Don't let your family be eaten alive with International Cell Phone Use

Tips for International Smart Phone Use

By Mark Fitzgerald
Using your cell phone internationally can be an expensive venture.  Your on vacation - leave the phone at home.  It just isn't that easy.  Increasingly our lives are on these devices.  Among other things, for many it is their only cameras and you will want to take pictures on your trip.  Also a lot of museums are adding in online maps and other interactive services for mobile devices.

Unless you have an international plan on your phone I suggest disabling it by using Airplane Mode.   In both iOS and Android when you turn on Airplane Mode it will disable your Wi-Fi and cellular networks.  After turning Airplane Mode on you can then tap into the Wi-Fi settings and turn it back on.  This will allow you to use wireless without having the cellular on.  If you are really paranoid you can always remove your SIM card from the phone.

Using Airplane Mode has the draw back that you still cannot use the phone.  We work around this by using Google Hangouts and video chatting with our family.  It is something they are quite familiar with, but it can take some getting used to.  You both have to have Gmail accounts and computers with webcams.  You will need to prearrange a time to ensure those that you are calling will be logged in.

If you must have a normal phone and you don't want to pay for an international plan, try visiting Clark Howard's page on how to use cell phones overseas.  He will walk you through several options.  Make sure to check devices that each member of the family may have.  Forgetting about one devices may cost you dearly.

The wifi on most international flights ends just outside of the continental United States.  Delta is just starting to add internet service internationally.  Still don't expect blazing speeds from this satellite based service.

Victoria and Albert Museum and things to see for children of all ages

Victoria and Albert Museum

Your family and the V&A
By Mark Fitzgerald

At first I was hesitant about visiting the Victoria and Albert Museum.  This London attraction is billed as the world's greatest museum of decorative art and design.  I was thinking odd clothing, funky wall hangings and other interesting housewares.  I did not believe the kids would be interested.  After digging in, I found plenty that would interest our family.

Tipu's Tiger

If you have younger kids you may want to start off in the basement at the Sackler Centre by picking up a free family trail map.  In addition to guiding you to exhibits the kids will like, the booklet provides puzzles, observation games and drawings.  I think the young ones will really like exhibits such as Tipu's Tiger.  This is a life sized mechanical hand cranked toy.

Our older children would likely be interested in some of the hands on exhibits throughout the museum.  As we have several brass rubbings in our home, I think they would like to try making one of their own.

I also would like to share with them some of the amazing classical art throughout the building.  In the Cast Court there is a plaster cast of Michelangelo's David (room 26-27).  In room 46a there is a copy of an amazing, almost 3 dimensional piece called the School of Athens by Raphael.  There are a number of other Raphael pieces in 48a.  Another statue to find is Bernini's Neptune and Triton.

As we move deeper into the museum we would like to find the Devonshire Hunting Tapestriesup on the third floor.  The most interesting tapestry would be the Boar and Bear Hunt in room 94.  Also on the third floor is a history of photography.  On the second floor I believe our family could spend a lot of time looking through Medieval and Renaissance Britain galleries.

Entrance to the museum is free, though certain exhibits may have a fee.  You will be asked for a 1 pound donation for a map or you can print it free online.  Better yet, they have an app that you can download.  They do have WiFi in the museum that you can use.  Make sure that your phone is set correctly.  You should also check their website before going as several galleries have been closed for renovations.

The museum opens at 10:00 AM and stays open late on Fridays.  There are ample rest rooms throughout the facility.  You can access the museum from an underground pedestrian walkway that runs from the South Kensington London Tube station to the basement of the museum.  South Kensington is served by the District, Piccadilly, and Circle Lines. You can always use the London Transport option of riding a bike. The bike dock is just down the road outside of the Exhibition Road entrance of the Natural History Museum.

Map of the Victoria and Albert Museum

Floor Plan of the Victoria and Albert Museum

(Click to Enlarge)

To get a feel for what the Victoria and Albert is like see this video

Going on a family vacation builds memories, provides life changing experiences and helps teach about the world we live in. Take time to explore, enjoy and have fun. If the Victoria and Albert Museum sounded interesting, you may also like the British Museum. You can also look at our entire list of London Attractions.

#V&A
#VictoriaandAlbert
#London

Getting your VAT back

How to collect a tax refund after visiting London

by Mark Fitzgerald

The tax system used in London is known as a value added tax or VAT.  Instead of adding on sales tax to the purchase after the purchase it is incorporated into the marked price.  In London it is upwards of 20%.  And you thought New York was bad.  Well there is some good news in that you can apply to get that tax back.  Sort of.

To shop tax free you have to buy something you plan on consuming outside of the country.  That means any service, such a restaurant or tourist attraction doesn't count and you can't apply to get it back.  You can't county something you buy and use in the country, such as a box of chocolates.  So in the end this ends up being mostly souvenirs that you can claim.

