fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #3714 ]

⌈ Secret Post #3714 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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[this was labeled "1984 musical, David Bowie" for some reason]

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[From Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Time's Arrow", parts 1 and 2]

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[Michael Jackson, "Scream"]

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[Misha Collins]

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[Nisio Isin]

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[Yuri on Ice]

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[Caitlyn Jenner]

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My sister and I have tentatively narrowed down our first international trip to London OR somewhere in Italy.

Which would you suggest to two women who've only ever been on a trip to Washington DC?

Or, what cities in Italy would you recommend we visit? I know Rome is the standard but Italy has many other options.

We are mostly interested in museums (especially history and science or weird ones) and historical sites (especially churches).

London is great for museums in general, and you won't have to worry about the language barrier quite as much for your first international trip. There's all the obvious museums, of course, like the British Museum, Tower of London, National Portrait Gallery, both the Tates, natural History... but for quirky and weird, don't miss the Soanes museum:

http://www.soane.org/

And if you aren't squeamish, you might enjoy the Hunterian Museum:

https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/museums-and-archives/hunterian-museum/

Also try and leave yourself enough time to get out of London for a bit if you can. There's Stonehenge and Avebury to visit, of course, and if you like quaint English villages, the Cotswolds region is not too far from London.

Depending on when we go, I'd like to stay for 10 days. Thanks for the links!

Edited 2017-03-05 22:42 (UTC)

10 days is enough time to get out of the city for a while if you're so inclined. As much as I enjoyed London, I recommend it. Their train system makes it easy and the British countryside is so pretty!

I would say London is probably better. It's definitely going to be easier as a tourist. And it definitely has plenty of museums and historical sites and churches (although Italy obviously has a good bit to say for itself there).

I'd go with London, personally. I've stayed both in London and all over Italy and loved both. If you've got questions about anything I'd be happy to answer.

I will say that I felt London was much easier to navigate, the tube is idiot proof, everyone speaks english. If you enjoy museums and galleries and seeing shows, London has so much to see and do. I was there for more than a week and I still felt like I only saw a small part of London. You can easily book day trip buses that go to Stonehenge, Bath, Stratford upon Avon, etc. I felt safe walking around the city by myself even at night, whereas in Italy I was followed a few times even with friends by weird guys.

Italy - I'm glad I went with a tour group. There was a lot I didn't know and some areas are more difficult to get transport to. My Italian is not great. I would recommend being better at basic conversation than I was if you're going without an Italian speaking person. I got stuck a few times trying to explain what I wanted to eat or asking how to get somewhere, and I had two Italian speakers with me 90% of the time.

Thanks! London seems to be the way to go. Any recommendations on what areas to get a hotel in (price + convenience)?

I stayed in Russell Square (Bloomsbury) right around the corner from the British Museum. The Imperial I think the place was called. It's a bit out of date (or was when I was there) but it was a good, cheap option and the location wasn't too out of the way. You might be able to find something that suits you more depending on how fancy you like to travel and where you think you'll spend the most time.

For travel, get an Oyster card. You can preload them and just swipe on and off. There are tube stops everywhere. It's pretty great. http://www.visitlondon.com/traveller-information/getting-around-london/oyster#fUDVowSfVTj7SxIP.97

Stay central. Most of the tourist attractions are relatively close to one another, and you'll save time if you are, too. Not to mention that when I traveled there, you could get travel cards that were good for a week, unlimited travel within that one small zone. Traveling outside that zone was more expensive.

There are tons of B&B options, but do check for online reviews. Bedrooms with a private attached bath (i.e. en suite bath) are more expensive, but it may be worth it to you. Rooms with shared bathrooms (this is totally a thing in the UK) are cheaper, but then, less private. If a full English breakfast sounds like something you'll enjoy, it can be a great start to the day and help save money on your food budget, because eating out in England is very pricey.

Thanks. Depending on who goes, we might get an air bnb.

London is great for a first-time international traveller. There's so much to do and no language barrier. And I agree with the comment that the Tube is idiot-proof - especially if you've navigated DC's rail system, the Tube is a breeze. (Fly into Heathrow, so you can take the Tube from the airport. Get an Oyster card. Never use a cab if you can at all help it.) I spent 2 weeks in London and then 6 weeks for a study program. It was only at the end of the 6 weeks that I felt I had experienced most of the major points of London - next time I'm in Britain I will be going farther afield.

The Dali Museum is truly fucking bizarre and awesome. The Victoria & Albert museum is fantastic for just the breadth of exhibits (and the jewelry/precious stones bit is the best IMO). The British Museum is free and a great place to relax in the A/C for awhile - both times I was there, I stayed close to it and would go in just to relax (A/C is not as common in London as you'd hope, and my dorm for my study program had none). The British Museum is PACKED often though, particularly in the Egypt section - don't go to that bit on a weekend. Spare yourself the agony.

Bath is a wonderful day trip for historical interest - it's just a beautiful place in general. The Fashion Museum is a lot of fun, and the Roman baths themselves are very interesting if you like that sort of thing. Skip the Austen museum - even as an Austen fan, it was rather a bore (although I haven't had afternoon tea there - I've heard that's decent). Stonehenge isn't that far from Bath and a lot of tours stop in both places. I actually enjoyed Stonehenge - even with the masses of people, it's striking. But it is essentially a bunch of big rocks in the middle of a field. :P

Skip the London Aquarium - it's awful. Definitely go to Westminster Abbey and join one of the tours, so they can point out all the famous dead people, then stick around to take photos and wander - very touristy, but worth the time, I think. Also, the Tower of London is fun, I don't care what anyone says. Do the tour with the Beefeaters there too - they know all the crazy stories. I've seen the Crown Jewels (which are housed there) twice - the first time was a super long line, and the second time, it took 5 minutes. If you like shiny things, they're not bad. One of those "I'm here, so I might as well do it" things.

Also, go to Harrod's, just for the spectacle. It's ludicrous. (Some say Selfridge's is more ridiculous, but I think it's Harrod's.) Get yourself some over priced but delicious sweets at one of the many counters - good luck picking just one or two. Be careful on Portobello Road Market - there are a lot of genuine antiques, but it's become so popular that there's a lot of over priced crap not worth the sticker. Still, it's a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Oh, thanks for all the recommendations! Especially the Dali museum.

[ SECRET POST #3714 ]

London vs Italy

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