesome. I think since it'll be our first week abroad we'll just be so excited, a little bit in shock, and we'll have a blast whatever we end up doing. 

Planning the first week was exciting and fun (because I like to plan and research things!), but it was also pretty stressful. Here are a few tips I've learned for planning trips...

1. Start early! This tip is everywhere, but it can't be said enough. For example, if you book accommodations early, you can make sure you find a quality place to stay in great location for a good cost. The longer you wait, the more you'll have to compromise. 
2. Come to terms with the fact that travel, especially if you're going somewhere like London, is going to be expensive. For me, I'm all about finding cheap prices, even if it means I'm paying for less quality. However, you really do get what you pay for, and you won't be able to enjoy travelling if you're in staying a terrible location or in a dirty, cramped hotel. Travel can be expensive, but embrace it. Save money where you can, but don't cut corners so much that you end up having a stressful trip.
3. Check out hotel alternatives. Like I said, travel can be expensive, but if you look around you can find some great options for accommodation and transport. For example, some universities in London rent out dorm rooms in the summer for travelers. Hostels are great, there are flat rentals at airbnb.com, and you can find some great locally owned bed and breakfasts.  
4. Do your research. While planning for the first week, I've fallen in love with TripAdvisor. I've been able to find valuable information and reviews of everything from hostels to restaurants to tourist attractions. Furthermore, the forums are surprisingly active! I've asked several questions on the forums and have gotten multiple responses on all of them within a day. Also, take advantage of sites like Priceline and Kayak. They don't always have local B&Bs listed, but they can help you can snag a good deal. For smaller places, there are plenty of B&B search engines on the web that can help you find someplace local to stay.
5. Buy advance rail tickets. Not much more to be said here. Advance tickets go on sale up to 12 weeks in advance and can sell out quickly. However, if you buy in time it can be the difference between a 12 GBP ticket and one costing 65 GBP!
6. Don't get stressed out. Even if you don't manage to book the hotel you really wanted or the train time that was perfect, it's okay. There are plenty of great options available, and you may find that your second choice is even better than your first! 

That's all I have about London for now! My summer has been spent working at the YMCA, hanging out with my sisters, and watching the World Cup (Deutschland!). In a few days I'll be setting off for a week long adventure in Nicaragua with my best friend Caitlin and her family- but I'll save that for a blog post after I return. I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the summer. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave a post below. Until next time, all the best!