And then it isn't easy to apply to get your money back.  First you need to request paperwork in the store you buy your merchandise.  After the paperwork is filled out you and the store need to sign the papers and you will have to show them your passport (which will mean you would need to be carrying your passport). Stores do not need to participate either.  Harrods for example requires travelers to spend £50 or more to apply for a refund.

Once you get to the airport you can take all of the merchandise you bought, receipts and paperwork and bring it the customs desk. They will collect it and you will get either a cash refund or a return on your credit card 3 weeks later. You can also take it to a number of other locations, such a money changing operation.  The refund company will charge you a fee for using Tax Free Shopping. They will take the money out of your VAT refund.  If you plan on doing this make sure you get to the airport at least 30 minutes earlier than planned.

High end shopping at Harrods with the family

Tips for visiting Harrods with your family
by Mark Fitzgerald

The Egyptian Escalator at Harrods

Visiting a high end department store with my family isn't usually the thing we want to do on vacation, even if it is the biggest in Europe. But Harrods offers something unique to see. Whether it is giant teddy bears, the Princess Diane memorial at the Egyptian escalators, über expensive dollhouses, or the unique uniforms of the employees, Harrods is a spectacle to behold.

We will likely spend 45 minutes wandering around the store before heading to the food hall. We will want to take the escalator to the 2nd floor (that would be the 3rd level for the Americans) to the gift shop, stopping along the way to see what is of interest to us. The next level up has some peculiarities such as Spymaster (a shop that sells spy gear), the Millionaire Gallery (a collectors gallery), and not to mention, the toy department.

When we are done with the bulk of the store, we will return to the ground floor to the food hall. As we explore foods from around the world we are in search of an affordable yet fun collection of foods that we can take outside to Hyde Park for a picnic. This may include cheeses, dried meats and bread.  A meat pie costs about £2.50.  We may need a piece of chocolate or two as well.

Harrods Food Halls

If you have the money and the time there are plenty of cafes and restaurants within Harrods. To give you an idea of cost a hot fudge sundae will set you back £13.50.  If the food court is too expensive for our tastes there is always a Pret-A-Manger across the street.

Harrods does have an unofficial dress code. The users in green at the door may turn people away for any reason.  They ask that people "Refrain from wearing clothing which may reveal intimate parts of the body, or which portrays offensive pictures or writing."  They may nail you for too short of shorts or the like.

In the past Harrods charged for use of their bathrooms.  They do not currently and you can find them on all floors except the ground level.  They are in the center of the building.

Knightsbridge Tube station is very close by.  It is on the Picadilly line.  The nearest dock for Barclay's cycle Hire is a little ways down Brompton Rd on Monteplier St.  Several London Transport buses serve the area as well.

Map of Harrods:

Harrods Floor Plan

To get an idea of what Harrods is like, check out this short video from our Austrian friends TodayTonight.

Going on a family vacation builds memories, provides life changing experiences and helps teach about the world we live in. Take time to explore, enjoy and have fun. If Harrods sounded interesting, you may also like Regents Street. You can also look at our entire list of London Attractions.

#London

#Harrods

Seeing Neal's Yard for yourself

Tasting Neal's Yard

by Mark Fitzgerald

Colorful colors and decor at Neal's Yard

One of the passions of our family is cheese. When we are in London we want to visit Neal's Yard which is about 2 blocks north of Covent Garden. Neal's Yard is a combination of stores including a dairy, remedies, and organic cafe found at 2 Neal's Yard London.

What first caught our eye was the architecture.  It is a series of old warehouses turned into stores, restaurants and storage.  The storefront on one side seems formal and bland.  In the back alley the building has been painted in bright colors and lively decor.

Ordering Cheese at Neal's Yard Dairy

The cheese shoppe is raved about by foodies, especially their signature Stilton cheese.  We love to expose our children to new foods and flavors.  A unique way is to sample a couple of different types of cheeses. This is by no way an inexpensive venture. A pound of cheese will run you about £12.50.

You can see what type of cheeses they have online at http://www.nealsyarddairyshop.co.uk/

Taking to space with your family while visiting the London Science Museum

Tips for Visiting the London Museum of Science
by Mark Fitzgerald

As stated on the Natural History post, our itinerary includes 2 London museum attractions to visit as a single activity -- the London Museum of Natural History and London Museum of Science. Which to visit will depend on the day, for both have activities for the entire family.  Both are great museums and each have something to offer everyone in the family.  In our particular case the Science Museum lends itself to our older children and the Natural History Museum has more interest for the younger ones in our family.

