Going To England - Need Info

[delta]

Hello All,

Especially you Brits.  Ms Delta and I are going to London next month and we need a little info.

First, we want to visit Burwash, SE of London  about 40 miles.  We are thinking of renting a car to get there.  Where is a reasonable place in London to rent an automobile?  How about bus service to Burwash - how can we find a schedule?

We've looked at various maps and are somewhat  confused by the legends.  What are the differences between A and M highways?

Second, we don't want to look like dumb American tourists.  How should we dress, especially with regard to shoes?

Third, are there any Warbird museums near London that any of our British Acers would recommend.  How would we get there?


Thanks,

delta/fGonzo

[qts]

Cars are expensive. Go for Europcar or Avis or Hertz - you can hire at the airport. Public transport is best avoided outside major metropolitan areas.

M roads are motorways, A roads are main roads. Get yourself a copy of The Highway Code, and remember that we drive on the wrong side of the road!

As for dress, forget it, unless you're going to dress in jeans and plain tee shirts. The moment you open your mouths, you're going to let the secret out, so why bother? Contrary to newspaper reports, Britons do not hate Yanks.

[Vulch]

Originally posted by delta:
Second, we don't want to look like dumb American tourists.  How should we dress, especially with regard to shoes?

Third, are there any Warbird museums near London that any of our British Acers would recommend.  How would we get there?

The uniform for American tourists is obligatory hawain shirt, jeans and a pork pie hat.  As for shoes I would reccomend wearing some!

The Royal Air Force museum is at Hendon, North East London and is on the tube line.  You might also like to try the Imperial War museum, also on the tube.  A short train ride to Cambridge will take you to the Duxford air museum, complete with excellent American hanger.  try the following links for more info. http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk  http://www.iwm.org.uk

[Swoop]

Burwash?  Never heard of it.  But if it's 40 miles SE of London then rail's prolly gonna be your best bet, dont even think about a bus.  Try a train out of Waterloo station.

Renting a car aint that expensive but avoid central London during the business day and remember there are speed camera's every 200 yards on the M25.

M roads are like freeways, A roads can be anything from a 3 lane freeway looking road to a single lane with oncoming traffic.

The sign that is a white circle with a black line through it means "National speed limit".  If your on a road with multiple lanes that means 70mph, if single lane then 60mph.

Finally, dont go turning right/left through red traffic lights, that'll get ya fined.

 

[delta]

Greetings all,

Thanks all for the info so far.  

We checked out British rail schedules on the net and found out that train service to Hurst Green is very adequate.  Hurst Green is fairly close to Burwash. Maybe 10 miles or so.

We'll probably use a taxi (or maybe a rental) in Hurst Greeen to get to Burwash and also Lewes.  You see Ms Delta/Gonzo is very much into geneology and is tracking down some of her ancient and dead relativies.

This week I plan on instructing Ms Delta to get us an "obligatory hawain shirt, jeans and a pork pie hat."  

And I'll try and get out some old Benny Hill and/or Avengers tapes and practice my "British" accent.

I'll check the web sites for those aviation museums later tonight.

And Swoop, thanks for that bit on info on right/left turns on red.  Here in the States it's ok to turn right on red.  In fact here in Colorado Springs, a red light means "ram it".

Again, thanks for all the info.

delta/fGonzo

[-dead-]

Hehe sounds a lot like Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas
- "As your attorney, I advise you to rent a fast car with no top, and you'll need some Acapulco shirts..."

Actually, you may also want to consider the good old checked golf trousers, or the glorious nylon 70's cut safari suit as more classic alternatives (See Monty Python's Meaning of Life Death scene for the checked trouser outfit).

A word to the wise on the accent front:
Dick van Dyke was not even in the same galaxy as a cockney accent in Mary Poppins. Trust me.  

If you are planning on using British Rail do check with them as to what sort of leaves/weather they're expecting - this is quite important, because if they get a different sort turning up, they have to shut the whole system down - It's a tradition, or an old charter or something.

Finally if you go during the summer, water is strictly rationed throughout the SouthEast of England - It's a tradition, or an old charter or something. If you go during the winter, beware of the widespread flooding in the area.

Do pack a sense of humour... you'll be needing it.

And when you get offered London Bridge, tell them that you actually want to buy Tower Bridge, to avoid the same sort of disappointment as the last time the Brits tried the old "sell the rich tourist London Bridge instead of Tower Bridge" ploy.

Hey it's quite nice really. Trust me.  

[qts]

I do advise you to rent a car when you get off the plane. Most villages do not have car rental places, and you should not depend upon taxis.