Trip Report with Laura Norton: From Liverpool Legends To London Landmarks & Beyond

Listener Laura Norton returns to share how she turned a dream anniversary trip into reality. From Beatles must-dos in Liverpool and a week based at St Katharine Docks in London to a quick hop to Paris, a powerful D-Day tour in Normandy, and a relaxing voyage home on the Queen Mary 2, Laura breaks down what worked, what she’d tweak, and the tips that saved time and stress. If you are planning a similar UK itinerary with a France add-on, this episode is packed with practical advice you can use straight away.

What you’ll learn

• Beatles highlights in Liverpool and how to stay at George Harrison’s childhood home
 • Why reserving seats on busy train days matters and how to use the Tube with contactless
 • London base tips near Tower Bridge plus day trips to the Harry Potter Studio Tour and Thorpe Abbotts
 • How to structure a Paris stopover and reach Normandy for a full-day D-Day tour
 • Caen to Portsmouth by ferry logistics before sailing on the Queen Mary 2
 • Packing lessons for rail and cruise combos and managing without guaranteed air conditioning
 • A real-world medication hiccup solved in the UK and why travel insurance matters
 • The value of an early consult with Tracy and Doug to refine routes and timings

⭐️ Guest - Laura Norton
📝 Show Notes - Episode 179

🎧 Listen to next:

• Episode #100 – Celebrating 100 Episodes: A Special Edition of UK Travel Planning Podcast
• Episode #29: Chat with Ken Lambert – Beatles fan + owner of George Harrison’s childhood home
• Episode #152 – Trip Report: London and Cotswolds Highlights with Kristen Gonzalez

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome And Trip Overview
• 3:30 Planning Help And Train Confidence
• 6:40 Manchester Arrival And Liverpool Beatles Pilgrimage
• 12:20 Flexing Plans In Sheffield And Busy Trains
• 15:50 A Week In London: Base And Big Hits
• 20:30 Day Trips: Harry Potter And WWII Airfields
• 24:30 Eurostar To Paris And Onward To Normandy
• 28:00 D‑Day Beaches With Overlord Tours
• 31:10 Ferry To Portsmouth And Southampton Stay
• 34:00 Queen Mary 2 Crossing And Serendipity
• 38:00 Stays, Food Favourites, And Tube Tips
• 41:30 Travel Glitches Solved And Final Advice

Transcript

SPEAKER_02: 0:00

Dreaming of your own UK adventure, in this episode, listener Laura Norton shares how she brought hers to life from the Beatles in Liverpool to the best of London and beyond before finishing with a few memorable days in France and a voyage home on the Queen Mary 2.

SPEAKER_00: 0:15

Welcome to the UK Travel Planning Podcast, your host and founder of the UK travel planning website, Tracy Collins. Each week, Tracy shares destination guides, travel tips, and itinerary ideas, as well as interviews with a variety of guests who share their knowledge and experience of UK travel to help you plan your perfect UK vacation. Join us as we explore the UK from cosmopolitan cities to quaint villages, from historic castles to beautiful islands, from picturesque countryside to seaside towns.

SPEAKER_02: 0:48

Hi and welcome to this week's episode of the UK travel planning podcast. In today's episode, I'm catching up with Laura Norton, who joined myself and Doug for a consultation more than a year ago to plan her UK adventure. Fast forward 15 months and she's back to share how it all went from the Beatles in Liverpool and the excitement of London to a hop across the channel to Paris and Normandy and an unforgettable voyage home on the Queen Mary 2. If you're planning a similar itinerary, you'll love hearing Laura's reflections, travel tips, and standout moments from her journey. So let's dive into my chat with Laura and find out how her and her husband's trip of a lifetime unfolded. Hi Laura, it's so good to have you back because you are a guest on our hundredth episode of the podcast. Yes. Uh, which is amazing. So this is gonna be episode 179, and actually by the end of the year we'll have hit 181, which is crazy.

SPEAKER_01: 1:42

That's amazing. It's just it's just such a wealth of information. It's so amazing you guys do this.

SPEAKER_02: 1:47

Um well, I can't believe it. So I'm hoping that you're gonna come on the 200th episode, which will be sure. Yeah, which will be sometime in 2026, I guess. What, four or five months in? Um, and talk about your favourite episodes, because that's what everybody did it did in episode uh 100, which was fantastic. And we know that trip reports are are absolutely a lot of people. And if you love trip reports, get in contact with me, I speak pipe, and let me know because I I want to know which is your favorite and which ones you really enjoy. Because I know trip reports just seem to resonate with so many people. Now, Laura came on their 100th episode and she's coming on today to do the last trip report of 2025. Um, so Laura, I'll stop talking and I will let you introduce yourself and um tell us a little bit about um where you're from, uh where you went on the trip, who you went with, and uh just to give us a kind of quick overview of the itinerary.

