He helped take our luggage to a clean, new van, and drove through darkened streets to our central London hotel. No muss, no fuss, and cheaper than some of the alternatives.
My wife and I had done Heathrow-central London transfers by bus, subway and, when we could share the cost with others, by taxi.
There were four of us again this time, so I did some comparison shopping on the Internet before leaving home.
LondonTown.com arranged things, using SPTT Private Transfers, for L16.10 apiece, (about $28). It also booked good seats for a west-end show for L19.50 each ($33.50), which British acquaintances called a bargain. The firm books hotel rooms and sightseeing trips as well.
Not only did LondonTown.com save us money, its staff was a pleasure to deal with. When I needed an immediate answer to an e-mailed question, someone phoned me from England. Two days later, he called again to confirm something. We'll use them again next time.
Other ways you can save money:
- Getting around -- If you're going to be in London for several days, consider an Oyster Card, a public transit pass with a prepaid amount that you tap on special machine readers. Visit www.britaindirect.ca for details.
Otherwise, buy one-day, off-peak Travelcards for the London Underground. They're not valid until after 9:30 a.m. but early-morning rush hour is grim and museums and galleries don't open until 10 anyway.
Most big attractions are in Travel Zones 1 and 2; a card for those costs L5.60 ($9.65)compared with L4($6.90) for a one-way fare.
We used a mini-cab to take our luggage to Victoria coach station for no more than the cost of tube tickets.
- Sightseeing -- The big museums and galleries are free. We made a return visit to the Victoria & Albert, the world's largest museum of decorative arts. It encompasses eight buildings on nearly five hectares, so we took a guided tour.
Ours was an introductory one, but guide David Hibberd said he and his colleagues can include personal favourites.
After craning our necks at the massive and towering plaster of Paris reproduction of Trajan's Column, we were led to an exquisite wine cup, fashioned from white nephrite jade, once owned by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, builder of the Taj Mahal.
Afterwards we relaxed in the courtyard, watching children in swimsuits splash happily in a huge wading pool.
We were told V&A is one of several institutions trying to dispel the image of being dry, dusty and stuffy. Another is the National Maritime Museum.
Take one of the London-Greenwich sightseeing boats -- departures every half-hour in summer, L9.50 ($16.35) return for a senior -- for a different perspective of such ancient landmarks as Tower Bridge and such new ones as the insurance company building nicknamed The Gherkin for its unusual shape.
The Maritime Museum has been enlarged since we last visited decades ago. One addition housed an exhibition in which the Canadian government had participated, called The North-West Passage -- An Arctic Obsession. It's there until January, 2010.
Just outside was a gilded barge built in the 1700s for Prince Frederick, son of King George II. It had been sawn into three pieces and stored for a century before the painstaking and expensive job of reassembling and restoring it was tackled.
- Dining -- Among the restaurant chains that has sprung up in recent years is Nando's, which specializes in grilled chicken made with a chili pepper called peri-peri. There are more than 200 in the U.K. It's partly self-serve. You order at the counter and the food is brought to your table. Dinner for two was L15 (about $26), including tax but not drinks.
The New Porsche Collector’s CalendarWinding down in windy city