Main Hall of the Science Museum

Being that both museums are free we may visit both quickly, but they are fabulous museums that each deserve their own dedicated time.  Even though entrance to the Science Museum is free, there are upgrades, such as using flight simulators that can be purchased.  A donation of a couple of pounds would also be greatly appreciated.   There is not any advantage of having the London Pass with this attraction.

The Science Museum is a 6 story building with enough activities to keep any family busy. Our family would be most interested in the exhibit about space on the first floor and the flight lab on the third floor. The museum looks really good, but we have been to science museums all over the United States. I am not sure how different this will be. Science museums all seem to blend together over time.

Harrier in the Museum of Science

If there is something this science museum has done well, it is the combination of old and new. For example they highlight steam engines and then show how steam engines have evolved and are part of today's technology.  I also think it shows the element of design in technology.

The Science museum has an iPad app that will make some of the exhibits interactive.  They also have some Chrome experiments that will work on you Android devices and help bring somethings to life.  They do have WiFi in the museum that you can use.  Make sure that your phone is set correctly.

Our family will likely spend the entire time in the science museum. Two and a half hours isn’t very much. We will do a separate post later for the Victoria and Albert Museum across the street. If we do split the time we will likely run in to see the dinosaurs at the London Museum of Natural History  for 30 minutes. There are ample, no charge restrooms, cafes and gift shops throughout each museum.

The nearest London Tube station is South Kensington which is served by the District, Piccadilly, and Circle Lines. There is an underground pedestrian walkway or subway that runs from the station directly to the main entrance of the Science Museum.  It was to be a pneumatic railway that was never build.   You can always use the London Transport option of riding a bike.  The bike dock is just down the road outside of the Exhibition Road entrance of the Natural History Museum.

A pretty good highlight of what can be found at the museum was put together by Andrew Davies on YouTube.  Though a bit blurry and shaky, it covers the main sections and you get a feel for all that is there.

Floor Plan of the London Science Museum:

Map of the London Science Museum

Going on a family vacation builds memories, provides life changing experiences and helps teach about the world we live in.  Take time to explore, enjoy and have fun.  If the London Science Museum sounded interesting, you may also like the Churchill War Rooms.  You can also look at our entire list of London Attractions.


#London

#LondonScienceMuseum

When in London say hello to Lord Baden-Powell

Lord Baden-Powell

If you are going to work your ticket ... stop in to say hello to Lord Baden-Powell
by Mark Fitzgerald

Just across the street from the London Natural History Museum is B-P House. The Baden-Powell House is a hostel and conference center and it happens to have a statue right out front of Lord Baden-Powell, the father of the scouting movement.

The statue is said to be the only granite statue in London and is about 10 feet tall (3 meters). There isn't much to see other than the statue; there is a small gift shop and a few mementos are inside B-P House. But if you were ever a scout it is a great photo opportunity while in the area.

Scouters really wanting to see something of the scout movement would need to go out to Gilwell Park about 17 miles (27.3 km) north of London.

If you wanted to stay at the hostel, it starts at £22 per person.  A hostel isn't like a hotel room; you will get to bunk with others.  This may be different than you are accustom to but also may give you a unique fun experience.  Children under 5 stay free.  Even so with a family it may be cheaper and more comfortable to stay elsewhere.  

Families and Dinosaurs - Visiting the London Museum of Natural History

Tips for visiting the London Museum of Natural History
By Mark Fitzgerald

On our itinerary, we put down 2 London attractions to visit as a single activity -- the London Museum of Natural History and the London Museum of Science.  As a family we are not sure which we will do and it is highly dependent on the day. Though both have activities for the entire family, the science museum lends itself to our older kids and the natural history museum to the younger ones. We will decide who is most restless and start in the appropriate museum.

Dinosaurs in the Natural History museum

The afternoon seems to be a poor choice of time to attend. Lines can be long even in March. Though it appears to be worst on the weekends, standing outside in the rain waiting to get in is never a good prospect. A tip for visiting the London Natural History Museum is to use the side door that tends to have shorter lines. Conveniently located on Exhibition Road, it is right next to the main entrance of the Science Museum.

The price to visit museum is free, though there are some temporary exhibits that may cost.  You can simply make a donation; they are happy to take your money. In reading reviews some people felt pressured to buy a museum guide, for a £1 donation. I don’t think that will be a problem for us. When in doubt we can print the map below.  The London Pass does not buy us anything special for this attraction.

The highlight of the Natural History Museum appears to be the dinosaurs. You can see them at ground level or a high level walk. Check to see how busy the high walk is before heading up to that level. It is narrow and hard to pass people. The museum is color coded by zones. The dinosaurs are in the blue zone.