SPEAKER_01: 2:42

Sure. So my name is Laura Norton. Uh my husband and I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan in the U.S. We um don't have any of our uh human children, but we have very four very spoiled uh cats that are our babies. Um, and this trip was to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. So that was in June, and we traveled in August. Um uh after we did our 25th wedding anniversary uh trip, which was a cruise to Hawaii and been delayed a little bit because of COVID. We were joking about what do we want to do for our 30th. My husband was like, you know, I'd like to go to England sometime, and that's all it took. I latched on and started the planning. I know, so excited. So give us a quick overview. Where did where did you go? Because I know obviously deciding where to go is a huge, huge thing. Yes. So um we actually flew into Manchester um and uh then stayed in Liverpool for two nights, then went to London. We were in London for a week, then took the Eurostar to Paris. Paris was just kind of a stopover um one night just because we didn't want to travel so much in one day. Uh, then we took a train to Caen um so that we could do some things in the Normandy area. Then we took the a ferry from uh Cannes back uh to England to South Well to Portsmouth, and then train into Southampton and spent the night, and then we took the Queen Mary too from Southampton, Transatlantic back to New York City before we flew home.

SPEAKER_02: 4:03

I know that that's so exciting. So exciting to do that. That's one of the I'd love to do one of those cruises from. I hear so much about them. Southampton over at New York just sounds amazing. Now, Doug and I actually helped you with your itinerary, but we did it a long time in advance. I think it was well over a year. We did.

SPEAKER_01: 4:20

Yeah, I think it was the spring before, yeah, the spring of 24 is when we did it. And um, like I had mentioned there, for me, any trip that we take, the planning is part that I really enjoy. That's part of the excitement for me, is the planning part. Um, so um, so that was fine. And I just um I'm I'm my father's daughter um as far as detail planning, and he that's exactly how he was of making sure you had things ahead of time and knew what you were gonna do. Um, so I definitely wanted to get your guys' feedback on what we thought our itinerary was gonna be. And Doug's knowledge about train travel was amazing. And it was that that was part of the biggest part that made me a little anxious was because you know, we where we live in Michigan, the only train we have goes like from here to Chicago on Amtrak. Um so no subway, no tube, anything like that. So that was the part I think that made me the most anxious about our travels. But after talking to him and the links that you guys provided, um, it it was so much easier and wasn't worth worrying about.

SPEAKER_02: 5:18

Oh, that's where I'm gonna do it a little promotion here, Laura, because actually this episode goes out in December. And Doug and I have got um we actually have January and February open for consult. So anybody who's listening and you're thinking, uh, you know, I want to do a consult and speak to speak to myself and Doug, seriously, those bookings are there. Get get on and book it because it's it like you guys booked it well yeah well in advance and it and it it helped so much with with your planning.

SPEAKER_01: 5:43

Yeah, I definitely anybody it's worth it's worth it, the peace of mind, getting the feedback. It helped me actually tweak a few things um and you know feel well prepared. Brilliant. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02: 5:54

Now let's start at the beginning. So you arrived in Manchester and then you headed to Liverpool. So um talk us a little about about your kind of first impressions when you arrived and how did your journey go into Liverpool? And tell us a little bit about what you did in Liverpool because I know you were very, very excited about one particular thing you were doing.

SPEAKER_01: 6:14

Yes. So um when we flew into to Manchester, the you know, coming through, getting off the plane, getting through passport control immigration was very smooth. I think it took us maybe a total of 15 minutes. It took us longer to walk from the plane through the airport to get to that part than to actually go through it. So we got our luggage, and because of the timing of when our flight landed and when we were going to be able to get into our accommodations, we actually stored our luggage um there at the Manchester Airport for a brief time and took a um Uber to um there's a small uh airport uh aviation museum um just on the other side of the Manchester Airport from the departures. And so we spent some time there watching the planes coming in in and out, which my husband was thrilled with. Got to see um uh some of the one of the largest planes that flies in the U anywhere in the world now land and take off. So that was pretty cool. Um, and so then we headed back to the airport when it was closer to time and took the train into Liverpool, um, into Lime Street Station, and then took an Uber to our accommodations, which was in Speak, so it was a little bit outside of Liverpool at George Harrison's childhood home at 25 Upton Green. Um, so and we never would have found about that if it wasn't for one of your podcasts that you interviewed, um, the owner of that uh that house. So that was um my husband loves the Beatles. Um, and so that was uh one of the big highlights for him. Um so walking in there for the first time, knowing standing in that living room, knowing that that's where you know the Beatles stood, they practiced. You were in that same environment, it was pretty surreal. Um, and we have the entire house. Um, and it's a three-bedroom. Now we chose to stay in his parents' house because that's where the ceiling fan was. Um, and it was it was pretty warm while we were there, but tolerable. Um, so it was wonderful. Um, we did um take the um mystery tour or the uh magical mystery bus tour in Liverpool, um, which was also a very interesting stop at Strawberry Fields, Penny Lane, um, seeing all of those wonderful things. Before we got on the tour, we had toured some area at um uh the dock area there, which was wonderful walking along the Mercy and then um eating at the food truck. There's a food truck place that we ate at. Um so it was really, it was really again just knowing seeing everything online and researching, and then you're actually physically there is just a little overwhelming.

SPEAKER_02: 8:40

Oh, and Liverpool is amazing. Honestly, if you're a Beatles fan, I just think Liverpool should be in your itinerary because it's it's a a fabulous history as well in Liverpool. It's an amazing city, it's a northern city, and of course it's where the Beatles come from. So I was so excited that you you you booked and stayed in Georgia. And we we've had loads of feedback from from people who've listened to those that podcast and were like, oh my goodness, it's amazing. Um, and as you say, um, yeah, chatting to to the guy who bought it, it was just like his story is fantastic. I think it's maybe episode thirty, I'm trying to think, 28 or 30 of the podcast. I should have actually got that information. But um, yeah, um, we've got a whole podcast where we chat about actually the story about buying it is great. So I'm so glad you said how many nights did you did you stay there?

