Air New Zealand Infographic and Giveaway

Air New Zealand is celebrating 30 years of flying from London to New Zealand via Los Angeles. Check out this fun infographic and then enter their giveaway to win a trip for two to London from Los Angeles. 

Live and Learn in London

Live and Learn is a series from Shereen Travels Cheap where I share my travel snafus with you in order that you may learn from them and not repeat them.

I feel like there will always be a learning opportunity whenever I travel, but this was my first time abroad, so maybe it was  just easier to find things I didn't know about. London is a beautiful city and it's easy to just assume it's the same as any other big city. With a giant park, an underground I really didn't know much about and packing mistakes, it may have been amazing that our trip went so well. Luckily, they speak English there. For the most part. That helped a lot, unlike when we went to Paris…But that’s another post altogether.

Carry a compass – Even when you’re in the middle of a city, you never know when this might come in handy. We had a map, but trying to cross Hyde Park to get from our hotel to Harrod’s wasn’t as easy as it looked, especially when you take the sidewalks and then end up in the middle of the park and can’t figure out which way you were headed in the first place. Amazingly, I remembered the compass and we were on our way – in the right direction, at that – in no time. We even made it to Harrod’s on time to meet my uncles.

Dress in layers – So, going on the knowledge that London and the Pacific Northwest have similar weather, we packed for cold weather, since we were traveling late October to early November. Well, we didn’t plan on it being unseasonably warm for the first four days we were there. How I wish I had packed a few t-shirts and cardigans instead of full-on sweaters and long sleeved tops. I could take off my coat, but couldn’t do much else about my too-warm clothes. Now, I always pack in layers: tank tops and tees that can go under something with long sleeves, like a ¾ zip fleece or similar. Columbia and ExOfficio have become my go-to online stores for great looking travelwear.

Never wear boots on a long plane ride – While this seems to be logical, I didn’t really think about it. I had some fantastically comfortable boots and left them on the entire flight from Portland to Dallas to London Gatwick. My feet swelled on the plane and by the time we got to our hotel room I had to peel them off my legs. They went back in the suitcase and never came back out until we came home. I simply could not get them back on. Luckily, I also brought along some great walking shoes, which I proceeded to wear everyday for the rest of the trip. Ideally, having two pair of walking shoes would get you by: One for casual outings and one for dressing up a little.

Cold weather travel clothes are a must – Do you know how long jeans take to dry after you wash them? Forever, might be an appropriate response. Had I known then what I know now, I would have bought and packed an array of travel clothing, instead of normal every-day clothes. This would have eliminated the need to spend almost $20 at the Laundromat down the street and we could have easily washed our clothes in the bathroom sink and hung them to dry. Even if we didn’t hand wash, we wouldn’t have needed to use the dryer three or four times in order to get everything dry enough to take back to the room, because it would have easily dried overnight.

Figure out how to get to your lodging from the airport before you leave – I’ve since learned this is smart. We didn’t do any research before we left on how to get from Point A to Point B and Day 1 turned into the day that we both hated each other and needed a break. Great way to start a honeymoon. I threatened to heave my bags into the street and get a cab, while my husband insisted the hotel was “right down the street”. It was NOT right down the street. The problem started when we got on the Underground and only had one plan on where to get off. That stop ended up being under construction, so instead of figuring out we could go one stop further, we stopped at the one before our intended station and walked a few miles before we finally did make it to our hotel. I was cranky and starving and I think the folks at the front desk could tell, because they kindly offered to hold our bags and gave us directions toward food. Halfway around the block, we saw an underground station that was fully-functional and would have been perfect to get off at. We used it for the rest of the trip to get to and from our hotel. A little bit of research would have been helpful in this situation.

When you see something being filmed, stop and see what it is – You’ve heard me complain about this before. Leaving Waterloo Station with our newly purchased London Passes to go to the aquarium, we saw an entire film crew and some very familiar looking people. We assumed it was for some commercial that we would never see and then months later found out they were filming the Bourne Supremacy and Matt Damon himself was on set and we walked right past him. Crazy!