Entering the Red Zone of the Natural History Museum

The red zone of the museum is about the forces of the earth: volcanoes, earthquakes, geology, etc.  The green zone is about minerals, birds, fossils and creepy crawlies.  You can enter a life sized termite mound or go head to head against an interactive arachnid.  The orange zone is dedicated to Darwin; it includes the Wildlife Garden which is open from April through October.

Another big draw is the architecture is self.  The building opened in 1881 and is designed in the Romanesque style.  It looks like a cross between a large church and a palace -- lots of arched ceilings and buttresses.  It makes for a caverness feeling in the main hall.  Each zone has its own bathroom, for the most part on the ground level.  They do have WiFi in the museum that you can use.  Make sure that your phone is set correctly.

The nearest London Tube station is South Kensington which is served by the District, Piccadilly, and Circle Lines. We will be walking from Harrods about a 1/2 mile down the road, so we will not be using London Transport option.  There is always the option of riding a bike.  The bike dock for Barclays Cycle Hire is just outside of the Exhibition Road entrance.

You can also use the bike dock on the other side of the museum, on Queen's Gate Rd, and stop to take a picture with the statue of Lord Baden-Powell, the father of the scouting movement.  

Floor Plan of the London Natural History Museum:

Map of the Science Museum and Natural History Museum:

To get a preview of the museum check out William Brougham's overview:

Going on a family vacation builds memories, provides life changing experiences and helps teach about the world we live in.  Take time to explore, enjoy and have fun.  If the London Natural History Museum sounded interesting you may also like the British Museum.  You can also look at our entire list of London Attractions.

#London

#LondonNaturalHistory

Exposing your family to Shakespeare

Tips for Visiting Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
by Mark Fitzgerald

The Globe Theatre

There are at least three ways of visiting the Globe Theatre attraction in London.

1. You can stop by the outside, look around and take pictures.  
2. You can take a tour of the theater and its visitors center.  
3. Or you can go and watch a play.

The theater itself is situated right on the Southbank side of the Thames River.  It is about a 5 minute walk across the Millennium Bridge from St. Paul's Cathedral.  It is right next door to the Tate Modern Museum.  You can arrive via boat by the Bankside pier.  The nearest London Tube stations are Southwark on the Jubilee and Blackfriars on the Circle and District Lines.  They are both about a .6 mile (1 kilometer) walk.

There is not a lot to see on the outside of the theater.   Really all you get to do is take a picture of the tutor style building.  But if you are just passing by it is still worth doing.  If you want to see the inside you have to pay to take a tour and visit the exhibition.

The entrance to the exhibition is on the east side on a road called New Globe Walk.  You can use the London Pass to gain entrance, but it does not reserve nor put you to the front of the line for a tour.  There is a family ticket that will give you a discount for 2 adults and up to 3 children.  You can buy online but there does not appear to be a discount for doing so.

Outside the Globe Theater

Tours depart every 30 minutes starting at 9:30 AM and last about 40 minutes.  They are the least busy in the morning hours, but claim that it is rare to have to wait more than 30 minutes for a tour.  They recommend an hour for the exhibit hall, and that can be split before and after your tour.  While on tour you do not get on stage but get to see all around.  They are often asked about going backstage, but they are quick to point out that Elizabethan theaters didn't have a backstage.  The exhibit hall may close early on days they have matinees.

Just like in times of old, if you choose to watch a show at the theater you have the choice of seats or standing.  If you choose to be a goundling and stand, it will set you back £5 a person.  Seats start at £15 and go up.    Remember it is an open air theater.  Their season runs from April through October so many times it will be chilly.  You can rent seat cushions and lap blankets.  The show goes on rain or shine.  Those seated are protected by the roof but the groundlings are at the mercy of the elements.

As fun as it would be to be on the ground, a seat sounds mighty appealing.  If you choose to be a groundling you will need to find the sign to queue up.  The closer to the front of the line, the closer to the front of the stage.  Make sure to have your tickets before entering the line.

The theatre is not an exact recreation of the original.  It is fully accessible for those that have trouble with stairs and has bathrooms throughout the facility.  If you are in a wheelchair and wish to watch the show some of the seating is difficult to access.  Email the theater beforehand to make arrangements.

Shakespeare can be long, especially for children.  It is still so cultural and part of our history, it is worth a visit.  We are undecided on whether to go on the tour or just take pictures outside.  Either way we will be visiting the Globe Theatre.

Floor Plan of the Globe Theater:

Map of the Globe Theatre:

Walk to the Globe Theater (Click to Enlarge)

A highlight of the Globe Theater:

Going on a family vacation builds memories, provides life changing experiences and helps teach about the world we live in. Take time to explore, enjoy and have fun. If the Globe Theater sounded interesting you may also like Westminster Abbey. You can also look at our entire list of London Attractions.

#London
#Shakespeare