SPEAKER_01: 9:24

We were there for two nights. Yep. Um, you know, certainly worth it, you know, it at some point we'd love to go back, have a little more time. Um when we were planning this trip, we started with the cruise, knowing what which one we were gonna be on, and then worked backwards, you know, with our time. Uh would love to have had a little more time. And you know, if we go back, again, the experience was amazing. It it is a good 20 to 30 minutes outside of actual Liverpool. So I don't think we would necessarily stay there again, stay more, you know, closer to all of the attractions in the history. Um, but definitely would go back and love to spend uh more time there.

SPEAKER_02: 9:58

Oh well, another another great place to stay actually Liverpool if you're a Beatles fan is a hard uh Hard Days Nice Night Hotel. Doug and I have stayed there a few times. Yes. And that's really cool because that's got a load of the memorabilia as well. So if you love the Beatles, it's honestly it's a it's a no-brainer. It's so amazing. Um so then after Liverpool, you you're headed to Sheffield?

SPEAKER_01: 10:15

Yeah, so we took a train from Liverpool to Sheffield. The original plan was then to again store our luggage and go to uh the cemetery out there um where the drummer, my husband is also a big fan of um Def Lapard. That's where they're from, so they're from town. And then we were going to the cemetery where their um drummer Steve Clark, um, who unfortunately passed away, was at to visit the grave, pays respects. Um, this is part of where we learned to be flexible and that plans don't always go as you think they're going to. Um, another thing we learned is we way overpacked. Um, so um part of it, you know, Todd, my husband, Todd, he's like, you know, yes, I kind of want to do this, he's this, but really it's okay. Taking luggage on and off the trains and getting him into an Uber and back and forth was, he was just, we were just a little overwhelmed at that point. So to be honest, we ended up actually just staying at the train station and people watching and reading and didn't end up going to the cemetery, um, which was fine. And that's part of, you know, the thing we learned. We wanted to see things, but we didn't want to push ourselves so far every day and be exhausted. We wanted to be able to enjoy it. So um, that was one thing, one of the areas where we were like, okay, we're gonna be flexible. We're just that's okay. Yeah, we'll just zoom in. And then we got on the train and uh into Sheffield into London. And interesting, at one stop um on our way, all of these young men, probably late teens, early 20s, gets on standing room only. Apparently, one of another train um had run into issues, and so it wasn't running. And they were all heading to Sheffield for a um football. There was a big football event going on. So it was it that was kind of a that was kind of a different, interesting uh experience um just to see, you know, the the songs that they sing is just you know so different for us for Americans that we don't get that. Um but it was so it was really actually cool to experience. They were very well behaved um and very nice, but it was it was kind of a cool experience.

SPEAKER_02: 12:06

Yeah, that's good. I get I guess getting a train when there's a football match on and just say all the fans getting on it is always interesting. I guess it would have all had the scarves on and you would have like you would have known who they were supporting because it's it's kind of very obvious, depending on what colours they're wearing and the scarves and everything. Um but that's cool. But actually that's one of the that is one of the things actually Douglas says, like I uh and I guess that you guys did it is to reserve seats because um, for example, on a day like that where there's a football match, the train's gonna get absolutely like I say standing room only. And so at least if you've got a seat reserved, and I'm not saying that's not that's not infallible because sometimes the train like stay can get cancelled, and that's unfortunately is you kind of can be stuck. But I think it's one of those things that don't say like trying to make sure you've got a a a reservation, the free. Um, and then at least you've got the peace of mind that if there's a football match.

SPEAKER_01: 12:58

We were very, very thankful we had reserved seats on that train.

SPEAKER_02: 13:01

I bet, I bet, because I can just imagine how full it can get with um and seats don't sell out. That's another thing, right? They will keep selling uh tickets for the train, so you know it can they can get very, very full. Absolutely full. Yes. Okay, so you're to you, so you took the train from Sheffield down to London. So talk to me about London, because you had you had quite a few days in London, didn't you?

SPEAKER_01: 13:20

Yep, yeah, we had an entire week in London. Um, so we came into the train station again, took a um taxi to um our flat that we had rented. Um, we were in the St. Catharines Dock area, um, which we absolutely loved that area. Um, I mean right by Tower Bridge, um the Tower Tube Station. We that's what we used the entire time. It was, you know, a 10 not less than a 10-minute walk. Um, great restaurants in the area, but very quiet. Um, and so that it was just a perfect location for us for doing our traveling around town. And then we did a couple of day trips. Um, so um, yeah, we loved it. It was um, you know, again, as Americans, we're so used to our air conditioning. Um, but um, I was gonna say, even though it was warm, I mean, places were great. They had two um floor uh stand fans, left the windows open. It was perfectly fine. We did, it was not a problem. Um, love to be able to have the windows open. We could, as we laid in the bed at night and looked out the window, we could see the tops of the tower bridge and we could see the shard um off our outer windows and off the balcony. So it was a perfect location for us.