Look at Eric savoring the experience

If you want a drink with ice in it, head to The Hard Rock – Seriously, Europe has some aversion to ice cubes. You order an ice tea and you get 3 cubes that have all but melted by the time it makes it to your table. You order a soda and you get a bottle (no refills!) from the cooler and a warm glass. If you want a refill, you order another bottle and pay another $4 for it. It’s better just order bottled water everywhere you go. Ask for still water if you don’t want it carbonated. On one of our last nights in the city, we made the pilgrimage to the very first Hard Rock Café. We took a chance and ordered sodas, since they claimed to be bottomless. When the waiter came back, we couldn’t believe our eyes. Giant glasses filled to the brim with ice and super cold diet beverage! I think this visit gave us a soft spot for HRC and we seek them out wherever we travel.

Don’t bring your whole closet – This is something that I’ve learned since traveling abroad. You’ll likely be traveling to your accommodation via public transportation. Be advised that these usually come with massive amounts of stairs. If you can’t lift your own luggage with ease, you have too much stuff in your bag. This was the first time I had ever even ridden the subway, so at the very least I had wheels on my bags, but that doesn’t help if you have to run up and down three or four flights of steps. My husband can’t be expected to carry 2 large bags like a mule. Pack light, carry-on and everyone will be so much happier. If you forgot to pack it, either you don’t need it or you can get it at your destination. Also, unless you use the space under your hotel bed, there’s no place to put full-size suitcases in your room. They’ll just take up valuable floor space that you need for standing and walking.

There are so many things to see and do in London and I can't wait to go back with all my new travel techniques and enjoy it even more. This time I hope to hit up the zoo, Wimbledon, Windsor and Stratford-Upon-Avon. 

What are some of your biggest travel mistakes?

Visiting Shakespeare’s Globe

To go or not to go, that should not be a question. If you are a fan of the Bard, then the Globe should be on your list of attractions to visit whilst in London. Though the original Globe burnt down, the pallets that were undamaged were used to help build the one that stands today. Not only do they give amazing tours, but in the warmer months you can actually take in one of Shakespeare’s plays and view it just as they did in his time. Of course, the seating may be a bit more comfortable and you would actually be able to afford to sit on something, so probably not exactly the same, but similar.

Learn the ins and outs of the different levels of the stage and where royalty sat during performances. You will also be educated on the history of the theater and be shown things that were changed as safety regulations have come into play. Within the attached building, you can check out the exhibition. See a timeline of Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets as well as paintings, books and a gift shop (because every good attraction needs one).

Once you exit the exhibition and tour, take a trip around the corner to the Swan and grab a bite to eat – either from the café menu or take in afternoon tea. If your plans include watching a production, make reservations for pre- or post-theatre dining and enjoy some very affordable and delicious dishes.

Do You Have The Time?

Doesn’t the Prime Meridian sound cool? Like it’s something out of a sci-fi movie that the villain is trying to steal in order to take over the world? Unfortunately, it isn’t something so spectacular, but it’s still something I recommend to anyone planning a trip to London (or for those who live in London to go check out). Take the tube or river boat to Greenwich and check out the Greenwich Observatory. Not only does it tell you all about time zones, but this is where all time zones originate from. Ever wondered what GMT stood for? Well, it stands for Greenwich Mean Time. GMT is the time all other time is figured upon. Greenwich Mean Time is the only time that matters. In Portland, we are GMT -8.

While there are some really amazing other things to be found in Greenwich, you’ll want to make sure you wander outside the observatory and stand on the actual Prime Meridian. Put one foot on each side and you’re standing in both the eastern and western hemisphere at once! In fact, what’s even more interesting is that you are standing at 0. 0 degrees longitude, 0 degrees latitude. Does that mean you’re also somewhere and nowhere all at once? Maybe! It’s even free to do, so why not? Don’t forget to bring your camera. Get photographic proof of your existence, as well as beautiful views of the grounds and London.

Visit the first shop in the world on your way to or from the boat or tube station.

Chislehurst Caves: The Underground Town

It’s not often we get to see what happens underground, which is a shame, because many times it can be super cool. In the past few years I’ve been fortunate to see many underground attractions, like Portland’s Shanghai Tunnels. One of the others I add to my list is Chislehurst Caves. A short train ride from London will get you there and it’s not a far walk from the station. Chislehurst Caves was listed as an included attraction with our London Pass, so we figured with our free day, we should go check it out and then either head on to Windsor Palace, Eltham Palace or head back into London to hit up the zoo. We are always on the lookout for fun and unusual places and we enjoyed the novelty of taking a train, so we made plans to check it out.

