London or Paris

[M_Funkhauser43!]

This will create a preference-based itinerary for you, which you can customize: London trip planner

 

[Chin Diesel]

Excellent advice here - thank you all. My wife read all of it. Her first comment was ‘this is good stuff.’ Her second comment was ‘you can tell these people what to do and they’ll do it?’

Family pow-wow this morning settled on London.

Now....where do we stay and what do we do?

Again - hotel has to be cleaner than clean. We don’t do quaint. Food isn’t important and neither is rest - we generally wring the hell out of day. We’ll get there on a Wednesday night and will probably leave for Dover on Saturday afternoon.

We’re staying at the Travel Lodge in Dover because that is the premier hotelier in town and we only stay top-shelf.

Well, if cleaner than clean is the standard, we stayed at a Conrad Hotel in Westminster. It lacks for nothing.

 

[storrsroars]

This will create a preference-based itinerary for you, which you can customize: London trip planner

Interesting site. Plugged in Paris for my own trip. Pretty cool.

 

[scotty0330]

London the food is absolute trash. It is basically the new york city of Europe. Basically a melting pot of everything. To me having been to both it is not even close...I would choose paris by a mile.

 

[8893]

London the food is absolute trash. It is basically the new york city of Europe. Basically a melting pot of everything.

London has far more limited excellent food offerings than NYC imo. But if you think the food in NYC is absolute trash I would strongly disagree with that. London is no foodie destination but with some research we were able to find consistently good food. IMO the absolute best bet in the city for quality, variety and value is Borough Market, which is a fun place to visit in and of itself.

 

[storrsroars]

London the food is absolute trash. It is basically the new york city of Europe. Basically a melting pot of everything. To me having been to both it is not even close...I would choose paris by a mile.

You should've been in London in the 80s. About all that was worth eating was in curry shops.

IMO, it's much better now. Probably about as good as say, DC. But it ain't New York City.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

You should've been in London in the 80s. About all that was worth eating was in curry shops.

IMO, it's much better now. Probably about as good as say, DC. But it ain't New York City.

NYC is one of the great eating destinations of the world, I would say maybe the best in the North America though some cities are stronger with certain specialties, like Chicago & Montreal for steak, Miami for LatAm, Seattle of seafood, etc. Even DC is much better than what it used to be. That said, Toronto is becoming a serious foodie heaven, too. There's a great taco and Thai place right by the hotel I usually stay at near the Rogers Center. As for London, it's not as good as NYC nor Toronto, outside of some English specialties like fish & chips, mince pies, and Indian dishes. It's way better than Dublin though. Paris si good; but, like NYC, is almost too much to explore and the prices are often inflated unless on goes off the beaten path. In France, I prefer Lyon as its smaller in terms of navigation and prices and is less snobby and has more influences from Spain, Africa and the Mediterranean. Now, Barcelona is Spain is very good.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Between traditional British pub food and Indian restaurants you have plenty of options for decent food.

British breakfasts are the best- eggs, bacon/ham, sausages, roasted tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms, baked beans and toast. Wash it down with coffee and juice.

 

[8893]

Between traditional British pub food and Indian restaurants you have plenty of options for decent food.

British breakfasts are the best- eggs, bacon/ham, sausages, roasted tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms, baked beans and toast. Wash it down with coffee and juice.

Irish breakfast even better; all of the above plus blood pudding, Irish brown bread and soda bread.

And the Irish are the nicest people I’ve met on the planet.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Irish breakfast even better; all of the above plus blood pudding, Irish brown bread and soda bread.

And the Irish are the nicest people I’ve met on the planet.

Blood pudding is something I could only do once.

 

[Fishy]

Irish breakfast even better; all of the above plus blood pudding, Irish brown bread and soda bread.
\

That is way too much freaking food for breakfast.

 

[Chin Diesel]

That is way too much freaking food for breakfast.

 

[storrsroars]

That is way too much freaking food for breakfast.

It's really not as ridiculously big as it sounds. Love 'em myself. After first encountering it back in the 80s, I learned in my travels to find out where the Brit ex-pats ate breakfast when I need a change from whatever the locals are serving up. Found solid facsimiles in Mex City & Sofia. I'll add that drinking with Brit ex-pats has never disappointed.