SPEAKER_02: 14:28

Oh, that's that is lovely. Yeah, I mean, London can get can get really warm in those kind of summer months. And um, like AC isn't a standard, it's not a standard in in a lot of the museums, it's not a standard. They're starting to put it now on the tube, but um it's just not standard. And you kind of I guess for for places, buildings that are kind of hundreds and hundreds of years old, it's just it's it's one of those things. A lot of hotels will, if they haven't got AC, we'll give you a fan, which helps. And we've stayed in plenty that I've got a fan. Um, but if like if AC is really important, then I you know when you book in somewhere, you you you do need to check that it has got AC. Don't kind of make that assumption, like a lot of countries, um like in Australia we have AC everywhere, and obviously in in the States you have AC. So um it's just not as common. Um, even in places, a lot of places in Europe that don't have it, and you you know, you swelter in August when it's really hot, and you're like, whoa. Um but yeah, so I'm glad that it didn't, it kind of it was fine, fine for you guys. So so talk me about through your kind of highlights of London. What were the things that you were just like, wow?

SPEAKER_01: 15:29

Yeah. Um, I think, you know, for us, just again, after all the research and you know, looking online and and listening to different podcasts and different Facebook groups, and just the fact of to be standing on that balcony and we're actually there. Um, I mean, I actually got a little teary-eyed just because it was just, you know, so much history. Um, you know, we don't have any in the United States, yes, we have history, but not to the extent and a lot of in Europe and the old. And it's just it was, we just love to walk. Again, we didn't pack our days. Um, you know, yes, there's so much to see, and yes, we will go back. Um, but we just wanted to be able to enjoy it. So just walking along the tens and taking in the scenery um was just wonderful for us. Um, you know, we to did take a couple of um day trips um from London. One was um to the uh Warner Brothers studio, uh Harry Potter Studio tour, because that was one of two things that was on my list that we had to do for me. Um and then the other day trip we did is we took a train to Diss um and went to Thorpe Abbott's. Um my husband is a history major and World War II is his area of interest. Um, so we had watched the bloody uh watched the Masters of the Air um series about the bloody 100s before we went. Yeah. Um and again, just that standing on that hollow ground and so much was there. It was, it was, it was very moving, very, you know, just it was a great, uh, great experience. Um, the other thing that we did in London that was, you know, another thing on my checklist I had to do is I'm a nurse, been a nurse for 30 years, and so going to the Florence Nightingale Museum. Oh, yes, almost very yeah, that was that was very moving for me.

SPEAKER_02: 17:07

It it is really good. And um, it's yeah, it's it's somewhere I only just recently went, actually went last year. I had um uh I did a London Pass thing for three days, and um I thought I'm gonna go and see some of the stuff that I haven't seen before, some of the museums are included, and the the um Florence Nightingale museum was included in that. So I actually went with a friend of mine who who's a retired midwife, and she also absolutely loved it. It was really, really interesting. Um and there's a bit where you can actually listen to Florence Nightingale's voice, which I I loved that. I thought because you know, you can you we look at the photos and and especially when it's it seems so far away in the past when you hear about it, but actually being able to, you know, hear the person's voice, it was like, oh wow, you know, it brings it brings it, it brings it back to life and real.

SPEAKER_01: 17:53

It was great. Yeah, they had an area too where you could make a rubbing of her signature. Um, and so I have that, and it's actually hanging in the my office at my uh doctor's office that I'm where I may I'm a manager, I have it hanging in my office. Oh, that's so cool. As a momentum, so yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 18:08

Oh well, so any any nurses listening, if you're nursing your head in London, seriously, Folk Nightingale Museum really should be included in in your itinerary for it. Definitely worth it. Um can we did you go to any of the the big hitters? Because obviously Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, did you did you fit in those?

SPEAKER_01: 18:25

Yeah, we did. Uh so we did um, you know, we walked, we didn't get in to do a tour of Westminster Abbey, but we did walk around um, you know, Big Ben Elizabeth Tower, Parliament. Um we did do a tour of the um M uh HMS Belfast. Um we did that. Uh again, the history things, um uh Buckingham Palace. Um, so yeah, you know, all the you know, the kind of the big highlight touristy type things. Yeah. Um just uh, you know, it was uh yeah, it was wonderful. So we yeah, it was great. We'll definitely going back, um would love to just spend another, you know, week to ten days just in London. There's so much to see. And would like to do, you know, some other day trips, Cotswolds, you know, that was another one on my list, just not enough time in one trip.

SPEAKER_02: 19:10

Yeah, and the thing is that sometimes you can kind of pack stuff in and you end up, you think, and even you know, I'm also sometimes guilty of this because I'm like I get so excited and like even last year I was in London for five or six weeks, and I was like, I had a long list of how I'm gonna do all these things, and actually what you forget is that you get a bit tired and fatigued, and then it's like actually, no, I'm not gonna manage to do another 30,000 steps for another like every day for another week because it's it's just too much. So I think I think pacing yourself and kind of picking those kind of must-do things that you really, really, really want to do, and then kind of working it around that. Like you managed to do, you know, you did your day trip and you did Harry Potter. Again, you booked Harry Potter well in advance because that that Warner Brothers to get booked up so quickly.

