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25 Hours In London


shunra

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Posted (edited)

In a few weeks, I'll be in London for 25 hours between flights, and with hotel prices in London being what they are, I though I might as well get some sleep on the plane and spend those 25 hours caching, and sight-seeing on the fly.

 

I'd like to ask: (1) the insider tip: are there any caches in London outside of the main tourist drag, which are an absolute must, or otherwise very much recommended?

 

(2) to avoid being mugged or muggled: Are there certain cache-dense areas I could focus on during the night, and are there areas I should avoid at night by all means, or other things I should beware of?

 

(3) the ordinary tourist's question: are there lockers in Heathrow where I can leave my luggage, and is there some sort of a pass for the tube or for buses which would allow me to hop on and off lots of times, and perhaps even get me into the city from Heathrow, and back again?

 

TIA!

Edited by Shunra
Posted

1) I am not sure what you mean by this. Most of the London caches are in the centre - Last Delivery is the Central London Bug Hotel - there are few other central London caches that are not virtual or micro.

 

2) I would have said that the Park series of Micro Caches (Kensington Park, Hyde Park, Green Park, St James Park etc) would be ideal for night caching, as mugging in the West End isn't common compared with most large cities - but on the other hand Kevin Spacey may change your mind - however, he was not in Central London at the time - and he was stupid.

 

3) There are loads of options - details here - This booklet sets out all the fares info. - You will find this Map invaluable -

Posted
1) I am not sure what you mean by this. Most of the London caches are in the centre - Last Delivery is the Central London Bug Hotel - there are few other central London caches that are not virtual or micro.

 

2) I would have said that the Park series of Micro Caches (Kensington Park, Hyde Park, Green Park, St James Park etc) would be ideal for night caching, as mugging in the West End isn't common compared with most large cities - but on the other hand Kevin Spacey may change your mind - however, he was not in Central London at the time - and he was stupid.

 

3) There are loads of options - details here - This booklet sets out all the fares info. - You will find this Map invaluable -

Thanks a lot, LG!

I had already noticed that map, and it appears to be very useful. I'll certainly carry that one with me, and I'll get myself off-peak travel cards.

I'll ignore the Spacey story, and do some night-caching in the parks, as you suggested, and will just go with the flow during daytime. If you have any particular recommendations, also for daytime :D I'll be happy to know!

Posted

One of my Central London favourites is Old Father Thames and this this and this are popular with visitors.

 

If you have three hours to spare and the weather is clear then consider Addington Hills Triangle for excellent 30 mile+ views across London. Take a train from Victoria to East Croydon and then a Tram to Coombe Lane on the New Addington Line. It should take no more than an hour to get there. The relevant bits of the TramLink are covered by a Zone 4 tube ticket. Tramlink Map

Posted
One of my Central London favourites is Old Father Thames and this this and this are popular with visitors.

 

If you have three hours to spare and the weather is clear then consider Addington Hills Triangle for excellent 30 mile+ views across London. Take a train from Victoria to East Croydon and then a Tram to Coombe Lane on the New Addington Line. It should take no more than an hour to get there. The relevant bits of the TramLink are covered by a Zone 4 tube ticket. Tramlink Map

Thanks, those are invaluable suggestions!

If the weather will be good, I might do that trip out of town. I'll adjust the focus of my PQ a bit, so that one will be included :D

Do you happen to know about lockers in Heathrow? or at any centrally-located train station? I guess if you live in London you wouldn't need them, but getting rid of my luggage would be a necessary for hikes, especially after a sleepless night...

Posted

Some advice if you're out and about in London at night:

 

1: Dress like you have no money

 

2: Don't let anyone see you looking at the map at night

 

3: Don't carry everything in a rucksack

 

4: Avoid the West end from Midnight to 5am

 

5: Avoid Leicester Square at night.

 

6: Try not to look suspicious in St James' park at night, Buckingham Palace is nearby, along with other Royal residences.

 

7: Move fast there's 90+ caches to get.

Posted (edited)
Do you happen to know about lockers in Heathrow? or at any centrally-located train station? I guess if you live in London you wouldn't need them, but getting rid of my luggage would be a necessary for hikes, especially after a sleepless night...

The following is taken from the British Airport Authority's website (http://www.baa.co.uk - do a search on "left luggage" for more info).

 

Left luggage

Each terminal has a left luggage facility for storing baggage or belongings for a number of hours or days. All items are security checked. Left luggage offices also offer competitive unaccompanied baggage rates and services and sell luggage and travel accessories.

Charges are £5.00 per item per day (or part thereof).

Opening times:

Terminal 1 (06:00 to 23:00)

Terminal 2 (06:00 to 22:30)

Terminal 3 (05:30 to 22:30)

Terminal 4 (05:30 to 23:00)

 

The service is operated by the Excess Baggage Company, tel +44 (0)20 8745 4599.

 

Hopefully that's of some help.

 

I did type a more detailed reply to your original post, but my browser crashed before I could send it and just before I was due to leave to catch a train. Learned Gerbil and Volvo Man have given you the advice that was in my original post.

 

The one other thing I would suggest is contacting OzGuff as he recently did an overnight caching session in London and may have some valuable tips to pass on.

 

- Neil.

Edited by NeilFord
Posted

Are you looking for quality or quantity? Central London has both! My guess is that you could easily get 80-90 caches in a 24 hour period with the right stimulants! If you aren't too fond of micros the number will come down subtantially -- almost an order of magnitude.

 

No matter what tickles your fancy you should have a great time! And if night-caching is your forte (and micros are not a four-letter word in your vocabulary) you are set for an interesting caching experience!

 

Get back to me on what you like and I will try to set down something more concrete!

Posted

I had forgotten about the left luggage question. Yes Heathrow, Victoria Station etc all have these sort of fascilities, although they can be expensive if you have too many items. These days the old style locker concept has been replaced by a more Hotel Concierge approach - for security reasons no doubt!

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