 

[8893]

That is way too much freaking food for breakfast.

Admittedly I am a big breakfast fan, especially on weekends and on vacation, when I eat a later breakfast and much smaller lunch; but this is really just two eggs, breakfast meats and bread. Most days I had already run four miles so I was definitely hungry. I never would have asked for or even wanted blood pudding but without fail the Irish women running the bed and breakfasts at which we stayed insisted, and I always obliged—and was happy I did.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

It's really not as ridiculously big as it sounds. Love 'em myself. After first encountering it back in the 80s, I learned in my travels to find out where the Brit ex-pats ate breakfast when I need a change from whatever the locals are serving up. Found solid facsimiles in Mex City & Sofia. I'll add that drinking with Brit ex-pats has never disappointed.

Just like college towns, they have good noses for good, cheap food. As for drinking, the Brits are usually to somber for a night on the town. Try some Aussies, Kiwi, Scots or Irish and I can promise a wild one.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

View attachment 39733

ugh. barf.

 

[storrsroars]

Just like college towns, they have good noses for good, cheap food. As for drinking, the Brits are usually to somber for a night on the town. Try some Aussies, Kiwi, Scots or Irish and I can promise a out.

You've been hanging around the wrong Brits.

Things I've learned over the years:
- never buy a round for a Scotsman.
- Aussies are bad drunks.

 

[CL82]

- never buy a round for a Scotsman.

Why?

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

That is way too much freaking food for breakfast.

Sure, but it's way better for bfast and blasting during the day than for dinner and potential all night flatulence.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Why?

Trick answer. Alas, he’d acknowledge being a Scotsman.

 

[storrsroars]

Why?

Guy will follow you around all night like a homeless puppy.

Actually, I'm guilty of overgeneralization. Should've specified Glaswegian.

 

[CL82]

Guy will follow you around all night like a homeless puppy.

Actually, I'm guilty of overgeneralization. Should've specified Glaswegian.

I actually had the opposite experience. I went up to buy a round for our group. I asked the the barkeep/owner if he could recommend a good ale. He replied in a typical Scot fashion (brusque and unproductive) "Everything I sell is good." So I'm staring at a bunch of unfamiliar choices and an older guy standing next to me a the bar jumps in and says "Permit me to recommend a fine local ale" goes on to describe it and it's history. I thank him and ordered up for my table.

A few rounds later I was back at the bar and see the same gentleman next to me, so I order for the table plus one more for him. I told him that the ale was delicious and asked if I could buy him one. He said "I couldn't accept, sir. I was just being friendly." So I said I'll tell you what, I'm going to set this down in front of you and propose a toast to the brewery. You do what you want." He smiled at me and said "I canna refuse that, now can I?" and took a long pull. I bumped into him a couple times and their were some raised glasses between the tables, but other than that and a warm goodbye, he didn't bother me.

 

[SubbaBub]

The worst drunks I've ever come across abroad were Swedes on holiday.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

The worst drunks I've ever come across abroad were Swedes on holiday.

As if Scandinavian social democracies don’t have their fair share of lower-end trash, yet guessing they were not relatively open-minded, youngish female hotties. And, you sir were not so young nor a slightly lower standard of your current self at the time.

Trash is trash everywhere, particularly including the US American type. Now, do all in your power to avoid any Chinese tour groups. They’ll make the trashiest of trashy Scandinavians and Yanks almost appear to exist on the outer fringes of tolerable.

 

[SubbaBub]

As if Scandinavian social democracies don’t have their fair share of lower-end trash, yet guessing they were not relatively open-minded, youngish female hotties. And, you sir were not so young nor a slightly lower standard of your current self at the time.

Trash is trash everywhere, particularly including the US American type. Now, do all in your power to avoid any Chinese tour groups. They’ll make the trashiest of trashy Scandinavians and Yanks almost appear to exist on the outer fringes of tolerable.

Nah, the Chinese mostly just touch everything in the buffet and refuse to understand the concept of queueing.

Americans are loud, refuse to attempt any language other then English and can't help but mock local cuisine and cultural norms in front of the locals. But, we tip well.