SPEAKER_01: 19:51

Yes, I actually I think it was someone posted on um your Facebook page, hey everybody, they've opened up for 2025 that day, and I was on it.

SPEAKER_02: 20:01

Yeah, you absolutely need to book because we hear so often people go, Oh no, it's booked up. I'm like, Yeah, you need to need to book. We actually have got a a web a page on the London Travel Plan and website, which just kind of gives you an idea of when to book things, how far in advance. Um, because there's nothing worse than the thing, the one or two things that you really want to do when you try, you go on in the booked up, it's like no. Um so tell me a little bit about did you the the going to to Paris was you said it was kind of just a it was a stop off because you were going to go and do the the the World War II tour. Um so how did you go about kind of planning that trip over um to Paris from London? I was I know you took the Eurostar, so how how did all that work? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 20:39

Yeah, we you know we neither one of us like to get up early. Um I do it every day for work, so I don't like to do that on vacation. So we did um, I think it was the 9:30 um train um out of um St. Pancras and on the Eurostar. Um and actually that process, get at least getting through passport and security wasn't bad. Um, it does get very, very crowded in the waiting area. That that was interesting. Um, but um then once we got on the train, we did um, and I'm kind of losing track, I can't remember whatever the middle roll, the middle of the road seats are. So we had a light lunch um that was provided. Um, and you know, very comfortable. That was great. Um, when we got to the station, then we took a um Ubert or a taxi, um, which then we got maybe a block, a block and a half away from the train station, and something was wrong with his meter. It wasn't working. So he actually flagged another taxi driver who happened to be right near, who's our his friend, flagged him over. We grabbed stuff out of the trunk and put it in the other taxi. Um, you know, and of course, you know, my mind's like, I'm I think this is legit. I don't think we're getting ripped off. I think this is okay, but it was fine. Um, we got to the hotel. Um, we stayed in a very um small uh hotel um right by the um St. Lazare train station because that's where we knew we were going out of the next morning to go to Conn. So we wanted to stay close to that. So it wasn't the closest to a lot of the attractions, but again, we weren't there, you know, less than 24 hours, so that was okay. Um, but we could see the Eiffel Tower from our balcony, um, which was nice. So we got to see it light up at night and see it sparkle. Um we did we did a little bit of a walk that afternoon um and went to see Moulin Rouge and then we walked past the Paris Opera House, um, and then just kind of relaxed in the room because we knew we were gonna be up a little bit early the next morning to get the train to Caen. Um, so yeah, and then that, you know, that the Eurostar was no problem in the train. The the train to Caen was a little trickier. Um again, thankfully we had reserved seats, but the first train, the first section of it, um, didn't realize it was a double decker train. Um, and our seats ended up being in the top. And by the time we got on, most of the luggage storage was already taken. Um, the air conditioning wasn't working very well. So that was probably the, you know, out of all of the trains, there was a little glitchies there. And then when we got to the station to train, we had to do a transfer, we had about 10 minutes. No escalators, carrying all of our luggage, but we made it. There were other people that were in the same boat with us. Um, and you were talking earlier about how they just keep selling tickets, and we got on that train, there was nowhere to sit, and all of you know, several of us just standing. And eventually a few stops later, people just got off and we could, you know, find a seat. But, you know, we figure out of the whole trip, just having, you know, one or two small glitches like that, we just felt very fortunate.

SPEAKER_02: 23:35

Yeah, no, uh, yeah, I guess you it like you said, you just gotta kind of have a bit of flexibility and um and and I always think anybody who has the the opportunity to talk to Doug as well have a has a little bit more knowledge and and confidence about when things don't exactly work out that how to do stuff. I think he's he's really good at kind of you know sharing that. And and we've we've even had people when things have gone wrong that have kind of messaged him and he's kind of said, look, you know, this is what you need to do just to help people out. But um I think that really that really helps. Just a quick question, because this is something that I did you how did you find the difference between London and Paris? Because I find them so different.

SPEAKER_01: 24:17

They're so different, they're so close together, capital cities, but they are so different. Yeah, they are so different. And again, like I said, we just you know, we did a little walking, and some of the side streets, little cafes, whatever were nice and stuff, but it it just doesn't have the same. I know they always say, you know, well, French were so rude, but I mean, people were nice to us, you know. We as long as you greeted with a bonjour and at least attempted, you know, a little bit, then they were fine, but not as outgoing and friendly necessarily as when we were in um London. Um, and my husband and I were talking, and it's like, yeah, we'd go back to to London or any place in the UK in a heartbeat. I don't know that we would go back to Paris. Or, you know, and maybe if we had been staying a little closer, maybe had a longer time, maybe we feel a little bit different, but not so sure that that's an area we'd want to go back to.

SPEAKER_02: 25:03

No, I have to say, and again, I think I'm gonna get I'm getting a bit of a reputation for this. I think on the my other podcast, the Global Travel Plan in one, I've got one about um places that I'm I am not so fond of, and unfortunately Paris kind of comes to the top of my list, and there's many reasons why. And I did I actually used to live in France, I speak French fairly well. I used to be totally fluent, it's gone now because we're talking 30 odd years ago. But um, but I yeah, I I just struggle a bit with Paris. I love France. I just just Paris I I I don't know. I think I I think um yeah, I always say to people don't build Paris up too much in your head, because I think it you may you may be disappointed, you may not. Again, people might I might have people listen going, Oh, I loved it, and which is fine. We're all different, we all like we all love different things. Um so you then you did a World War II tour when you before you then. How did that go?