“Orpington, this is Orpington.” The robotic woman’s voice announcing the stop made it feel like we were stepping into a sci-fi adventure. Oddly enough, Chislehurst Caves was similar, having been used in the original Dr. Who show as the set for The Mines of Solos. Of course, we didn’t know that yet. We didn’t really know what to expect. Having visited near opening and also in the middle of the week in the late fall, we ended up at the Caves and found ourselves practically the only tourists there. There were a few visitors, but it appeared that they were just leaving. As a result, we had a tour guide all to ourselves and were able to ask all the questions we wanted, chit chat about TV shows and get a closer look at some of the sets and artifacts.

Stage that has seen acts like David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd

What drew me to the caves in the first place was not the fact that they were chalk mines and mined for bricks for London buildings or even that it was used as the set for multiple shows and movies or a concert venue for up-and-coming acts like the Rolling Stones. I mean, sure, those things are interesting, but the fact that it used to be an air-raid shelter. During WWII thousands of families took shelter down in the caves and a whole city was built and life was conducted underground. Imagine going to school, church, the doctor and then going “home” in the labyrinth of caves to escape the horrors of war. The caves housed over 15,000 people at that time.

The caves may seem creepier than they would if they were lit up, because you carry a lantern throughout your 45 minute tour. The shadows can play tricks on you and you also wonder what lurks in the darkness beyond the circle of light cast by it. The walls have a twinkle to them, from the flint that is also found there, and was a big reason that Dr. Who used them to film in. You will see some items that were left behind when the caves were closed as an air-raid shelter and wonder if it was just as frightening when those people were living there. Each family was assigned a set of bunks to call home and were allowed to bring only what they could carry, which couldn’t have been much.

Even now you can view remains left from WWI, when it was used to house artillery. Bring a sweater and your camera, plus make sure to wear good walking shoes, as the ground is uneven and you will walk about a mile down there. Make a detour to the gift shop and café on your way out to commemorate your visit and also help to keep the caves open and available to tour. Prices are very affordable and only cost 5£ for adults and 3£ for seniors (over 60) and kids under 16. Under 3 are free! I would certainly suggest this as an addition to another activity out of the city if you will be taking the train, as it will give you an excuse to buy a day pass (if you don’t have the transportation option on your London Pass or an Oyster Card) and make the most of your money. If you’re driving, Chislehurst Caves is easy to find and also has free parking. Score!

Need more reasons to visit London? Check out London Pass and these articles I wrote on how to do it on a budget!

 London For Less (So You Can Buy More Shoes)

Can You Hear London Calling?

Explore London While Staying Within a Budget

Go For a Walk

London Walks has the most diverse tours of London, available any day of the week. Costing £8 per person, they are some of the most affordable tours of the city, covering everything from St. Paul’s Cathedral to Harry Potter. Walk in the steps of John, Paul, George and Ringo with the Beatles’ Walks or taste local brews or cuisine with the Pub and Food Walks. Each outing is roughly one mile, usually has a resting point and lasts for an average of two hours. Fodor’s rates them “the first and best of the walking tour firms”.

Even if you live in the city, this is a great day out and may give you a totally new view of your city for an affordable price. There’s always something to learn, too. You never have to make a reservation. You just turn up at the tour’s starting location, pay your money to the guide and enjoy a stroll around London, learning about the city’s history on themed tours. I am definitely making time in my schedule to take at least a few tours on my next trip, including the Thames Walk where I may find some buried treasure!

Living the Life IKEA

Stepping into IKEA is kind of like stepping into a whole new world. Everything is so shiny and sleek…and space-saving! Ever wonder what it would be like to live there, or live in a house that was entirely made up like those in the showroom? Soon, you might get your chance to. After the Olympics are over, IKEA plans to start building a neighborhood in Stratford, East London. 40% of the 1,200 homes built will be 3-4 bedrooms and you’ll also be able to visit shops, restaurants and cafes, as well as work in the offices, use the healthcare facility and send your children to IKEA school or nursery.

At 26 proposed acres, like the IKEA warehouse stores, you may never have to leave. You will have to furnish your own home or flat, which you can choose to do with IKEA furniture or not. With a projected build time of five years, you have some time to save your pennies and also make plans to visit any of the other worldwide IKEA neighborhoods in Poland, the Baltics and Romania. If nothing else, it will be an interesting way to waste a day out once the project is completed. Even though the neighborhood is said to have no afilliation with the actual stores, I do wonder, though, if your house and favorite coffee shop will still have names you can’t pronounce, like Försiktig and Rönnskär.