SPEAKER_01: 25:52

Yeah, we um yeah, that was great. We um we again chose uh uh our command we did VRBO um close to the train station in Cannes, um, partly because then we needed to get to that ferry. So we didn't want to stay in Bayou. I know a lot of people stay in Bayou because that's where all the tours go out of. Um but we stayed in Caen and then it was just a short, um, I think like 15, 20 minute train ride um from Cannes to Bayou, where we then met and we went with um Overlord Tours was the group that was the agents that we used. Um, there were, I think, like 14 of us in a small minivan with the guide. And it was, I mean, it was a long day. Um, it was a full, I think eight and a half hours, but it was it was wonderful, it was amazing. Um, you know, I think again, my husband being the World Lord II, his area that he loves, just all of it was just taking it all in and so interesting and going into some of the bunkers. Um, I think for me, standing on Omaha Beach, um, where the Americans landed. I mean, now granted you're standing there as people laying on the sand, sunbathing, a little bit different environment than obviously at that time, but just again, just that, just that history overwhelming washing over you of this is where it happened, this is this is where it was. It was um, yeah, it was wonderful. I'm glad we kind of changed our itinerary a bit and and expanded instead of spending as much time in London and taking that extra side trip. It was, I feel was really worth it.

SPEAKER_02: 27:16

Yeah, I think that's really good. And I think just the opportunity, you know, like you say for your husband who loves that that history, and you have the opportunity when you're there to actually go and you know, stand in the footsteps of where those people were and have that experience. And so, you know, it it just brings it back to you. I think it just makes it a bit more real when you have the opportunity to do that. But I know I think we're I'm I'm sure when we did the consult, Doug helped you a bit with that kind of logistics around that bit in France as well. Well, pretty good on European travel, um, because we've done so much of it. Yes. Um and then you got the ferry, which was interesting over to Portsmouth. So how did that go? And then kind of how was the logistics for the last last few days?

SPEAKER_01: 27:54

Yeah, so um again, you know, we we did use um Uber quite a bit um in with with our travels. So we took, we did, we scheduled an Uber, not a problem, picked us up. Um we had actually um and got to the ferry deck there. We went through uh Britney Ferries is who runs those. Um and I do I remembered when I booked it, I'd like, I know we got like at least a room with bed so because you know, left early in the morning, could rest and take some. I guess I didn't really remember until we got on the ferry and got into a room that I'm like, oh, I got like a regular room room. It was like an actual hotel room. And it was on the back of the ferry. We had our own little um kind of balcony area at the back of the uh back of the ferry, a full queen-size bed. I'm like, oh, I can remember doing that, but okay, this will this works great. So that was really nice just to be able to relax um and you know, go to the eater and get something to eat. It was a really smooth, great weather, smooth uh sailing on that, not a problem. Um, got off at Portsmouth and um they're doing some work at the docks at the Portsmouth. So we actually they actually drove um buses on to after the cars got all unloaded off the ferry, drove buses on there for us to take that to um the area where we caught our taxi. We they couldn't get us directly there. Um, so yeah, then we we got a tax there again. We took the train um from Portsmouth to Southampton and then actually stayed, and in Southampton, we stayed at the White Star Hotel. So a lot of Titanic memorabilia and stuff in there was just which was wonderful. Um, we walked around a little bit um that afternoon and then um got up the next morning to get on the cruise. Uh and how long did it take you to cruise back? Uh seven nights.

SPEAKER_02: 29:34

Wow. Wow. So yeah. Yeah. I bet that was pretty special.

SPEAKER_01: 29:39

It was. Um weather wise, we were so fortunate the entire time we were in England and in France. We never had rain. It was beautiful weather. We were very fortunate. A little bit of rough seas the first couple of days, um, across a bit it was remnants of Hurricane Aaron coming across um the Atlantic. Um, but After that, it just was fine. And, you know, after being gone and going, even though we didn't push ourselves, it was nice, like we're just not doing much of anything.

unknown: 30:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 30:08

We're just gonna relax and leave. You know, did a few of the, you know, a couple of shows, went to some lectures. Um, you know, one thing I had mentioned earlier about we did pack way too much, and part of it too, and we know this wouldn't be every trip, but we had one duffel bag just with our extra fancy clothes for the cruise. Um, with Q and Ard, they are a little bit um more, you know, a little bit dressier than a lot of cruises and stuff. And we knew that that was, you know, kind of the fun of it. Um, so we obviously wouldn't pack that way every time we go on a trip. Um but we did do one of the formal nights, um, which was fun. It's just not not something that we typically do. So it's kind of fun to dress up a little extra and do something fun and special. Um, and so yeah, we just took in the shows. There was um actually one lecturer, guest lecturer that we happened to meet in one of the lounges. He just sat down next to us. My husband had his Beatles t-shirt on. And this gentleman had a Beatles hat on, got to talking. He found out was one of his guest lecturers. He was doing things on um musicians and musical history. He had done Buddy Holly, he was doing um, he did one on Elvis, and he was going to be doing one on the Beatles. So we got to talk a lot. He was in Liverpool for Beatles Week. We missed that by a week, but he was there and told him about staying at 25 Upton, which he thought was very cool. And when he actually did his lecture um a couple of days later, um he actually did a shout-out to us when he showed George Harrison the famous picture of him holding his guitar outside of 25 Upton. And he's like, Yeah, those were my friends Todd and Laura stayed. Lucky them. So that was kind of an extra little cool bonus.

SPEAKER_02: 31:44

Oh, that's really cool. I love that. That's just those are the just amazing stories to hear that you know, you didn't plan it, but just something like that happening and being able to like say it to the guy, guess what? We've just stayed. I mean, that's amazing. That's fantastic. And I love the fact that she's just having that seven days to just just say chill out on the on the way back as well. And I know I knew when you mentioned about having too much luggage on the train that it was because I knew because I know when people go on cruises, there's a kind of expect you've got to do the dressy up thing, and um yeah, and having uh I I've actually got a friend that that's just done the same thing. She was over there, I think she was eight weeks, and they they had a few cruises and and that and she was taking trains all around Italy and France, and I was like, Oh Natalie, the luggage, and she said, But I've got we've done all these cruises, I have to look nice. So I know it gave me a bit of a kind of a uh yeah, bit of a stress with the with the luggage. Um we'll swing back and talk a little bit about kind of your accommodation and food and the kind of logistics things, because I know I know people love to find out about kind of like the highlights of things places you stayed and and what you ate and stuff like that. So um so I know you've you stayed in quite a few uh VRBOs. So how did they go? Were there any particular kind of ones you kind of went, oh, this is really nice? Or they're all good.

SPEAKER_01: 32:57

Yeah, we actually we were very fortunate um that all um in Liverpool, London, and in Cannes, they were all through VRBO. Communication is was wonderful with everybody. It was very smooth. Um, if we had any kind of glitches, we can message them and they were great, you know, about getting back to us. Um in um Paris, obviously, we stayed at a hotel. Um, and again, it was just a small boutique hotel, um, which was wonderful. And they were actually great at uh to work with. Um, so my husband is a diabetic, so we traveled with insulin. And um, so I have a little trap, we've got a travel thing that has something has to be frozen though, for the inside of it to keep stuff cold. And so they were wonderful. They put it in their own little fridge, freezer for us off, you know, when they're at breakfast area. So that was not a problem. Um, so no, they were all wonderful. I wouldn't recommend any of the places we stayed at to for anybody to stay. And if we go back when we go back to London, I have no problem whatsoever staying in the same place.

SPEAKER_02: 33:59

Brilliant. Well, I'll get the we'll get the links uh for those places that you stayed with. I actually do work with VRBO as well. So if anybody's out there thinking about booking, we have got some affiliate, we have an affiliate link for VRBO, so take a look at that. And I'll put a link to the places that you stayed in as well. Laura, and obviously to Upton Green as well. Um, because that'd be cool. Yes. Um now talk me, talk I love talking about food. Food and drinks. Tell me, was there any kind of standing out highlights of things that you ate that you went for?

SPEAKER_01: 34:26

Yeah, my husband is a has totally been now addicted to sticky toffee pudding. That was his absolute favorite thing that he got in. And obviously, we cannot find that since we've gotten home. Um, but that um we, you know, we did, you know, traditional fish and chips um a couple of different times. Um, where we stayed in St. Catharines Dock, there's a restaurant, the Dickens Inn, um, that was right across the the way there from us. And we ate there a couple of times. Great atmosphere, wonderful food. Um, so uh yeah, I think those are probably the ones that really um stick out um to us. And in uh France, it probably was we just weren't there, I don't think, enough. Actually, when we stayed um in Cannes, we actually went to a local small grocery store and brought stuff and cooked in the VRBO because by that time I think we were kind of done with eating out.

SPEAKER_02: 35:18

Oh, but it's always a lot, it's like it's it's always I'm sorry, just take that bit out, right? It's always really good fun just to go and check out the supermarkets anyway. And I mean yeah, French supermarkets are I you you have to drag me out because I uh well I used to live in France, so just looking at the fresh produce and the cheese, the cheese, oh my goodness, like cheese heaven. Um so that's good. And I love the fact that you mentioned a sticky toffee pudding because that that comes up so often. It seems to be such a favorite with everybody, it really does. Um so that swinging back, I guess the logistics. So obviously Doug helped a lot with the train stuff. So you found the train stuff pretty smooth, pretty good.

SPEAKER_01: 35:53

Yeah, it really wasn't that bad. And if you had questions, everybody was so nice about, you know, I'm pretty sure, hey, I think this is where we need to go out of. This is where we're, yep, this is where you go. You know, do I scan scan things with my phone or you know, do we wait to get on the train and they check it? Um, that was fine. Um, again, I mentioned, you know, we didn't have a lot of exposure to subway. We've been in New York City once, so you know, use a subway there. But the tube system was don't be afraid of it, don't don't get all anxious about it. It is so easy to use. And once again, if you have questions, um, you know, ask a couple times. And one time we were like, nope, this isn't the station you need, you need the next one, and you know, was great. So, and we just used our um smartphones and did tap um for paying and it worked great.

SPEAKER_02: 36:39

It's very easy. And uh Doug's actually um just been over because when I know where this is, he's actually there at the moment when we're recording this podcast, but by the time this podcast comes out just before Christmas, he'll have been back and he'll be making lots of YouTube videos to show to show a lot of this as well. And he's doing a lot, he's actually doing a lot at the moment of kind of um London to you know, Canterbury or London, Oxford, London to Windsor, and he's doing all that to kind of show just so you can get that, so you kind of can visualize it, um, and also kind of how to use the the tube and stuff like that. Because it's it is actually really easy, but we also know that if you're not used to that system and getting trains, it can it can feel a bit scary because you don't know what you don't do, and that's that's the scary thing, isn't it? Um so overall logistically, everything you kind of pasted it well, you kind of you yeah, there's nothing you would kind of go back and change.

SPEAKER_01: 37:26

It would be like never, yeah, didn't miss didn't miss a train or any yeah, we were very fortunate in like and it was great.

SPEAKER_02: 37:33

All right, you had so it was a really well planned trip. I know you planned it a lot uh you know a long way out. You really knew what you were doing, and and you know, you have the consort and everything. Um was there a part of the trip that just exceeded your expectations of what you had? And I know you loved it all.

SPEAKER_01: 37:49

Um Yeah, I mean, actually before we were to thread, I was going through the questions with my husband. I'm like, I'm just I'm kind of struggling with this. And then all of a sudden it kind of dawned on both of us. Not something that exceeded as far as what we'd had planned. However, um, there was one particular medication that I grabbed the partial filled bottle and not a full bottle of one of my husband's medications. And so he was gonna be short. Um, and so I was, I'm Googling, you know, like, you know, what are our options? And, you know, it it's a fairly common medication. It's not like it was it wasn't a controlled substance or, you know, anything like that. And, you know, I said, like, yeah, sometimes local, you know, GPs might be able to help you out. And the um flat we were staying at in London, there was a GP office in that building. So we actually went down there, I explained the situation. He's like, Oh yeah, two blocks over, there's this pharmacy. They have a prescribing pharmacist there. Went over, explained the situation, showed the original prescription bottle. He said, No problem, have a seat. And within 15 minutes, we had a 28-day supply and paid 35 pounds.

SPEAKER_02: 38:57

That's amazing. That's so good.

SPEAKER_01: 38:59

It was, yeah. So again, not something that obviously we planned, but so exceeded how easy it was and how helpful everybody was. And it, you know, it made a big difference. Um, you know, this medic could have made the rest of the trip not nearly as fun. Yeah, it's good to know that you know without it.

SPEAKER_02: 39:19

Yeah, it's good to know like things like that that you can, you know, that it you manage to solve it and people helped you and you and you got it got it all done and dusted and and it didn't become a big big issue. So that's really good. So I'm um I'm uh it's lovely to hear that. And they are very good. The the the chemists and the pharmacists in the UK um pop in and always you can always ask them stuff. We um yeah, they're really, really helpful. Um, so I don't know, like there's just this there's lots of big um chemists all over the UK, so it's not a problem that you will find one to go and if you've got an issue. Um same with dentists, I've had to go and have an emergency dental care when I was in Edinburgh a few years ago, and and just luckily where we were staying, they they gave me a number and later on that day I went in. Uh look, I almost have travel insurance, so claimed it put back on travel insurance, but it was all sorted. So because it could have been pretty big um, you know, problem. So antibiotics was all given and it was all sorted. So again, travel insurance is is really good when the big things like that happen. Yes.

SPEAKER_01: 40:15

Yes, because they even asked us, you know, do you want a receipt for travel insurance? Which I like I appreciate it, but I'm like, yes, 35. Yeah, no, it's fine. Yeah it's it's cheaper than what we would have paid for it actually with our copay in home.

SPEAKER_02: 40:26

So right. So I always end the podcast with the same question. You'll know what's coming up now. But what would be your one piece of advice for someone planning their UK adventure?

SPEAKER_01: 40:37

Do a consultation and just don't overpack your days. Just enjoy being there, you know. Even just if it's just walking around and taking in the scenery, that's okay. You don't have to see everything. Yeah, you can always come back.

SPEAKER_02: 40:52

You can always go back. Yep. It's it's it's gonna be there. So definitely, yeah. In fact, I would say don't plan to just go once because you'll so much to do and see. You will want to go back again. Um but Laura, it's it's been such a joy to speak to you again. And I'm I know next year we'll we'll catch up for the 200th episode, so that's gonna be good. So you can get your thinking cap on to see which are you gonna be your favorite episodes because you're gonna have 200 to choose from this time. That's right. I'm gonna have to go back and do some listening. I know it's gonna be it's gonna be a lot. But yeah, thanks so much for coming on and and and filling us in. Oh, thanks for for asking. This has been great. Oh brilliant. Well, thanks so much, Laura. Thank you. Thank you for tuning in to this week's episode of the UK Travel Planning Podcast. As always, show notes can be found at uktravelplanning.com. If you've enjoyed the show, why not leave us feedback via text or a review on your favourite podcast app? We love to hear from you, and you never know, you may receive a shout out in a future episode. But as always, that just leaves me to say until next week, happy UK travel planning.